Americas

[Visited: January 2024]

It is a sunny wintery afternoon when I decide to walk the Freedom Trail. From my hotel, it is a short walk through Boston Commons to the starting point. I get some information in the Boston Common Visitor Center. The trail starts from the doorstep, and is marked by red bricks for the entire trajectory of around four kilometres. Next to the start of the trail, I see the Embrace sculpture, which depicts an embrace of Martin Luther King and his wife Coretta Scott King, a controversial work of art. There also are older sculptures in bronze under which I see a homeless seeking shelter from the cold. I follow the red bricks through the park, until I walk the stairs to find myself at the Massachusetts State House. Nearby, I find the Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial at the top of Boston Commons. After all, the Freedom Trail meanders through Boston, taking whoever follows it past historic markers of many kinds.
I walk down towards Tremont Street, where I make a left. I walk east, and follow the red bricks in the pavement. One of the first sights I pass is the Granary Burying Ground. This is the third oldest cemetery of Boston, and several important historic figures have their last resting place here. These include Revolutionary War heroes, victims of the Boston Massacre, Samuel Adams, and many others. The cemetery lies between highrise buildings, and is covered in snow. From here, it is a short walk past the old City Hall, to the Irish Famine Memorial where I find sculptures depicting emaciated people. Opposite the memorial, which sits on a triangular square between much bigger buildings, I find the Old South Meeting House where the Boston Tea Party used to convene several centuries earlier. From here, I continue walking roughtly east.
There are several more remarkable buildings, like the Old State House. Built in 1713, it is one of the oldest still existing governmental buildings in the US. In front of it, on the pavement, and partially hidden by snow, I find the memorial for those killed in the Boston Massacre in 1770, which happened right in front of this building. The Freedom Trail leads me past the Faneuil Hall to Little Italy. Here, I see an Italian church, and one Italian restaurant after the other. I will surely be back here for a good meal, but for now, I will continue following the red bricks. Here, they are partially covered in snow, but the Freedom Trail is still easy to follow. I pass the Old North Church, and continue walking quiet streets, passing another old cemetery, on my way to the waterfront. It is noticeably colder here, and I keep on walking the bridge towards Charlestown. Here, the trail diverges. I first follow the coastline, to the drydock and the USS Constitution, with the skyline of Boston as a backdrop. Then, I walk through deserted, cute streets towards Bunker Hill. A large obelisk stands right on top, as a memorial to the battle that took place on this same hill in 1775. It was one of the first battles in the American Revolutionary War, eventually leading to independence for the US. This is also the end (or the beginning?) of the Freedom Trail. I walk down some other streets to the subway. It is getting dark, and time to get back to the city.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

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Freedom Trail (United States)

Freedom Trail > United States > Americas

[Visited: January 2024]

Around the World in 80 Clicks