Boston is one of the most historically significant cities that I have had the opportunity to visit. The city has a compilation of historical buildings that leads up to the American Revolution and history beyond.  

The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile path through Boston. Sam and I had the opportunity to walk the Freedom Trail recently, in my opinion the Freedom Trail cannot be seen in one day if you want to stop and read all the plaques, go on the tours inside the historical buildings, try New England food, etc. So we decided to split the Boston Trail into parts including some spots not included on the trail worth mentioning.

We started our day at Union Oyster House the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the United States. The restaurant opened in 1826 and earned its title as a historical landmark for a number of reasons. Many famous people have dined here including J.F.K. and his family. On the second floor, there is even a booth with a plaque where J.F.K. would dine frequently. Once the second floor opens the booth is available for customers to dine at this booth. Such a unique way to start your Freedom Trail Tour. 

Due to COVID-19, only outside or first floor seating was available, but the restaurant did allow guests to check out the other floors. Union Oyster House is known for their oysters, clam chowder, and their custom Samuel Adams colonial ale, which is exactly what we got. The colonial ale which is made exclusively for for this restaurant and is not sold elsewhere else. I had my first ever clam chowder what was great even during the summer heat. There is no better place to have a New England Clam Chowder than in Boston. 

Our next stop was the Skinny House a.k.a. the Spite House. As legend goes,two brothers inherited land from their father. While one brother was away in the military, the other brother build a large home leaving only a small amount of land for his brother when he returned. When the military brother returned, he built a narrow home in front of his brother's home to spite him and ruin his view. This home cannot be toured but you can view it from the outside. 

Right across the street from the Skinny House was our actual first stop on the Freedom Trail which was Copp’s Hill Burying Ground. It is a a historical cemetery in the North End, Boston's Little Italy. Some of the people that are buried there are Robert Newman, who placed the lanterns in the Old North Church for Paul Revere’s famous ride and Prince Hall, an abolitionist and free black leader in Boston that served the Revolutionary War. There are a number of plaques that tell the history of the cemetery. 

Our next stop was the Old North Church. This church is historic because Robert Newman, and Vestryman Capt. John Pulling, Jr. hung the lanterns in this church signaling that the British were coming by sea to Lexington and Concord. The church is also Boston’s oldest church. With an admission price of $8 a person, you are able to tour the church and hear about its history. Due to COVID-19, everyone was seated in different box pews to hear about the history and and we were unable to explore the church like guest normally could. However, we had a speaker discuss the historical significance of the church and history of the overall church. I found it very interesting, although I would have liked to see different aspects of the church. Overall very educational and great presentation.  

Day 1 on the Freedom Trail to be continued ...