Massachusetts - THE GREATER BOSTON AREA: Cradle
of the Revolution
THE CITY OF BOSTON
Comprising the major metropolis of Boston, the college town
of Cambridge and the North Shore (the fishing, historic, beach
and bedroom communites dotting the coastline up to the New
Hampshire border), one can experience just about everything
in terms of adventure, history, entertainment and culture
which this country has to offer.
Known as "The Cradle of the Revolution" because
it was the scene of such important early events in our history
as the Boston Tea Party, the battle of Bunker Hill and the
ride of Paul Revere, Boston offers "The Freedom Trail"
for those interested in experiencing the rich history behind
this beautiful city. This three mile walk takes you past 16
historic locations in the city tracing the steps of our forefathers,
winding down the narrow cobblestone streets of yesteryear,
past the old State House and the North Church where Paul Revere
hung his lanterns. One stop is Faneuil Hall, an indoor mall
with dozens of restaurants and stores in the location of the
first meeting hall of our country's founders. The U.S.S. Constitution
- "Old Ironsides" - the oldest commissioned warship
in the world is open to the public for tours and sometimes
sails. And you're right next to Bunker Hill, where if one
climbs the historic monument, you are afforded the greatest
panoramic view of the area available. The Boston Common and
the Public Garden offer a quiet, green retreat from the hectic
city life and are a lively addition to the town much the same
way Central Park serves that role in New York City.
History,
science and the arts abound: The Museum of Science,
Museum for the Fine Arts, the Hayden Planetarium, the
historic Boston Public Library, the Institute of Contemporary
Art, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the JFK Library,
Science Park (on a man-made island in the middle of
the historic Charles River), the New England Aquarium,
the Franklin Park Zoo and the world-famous Computer
Museum. All this in one place! Need we say more?
Downtown architecture is world-class and world-famous from
the Prudential Tower to the Hancock buildings - new and old,
to the stately mansions on Beacon Hill and the Victorian Townhouses
on Commonwealth Ave.
All this plus the Boston Red Sox, the New England Patriots,
the BSO and the Pops!
CAMBRIDGE
Just across the Charles River from Boston lies the City of
Cambridge, the intellectual center of the modern age.
Home to MIT (The Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
and Harvard University, Cambridge is also an arts colony
with some of the most exciting galleries and performance
spaces in the country. Just in Harvard Square, for instance,
lie the two oldest continuously running coffeehouses
in the the country: Passim (the old Club 47) and the
No-Name Coffeehouse, the birthplace of the modern folk
music era and home to the earliest performances of such
giants as Joan Baez, Tim Hardin, Bob Dylan, Eric Andersen
and Joni Mitchell. And due to the large student and
blue-collar populations and ethnic diversity of the
area, Cambridge is a smorgasbord of great restaurants
at truly affordable prices encompassing cuisines from
all over the planet with a bent on the great local produce
and fresh seafood brought into the harbor. Plan a day
or two just to visit this great town across the river.
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