Today we did part of the Freedom Trail.
The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile walking tour in Boston, marked with a characteristic brick pattern the entire way, that connects 16 sites of national significance.
We decided to break it up into more than one part, cause we have 5 children, 10 and under. And we know our audience.
Today we did the last two sites or the first two sites, depending on how you want to look at it: the USS Constitution and the Bunker Hill Memorial.
The USS Constitution
We knew that the USS Constitution would probably be one of the most interesting sites to our kids. I mean, we got to walk around on a heckin’ old 3-masted ship!
But I’m getting ahead of myself…
We began our adventure by walking around the Visitor Center. Where we learned lots of awesome things.
There were some very interesting exhibits; about the history of the Charlestown navy yard throughout the history of the United States, Rosie the Riveter and the contribution of women to war efforts, how ships are built and repaired, and rope making (this last one was surprisingly interesting). We thoroughly enjoyed it.
A couple of interesting facts about the USS Constitution:
*She was launched in 1798 and has a perfect battle record, having never been defeated or boarded.
*She was in battles against Barbary pirates and was heavily utilized during the war of 1812.
*She’s the world’s oldest ship still afloat.
We went outside to actually tour the USS Constitution aka “Old Ironsides” (a reference to her toughness rather than the building materials used to construct her).
The USS Constitution is a fully commissioned Navy ship and as such, her crew of 75 are active-duty US Navy personnel. Among their other duties, they take turns providing free tours of the ship. (Fun fact: On January 21, 2022 the USS Constitution got her first female commander! Woot!)
After we wandered the top deck for a bit, we made our way down to the next level, where the cannons were located. Each of the cannons has a name. “Brother Jonathan” was a favorite, for obvious reasons. (Liberty or death was a good one too.)
We learned from one of the crew that the success of the Constitution in battle can be partially attributed to the fact that her captains ran tons of gun drills, so that the cannon teams (of 6-15 men depending on the size of the gun) would be able to load and reload as efficiently (and injury free) as possible. This was not common practice at the time, and it gave the Constitution an edge.
We then made our way down to the lowest deck that is accessible to the public, this is where the sleeping quarters were located. I cannot imagine having to share a ship of this size with 400-500 men. Zero privacy. Zero comfort.
We wandered back up onto the top deck and ended up chatting with a lieutenant for a good long time and learned a lot of really interesting things from her. We all really enjoyed that.
We then walked the plank…
…. down onto the pier… don’t get too excited…
We found a nice little grassy area nearby where we had snacks. Because it is a mathematical fact that
children + snacks = sanity x parents.
(Ok I probably thought about this too long…. But really I think this is true. Parents who are sane can literally handle anything. Sanity multiplies your parenting awesome. Yep…. I really thought about this too long….)
While we were there, the kids also came up with a game that involved throwing walnuts (which had fallen from the trees) through the legs of chairs. Or something like that. Whatever the details, they had a great time.
After children had been snacked and parents had been sane-d…. we kept going on the Freedom trail. We walked up toward the Bunker Hill Monument. And the monument was actually on a hill. That hill was Bunker hill. (Ok I might be feeling a little loopy here… 🤪🤪🤪)
The trail goes through some really cool neighborhoods. And I’m a total sucker for that sort of thing.
Bunker Hill Memorial
Eventually we made it to Bunker Hill, and the three older children hung out with us for about thirty seconds and then they started running around like banshees. But there were plenty of other banshee children so it was fine. We also pretended that we didn’t know them. 🤪🤪
The twins were so excited about the Bunker Hill monument because it looks so much like the Washington Monument. Only smaller. So they kept calling it “The small Washington Monument”
And much like the Washington Monument, you can go up to the top. But unlike the Washington monument, you have to walk all those stairs. And we knew it would turn into another episode of Jonathan and Jill carry 2-5 children up 294 stairs. So we opted to just enjoy the monument from ground level.
The battle of Bunker Hill was among the first major battles between the British and the Colonists in the Revolutionary War and this monument commemorates that battle.
We then made our way back toward the car and went in search of sustenance.
We had promised the kids ice cream and so we went in search of J.P. Licks (a Boston institution) and real sustenance as well.
We ended up at Assembly Row (so named because the area was the location of a 52-acre Ford assembly plant). It is an outdoor mall with a really cool vibe. Think industrial chic and bistro lights.
Anyway…. Feeding this crew is no small thing, so we opted for Outback steakhouse. Cause we figured that even our pickiest eaters would be able to find something to eat there.
It was a major hit. Our pickiest eater has not stopped talking about the mac and cheese since.
Also, Clara got a steak and loved it. Her father was so proud.
After we ate, we took a little stroll along the river. And man it was such a lovely evening. And the light was absolutely buttery.
We found a little playground along the walkway and so we turned the kids loose for a bit.
After we had gotten some wiggles out, it was time for ice cream, and so we made our way over to J.P. Licks. One of the cool things about J.P. Licks is that they have some unusual flavors. I got ube (aka purple yam- is used to make halo halo in the Philippines). Jonathan got Oatmeal butterscotch cookie batter. And the kids all got pretty standard flavors. Everything was delightful.
Finally, the time had come for us to return to our car and to get those crazy critters home and in bed.
But first, we had to pose with a giant giraffe made out of duplo blocks.
I consider this diem carped ✔✔✔
