OLA: Walking the Freedom Trail in Boston!

Bill enjoying Cheers in Boston, hub of the TV Series by the same name
after  walking the Freedom Trail

map of Freedom Trail in Boston

But it wasn’t really a walk! Boston’s traffic jams and high parking prices made us leave our car at Braintree, about thirty miles south, to take the city subway’s Red Line. We got off at the Park Street Station on Beacon Hill. There we took the City View Trolley (I decided I could not walk the 2.5 mile trail), a Hop-on Hop-off bus service. The Trail is a unique constellation of 16 historic sites that surround the important events around the American Revolution against Great Britain.  Beacon Hill was Stops #7 and 8 of the 10-stop tour. We reserved it for the last before the subway ride back to our car.

the trail is marked like this on the sidewalks

At Stop #9 is the Boston Tea Party ship/museum. Darn…they were closed for renovation! Here’s how the story goes: the British government and the East India Company controlled all the tea imported into the colonies. On 12/16/1773, officials in Boston refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain. Colonists sneaked into the ship and threw them into the Boston Harbor, earning the name, the Boston Tea Party. In 1774 the British Parliament closed Boston's commerce until the East India Company could be repaid. Colonists responded by convening the First Continental Congress. In 1775 the war began.

inviting entrance to the Quincy Market 

statue of Paul Revere with the
Old North Church at the back

Stop #1 is a close look at Faneuil Hall and the Quincy Marketplace. Faneuil Hall has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. It was the site of stirring speeches by Samuel Adams and others calling for independence from Great Britain. Quincy Market is now a bustling place for diverse eateries so we had our lunch there! Next: Stop #2 for Paul Revere’s house, his statue, and the Old North Church. Revere was a silversmith who became famous for alerting Colonial militia in Lexington and Concord, just outside of Boston, of approaching British forces. Old North Church is the location from which the famous "One if by land, and two if by sea" signal is said to have been sent via lanterns at midnight of 4/18/1775.

Faneuil Hall with the statue of Sam Adams in front...

at the Bunker Hill Monument

The Bunker Hill Monument that commemorates the Battle of Bunker Hill is on Breed’s Hill at Stop #3. It was on Breed’s Hill where most of the fighting in the misnamed Battle of Bunker Hill actually took place. The Battle was the first major conflict between British and Patriot forces in the American Revolution, fought on 6/17/1775. The Patriots won! The 221 foot (67 m) granite obelisk has 294 steps to the top. In front of the obelisk is a statue of Col. William Prescott who, according to popular stories, coined the famous Revolutionary War phrase, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes".

the USS Constitution and us!

The USS Constitution, fondly known as ‘Old Ironsides, is at Stop # 4 at the Charlestown Navy Shipyard.  The ship is still an active wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. She is the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat (since 1797), Constitution was one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794 and the third constructed. She is most famous for being undefeated during the War of 1812 against Great Britain.

entrance to the Charlestown Shipyard

marker on the site of the Boston Massacre

Stop #5 is the site of the Boston Massacre, an incident on 3/5/1770 that foreshadowed the American Revolution by five years. British troops had been stationed in Boston since 1768 to protect crown-appointed colonial officials who were enforcing unpopular legislation. That fateful day, amid ongoing tense relations, a mob formed around a British sentry, who was subjected to verbal abuse and harassment. Eight additional soldiers came to support him but were also treated the same. So they fired into the crowd, without orders, instantly killing three and causing the death of two others later.  The Old State House, Old Meeting House, and an old corner bookstore are all near the site.

unmistakable edifice at the middle of Boston Commons

the fountain at Boston Commons
Massachusetts State House at the back

We were late in arriving at Stop #7, the Old Granary Burying Ground near Park Street Church where Paul Revere, Sam Adams, John Hancock, members of the Franklin family, and the five who were killed at the Boston Massacre are buried. But we were still able to take pictures from the sidewalk. Because of this, we had more time at Beacon Hill’s Boston Commons which has a carousel, a beautiful pond, a Civil War memorial, and a beautiful fountain from which one can see the gold dome of the Massachusetts State House gleaming. It is said that the Liberty Tree was a famous elm tree that stood near Boston Common where ten years before the Revolution, colonists staged the first act of defiance. Sigh…It was not listed with the other 16 sites.

markers in front of the Old Granary Burying Ground

beautiful purple flowers at the Pond

We were not able to visit the King’s Chapel and burying ground or the Copp’s hill burying ground both of which have plots of many historic figures of the time. But we were so glad to have found the time, at the end of the day, to have refreshing beer and iced tea at Cheers, the pub that was the subject of a TV series of the same name.  It was just opposite the lovely pond of the Boston Commons. We had so much fun taking photos at the bar and sending them through my smart phone to our son and sons-in-law. We also got carried away…buying each one a Cheers t-shirt for Father’s Day! 

the City View Trolley

even the Subway station at Park Street is historical.

The ‘walk’ through the most significant sites that ushered in the Revolution that became the model for other nations was indeed memorable. The Trail made this bit of American history come alive. But it was also tiring, even if we rode the Trolley because there was a lot of walking to and from the stops. Perhaps we should have done it in two days! If you ask us what the highlight of the tour was, Bill will say ‘Cheers!’!    I totally agree. So, until next week, cheers! 

OLA: Waking up in a City That Never Sleeps

Bill and Carol at a lovely dinner in Ai Fiori (among flowers) on Fifth Avenue, NYC

Progress! One World Center now at 100 floors
the Transportation Hub emerges!

That seems like a contradiction! But Bill and I wanted to go back to New York City to live it up! Joe and Dottie let us park our RV at their home in Middletown, New York, 45 minutes from the campground. That gave us the chance to revisit Lower, Middle, and Upper Manhattan one day at a time. Let me tell you what happened!

Lower Manhattan

work at left and throngs at right, view from our hotel room

the new 9/11 Memorial wall at the Visitors Center NYC

Our room at the World Center Hotel was spacious, clean, and well-equipped but it is the location that is enviable. It is right next to the 9/11 National Memorial and our room had a view of the site so we could see the work going on, the endless queues from 9 am to 6 pm, and the 100^thfloor, at 1,368 feet, of One World Trade Center which, with its spire, will tower to 1,776. Even now it is again the tallest building in Manhattan. The complex will be a multifaceted Transportation Hub, connecting the World Trade Center and the World Financial Center. What a successful renewal!

Bill at the grounds of the Chapel of St. Paul with its unwavering spirit

Alexander Hamilton's tomb at Trinity Church's burial grounds

Just across the southwest side (our hotel is at the northeast side) is the little Chapel of St Paul (Catholic) which survived the fire of 1776 and the terrorist attack on 9/11. An engraved bell at the burial grounds commemorates its unwavering spirit!. Inside this chapel built in 1772, one will see the very pew that George Washington used when the nearby Trinity Church (Episcopalian), where he regularly went for service, was destroyed by fire.  At the grounds of the restored Trinity Church we found the tomb of Alexander Hamilton, a Founding Father, a framer of the US Constitution, and first Secretary of the Treasury of the US.

Bill in front of the New York Stock Exchange

Bill with the Bowling Green Bull, for bullish trading

Facing Trinity Church is Wall Street where we found the New York Stock Exchange across which a big George Washington stands in front of the Federal Reserve Building seeming to ensure that every financial transaction at that Financial District is above board. About a block towards Battery Park is the charming little Bowling Green Park and its Bull! Of course, at Battery Park we got a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, now doubly meaningful to me, a naturalized US citizen after migrating here 8 years ago!

Immigrants' Memorial in Battery Park with Ellis Island at the background

Upper Manhattan

Cathedral of St. John at Upper Manhattan, NYC

In Upper Manhattan, way up on 123^rd street is the Cathedral of St. John, largest handcrafted cathedral in the world! It is an exquisite work of art, inside and out. Several blocks from this cathedral is the Grant National Memorial, considered one of the top 10 mausoleums in the world. It was so cool inside, despite no air-conditioning. Three floors of marbled walls and floors surround the tombs of General and Mrs. Grant at the lower level. A huge dome tops the beautiful mausoleum, surrounded by tall elms.

the Grant National Memorial in upper Manhattan, NYC

Bethesda Fountain and lake at Central Park, NYC

Although it is considered central in Manhattan, hence the name Central Park, let me include it in this section. The few times I had been to New York I never got the opportunity to experience the Park. This time, Bill and I walked a small loop that included the Carousel, the Literary Walk, the Bethesda Fountain, boathouse and the lake. All along the Mall were artists: acrobats, jugglers, musicians, magicians, jokers, etc. competing for the public’s attention and dollars, performing under 150-year old elm trees.  

150-year old elms provide the natural canopy
for strollers at Central Park, NYC

Columbus Circle and the familiar Central Park horse-drawn carriage

At the end of the small loop we came upon a group that was singing some old familiar Beatles tunes and, of course, I stopped and sang with them! Little did we know that they were there because that was right across the John Lennon Memorial, a circular mosaic that had the word IMAGINE at the center. And about a hundred yards from the memorial, across the Park on Central Park West and 72^nd St, is the Dakota Apartments at whose gate John was gunned down by Chapman at 10:50 PM of Dec. 8, 1980.

the John Lennon Memorial at Strawberry Fields Forever, Central Park New York City

Middle Manhattan

Bill inside the Empire State Building

On Central Park’s southeast side is the Maine Monument and just across is the roundabout called Columbus Circle (a statue of Columbus stands at the center). The Circle is the actual center of Manhattan and every place is measured in distance from it. Middle Manhattan is where you will find the Rockefeller Center (although the skating rink has become a flurry of stores) and the Empire State Building (which still runs tours up to 10 PM). St. Patrick’s Cathedral is a few blocks from the Rockefeller Center and we were so lucky to have made it to the Sunday 10:15 AM mass when the choir sings.

Carol at Rockefeller Plaza in NYC on Memorial Day

Memorial Day Mass at St, Patrick's Cathedral in NYC
with representatives from the Navy

We were not able to get a glimpse of the Chrysler Building and the United Nations complex but we chanced upon the Flatiron Building near the birthplace of Theodore Roosevelt, a national historic site. It is his home in Long Island, however, that most people know. But the busiest part (besides the subways) is Times Square and the Theater District beside it. I (not Bill) had so much fun having my picture taken with the Marines, the Army, the Air Force, the Navy, NYPD, and, of course, The Naked Cowboy  who were all around the Square for Memorial Day celebrations.

Teddy Roosevelt National Historic Site in Middle Manhattan, NYC

nobody seems to care...with The Naked Cowboy
 at Times Square, NYC

Then Bill and I had the time of our lives at The Times Square Visitor center for a photo op with the New Year’s Eve Ball ($8M worth) and post our prayers at the Hopes and Dreams board. Then, just a couple of buildings away we went to the American Eagle Outfitters. It took me quite a while to find an item that is not too expensive but pretty enough. I finally found a $12 top (everything was 40% off) which gave us the chance to have our 15-seconds of fame on a giant Times Square screen in front of the store!

our 15 seconds of fame at Times square, NYC!

Hopes and Dreams at Times Square Visitors' Center, NYC

Finally it was time to see Lion King at the Minskoff Theatre on 45^th and Broadway.  I couldn’t help but sing Hakuna Matata and ‘Can’t you feel the love tonight’ with the cast.  I had been to several Broadway plays in New York before but this was indeed a spectacle! Next we dined at Ai Fiori (meaning among flowers) on Fifth Avenue, a gift from my daughters Trisha, Claudine and April. Never could I have spent this kind of money. But, they were right! Even if our meals at Europa Café, TGIF, and Koko’s were also good, this Ai Fiore dinner was truly the meal of a lifetime! Thank you, my girls!

Carol, before the Lion King performance
at the Minskoff Theatre off Broadway, NYC

riding a romantic tricycle in Times Square, NYC

The three Manhattans gave us everything…the best of food, theater, history, celebrations, architecture, churches, memorials, parks, and people!  Waking up to a city that never sleeps, although literally quite contradictory, is a shot of adrenalin for another eventful 24 hours each and every day!  And I was so tired i slumped on the floor of Grand Central Station, waiting for the train that would take us to Upstate New York again to get our RV and resume cruising! 

waiting for the Metro-North train at Grand Central

Thinking and Getting Inspired in Philly! OLA:Pennsylvania, Part 2

inspired by Rocky at the Philadelphia Art Museum whose steps he used to train and finally win!

Ann and Carol ready to train at Rocky's Steps 

In Hershey, Pennsylvania we became children. In Pittsburgh we were charmed by the former steel capital of the world. But Philly…Philly is special! Rodin’s masterpiece, the Thinker, sits pensive right before you reach the Philadelphia Art Museum, on whose steps Rocky trained to win (a Rocky Statue is at the ground level).  And all around downtown are many reminders that make one think of the greatness of this nation, its history, and its early leaders. One will surely get inspired with fervor!

Thinking with The Thinker, Rodin's masterpiece

The Walking Tour

Liberty Bell, world's symbol of freedom
with the Independence Hall at the background

My American education was most intense in the 2 days we spent in Philly, one by ourselves, and another with friends. Independence Mall is the nexus of the historical places: the National Constitution Center, the only museum of its kind in the world, the President’s Site from where Washington governed the nation for 2 years, Liberty Bell, world symbol of freedom, and the Independence Hall, where in 1776 55 brave men signed the Declaration of Independence and in 1787 39 great men signed the Constitution.

Assembly Room at the Independence Hall
where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed

last resting place of Benjamin Franklin,
Christ Church Burial Grounds

In the immediate vicinity of the Mall is Benjamin Franklin’s simple grave at the Christ Church Burial Grounds. Franklin is the gifted man who discovered electricity, among others. He so influenced the shaping of American thought, serving as a statesman and later diplomat during the critical revolutionary and early government days. Inside his former neighbor’s building is the replica of his print shop (of particular interest to Bill whose career revolved around the industry) near where his home was at Franklin Court.

passage way to Franklin Court, where Benjamin Franklin's home once stood

Carpenters' Hall, site of the First Intercontinental Congress in 1774

Nearby is the Carpenters’ Hall, built by the craftsmen of that period, where the first Intercontinental Congress was held in 1774, paving the way for the American Revolution in 1776. Around the area are three distinguished homes of:  Betsy Ross, the woman who made the first American flag, the Todd House, grandest first lady during the Madison presidency, and the Declaration House where Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. A block away is Washington Square where the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier honors those who fought in the American Revolution. 

the National Constitution Center, only one of its kind in the world

Declaration House, dwarfed by modern buildings,
where Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence

The Driving Tour

A little further away is the Philadelphia City Hall. At 548 ft tall, it is the world's second-tallest masonry building (weight of the building is borne by granite and brick walls up to 22 feet rather than steel), only a foot shorter than Mole Antonelliana in Turin. Atop the building is the statue of William Penn, founder of Philadelphia. Up to 1987, all buildings in Philadelphia could not be taller than City Hall. Then a few more blocks along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway are the Rodin Museum and the Rocky steps and statue. 

  

City Hall with William Penn's statue on top

Eastern State Penitentiary Museum

Several more blocks to the north of the Philadelphia Art Museum you will find the Eastern State Penitentiary, an American prison until 1971, now a museum. With a unique wagon wheel design, it redefined the revolutionary system of separate incarceration first pioneered at the Walnut Street Jail, emphasizing principles of reform rather than punishment. It was the largest and most expensive public structure ever constructed in its time. Quickly it became a model for more than 300 prisons worldwide.

St. John Neumann's body under the main altar of St. Peter the Apostle Church

we are left to imagine what went on
 at this cellar of Edgar Allan Poe's home

And another few flocks to the east is The National Shrine of St. John Neumann who in 1977 became the first American male to be canonized (he is only 1 of 7 American saints). Located in St. Peter the Apostle Church built in 1843, his waxed body lies in a glass-enclosed reliquary under the main altar of the lower church, after it was exhumed from the church grounds in 1862. A few more blocks east is the Edgar Allan Poe National Historical Site, only one of two homes where he lived still preserved (the other one in New York). This is the home where he wrote most of his significant works and also where he was happiest.

enjoying good food and even better company
at the popular Philly hangout, Reading Terminal Market

Lilet and Loy's unforgettable Amish chicken

The Eating Tour

But we were not just frazzled and bedazzled tourists. The 5 of us (Loy, Ann and I were colleagues at the Institute of Advanced Technology in the Philippines) met at the Reading Terminal Market, famous for its large variety of food outlets, a smaller version of Granville Market in Vancouver, Bill and I thought, but also as interesting. Looking for low fat cheese and nice pates to bring home, we found yoghurt cheese and pate de la champagne at La Salumeria. Loy and Lilet’s Amish chicken smelled like the Filipino lechon manok! Ann and I regretted our orders but Bill was happy with his shawarma and tabouli.

Pat's King of Steaks, home of the original Philly Cheesesteak!

photo doesn't do it justice

Loy and Lilet were making their way to Maryland from New York so after the tour of Independence Hall and the National Shrine, they left.  Loy worked in Philly for 2 years so he knew of these good places to eat. But they were not able to join Bill, Ann, and I at Pat’s King of Steaks where the now very popular Philly Cheesesteak was originally concocted by the Oliveri family in 1930! After a long, history and food (spiritual and physical)-filled day, we brought Ann home to her sister’s at Somers’ Point, only about 30 minutes away from our campground.

House of Betsy Ross, maker of the first American Flag

Todd House, early home of the grand first lady
of the Madison presidency

There were no long good-byes because we plan to meet Ann again probably in October in Arizona where her youngest sister lives and/or December in southern California where her daughter has a home.  On the other hand, in July, Loy plans to join Fides, Bill, and I in Toronto where Marissa and Mon live! Such is the vagabond life of cruisers. But in Philly we were moved with fervor thinking about the greatness of the history of the United States as we now enjoy the fruits of its early leaders’ genius and sacrifice! 

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier