January 14 - 16, 2025
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| Boston Trip Photo |
Table of Contents
The cost of this stay over the 3 days was a modest $785, or about $260 per day.
Post-Trip Summary
I booked a 20-day tour to Morocco, the Azore Islands and Lisbon, Portugal and decided to extend my trip 3 days by stopping over in Boston beforehand. I walked 25 miles over the 3 days and visited many places I hadn't seen in years. Call it a reacquaintance. Boston was as great as I remembered it.
The weather during my stay was cold, never reaching more than 28F, with gusty winds. What did I expect for January?
I stayed at the outstanding and centrally-located Club Quarters Hotel on Devonshire Street in Boston's Financial District (Location), which was an excellent base for exploring the city. I stayed at this hotel many times over the years and it was the usual 5-star stay.
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| Boston - Club Quarters Hotel |
The cost of this stay over the 3 days was a modest $785, or about $260 per day.
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| 3- Day Trip Cost - $785 - $260/Day |
Overall, I had a wonderful time in Boston. There was so much to see and do that I barely had time to catch my breath. Following is a day-by-day account of my trip. You can just read on from here or go back up to the Table of Contents and jump to a specific day or topic of interest.
Enjoy!
Day 1 - Tuesday, January 14, 2025 - Arrive in Boston, Sightsee
About Boston from Lonely Planet
Daily Journal
Weather: 7F and overcast in Milwaukee, 20F and sunny in Boston
Summary: Today I traveled from Milwaukee to Boston, checked into my centrally-located hotel, then did some sightseeing in the downtown Boston.
I woke up 4:30 am, left for the Milwaukee airport at 5:20 am, arriving at the airport by 5:40 am. By 6:00 am, I was already sitting at my gate after sailing through security in record time.
My Delta Airlines Embraer 170 regional jet boarded on time at 6:40 am but we had to de-ice before takeoff and that put us 45 minutes behind schedule, departing at 7:50 am. Despite the delay, we arrived only 15 minutes behind schedule at 10:30 am Boston time.
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| Milwaukee - Ready to Leave the Cold |
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| Milwaukee - So Long Milwaukee |
My Houston travel friend's flight had a mechanical problem and had to return to the gate. So his flight was 1-1/2 hours late to Boston.
While waiting at Boston Logan Airport, I walked from Terminal A over to Terminal B and enjoyed coffee and people watching while waiting for his flight to arrive.
My friend's flight arrived and we made our way to the public transportation hub and caught the shuttle to the Blue Line MBTA train to our stop at South Station in downtown Boston.
After checking into our hotel, Club Quarters on Devonshire Street, we walked over to the Boston Commons to admire the State Capitol Building and surrounding areas. There was an interesting statue in Boston Commons called "The Embrace."
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| Boston Commons - State Capitol |
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| Boston Commons |
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| Boston Commons |
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| Boston Commons |
"The Embrace" is dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, depicting their intertwined arms in an embrace, symbolizing their love and the power of collective action in the Civil Rights movement, inspired by a photograph of the couple embracing after King received the Nobel Peace Prize; it's designed to encourage reflection on their legacy and the fight for racial justice.
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| Boston Commons - The Embrace |
We then wandered west from Boston Commons along Tremont Street and eventually found our way to Chinatown where we stopped for lunch at the Clay Pot Cafe restaurant where I enjoyed rice pots of chicken and beef.
We then wandered back toward Boston Commons stopping at Downtown Crossing to find a knit hat for me to wear since it was so cold. Along the way, we stopped at the Opera House and then went back to the hotel for a beer and appetizers at Elephant & Castle Pub at our hotel before going out for a walk over to Quincy Market (Faneuil Hall, North Market, South Market) and Government Center before returning to the hotel and going to bed.
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| Boston - Opera House at Downtown Crossing |
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| Boston - Shopping Area at Downtown Crossing |
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| Boston - Public Art at Downtown Crossing |
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| Boston - Living Lantern at Downtown Crossing - Moving Wood Sculpture |
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| Boston - Public Art at Government Center |
Day 2 - Wednesday, January 15, 2025 - Sightsee in Boston
Daily Journal
Summary: We spent another brisk, sunny day touring Boston.
I slept well so was ready to go for a long day of sightseeing in Boston. I wore several layers to combat the cold. And did I need those layers!
We started by walking over to the Old State House, site of the Boston Massacre, then over to the markets at Faneuil Hall, North Hall, and South Hall. Eventually we got breakfast at North Hall market.
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| Boston - Map of Downtown Historic District |
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| Boston - Old State House - Boston Massacre Site & State St MBTA Station |
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| Boston - Faneuil Hall |
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| Boston - North Market Hall |
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| Boston - South Market Hall |
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| Boston - Faneuil Hall |
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| Boston - South Market Hall |
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| Boston - South Market Hall |
Afterwards, we wandered through the Haymarket District and into the historic North End where we saw Paul Revere's House and the Old North Church.
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| Boston - Haymarket District |
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| Boston - Haymarket District |
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| Boston - Haymarket District |
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| Boston - North End |
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| Boston - North End |
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| Boston - North End - Paul Revere House |
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| Boston - North End - Paul Revere & Old North Church |
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| Boston - North End - Old North Church |
We then crossed the bridge to Charlestown where we toured the
USS Constitution. Our guide was a naval cadet from Savannah, GA who trained at Great Lakes Naval Station in Waukegan, IL, close to me. We were joined by a Norwegian doctor and wife from Oslo whom we had followed crossing the bridge.
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| Walking Across the River to Charlestown |
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| Charlestown - Marina |
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| Charlestown - USS Constitution Ship & Museum |
The USS Constitution, also known as "Old Ironsides", is the world's oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat, and America's Ship of State, located at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston.
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| Charlestown - USS Constitution Ship & Museum |
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| Charlestown - USS Constitution Ship & Museum |
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| Charlestown - USS Constitution Ship & Museum |
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| Charlestown - USS Constitution Ship & Museum |
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| Charlestown - USS Constitution Ship & Museum |
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| Charlestown - USS Constitution Ship & Museum |
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| Charlestown - USS Constitution Ship & Museum |
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| Charlestown - USS Constitution Ship & Museum - The "Scuttlebutt" |
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| Charlestown - USS Constitution Ship & Museum |
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| Charlestown - USS Constitution Ship & Museum |
After the USS Constitution, we took a short walk over to the Bunker Hill Memorial. The Battle of Bunker Hill was a pivotal early engagement of the American Revolutionary War, fought on June 17, 1775, in Charlestown, Massachusetts, where colonial militia faced the British Army, resulting in a British victory, but at a high cost, with numerous casualties on both sides.
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| Charleston - Bunker Hill |
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| Charleston - Bunker Hill |
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| Charleston - Bunker Hill |
After Bunker Hill, we took the metro back to Downtown Crossing. We then walked over to the Cheers Bar on the northwest corner of Boston Commons, followed by a photo op at the Boston Marathon finish line.
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| Boston - Cheers Bar |
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| Boston - Cheers Bar |
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| Boston - Cheers Bar |
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| Boston - Cheers Bar |
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| Boston - Boston Common |
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| Boston - Boylston St - Boston Marathon Finish Line |
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| Boston - Boylston St - Boston Marathon Finish Line |
After visiting the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston St, we wandered over to the cafe at the Boston Public Library to warm up and have a cup of coffee. While there, we watched a live broadcast of a Boston Public Radio talk show focused on how to deal with family and friends who voted for Trump in the November 2024 election.
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| Boston - Boston Public Library |
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| Boston - Boston Public Library |
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| Boston - Boston Public Library |
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| Boston - Boston Public Library |
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| Boston - Boston Public Library |
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| Boston - Boston Public Library |
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| Boston - Boston Public Library |
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| Boston - Boston Public Library |
After coffee, we visited the reading room at the Boston Public Library, then ventured over the plaza to Trinity Church across the street.
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| Boston - Trinity Church |
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| Boston - Trinity Church |
We then returned to our hotel for some happy hour beers and appetizers with a lively afterwork crowd. Then it was back to the room to watch the Biden farewell address on TV and go to bed.
Day 3 - Thursday, January 16, 2025 - Sightsee Boston, Leave for Morocco
Daily Journal
Weather: 28F and sunny
Summary: We spent a final fully day touring Boston, then headed to the airport to catch and overnight flight to Casablanca, Morocco.
We got up early, had breakfast, checked out of the hotel, and left our luggage in storage at the hotel until midafternoon. We strolled over to Government Center and City Hall, stopping for photos at the "Boston" sign.
Boston - Steaming Tea Kettle Near Government Center
Boston - Faneuil Hall
Boston - City Hall
Boston - City Hall
We then strolled past the Aquarium and out onto Long Wharf.
Boston - Long Wharf
Boston - Long Wharf
Boston - Long Wharf
Boston - Long Wharf
Boston - Long Wharf - Aquarium
Then we walked toward South Boston and visited the historic Boston Tea Party Museum. The actual Tea Party took place at South Hall, near our hotel.
South Boston - Boston Tea Party Museum
South Boston - Boston Tea Party Museum
We then walked over the bridge from downtown into South Boston.
South Boston
South Boston
Then we walked back into downtown Boston and jumped on the Metro at Downtown Crossing and rode up to Harvard University in Cambridge. On his death in 1638, John Harvard left 779 pounds sterling, and his library of some 400 books, to the Colony's new school. By 1636, some 17,000 Puritans had migrated to New England, and Harvard was founded in anticipation of the need for training clergy for the new commonwealth.
Cambridge - Harvard University
We then took a self-guided tour of the Harvard campus followed up with some shopping before taking the subway back to Downtown Crossing where we ate at Raising Canes.
Cambridge - Harvard University
Cambridge - Harvard University
Cambridge - Harvard University
Cambridge - Harvard University
Cambridge - Harvard University
Cambridge - Harvard University - John Harvard Statue
Cambridge - Harvard University
Cambridge - Harvard University
Cambridge - Harvard University
Cambridge - Harvard University
Cambridge - Harvard University
Cambridge - Harvard University
Cambridge - Harvard University
Cambridge - Harvard University
Cambridge - Harvard University
We returned to the hotel in mid afternoon, changed clothes in a second floor public bathroom, them grabbed the MBTA Blue Line 15 minutes to Logan International Airport, arriving at 3:30 pm. We had a speedy check-in, but I did not care for the surly TSA guard who chastised me for crawling under the stanchions to avoid having to walk through a 50-foot maze with a heavy bag.
Boston - Logan Int'l Airport - So Long Boston!
We sat in the waiting area for a few hours. The flight to Morocco departed on time.
Click here to continue to the Morocco portion of my trip
Daily Journal
Weather: 28F and sunny
Summary: We spent a final fully day touring Boston, then headed to the airport to catch and overnight flight to Casablanca, Morocco.
We got up early, had breakfast, checked out of the hotel, and left our luggage in storage at the hotel until midafternoon. We strolled over to Government Center and City Hall, stopping for photos at the "Boston" sign.
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| Boston - Steaming Tea Kettle Near Government Center |
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| Boston - Faneuil Hall |
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| Boston - City Hall |
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| Boston - City Hall |
We then strolled past the Aquarium and out onto Long Wharf.
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| Boston - Long Wharf |
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| Boston - Long Wharf |
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| Boston - Long Wharf |
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| Boston - Long Wharf |
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| Boston - Long Wharf - Aquarium |
Then we walked toward South Boston and visited the historic Boston Tea Party Museum. The actual Tea Party took place at South Hall, near our hotel.
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| South Boston - Boston Tea Party Museum |
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| South Boston - Boston Tea Party Museum |
We then walked over the bridge from downtown into South Boston.
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| South Boston |
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| South Boston |
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| Cambridge - Harvard University |
We then took a self-guided tour of the Harvard campus followed up with some shopping before taking the subway back to Downtown Crossing where we ate at Raising Canes.
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| Cambridge - Harvard University |
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| Cambridge - Harvard University |
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| Cambridge - Harvard University |
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| Cambridge - Harvard University |
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| Cambridge - Harvard University |
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| Cambridge - Harvard University - John Harvard Statue |
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| Cambridge - Harvard University |
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| Cambridge - Harvard University |
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| Cambridge - Harvard University |
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| Cambridge - Harvard University |
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| Cambridge - Harvard University |
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| Cambridge - Harvard University |
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| Cambridge - Harvard University |
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| Cambridge - Harvard University |
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| Cambridge - Harvard University |
We returned to the hotel in mid afternoon, changed clothes in a second floor public bathroom, them grabbed the MBTA Blue Line 15 minutes to Logan International Airport, arriving at 3:30 pm. We had a speedy check-in, but I did not care for the surly TSA guard who chastised me for crawling under the stanchions to avoid having to walk through a 50-foot maze with a heavy bag.
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| Boston - Logan Int'l Airport - So Long Boston! |
We sat in the waiting area for a few hours. The flight to Morocco departed on time.
Click here to continue to the Morocco portion of my trip
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