Massachusetts

        We arrived in Massachusetts on June 21; and the first place we went in this state was its capital city, Boston.  We spent the day in Boston and I had a wonderful time.  We started our day out on the Freedom Trail with a self-guided tour that led us to several historically significant buildings from the time period of the American Revolutionary War.  It was awe-inspiring to see the marker where the Boston Massacre took place; the church where Robert Newman hung lanterns, "1 if by land and 2 if by sea," to signal Paul Revere that the British were coming; and the burial ground where John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Paul Revere are all buried. The Freedom Trail is packed with fascinating historical stops, and it's a good way to see the city's most popular attractions. 

The Massachusetts State House, where senators, state representatives, and the Massachusetts governor conduct the daily business of the state

Grave of John Winthrop, first governor of Massachusetts

King's Chapel Burying Ground

The marker where the Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770. 

From this balcony at the Old State House, the people of Boston first heard the Declaration of Independence read aloud 

A room in Fanueil Hall, which is often referred to as the 'Cradle of Liberty.' It was in this building that Bostonians set the doctrine of 'no taxation without representation.' 

This statue of Paul Revere on his famous midnight ride is near Old North Church

The steeple of Old North Church, where sexton Robert Newman hung the lanterns to signal Paul Revere that the British were arriving in Boston

Sculpture 'The Embrace' in Boston Common

The grave marker where all 5 victims of the Boston Massacre are buried

Obelisk marks the site of John Hancock's tomb

Final resting place of William Dawes Jr., who was also sent to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams that 'The British are coming', on the night of April 18, 1775. 

This building, now a Chipotle, used to be the Old Corner Bookstore, where literary classics such as The Scarlet Letter and Uncle Tom's Cabin were published.

The USS Constitution, aka 'Old Ironsides'. We didn't get to visit the ship today, but keep reading this blog to hear about our second day in Boston, where we actually get to board the USS Constitution

        Also during our visit in Boston, we spent some time in the city's North End, also known as 'Little Italy.'  This charming neighborhood cannot be missed on a trip to Boston.  The food was divine, the buildings were straight out of Italy, and the people were so warm and friendly.  

Tiramisu at a famous bakery in the North End

I felt like I was in Italy when we visited the North End. We went into a bookstore there and a lot of the books were in Italian, like you can see in this picture I took of the Harry Potter series. 

        I really enjoyed our time in Boston.  The city is jam-packed with history and the people are very friendly.  Boston also has a different atmosphere than many of the other cities I have visited, like Washington D.C., Manhattan, and Philadelphia.  It isn't as rushed, big, and industrial.  I really enjoyed this city and I recommend a visit if you are ever in the area. 

One of the top things on my list when we came to Boston was Acorn Street, which is the most photographed street in the United States.

Of course I had to do a photo shoot with Mia! I thought that this alley in the North End was a great spot.

        

        The next day, my mom and I went for a day out and I had such a good time.  We started out at Yankee Candle Village, a huge store where you can make your own Yankee candles; shop homeware; buy fudge, popcorn, and candy; and see their very own indoor 'Christmas village,' which was so cute.  Even if you aren't a fan of candles, Yankee Candle Village is still worth a visit. 

Christmas village

I won a free piece of fudge, and I chose the praline fudge which was super delicious!

        Another day we drove to Connecticut and stopped at some of the cute coastal towns and attractions in this state; it was like a mini road trip.  Our first stop was Gillette Castle State Park, and let me tell you, this castle is AMAZING.  You cannot miss a visit to this state park if you are in the area.  The castle was part riverfront chateau, part rustic mountain lodge.  The man who commissioned and lived in this house was a famous actor by the name of William Gillette.  Mr. Gillette was the first actor to play Sherlock Holmes, and he was also the one to introduce many of the iconic details of Sherlock Holmes; including the character's pipe, hat, and the phrase "It's elementary, my dear Watson."  This castle is so unique and beautiful, we all really enjoyed exploring it. 

The living room of the castle

Gillette Castle was considered very modern for its time, because it had electricity. The castle was built 1914-1919, so electricity in homes was not a commodity yet.

There are forty-seven doors, all designed by William Gillette, in the structure of Gillette Castle; and no two are alike. 

The third floor of the castle has an open balcony instead of an inside wall, so people can stand and look down into the living room. 

One of the castle's blueprints

The castle's light switches are designed to look like those in theaters, a nod to William Gillette's carrer as an actor. 

The view from one of the castle's windows

        After Gillette Castle, we drove to the small towns of Saybrook, Mystic, and New London, which were all very quaint and local.  Mystic was my favorite, and we enjoyed an evening there, strolling around downtown and enjoying the pretty water views as the sun set.  Sailboats were docked in the village harbor, giving it such a cute New England vibe, and there were plenty of shops and restaurants to enjoy as well. 

Bubble tea at this cute Alice-in-Wonderland themed shop in Mystic

Live sunset music by a group of locals

This restaurant was featured in the movie Mystic Pizza

        One of my favorite days in Massachusetts was spent in Lexington and Concord.  These two towns are saturated in history and I absolutely loved it.  Even if you aren't big into history, I recommend a visit to Lexington and Concord. 

After the battle of Lexington, which was the first battle of the Revolutionary War and lasted less than an hour, the British used this tavern as a field hospital and headquarters (like the sign in the picture says)

North Bridge, where the 'shot heard round the world' was fired

It was here at the Buckman Tavern that the local Lexington militia awaited the arrival of the British soldiers, who were coming to seize colonist ammunition and guns that were stored in Concord.  When the British tried to pass through Lexington on their way to Concord, the colonists blocked their path and the Battle of Lexington, the first battle of the Revolutionary War, began. 

The Lexington Green, the battlefield for the Battle of Lexington

This house is the one Paul Revere rode to on the night of April 18, 1775.  He came here to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams, who were guests at this house, that the British were coming to Concord. 

We found a cute garden with lovely flowers at Munroe Tavern and I snapped this photo of Mia

This stop was the highlight of my day: Orchard House, the home of Louisa May Alcott, and the location where she wrote her famous classic Little Women. Little Women is one of my all-time favorite books, and it was so surreal to be here. Visiting Orchard House was more than just touring a historic home, it was like being in a book.  

So excited to be here! Unfortunately, no photography was allowed inside of the Orchard House, but I got to see the actual dress that Louisa's sister, Anna (the inspiration behind the Little Women character Meg), wore on her wedding day, as well as many other items that the Alcotts had owned. 

Louisa May Alcott's father started a school of philosophy and held classes in this building, which still stands today

Inside the school of philosophy

We also visited Author's Ridge in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, and the gravestone above is the grave of Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter

This of course, is the grave of Louisa May Alcott. 

The tiny gravestone of Henry David Thoureau

        Because Mia and I really enjoyed Boston, my mom took us back into the city for the day.  We took the Boston T, which is Boston's subway and train system; and it was so efficient and way better than trekking all over the city, especially since the temperature today soared to 90 degrees Farenheit.  We spent the morning walking the streets of Beacon Hill, which is lined with shops and restaurants.  Then we went to the North End for lunch, and for our afternoon activity we went to the USS Constitution aka "Old Ironsides."  This ship is four centuries old and holds the record of oldest ship still afloat.  It was so cool to be walking on the ship that I had read about in history books. After exploring the USS Constitution museum, which is free to the public and definitely worth a visit, we strolled along the waterfront and took pictures before catching a ferry back to the North End for dinner.  As we were walking to the North End, I came across an empty residential side street that was so perfect for a photoshoot.  I got some shots I was really happy with.  To end our day in Boston, we enjoyed dinner at La Familia de Giorgio, which has AMAZING food; before taking the T back home.  This girls' day out in Boston was so much fun, and I hope you enjoy the pictures below!

As we were walking through the Boston Common, we saw this duck and her sweet little babies

Photoshoot location #1

Lunch in the North End!

The USS Constitution

The second deck of the ship

The wardroom, where the officers would eat

One of the officer's cabins on the ship

The USS Constitution typically carried around 54 cannons

A model of the USS Constitution

There were a lot of interactive exhibits in the museum about life as a sailor on the USS Constitution 

Photoshoot location #2!

After a summer rainstorm, I used a puddle on the waterfront to take some unique photos

We walked along the waterfront after visiting the USS Constitution, and I recommend taking a stroll down here for nice water views and cool sculpture art

Sailboats docked at the harbor where we caught a ferry from the USS Constitution over to the North End for dinner

On the ferry

Photoshoot location #3

Boston by evening

This restaurant (La Familia de Giorgio) is so good, but we aren't the only ones who love it.  We had to wait for a table, and we were so hungry by the time we got seated

Dinner! 🤤

        We left Massachusetts on July 9 and moved to Maine, where we would be for the next several weeks, visiting places like Portland, Acadia National Park, and Bar Harbor.  Thanks for reading my Massachusetts blog and stay tuned for my next post on Maine!