Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Boston! This morning we began with a sweet treat from Mike’s Pastry. Many students enjoyed picking out a cannoli and trying this new dessert! Mike’s is really close to Old North Church which was our first stop on the Freedom Trail. We got a picture in our green shirts by the Paul Revere statue and headed inside for our informational tour of the Old North Church.
The Old North Church was where Paul Revere and his associates hung the lanterns in the steeple to tell how the Red Coats were coming; one if by land, two if by sea. It became more famous after Longfellow’s poem of “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere”. The church itself is still an active church. The pews are unique because they are tall and in squares. In history, the families would purchase a pew box and that is where they would sit for mass. The students found this very interesting. There is a third lantern hanging in the church and David had the honor of lighting it before we had to move on.
Our next stop was Boston Commons to meet our Boston tour guide, Nathaniel. He took us along the Freedom Trail. We stopped at so many incredibly important stops along the way including the Old State House, the location of the Boston Massacre, Kings Church, Fenuiel Hall and the cemetery where John Hancock, Paul Revere and Sam Adams are buried. He was a fast talker and an even faster walker, but we learned so much from him.
For lunch we enjoyed the different stands at Quincy Market. I was pleasantly surprised how many students tried the Clam Chowder for lunch! After lunch they were able to explore Quincy Market and souvenir shop—this group sure loves a souvenir shop!
After lunch we were on our way to the USS Constitution, another stop on the Freedom Trail. This is one of the oldest commissioned Naval vessels. She got the nickname “Old Ironside” because when in battle it was stated that cannon balls would bounce off her sides and someone said “her sides must be made of iron.” Students were able to explore above the ship and below deck. We got a lesson on loading a cannon, but also learned when it is on a ship it is called a gun and when it is on land it is called a cannon. It would take 10-15 people 90 seconds to load and fire the gun. Many of our group had to duck as they walked because they were too tall to stand up straight. In the sleeping area the ceiling was even lower and hammocks were displayed to show where the sailors would sleep.
After Old Ironside we headed to our appointment at the Boston Tea Party Museum. Once again the gift shop was a big hit before we were able to go into the tour. This tour was like a play and had people in character. We all received new identities and had roles in the throwing of the tea into the harbor. Students had the opportunity to throw “tea” in the harbor after receiving a tour of the ship. The museum housed the only known box that was carrying tea from the Boston Tea Party. The museum was active and had different moving pieces to keep everyone engaged- it was incredibly well done.
After a quick detour to Paul Revere’s house, we were onto dinner.
Our dinner was at Fire + Ice which was a new experience for many of our students. It was very similar to HuHot and was a Mongolian style grill, but it also featured a bunch of different noodles and sauces for Italian style pasta and burgers/hot dogs. It was all you could eat and the students went back for multiple trips.
After dinner we headed back to the hotel for some free time and packing. Some students enjoyed playing soccer in the lobby by our breakfast room. Tomorrow more of Boston and then the journey home begins!
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