Extreme sight-seeing – day 1
Me and Kim on the Harbor Island Ferry
Since I was leaving, I had to make some tough decisions about which sites and excursions would make the final cut. Part of the national park system, the Boston Harbor Islands are just a few minutes from the mainland via ferry, and I decided it would be a good start to my Extreme Sight-Seeing, P.R. (post resignation).
Kim and I headed out for a “multi-island adventure” on a ferry that leaves from Long Warf in the Boston Harbor. It’s only 14 bucks round trip to two islands, and it felt great to be out on the water and away from the city. It’s amazing how different the environment can be just 15 minutes away.
Our first stop, Spectacle Island, is a nature preserve of sorts. There are over 5 miles of hiking trails, a lifeguarded beach for swimming, and a “green” visitors center. There are a few dinky little exhibits, and a snack shack. We were beat and kind of lame this day, and just sat perched in adirondack chairs admiring the incredible view of the harbor and the Boston skyline. Some rest and relaxation was in order.
Boston skyline from Spectacle Island
After about two hours, we hopped back on the ferry to Georges Island, which is home to Fort Warren, a granite behemoth built in the 19th Century to defend Boston. Similar to the experience at The Eastern State Penitentiary here in Philly, visitors are free to wander around the fort, exploring the look out towers, various dungeons and walk the grounds. Also like Eastern State, the fort is simultaneously creepy and cool.
Row upon row of canons sat on the ramparts, some of which could shoot up to three miles out to sea. It never occurred to me that the Civil War would require coastal defense, but I guess it makes sense. You can see more pictures of Spectacle and Fort Warren here.
After a long day of adventures at sea, I crashed with my gracious Cambridge hosts. I had some local Boston brews at the Cambridge Brewing Co. as well as an unremarkable burger. The real highlight came for desert though. You guessed it, another hard-serve, homemade ice cream shop. This time Toscanini’s in Central Square offered up my hands-down favorite hand-made concoction for the entire Boston trip: burbon ice cream with chocolate chip cookie dough. I could smell and see fumes coming off this double-scoop of deliciousness, it was SO bourbony. Now that’s an ice cream buzz!
