The Last of the Freedom Trail

After eating we headed for our last leg of the trail. We walked past this restaurant on our way to Paul Revere’s house. Erin had made reservations for us at 6:00. This is the oldest restaurant in the United States.

This very narrow street is the oldest city block in America.

All of us tourists were trying to take a picture next to this gentleman. (I’m looking a little more droopy as the day progresses. It was also hot and humid. Remember the hurricane came through the night before.)

Walking through the Haymarket area.

We finally arrived at Paul’s house.

And who should we meet but Mr. Revere himself!

 

One of the bells that Paul Revere and his sons created.

This is the statue of Paul Revere that marks the entrance to the Revere mall in front of the Old North Church.     

The lantern on Old North Church indicated to the colonial minutemen that the Redcoats were on their way. The church is still in use for regular church services, weddings, and funerals.

Around the perimeter of the sanctuary there are plaques commemorating famous ministers who have preached in the pulpit.

 

Memorials to the men who died at Bunker Hill.

After the Old North Church, we had three sites left to see.

Copp’s Hill Burying Ground where British soldiers camped and  fired across the Charles River in the Battle of Bunker Hill…

Copp’s Hill is also where Increase and Cotton Mather’s tomb is located. They were very influential Puritan ministers. The tombstone below marks the remains of the man who hung the lanterns in the North Church steeple.

Next we crossed the Charles River to the Navy Yard to see the  USS Constitution. At this point I was ready to call an ambulance to take me back to the hotel! Never, no never, go on a trip like this without the best walking shoes money can buy!

We decided to take the ferry back to the long wharf and not visit the monument at Bunker Hill.

 

Passing the Old State House again on the way back to the hotel.

This little building, the Corner Bookstore, is only the second building to occupy the space. The first was the home of Anne Hutchinson, where she lived until she was banished from the colony. The second was the publisher Ticknor and Fields, the country’s foremost publishing house. Longfellow, Hawthorne, Hawthorne, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Thackery, and Dickens gathered here.

Another look at Faneuil Hall as we were walking back to the Union Oyster House for dinner. It was close to 5:30, so the crowd had thinned considerably.

  The bar at the Union Oyster House…

A wall in the restaurant depicting the famous events…

The restaurant reminded me of eating at the tavern in Colonial Williamsburg.

Oyster stew…

Dan’s lobster newburg…

My boring fried oysters…

 

After dinner, fools that we were, we decided to walk ten more miles over to the North End, which is the Italian area of the city, for dessert. We had heard that Mike’s Pastry has the best canoli’s, so we decided to find out for ourselves.

Harley heaven on Hannover St. (I took this photo for my son-in-law.)

This is the “happening place” on a Saturday night.

Walking back to the hotel after dinner…

Lobby of the hotel…

Bedtime snack of cannolis from Mike’s Pastry…The pictures don’t do them justice. We visited Mike’s several other times, so maybe we can get a better picture later.