See Boston’s Highlights in One Day!
Last fall, we spent a few days in the Northeast for our mini-moon. We wanted to see as much of the Northeast as possible in 3-days so we allotted one full day in Boston. We knew we weren’t going to be able to see EVERYTHING the city has to offer in 1 day, but we wanted to make the most of it! We flew into New York and drove up to Boston, so we arrived late at night, checked into our hotel, got some sleep, and did a full day in Boston!
While in Boston, we stayed at the Verb Hotel. The Verb Hotel is a Rock-N-Roll-themed boutique hotel located right next to historic Fenway Park, where the Boston Red Sox play as well as concerts are held throughout the year. The lobby is lined with record catalogs, as there is a record player in each room. You can pick out any of the records and bring them back to your room to listen on the record player and they have any record you could imagine, with the caveat being that the one you’re looking for may be in another guest room at any time. Sticking with the music theme, instead of getting a normal keycard as a room entry key, you are given a lanyard holding your “Backstage Pass” and you’ll walk through hallways of memorabilia including outfits, guitars, signed items, and more! Not only can you stay in one of the Rock-N-Roll themed rooms, but there are also “Backstage trailers”-or trailers that have been repurposed into King bedrooms with full bathrooms and a semi-private patio area. There is a Japanese restaurant and bar called Hojoko connected to the hotel as well!
We decided that we would be able to see a lot of the historical sights in Boston by walking along the Freedom Trail. Since we got in late the night before and ate breakfast at the hotel, we started around 10 AM. There are plenty of walking tours offered of the Freedom trail, including some with Revolutionary-time dressed actors, but we chose to follow the trail ourselves so we could explore as much as we wanted to! Additionally, it’s very easy to follow the Freedom Trail path, there is a red line of bricks (or a red line painted on the ground in some areas) on the ground to show the path to follow.
Because of the location of our hotel, we decided to Uber and start at the farthest point of the Freedom Trail, which was the end of the Freedom Trail, the Bunker Hill Monument. At the time we started, we also weren’t sure if we were going to have time to see the USS Constitution, so we chose to skip that stop on the Freedom Trail at the time, but we ended up going back later to see it!
The Bunker Hill Monument depicts where the Battle of Bunker Hill, the first major battle of the Revolutionary War took place. There is a museum at the base of Bunker Hill, but since we were there on a Monday, the museum wasn’t open. For all stops along the Freedom Trail, please check the Freedom Trail website for information on hours open to the public, admission information, etc.
Following the trail, we walked through the city square, which had monuments in honor of those that fought for the Union in the Civil War, some fish statues, and Paul Revere Park.
We followed the Red Brick pathway to Copp’s Hill, Boston’s largest colonial burial ground. It’s interesting to walk around and see the dates on the tombstones, as some date back to the 1600s.
Next up was the oldest church in Boston, the Old North Church, made famous from Paul Revere’s midnight ride-it’s the church where the “One if by land, two if by sea” lanterns were hung up.
Walking through Paul Revere Mall, there is a statue commemorating Paul Revere. Fitting that the next location was Paul Revere’s house, which is the oldest remaining structure in Boston.
The area of Boston this is located in is called the North End, which is famous for its amazing Italian food, we walked by so many Italian restaurants showing their homemade pasta in the windows that we decided to come back to this area for dinner!
We also walked by the Bell in Hand Tavern, which is said to be the oldest continuously operating bar in the United States, legend states the bar opened in 1795.
We stopped for a snack along the way at the Saus restaurant. It was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on Food Network for the 20 different sauces they offer. We chose to order poutine and try just a couple of the different sauces.
Continuing along the freedom trail is Faneuil Hall which is referred to as the “home of free speech”. It was originally built as a center of commerce, and it remains to this day as there are plenty of restaurants, stores, and gift shops. Walking through the building, you can lose the red brick Freedom Trail pathway marker, so make sure to find it once you’re out of the other side!
The next stop was the site of the Boston Massacre, where the Bostonians and Redcoats fought, killing 5 civilians which led to the public rallying against the British crown. The location is depicted by a marker on the ground. We also walked by the Old State House, which is the oldest surviving public building in Boston.
Next was the Old South Meeting House, the location where many topics were debated, including the tea tax. When compromise could not be reached, it was here that Samuel Adams initiated the Boston Tea Party.
Across the street was the Old Corner Bookstore, where publisher Ticknor and Fields was housed. Ticknor and Fields published books such as “Walden”, “The Scarlet Letter” and “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere”. Currently, the bottom floor houses a Chipotle.
The next stop is the Benjamin Franklin Statue which is at the site of the Boston Latin School. Benjamin Franklin was one of the school’s most notable pupils, but ironically, he dropped out of the Latin School. This statue is also in front of Boston’s City Hall.
Close to the statue, are King’s Chapel and King’s Chapel Burying Grounds. The Burial grounds are the oldest English cemetery and include the burial site of the first woman to step off the Mayflower. The next stop is the Granary cemetery. This cemetery is the final resting place of people such as John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Samuel Adams among others.
Towards the end (or start depending on which way you’re starting the Freedom Trail) is the Park Street church, which at one point was the tallest building at 217 ft. There is also the Massachusetts State House, which is still the current state house and holds the legislative and executive branches of the Massachusetts government. The final stop of the Freedom Trail was Boston Commons, which is America’s oldest public park. We finished walking the entirety of the 2.5-mile trail by 1:15.
Because it was still early in the day, we decided to Uber back to the USS Constitution, also known as “Old Ironsides”. The USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship still afloat. Interestingly, she is still a commissioned Navy ship, so she is run by active duty sailors of the US Navy.
After finishing at the USS Constitution, we went to get lunch. We couldn’t leave Boston without getting a Lobster Roll so we went to Yankee Lobster Company, which was another restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. The Lobster Roll had full lobster claws in the sandwich and was so fresh and tasty!
After lunch, we took an Uber back to our hotel since we had tickets for the 4:00 Fenway Park tour. Fenway Park is the oldest Ballpark in America, opening in 1912. On the tour, we got to walk through the empty ballpark, went up to the Green Monster (the left field wall), and learned about some of Fenway and the Red Sox’s history! We also got to go in the Press Box and see the rooftop gardens where they grow organic fruit and vegetables that are served along with the food sold at Fenway!
After the Fenway tour, we went back to the hotel to warm up since it was drizzling and quite chilly. Around 7, we headed back to the North End for some Italian food at Massimino’s Cucina Italiana. Massimino’s has been featured on multiple TV programs and had some of the best Italian food we’ve ever tasted. It’s the kind of restaurant where the owner walks around and talks to everyone who comes in and the locals come to eat.
We ordered the Nonna Meatball to split as an appetizer. The meatball was so tender and seasoned perfectly! For our main course, I ordered the Tagliatelle Bolognese with Burrata, which was SO good! Jake ordered the Gnocchi Al Forno and added a meatball to it per the waiter’s suggestion. Both were amazing and we both agreed that we’d take a trip to Boston again for the food here alone! We wanted to try a Cannoli but couldn’t since we were both so stuffed from the giant entree portions. Next time for sure!
This is by no means a complete guide to everything in Boston, but if you’re only able to spend one day there, this is a great way to see the highlights of what Boston has to offer!
