Special Edition: Walkin' in Boston on the Freedom Trail

I was in Boston for Readercon, and I took a walk on Sunday afternoon along the Freedom Trail. I'm glad I got an early start because some places were closing soon and wouldn't reopen until Tuesday or Wednesday. (I was leaving Monday morning, or possibly a little after noon.)

There was a little extra because the app sent me the wrong way when I wanted to get back to my car. There was no reason for me to have walked over five miles, but that's what happened.

I left the hotel early on Sunday because I wasn't too thrilled with too many of the panels going on at Readercon. Nothing grabbed my interest as much as taking a walk along the Freedom Trail. I drove to the area of Bunker Hill and started at that end because I could see online that there was parking in that area on Sundays, unlike on the other end.

I didn't explore the Bunker Hill Monument, and I'm not even sure that it was open, because I couldn't spend too much time in any one place, not if I wanted to see a lot of stuff.

After this, I took off for the Freedom Trail, which was marked off with the red bricks. I did lose the trail a couple of times, once because of construction and once later when the bricks didn't go where the map said it should've gone. Oh, and here's a cool lamppost.

My next stop was the Boston Naval Shipyard where the U.S.S. Constitution is berthed. I stopped in the museum first, just for the sake of nostalgia with the South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan. I walked through the entire building and played with some of the interactive displays, but I didn't sit for any movies -- something I would've done as a kid, which would've amused my father. Hey, free movie!

First up was a WWII Naval Destroyer. Unfortunately, I missed the last guided tour for the day (and the next tour would be Wednesday). The tour included the upper deck which was closed off otherwise. A sailor did tell me that everything I would see there could be seen at the U.S.S. Intrepid Museum.

And, finally, onto the Constitution! I felt like a kid again. Also, being helpful, I warned people about bumping their heads and suggested going down the stairs backward like descending a ladder. (This also helped prevent head bumps.)

I didn't take pictures of any personnel, but I did comment to a young sailor on the lowest deck that civilians were allowed on that it seems like sailors were stationed by height. She didn't have to worry about ducking her head under any beams. She also looked like she was there are a summer high school job, which she was not. Yeah, I'm old, so everyone under 25 looks like a kid -- especially shorter people. Sue me.

No, don't. Please don't sue me. Lawyers are expensive.

Back on the trail again:

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Next stop: The Old North Church. There was a narrow alley that I noticed had a street name. I went to take a photo of it, but I had to wait because just as I stopped, I woman came out of door and had to walk down that alley to the street, so I waited for her to clear the frame.

I sat in one of the pews. I don't know what family it belonged to.

Moving on ... I lost the trail, somehow, but I was looking at the map, so I managed to find my way back. Unfortunately, I saw how late it was getting and how far I had walked and I still had to get back to my car, back by Bunker Hill on the other side of a bridge.

And I took a detour because my phone gave me directions to the wrong place.

And that was it. I planned on going back on Monday, but I'd have to park at a commuter rail station and take a train into the city. I almost did that, but it occured to me that a) I didn't know how good the neighborhood I planned to park in was, and b) all my stuff would be in my car, much of it visible.

So I skipped going to the bakery and the other sites I missed and started home.

MY NEWEST BOOK IS OUT Burke's Lore Briefs: Yesterday's Villains, the following to Tomorrow's Heroes is now available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. If Heroes who don't die live long enough to become the villain, what happens to Villains who live long enough? When do schemes of global conquest become dreams of a quiet place away from all those annoying people you once wanted to subjugate? And does anyone really want to rule over the world's ashes if it means we can't have nice things?
My older books include three more books in my Burke's Lore Briefs series, and the anthologies A Bucket Full of Moonlight and In A Flash 2020. Vampires, werewolves, angels, demons, used-car salesmen, fairies, superheroes, space and time travel, and little gray aliens talking to rock creatures and living plants. Plus pirates, spies, horror, and kindergarten noir! If you enjoy my books, please consider leaving a rating or review on Amazon or on Good Reads. Thank you!