Day 1 in Boston- Forest Hills Cemetery and the Freedom Trail

We took a red eye to Boston which left us with plenty of time on the day of our arrival to explore the city.  Sylvia (Fred's sister) and I started our Boston tour across the street from her condo in Jamaica Plain, at Forest Hills Cemetery.  

The 275 acre cemetery was founded in 1875 and is named one of the 1,000 greatest places in Massachusetts.  This cemetery is not a place of sadness, people enjoy the grounds with walks, concerts, and weddings.  

These are her pugs, Lyndon B Johnson (LBJ) and Lady Bird.  

We had fish and chips and a beer at the oldest tavern in Massachusetts, The Warren Tavern.  It is over 225 years old, and the food in delicious.   

It is apparent that we have a great tour guide.  Sylvia has lived here for 12 years and knows the city like the back of her hand.

After lunch we walked along the Freedom Trail, starting at Bunker Hill monument, and a great view of the city.  

The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile trail through the city of Boston; it is marked with a red line (sometimes made of brick) on the sidewalk. The purpose of the trail is to preserve the history of the American Revolution.  

This is a dry dock used for ship repair. 

We are aboard the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned war ship in the world.  It was first launched in 1797, and is owned and operated by the US Navy.  Since we were constantly being yelled at for touching things I felt like it was time to leave...

You can rent this "shinny house" on VRBO, it is an unofficial site on the Freedom Trail.  

The Old North church is the oldest standing church in Boston; it opened its doors in 1723.  In 1775 Paul Revere and Robert Newman established their code, which ignited the American Revolution.  Newman hung two lanterns in the steeple that year which meant that the British were coming by sea.  

The steeple is behind us but since there were no lanterns hanging I think this means that the British are not coming.  Phew.

Paul Revere lived in this house for thirty years.  It is an oldie but a goodie.  

The street that Paul Revere lived on is gorgeous.  

What an amazing first day in Boston... and an amazing anniversary!