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Horizons / February-March 2020 5 TRAVEL BOSTON CITY GUIDE The gateway to the beautiful New England coast, Boston packs a whole lot of US history into one very walkable city. Here’s how to get the most out of Boston in just three days.

By Susan Gough Henly

Boston is home to some of America’s first subway, first marathon, and largest hub in the Northeast and just most grand and diverse institutions. even first cut-price department store 3½ hours by train from New York. Think Harvard University and The (Filene’s Basement, still going strong It also makes a great jumping off point Boston Red Sox baseball team. It is on Boylston Street). A pretty city for exploring New England’s craggy also a City of Firsts as it lays claim to dotted with parks and brownstone island-dotted coastline. creating America’s first public park, neighbourhoods that frame a first public library, first public school, bustling waterfront, Boston is the

ABOVE: George Washington Statue, Boston Public Garden.

44 February-March 2020 / Horizons TRAVEL Joseph Sohm / Sohm Joseph Shutterstock.com

LEFT: Fenway Park, the oldest ballpark in major league baseball; ABOVE: Beacon Hill is a historic neighbourhood lined with Federalist red-brick townhouses.

head down to a replica of one of the Day 1 three ships that stored the tea. Further Day 2 The completely renovated Boston Park exhibits reveal how the Boston Tea Explore the Boston Public Garden Plaza hotel is an ideal central base near Party was the single most important before taking a leisurely ‘cruise’ on the Boston Public Garden from which event that led to the American the lagoon on one of its large white to explore the city. Revolution. Afterwards, enjoy the swan boats. Head up past the gold- Chinese teas at Abigail’s Tearoom that domed State House to Beacon Hill Start your day at the Boston Common were so popular back in the day. to explore this historic gas lamp-lit with a Freedom Trail tour. You can neighbourhood lined with beautifully easily self-navigate the four-kilometre, Walk over to nearby Row 34 where preserved red-brick Federalist red-brick trail past 16 of the city’s most you can taste some of Boston and townhouses. It is also well worth historic sites. However, the entertaining New England’s finest craft brews on checking out the Museum of African 18th century-costumed guides tell tap while you savour a wide selection American History, which includes the stories that bring to life what happened of New England oysters, raw bar oldest black church building and the at places like the Old South Meeting delicacies, clam chowder and other oldest building housing a black public House and the Boston Massacre local seafood. school in the United States. Check Site in their 90-minute introduction to You can’t come to Boston without out cobblestoned Acorn Street before Boston’s revolutionary roots. going to a sporting event in what is walking down to Charles Street, with its Look around Faneuil Hall Marketplace perhaps the most sports-mad city interesting boutiques, gourmet shops before lunch at the nearby Union in the United States. If you’re lucky, and antique stores. Oyster House, the oldest continuously the world champion Boston Red If you’re a fan of the television show operating restaurant in the United Sox might be playing at Fenway Park Cheers, have lunch at the original States, with a wide range of seafood (March-September). Or perhaps Cheers, where you can eat upstairs and other dishes. You might even be you can see a New England Patriots overlooking the Boston Public Garden able to sit in Boston native son John football match - they’re the most highly awarded football team in the or downstairs, which looks more like F. Kennedy’s favourite booth. country (September-January), or a the original set. Afterwards, walk down At the Boston Tea Party Ships and legendary Boston Celtics basketball tree-lined Commonwealth Avenue, Museum, costumed narrators give game (October-April), or that most New framed with Victorian brownstone you roles to play at the rowdy Sons of England game of all, a Boston Bruins buildings, before shopping on Newbury Liberty meeting that took place here ice hockey match (October-April). Street which is chock-a-block with an on 16 December 1773 to discuss the And, of course, there’s also the famed eclectic array of cafes, bookshops, tyranny of British tax on tea. Then Boston Marathon (April). boutiques and record stores.

Horizons / February-March 2020 45 TRAVEL Jannis Tobias Werner / Shutterstock.com James Kirkikis / Shutterstock.com

ABOVE: Harvard is the United State’s oldest and most prestigious university; RIGHT: The North End is renowned for it’s Italian influence.

Spend the afternoon at the expansive to get to Nebo for lunch. Started by fabulous Thai, Cambodian, Middle Boston Museum of Fine Arts to see two sisters with deep ties to the North Eastern, and Ethiopian eateries, too. portraits of key figures of the American End, Nebo is the place to try pasta alla Afterwards, hang out with the students Revolution in the celebrated Art of vongole and gorgonzola and fig salad. at any number of bars, craft breweries the Americas wing as well as some Head across the Charles river to or music clubs dotted in and around of the finest Monet paintings outside Cambridge, the home of Harvard, the Harvard Square. of Europe. Visit the nearby Isabella oldest and most prestigious university Stewart Gardner Museum to discover in the United States. There’s no better masterpieces by Titian, Rembrandt, way to explore this hallowed Ivy League Fast facts Michelangelo, Botticelli, Manet, Whistler institution than with a Harvard Tour, the and Matisse in a Venetian-palace- hilarious, unofficial and unsanctioned like building with a beautiful garden  When to go tour led by Harvard students. You’ll Boston is great to visit courtyard. Sports lovers will enjoy a not only see important sites, like the year-round but is especially tour of nearby Fenway Park, the oldest Widener Library, the showpiece of the appealing during the ballpark in major league baseball. largest university library system in the September-November autumn colour season. Grab a lobster roll or a dozen oysters world, built through donations from the at Eventide Fenway before enjoying mother of Titanic victim Harry Widener,  Getting there Flights from Perth to a performance of the renowned but you also get the lowdown on famous Harvard dropouts Bill Gates, Boston can be routed either Boston Symphony Orchestra near through the Middle East Mark Zuckerberg and Matt Damon and Symphony Hall. and London or through much more. Sydney/Melbourne and Day 3 Make time for Harvard’s museums, too. Los Angeles. Explore the North End where some The Renzo Piano-designed Harvard  Getting around Boston is one of the most of the city’s oldest buildings, such as Art Museums, house one of the most significant collections of Asian art in the walkable cities in the United silversmith Paul Revere’s house and States. The subway is also West, plus incredible Pre-Raphaelites, the Old North Church sit amidst cafes, clean and efficient. pastry shops, and old-school delis of Impressionist and post-Impressionist Contact us Boston’s classic Italian neighbourhood. paintings, as well as German  Expressionists and Bauhaus works. Explore the beautiful New Restore yourself with some cannoli England coast on a Canada at Mike’s Pastry before walking the When you’re done with all that culture, and New England cruise. Rose Kennedy Greenway, a beautiful enjoy great cocktails and more fresh Contact RAC Cruise Club on 1300 655 898. parkway dedicated to the mother of seafood at the atmospheric Hourly John, Robert and Edward Kennedy, Oyster. Cambridge has a host of

46 February-March 2020 / Horizons