Vibrant and full of life, is the apt description for the city of Boston. It boasts of a rich history, great architecture, wide open green spaces, scenic coastline and an eclectic mix of people from all around the world.
We planned our trip for the 28th of April, 2011 along with my parents. It was our first trip with them and we tried to visit all the famous places. Accordingly, we started early in the morning around 7 and drove for almost five hours with two stops on the way for gas and breakfast.
Arrived at our destination around 12, parked the car across the street from Quincy Market and moved on to the market area. Quite a cheerful place it was, with loud music and swarming crowds, it sure was the central point of the city. All of us were happy to be out after a long drive, and enjoyed chocolate ice-creams while watching a street performance.
Quincy Market
With a multitude of fast food centers, restaurants and shops; it was a great place to start our trip to the city. Next, we had the Harvard tour lined up at 2, so we had some light brunch and left for Harvard Square where the group was supposed to meet. Luckily, we found a great parking spot on Massachusetts Ave which was quite close to the meeting point and we were there just in time. The guide was waiting for everyone to turn up and we happened to be the first ones.
Then we were introduced to the tour guide who herself was a current student of Harvard. She gave a brief overview and began the tour with seven more people along with us. Her explanation of the university and its history was very informative and she kept it light by dropping in some witty jokes here and there.
She even went around to show us the favorite eating joints for the students. The tour went on for an hour or so. It was a great experience for us, as we all wanted to see this celebrated institution up close.
Then we were introduced to the tour guide who herself was a current student of Harvard. She gave a brief overview and began the tour with seven more people along with us. Her explanation of the university and its history was very informative and she kept it light by dropping in some witty jokes here and there.
She even went around to show us the favorite eating joints for the students. The tour went on for an hour or so. It was a great experience for us, as we all wanted to see this celebrated institution up close.
After that, it was time for some refreshments, we stopped by a local pizzeria and had some delicious food. Next on the list was Prudential Center, we were there around 3:30. A great shopping place, we picked up a few souvenirs and bought our tickets for the duck tour. Around 4:30, we came out and got in the line for the ride - our very first on an amphibious truck called 'Duck'.
The driver was hilarious, he took us around the well-known areas of the city while giving us some funny one-liners and of-course the occasional 'quack-quacks' on the way. Best part of the ride was when we splashed into the Charles River, it was a different feeling. The ride on the water was great too as we got stunning views of Boston and Cambridge skylines.
From there, we were driven back to the prudential center after more than an hour of sightseeing and then, it was time to leave. We began our journey around 6:30 and made it back home by 12:30, with a dinner stop in between.
Overall, it was a wonderful trip and we had the most fun.