BOSTON CITY GUIDE:
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° Restaurants and Dining Guide
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Photos and prose to tourism and historical activities in Boston, from the Freedom Trail to the Duck Tour to sporting events.

Touring Boston!
Sightseeing Guide and Activities

The Duck Tours provide an entertaining orientation to Boston.

A city with as much history as Boston has a superior selection of sightseeing options, from taking a walking tour with Colonial characters to riding in a WWII amphibious vehicle.

Having a good map is essential Boston and is literally the first step one should take before even taking a step. Like many of Europe's cities, Boston is compact, safe and easily navigated by foot. Walking is one of the best ways to see and get to know Boston.

And while historical sites dot the city like a sailboats on the Charles River, they just don't jump out at you like a good bowl of chowder. Therefore, a good guide is a real plus. Plus, they can help establish one's bearings throughout Boston.

One of the best places to start is with the whacky, quacky Duck Tours. These multi-colored converted WWII amphibious landing craft travel the city by land and by sea, hitting the highlights of many of the historical and current landmarks. Driven by highly entertaining "conDUCKtours," the Ducks are 90 minutes of entertainment for $24.The vehicles visit key sites such as Beacon Hill, Boston Common, Quincy Market/Fanueil Hall, Bunker Hill, Charlestown and even go into the Charles River. All along the way, the humorous commentary of the driving tour guide points out facts and factoids about Boston and its people.

While definitely a tool for the tourists, the Ducks also provide a glimpse of something locals experience every day: Boston's notorious traffic jams. "Cut 'em off and then wave at 'em; it's how we drive here," explained PubClub.com's colorful conDUCKtour, The Great Garibaldi. Some of the other characters who drive the Ducks are: Magnum D.I., Admiral Amnesia, Dr. Ima Quack, Paul Reverse, Major Bombshell and Colonel Duck Tape. This should provide some type of indication about the quirky nature of these tours.

Duck Tour tickets are available on-line, at Quincy Market and at the two starting points of the tour, Prudential Center and the Museum of Science in Cambridge. The Ducks, which often get repeat visitors anxious to experience another conDUCKtour, are so popular, they frequently sell out by noon in the summer months. Scroll down for the Duck web site and phone number.

The Old North Church and Paul Revere's Statue along the Freedom Trial.

No trip to Boston could be called complete without spending time with some Colonial ancestors. This is possible through the Freedom Trail Foundation's historical walking tours. Costumed characters lead private or group tours along the Freedom Trail, a 3-mile path that goes to Boston's prime historical sites ($12 for groups; private tours start at $100). The tours bring the old Colonial town back to life and provide an insightful look at the people and the events that led to the American Revolution.

The Freedom Trail itself is a path along Boston's streets and parks established by the Foundation to highlight Boston's historical sites. Because it's a trail, in can be enjoyed self-paced – in a day, several days or even during repeat visits to the city. Along the way various sites offer tours, such as the USS Constitution (30-minute tours Tuesday-Sunday; the adjacent museum is worth the time and the $2 donation), The Old North Church ($2 donation) and Paul Revere's House ($3). The Old North Church, at 193 Salem St., is where Robert Newton climbed the steeple on the night of April 18, 1775 and hung two lanterns signaling to Patriots in Charleston that the British planned to cross the Charles River the next morning on their way to Lexington.

Places for food and drink places are plentiful all along the Trail, especially the Italian restaurants in the North End and the taverns by Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. By the way, if you're ever lonely and feel to be in the company of others in Boston, Quincy Market is the place; in daytme it's turbo for tourists and at night, locals are toasting 'em down in the taverns.

The USS Constitution, Old Ironsides, is moored in Charlestown.

Then again, one might just be tempted to sit on a bench in Boston Common with the paper, a good book or this PubClub guide and relax. In the summer, concerts are common in the Common.

For the health conscious, Boston offers a variety of active sports options. The many parks provide plenty of running, rollerblading and bicycling trails; by far the most scenic and popular of these is the Esplanade, which runs along the Charles River. The main access point is the orange Arthur Fiedler Footbridge in Beacon Hill (Beacon Street and David G. Mugar Way) . The Esplanade has gondolas, boats, a snack cafe and a shell amphitheater featuring free concerts (retro performers such as 3 Dog Night, Frankie Valley, on summer Saturdays), Friday Night Flicks (again, in summer), Fiedler's famed Boston Pops performed their first concert on the Esplanade on July 4, 1929, and it's a Fourth of July tradition to this day.

Another scenic running/walking area is along Boston Harbor, called Harbor Walk. It goes from the Aquarium to the Boston Tea Party location, past a few small sailboat docks and the archway of Rowe's Wharf.

Fashionable Newberry Street has high-end shopping.

Shopping

Shopping a natural pastime in Boston, and besides the downtown and tourist areas, the place to go is Newberry Street. High-prices boutiques, furniture stores, jewlery shops and the occasional record/CD store line both sides of this pristine street. The buildings are old brownstones and many have steps leading down to the store's entrance. Small signs hang over the door, a nod to old Boston tradition. There are also restaurants and sidewalk cafes.

When the weather turns sour, the shopping mood doesn't have to because Copley Place is a large indoor mall in the Back Bay. Stores include Neiman-Marcus, Tiffany, Gucci and Williams-Sonoma; there's also an 11-screen cinema.

Sports

Legendary Fenway Park hosts the Red Sox, Boston's #1 sports team.

Nothing defines Boston like its sports teams, and without a doubt the prime obsession of Boston sports fans are the Red Sox. A perennial American League power and, are we really typing this– the 2004 World Champions – the Red Sox play in America's oldest ballpark, Fenway Park. The Green Monster, Pesky Pole, the bars of Lansdowne Street and the pregame atmosphere of Yawkey Way make attending a game more than sport – it's an event. The fans are often more entertaining than the games. They dress in Red Sox gear, continually curse at the Yankees whether or not this hated rival is that game's opponent and are openly frustrated at the slightest lack of perfection in any Red Sox. It has something to do with " The Curse and guys named Bucky, Brett and The Babe. This is a must-do in Boston (April thru September, and into October in good years). Green line T Stop: Kenmore; take any car except the "E" train.

One team that has won its share of championships is the NBA's Celtics. Wearing green jerseys and playing on the parquet floor of the old "Gaad-en," the Celtics became one of pro basketball's most storied franchises. Today, there are only memories of Red Auerbach and his cigar, Bob Cousy's dribbling or Larry Bird's clutch shots. And John Havlicek hasn't stolen a ball in years. Even announcer Johnny Most has passed on. New GM Danny Ainge has tasted titles as a Celtic and he's trying to rebuild a winner.

Boston also has an impressisve hockey history with its five-time champion Bruins and Hall of Famer Bobby Orr. Sadly, a player/management lockout threatens to cancel the entire 2004-05 season. The Celtics and Bruins today play in the Fleet Center (North Station, Green and Orange lines).

On the college scene, the Boston College Eagles have an above-average football team; they began 2004, in fact, by whipping Penn State and quite often hammer Notre Dame.

Museums

Boston's top museum-type attraction is the highly-acclaimed New England Aquarium. The dominant fixture on Long Wharf – where goods and the British came ashore in the 1700s – it features aquatic animals from Boston's area waters to the Amazon. $19.

The Museum of Science features science and technology exhibits. There's even an exhibit on the Duck Tours! $14. The John F. Kennedy Library and Museum focuses on the life of the former president from Massachusetts (his office was at 122 Boylston St., and the address still exists today). When he was assassinated his driver's license still listed this as his home address. $10. The Museum of Fine Arts has the second-largest art collection in the U.S., including international and contemporary art. $15, good for a repeat visit within the next 30 days.

Culture

Boston's Theater District is located in the heart of downtown, along Tremont, Stewart and Washington streets. The world-famous Boston Pops has been performing since 1885. Performances are at Symphony Hall. Tickets are $29-105 on weekends; rehearsal GA tickets are $16. The Pops season is May-July 4; from Sept-May the Boston Symphony Orchestra takes center stage.

Out of Town Excursions

There is almost as much to do outside of Boston as there is in the city. The abundant water and historical locations make for ideal for daily jaunts or, for those seeking extended escapes from reality, perhaps week in Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket.

Plymouth Rock, where the pilgrims first came ashore in 1620, is just 35 miles south of Boston. A waterfront park features the Mayflower II, a replica of the famous ship and the actual Plymouth Rock is indeed there, but it's in a rather unspectacular setting.

Some 150 years later, the "Shot Heard Round the World" was fired on April 19, 1775. The Concord North Bridge, where the actual shot was fired, is under supervision of the National Park Service, which also runs s visitor's center as part of the Minute Man National Historical Park. As the place where the first Patriots and the British had their first encounters, Concord and Lexington is where the Revolutionary War began. They are just 15 minutes west of Boston.

Also in Concord is Walden Pond. Home of Henry David Thoreau, it was made famous by his book Walden, which inspired awareness and respect for the natural environment. Today, the pond is as peaceful as it must have been in the mid-1800s. It smooth surface ripples with canoes and swimmers and the heavily-wooded surroundings is ideal for short hikes.

Just north of Boston, about a half-hour by car, is the bewitching town of Salem. The House of the Seven Gables, made famous by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is the oldest surviving wooden mansion in New England ($11). Salem can also be reached by the T, five stops from the North Station. For those in a car, keep going another half-hour to the seaside town of Rockport. Not only is this the prototypical small New England fishing village but it's THE place to enjoy lobsters. On the way to Rockport, wave to Popeye on the way through Marblehead.

About an hour south of Boston is the summer haven for those escaping city life. Cape Cod – or just simply "The Cape" – is a 70-mile peninsula that encompasses beaches, lighthouses and country roads, eventually ending at Provincetown. The Lower Cape (beginning at Sandwich, along Route 3), is 30 miles from Boston; it's 115 miles to Provincetown.

Beautiful and peaceful – except in summer, where crowds swell like the ocean – is Martha's Vineyard. Good for a day trip or longer, this island off the Cape is 60 miles and a ferry ride south of Boston. It's a scenic island with marshes, lighthouses and tiny communities such as Edgartown. To get to Martha's Vineyard, head to the port at Wood's Hole. Leave the car behind; it's costly and car ferry reservations are required in summer. Bike rentals and bus service makes town-hopping a breeze.

A bit further away by ferry is Nantucket Island, where Jimmy Buffett like to spend his time sailing between shows. Ferries leave from Hyannis on the Cape and travel through Nantucket Sound. Where to land upon landing on Nantucket? The Chicken Box, where Buffett has been known to sit in with the house band.

Boston Sightseeing Resource Guide

Boston Dining and Restaurant Guide!

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