I had the pleasure of going to Boston to attend the 2023 ID Week conference, put on by the Infectious Disease Society of America. Doc came along for the fun and games. We landed at Logan International Airport on October 8th, at about 7:30 PM or so. We checked into the Element Seaport Hotel and went directly to MJ O'Connor's Pub down the block at the Westin for some fish and chips and chowder.
I had a Manhattan to celebrate making it there alive - as you may know, I hate flying and am terrified the entire time.
This sign means "Time is a Good Storyteller" - so true.
This one means "Music and Fun". Two things definitely needed in a pub.
The next day, we headed up to the subway station to get to the Boston Commons and Public Garden. Doc hasn't been to the big old cities on the East Coast much, so he was intrigued by the row houses in South Boston.
The Boston Common (also known as the Common) is a public park in downtown Boston. It is the oldest city park in the United States. Boston Common consists of 50 acres of land bounded by Tremont Street, Park Street, Beacon Street, Charles Street, and Boylston Street.
The Common is part of the Emerald Necklace of parks and parkways that extend from the Common south to Franklin Park in Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and Dorchester. The visitors' center for the city of Boston is located on the Tremont Street side of the park.
Across Beacon Street is the Massachusetts State House. The dome was originally copper but when it oxidized to a green color, it was replaced by gold gilding, which is much less expensive in terms of upkeep.
There are 50 acres of walking paths and many statues and attractions.
The Boston Common Frog Pond sits at the heart of the Common and is managed by the Skating Club of Boston in partnership with the City of Boston. Frog Pond is home to a winter ice skating rink and learn-to-skate school, a reflecting pool in the spring and fall, and a summer spray pool and children's carousel. I have only been there twice, but I have yet to see frogs in it. Update: no frogs ever, named because of splash pad.
The cityscapes are quite impressive as you wander through the park.
There must have been a million squirrels - some were a combo of gray and red.
This house on Beacon Street was converted into apartments, as so many of the old brownstones have been. You can tell because of the number of different chimneys on the top.
Together with the Boston Common, the parks form the northern terminus of the Emerald Necklace, a long string of parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. While the Common is primarily unstructured open space, the Public Garden contains a pond and a large series of formal plantings that are maintained by the city and others and vary from season to season.
This sculpture was inspired by the children's book "Make Way for Ducklings" by Robert McCloskey. The ducks were dressed in Boston sports teams gear today.
As I walked the pathways, I enjoyed the statues and flower beds.
This is the famous sculpture of Paul Revere.
This is the Church of the Covenant on Newbury Street. It's basement was being used for services for the homeless and single women.
Newbury Street is the home of the ultra-luxury shopping in Boston. My grandson Preston likes watches, so I took a picture of his Holy Grail, the Rolex Store.
The lake where the famous Swan Boats are usually sailing was dry and being refurbished.
I walked around it to cross the Japanese Bridge. It was the subject of one of Monet's most famous paintings, done in 1924. The adjoining fountain was empty.
More squirrels and more statues and more cityscapes!!!
This monument was dedicated to all the men of Boston who have served in the conflicts that led to our freedom as Americans.
This is a land mine from WWI - it was huge!
This sculpture is called "The Embrace". The Embrace is a bronze sculpture by Hank Willis Thomas, installed on Boston Common, in December 2022. The artwork commemorates Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, and depicts four intertwined arms, representing the hug they shared after he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. The work was created by welding together about 609 smaller pieces. The sculpture has received largely negative responses from critics and the public. It is not my favorite piece of art, either.
This beautiful horse, a gelding, was 26 years old. He was ridden by one of the Park Rangers.
After our walk, we went to Chinatown for lunch. We walked through this small park to reach the customary Friendship Gate that all Chinatowns have. It was a typical Chinatown, small and dirty, but with great food.
After a rest at the hotel, I walked a few blocks down to the Seaport. The Seaport District, or simply Seaport, is a neighborhood in Boston. It is part of the larger neighborhood of South Boston and is also sometimes called the Innovation District. The Seaport is a formerly industrial area that has undergone an extensive redevelopment effort in recent years. It is bordered by the Fort Point Channel to the west, Boston Harbor to the north and east, and the historic residential neighborhood of South Boston to the south. It is officially referred to by the City of Boston as The South Boston Waterfront.
There are three piers - Fish Pier, Commonwealth Pier, and Fan Pier. Across the water is Logan Airport.
There were concerts at night, with the venue lit by twinkling mini-lights.
These yellow trees were a gorgeous harbinger of fall.
There are some very interesting high-rise buildings under construction. There were five cranes just in Seaport, and the tour bus guide said that whatever is built is quickly sold.
There is a small harbor where pleasure boats and dinner cruise boats were moored.
I climbed up this staircase to get a better view of the harbor.
The wharf is half original brickwork from 1800 and half new walkway. This pit is all original blocks.
As you round the corner, more beautiful cityscapes.
This ancient shack is right near where the Boston Tea Party happened, but I am not sure if it had anything to do with that uprising.
This was the view from our hotel room - not spectacular, but we could see the cruise ship pier to see if any ships were in dock. When they were, the tourist attractions were crowded.
One night, we went for a walk down Broadway to see what South Boston, or "Southie" was all about. It was a main thoroughfare with shops, restaurants, and beautiful architecture abounding.
We frequented this neighborhood store. South Boston is the home of the third largest Irish population in the world, behind the UK and Ireland itself. I liked this mural that depicted this sentiment.
This is the venue for our conference. One keynote was given by Anthony Fauci. He presented a lifetime achievement award to Peter Hotez, the father of prevention and education to combat the vaccine hesitancy movement. Without his efforts at debunking the lying, faking story in the Lancet that falsely linked autism to vaccines, more people would still believe that.
After the conference had ended, we took a train up to Salem, about 30 minutes north of Boston. We went there ten years ago, and it has changed a lot. It was much more crowded, and they even charge admission to the cemetery.
Lots of lines for admission to shops and museums.
Both Doc and I enjoy the historical buildings.
We saw a movie called "Dead Hot - the Season of the Witch" that took place in the basement of Bunghole Liquors.
This is the maritime park. When we were last here, the three-masted ship was uncovered and open for tourists.
Like Boston, the older buildings were carefully maintained.
This is the famous House of the Seven Gables.
We both liked this wonderfully decorated house that had the Amityville style of architecture.
We had seafood at a restaurant on Pickering Wharf. Surprisingly enough, the fish and chips at our local spot here in Huntington Beach are better.
The next day I took a Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour. I take one in every city that they operate in. This is the steeple where Paul Revere had the rebels signal "One if by land, two if by Sea."
This is the current location of the working Naval Yard. The old single masted Constitution is moored there and has a naval museum aboard.
This is the Leonard P Zakin Bunker Hill Bridge, designed to help the flow of traffic through the city.
Another view of the Massachusetts State Buidling - as you may be able to tell, it was raining.
There were lots of old churches scattered throughout the downtown area.
The traffic was pretty bad, especially around Massachusetts General Hospital.
Had to get a photo of Luke's Lobster, home of wild caught lobster rolls - about $50 per roll.
This is the Boston Tea Party Museum.
A quaint view through one of the arches leading from the street to the harbor.
There were several picturesque buildings near Faneuil Hall. This is the Old State House.
Here is the hall itself. The statue is none other than Samuel Adams himself. There was a small Sam Adams brewery there, staffed by people in period costume.
This is Quincy Market. There was a food hall with two shopping lanes on either side.
I walked back from the last bus stop to the hotel and passed this museum.
Here's a cruise ship in port.
The airport was across the water, and the drydock had container ships unloading on the pier next to the cruise ship pier.
On our last day, Doc wanted to go to the Brattle Book Shop. It was three stories high. It had a parking lot sale going on. Doc found five books there and they will be shipped home.
While he was browsing, I walked back to Boston Common for some exercise.
Then we went to Quincy market. We had a lobster roll and seafood mac and cheese.
Then we walked behind Quincy Market to see the Long Wharf.
Isn't this a pretty bird?
We passed a currency and coin dealer shop.
A view down State Street. We liked the unicorn and lion statues on top of the Old State House.
Pandi was happy to see us when we got home, as were Vinni and Jacki. She laid on my dirty laundry. I guess she missed my stench.
We had a great time, but we were gone for ten days, which is kind of my limit for being away from home. We saw a lot and I learned a lot from my conference. We also learned that my niece Benny is moving to Boston with her boyfriend, so I'm sure we will be back one day.
