31 July - Clean up, Pack up

31 July
Bugging out tomorrow. Maine, here we come!  Today we clean and prep for departure.  I replaced the water filter element last night.  Wow, it really works well catching the iron and other stuff in the various campgrounds water supply.

Left one is the old one.  Right one is what it looked like when installed in April!!

Next post will be from Maine.

30 July - Downtown Boston

30 July

Today is the day we visit the sites in downtown Boston.  We drove about 15 miles south of Hanscom AFB to the Riverside train station bright and early and took the "Green Line" to Park Street Station.  We chose the Riverside Station because there is ample outside parking for big RAM dually one ton pickup trucks!  We have trouble getting our truck into parking ramp areas because of it's height.

There was a bit of a detour on the way in and we had to de-train at Fenway and take a shuttle bus to Kenmore Station and finish the train ride on into Park Street Station.  From there we walked up the hill to the Massachusetts State House building.  

Behind the State House is the Boston Common area, a huge park with grass and trees.  We will revisit this later today with more pictures and comments. So we had tickets for the Gray Line "hop-on hop-off" trolley.  We waited and waited, and never saw a Gray Line trolley.  I called them several times and the calls went unanswered, including the voice mails (Grrrrr #$@##$#@#$!!).  There were many others that passed by, but not that one.  Finally after over an hour or so Doreen checked with one of the competitors, and even though it was a competitor they agreed to honor our tickets.  So Ed is fuming by then, and that is how the day started.

So we got on the Old Town Trolley and headed for our first stop, which is Union Wharf. We walked from there to the Boston "North End". We walked through the Paul Revere Mall to the Old North Church. The church is most known for the events of the evening of April 18, 1775, when the steeple was climbed and two lanterns were lighted as a signal from Paul Revere that the British Army was marching to Lexington and Concord by sea (the Charles River) and not by land. This led into the American Revolution - one if by land, two if by sea.

Red brick lines in the sidewalk. This is the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile-long route through downtown Boston that passes by 16 locations significant to the history of the United States.

Statue of Paul Revere with the steeple of the Old North Church in the background

The Old North Church entrance

Beautiful sanctuary

Lantern hanging in long-hidden window, like the two that were in the steeple the night of April 18, 1775

We then proceeded back through the Paul Revere Mall and passed one of Boston's 35 fire stations.  This one houses Ladder 1 and Engine 8.

Next stop was Paul Revere's House.  It was apparently close to being demolished but Paul Revere's great-grandson  purchased it in 1902.  It took several years to raise the funds but it was finally preserved and opened to the public in April 1908.  Here are a couple exterior pictures as taking pictures inside was prohibited.

A view from the side/rear.  The second floor stairs is the exit from the tour.

We then walked back to the Trolley stop, boarded the next trolley, and headed for the Charlestown Navy Yard.  We toured the USS Constitution which went into dry dock for it's first significant overhaul in over 20 years.  They hope to have it done for the 4th of July, 2017.  All of the cannons were removed and significant repairs were being accomplished.  Most of the masts had been removed

One of the cannons on display outside the ship

The cannons removed during the dry dock

Repairs to the wood structure

Ahoy mate!

 

Ships bell

A US Navy sailor assigned to the USS Constitution

Beautiful woodwork

Doreen on the Gang Plank!

We left Charlestown on the trolley and passed the Bunker Hill monument in the distance on the way to our next stop.

Next was the Old State House.  The Declaration of Independence was read from the balcony here and out in front of this building was the Boston Massacre.  Like many of the other sites we took a bunch of pictures but will not post all of them here.  The inside was beautifully preserved.

The site of the Boston Massacre.

Then we walked a couple blocks to the Old South Meeting House. Also know as the “Sanctuary of Freedom,” this is where the Boston Tea Party was orchestrated by Samuel Adams on December 16, 1773.  The line was long and we did not get to tour the inside.

The Old South Meeting House.

In our travels we missed lunch, and we have the dog back in the RV with a time limit on her, so next stop was headed back towards Park Street Station.  The Cheers Bar, famous for the TV show "Cheers" sounded like a great place to grab a sandwich and a "cold one"

Sitting in "Norm's Seat" at the bar!

The placard on the bar.

On the way to park Street Station we walked through the Boston Commons.  It was a very busy place on a Saturday afternoon.  Many people were sitting in the grass on blankets with their families and pets.  We walked over a bridge to get to the launch point for the Swan Boats, but again, the line was long and time did not permit us to wait.  

Beautiful flowers in the Commons.

The Swan Boats

So back to the train station and then the campgrounds.  That is enough for one day!

29 July - Rest day for Doreen's Knee; Hanscom BX, Commissary; Campground Pictures

29 July

Today we spent getting caught up around the RV but primarily giving Doreen's knee a break from walking, stairs, etc.  She has had quite a bit of problems with it and had a cortisone shot before we left, but it is getting quite a workout on this trip.  Stairs are the worst, but just extended walking in general aggrivates it.  So today we rest a bit.

We did make it into Hanscom Air Force Base Exchange (BX) and the Commissary (grocery store) which is next door to the BX.  We also headed into the local suburbs so Doreen could get her hair trimmed.  

For some strange reason we got pretty busy quickly after landing here and I did not get campground pictures taken until recently.  Here are a few:

The road coming into the campground.  Hanscom's Fam Camp is located off-base which makes access easier.  We still see regular patrols by not only the Air Force security forces but also the local PD.

The main office, where the camp host checked us in. 

Behind the check-in building is large screened-in patio area (social area) with a large screen TV, microwave, tables, chairs etc.  Many of the campers gather here daily for coffee.  Many of the tent campers eat and watch TV in here.  I use it (am sitting here now) because the Wi-Fi is strong and there are multiple power outlets to plug in devices.

Inside the social area.  One of the tent campers is checking his eye lids for leaks while watching TV.  My laptop setup on the left

A central campfire area with all the firewood provided.  There is usually a gathering here each night.  Camp fires are prohibited everywhere except here.

Shaded camp sites for smaller rigs and tents.

Another shaded area.  The camp host lives here.

Laundry / shower building and one of several picnic tents with multiple barbecue grills 

Basketball court.  Bicycles are all available for use, no charge.

A view of one of the camp sites with Hanscom AFB in the background (we are on the opposite side of the airfield)

Pull-through campsites on the right in the "big rig" area.  All 50 amp + water + sewer.  Very flat, but no shade.

Our RV on an end spot.  Plenty of room for the truck.

A view from the rear of our RV.  Notice lack of the flag pole.   Repair parts are in Maine waiting for us to get there Monday.  Yeah!

Tomorrow we drive to the train again and head into Boston to see the sights.

28 July - Back to Lexington

28 July
Today we headed back to Lexington to revisit a few sites we saw on the bus tour.  We started out at the Munroe Tavern.  Yeah, I know, there is a pattern here with me visiting all these taverns, but they are historic site now and not a beer in sight.  Dang it!

So, the Munroe Tavern's claim to fame is how on April 19, 1775 it was taken over by Brig Gen Earl Percy and the Red Coats.  They were only there for a short time but it also served as a field hospital for the British.

The original tavern sign, preserved here.  It used to hang in the center of the front of the structure.

Most of the artifacts are original.

 

A couple more leather fire buckets right by the front door

Original Red Coats uniforms

Our tour guide.

Actual linen cabinet from the Munroe family.  The linens were used by the British troops in the hospital room.

Everything in the room is original except the pitcher and the mirror.  The frame is original.

The Munroe family tree

George Washington dined here

Box with Masonic symbol on it.

Chair that George Washington sat in.

  We really enjoyed our driving tour of Lexington and Concord.  The remainder of what we saw was combined in Wednesday's post.  Tomorrow is a down day (laundry, commissary, BX, etc, and then Saturday we head into Boston for a "hop-on hop-off" tour.