I made it to six parks today. SIX. I was not expecting that!!
Then I drove over to Boston Common and walked around Beacon Hill, which is part of Boston African American National Historic Site. This was the cutest neighborhood ever. My first thought was, “I want to move to Boston!” and then I quickly remembered that, if I did move to Boston, I couldn’t afford to live HERE.
(I love the old-timey street lamps!)
(This is one of the oldest homes in the area, built in 1787.)
Even the alleys are cute!
So embarrassing.
I was really excited to visit the JFK National Historic Site next, but the tour there was very short (only about 30 minutes). This is the home where he was born in 1917 (in that bed closest to the window). The family only lived here until 1920, but after JFK’s death, his mother came back and bought the house, donated it to the park service, and refurnished it to look like it did when they lived there. Only about 20% of the furniture is original, but most of the items in the dining room, including the little bowl that Jack used, is original.
I had planned on spending more time at this site, but since I was done so quickly, I had time to squeeze in one more site- Washington’s Headquarters/Longfellow House.
Washington used this as a base to train his soldiers back in 1779. (I think that’s the year.) Later on, Longfellow lived here when it was a boarding house and loved the house, especially the fact that George and Martha had resided here. When he married Fanny, her father bought the house and sold it to them for $1, plus his daugher’s “love and affection.” He and Fanny had five kids and he wrote famous poems like “Paul Revere’s Ride” and “The Children’s Hour.” Fanny died in a truly tragic way. She was sitting in the library, putting locks of her children’s hair in envelopes to keep. She was sealing the envelopes with hot wax when somehow her dress caught fire. Her husband was in the next room, and she remained calm and went in there, and he put the fire out. They were both badly burned, and she died the next morning. He was never the same; you can see how he changed in the portraits before and after her death.
Finally, I ended the day at a restaurant that had tostones! That was one of my favorite treats in my Puerto Rican neighborhood in Chicago, and I have been unable to find them in SLC.
I began the day by driving downtown and parking near Boston Harbor, where it cost me $24 to park for less than an hour. But it was worth it to not have to drive around looking for parking or take public transportation for such a short time in the city. I checked out Boston Harbor and just walked around for a little while.
Then I drove over to Boston Common and walked around Beacon Hill, which is part of Boston African American National Historic Site. This was the cutest neighborhood ever. My first thought was, “I want to move to Boston!” and then I quickly remembered that, if I did move to Boston, I couldn’t afford to live HERE.
(I love the old-timey street lamps!)
(This is one of the oldest homes in the area, built in 1787.)
Even the alleys are cute!
I didn’t do the Freedom Trail today because I’m doing that with my birthmom and her husband when they meet me here on Wednesday. So, I figured I’d visit a few of the sites in the suburbs.
I went to John Adams National Historic Site, where I learned that, as a lawyer, John defended the British guys involved in the Boston Massacre. He also defended the enslaved people on the Amistad ship in a Supreme Court case (and won). His wife, Abigail, was a badass feminist. But, confession- I did not go on the home tour. It was a two hour tour that you had to take the trolley to, and I just wasn’t in the mood. So, here’s the only picture I got from this park.
So embarrassing.
The Frederick Law Olmstead NHS was also not that interesting to me. Honestly, I didn’t even know who he was until I showed up. (He was one of the designers of Central Park and kind of “invented” landscape architecture.) I walked through his house, but if I wanted a tour of his offices, I would’ve had to wait a while. And I just wasn’t that interested. I know, I know, that’s terrible! But at least I learned SOMETHING from this site.
I was really excited to visit the JFK National Historic Site next, but the tour there was very short (only about 30 minutes). This is the home where he was born in 1917 (in that bed closest to the window). The family only lived here until 1920, but after JFK’s death, his mother came back and bought the house, donated it to the park service, and refurnished it to look like it did when they lived there. Only about 20% of the furniture is original, but most of the items in the dining room, including the little bowl that Jack used, is original.
I had planned on spending more time at this site, but since I was done so quickly, I had time to squeeze in one more site- Washington’s Headquarters/Longfellow House.
Washington used this as a base to train his soldiers back in 1779. (I think that’s the year.) Later on, Longfellow lived here when it was a boarding house and loved the house, especially the fact that George and Martha had resided here. When he married Fanny, her father bought the house and sold it to them for $1, plus his daugher’s “love and affection.” He and Fanny had five kids and he wrote famous poems like “Paul Revere’s Ride” and “The Children’s Hour.” Fanny died in a truly tragic way. She was sitting in the library, putting locks of her children’s hair in envelopes to keep. She was sealing the envelopes with hot wax when somehow her dress caught fire. Her husband was in the next room, and she remained calm and went in there, and he put the fire out. They were both badly burned, and she died the next morning. He was never the same; you can see how he changed in the portraits before and after her death.
Finally, I ended the day at a restaurant that had tostones! That was one of my favorite treats in my Puerto Rican neighborhood in Chicago, and I have been unable to find them in SLC.
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