Boston

We had a full 3 days scheduled in Boston and the first day we woke up to cold and rain.  Since we hadn’t really had any down days for awhile we decided we were due so I worked, Steph ran errands and the kids played Legos.  All three of them played all day with all the Legos.  It was really fun to hear them playing together and to have them come out and show their latest designs to me.  They were preparing for some epic battle which they finally had at the end of the day.  It left their room a total disaster…a minefield for adult bare feet….but they had fun.

Steph’s cousin Courtney and her husband Ty live in Boston and invited us over for Taco Tuesday.  The tacos were awesome but the company and hospitality was even better. Courtney is just such a fun person.  She always seems happy and can laugh about anything.  She definitely has some Grandpa Merl in her.

The next day was gorgeous and we headed downtown Boston to walk the Freedom Trail.  We were in the closest campground to Boston that I could find.  It was about a 20 minute drive to Braintree station where we could park for $7 and then catch the T (Boston’s train system) for a 30 minute ride downtown.  The clearance at the garage is 7′ which is enough for the Beast except this antenna that the previous owner put on the roof.  We’ve gotten used to just going slow and listening to it drag on the roof beams.   Scrrrrrratch boing, scrrrrrrratch boing!  The parking ticket you take when you enter the garage must be taken into the station where you pay at a machine.  We also needed to get tickets for the T and so I decided to ask the lady working at the station for some help.  She came out of her little booth and was super nice, took my ticket and my credit card and paid the parking.  Then, Courtney and Ty had given us a Charlie card that we could add money to and use for riding the train.  Again the lady ran the machine for us.  She asked how much we wanted on the card and we told her we wanted to do 2 full round trips for the family.  She informs us that kids are free and so she calculates up what we’ll need and puts that on the card.  It is very affordable for families and the Charlie card gives a decent discount.  I think with the card it was $2.10 per adult per ride.  So we were on our way.

We got off the T at Park Street station which is right at the beginning of the Freedom Trail.  The trail is well marked with a continuous red brick line the entire way making a map unnecessary other than to know the different buildings and sites.  I have to admit, I was just not in the mood for site seeing this day.  Its also hard to think about historical Boston when its surrounded by modern Boston.  We still had a good day other than the fact that Faneuil Hall was not open to the public today or the next because it was being used for a graduation and a Coast Guard ceremony of some sort.  We took our lunch and ate it along the way and we bought ice cream sandwiches and a pint of Ben and Jerry’s from a CVS to try to beat the heat a bit.

We made it as far as Paul Revere’s house, took a tour and then treked back to the Park St. T station to catch a train back to Braintree.  Whoooooa nelly, it was busy.  There was one section where the the boys and I were packed in so tight I did not have to hold on to a handle…there were bodies pressed up against on every side.  With my height I can still see out but the boys can’t see anything but purses and bags and shirts.  I think it was a great experience for them though.

Back at Braintree we got in the truck and started driving out of the parking garage….but the signature scrrrratch boing sound from the antenna was nowhere to be heard.  I hopped out and looked and the antenna had broken off and was just rolling around on the roof.  I brought it in the truck for the ride home.  Once home I took a closer look and saw that the thing actually can screw on and off so it was easy to just screw it back on.  And now, when we get under low clearance we know to remove the antenna!  We’ll have it all just about figured out about the time our trip is over.