Boston, Massachusetts

I just got home from a long weekend in Boston. What a city. I had been there before, briefly. It was after I had finished thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2000. I had taken the train into Boston only to find that every single hotel room and hostel bed in the entire city was filled. I devised a plan to head out to Rhode Island. I ended up staying in a cheap hotel in East Providence. As a result my exploration of the city was not a very thorough one. I did return a few days later to see a Red Sox game at Fenway Park though.

On this visit I would be visiting for the annual conference of the National Council for the Social Studies. It was a work trip obviously, and I spent much of my time attending sessions trying to get some ideas about ways I could improve the lessons that I teach in the local schools. My hotel room was about 1.5 miles from the Convention Center and my walk took me right through beautiful Boston Common and the Public Garden. There's lots to look at as you stroll through these two connected parks. There is public art,

water,

interesting people, and great views of the Boston skyline.

There's even an interesting old cemetery in the Boston Common.

Don't put your luggage down for a second though. The squirrels in the parks are fearless!

In addition, I found the walk down Commonwealth Avenue with its park-like setting a much more relaxing alternative to busy Boylston Street.

To end the conference I got to hear Ken Burns speak,

and his talk (a question and answer session really) was interesting and inspirational to those of us who teach social studies.

Besides the conference I managed to walk the Freedom Trail a few times (once at night and once during the day.) And finally, despite my final day in town being a rainy one, I still managed to make the walk out to the Fens to check out the statues that have been installed outside Fenway Park since I saw that game back in September of 2000.