Goldenbackpacker.com

BOSTON - STAY FOR LESS "$$ "

BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS, was founded in 1630 when the 2 nd band of Puritans from England landed in Salem & wandered South in search of drinking water. The original Pilgrims had arrived at Plymouth in the Mayflower in 1620 & prosperity for all came initially from the sea, with whale & cod fishing, & by 1700 trade was booming. The British Crown noticed its success so to pay for the local Military support & costly home Wars, tough taxes were imposed, including 3d on a pound of tea. This caused unrest & tension, which escalated in 1770 with the “Boston Massacre” & “ Boston Tea Party” in 1773, which eventually lead to the American Declaration of Independence on 4 th July 1776.

ACCOMMODATION

NO1 – HI BOSTON at 12 Hemenway Street, B, MA 02115 (at the West end of Boylston St. in Back Bay) tele 617 536 9455 – www.bostonhostel.org - $30 pn in 6 x dorms with sheets, towel & donut breakfast (yum!) with showers, wc's & even sitting rooms on each floor. Well-equipped s/c kitchen & washup spray, adjacent long tabled dining room with TV & locker room. Reception/ & long lounge area with Internet & information displays. A good Hostel with free social nights at Museums etc. & Pub-crawls.

Reserve – Irish Embassy Youth Hostel at 232 Friend Street (in the West End City area close to the Markets) tele 617 973 4841 - $20 pn – for emergencies only as its located above a noisy pub but does give free admission to gigs & bbq's on Tues./ Sundays – not checked out by GB so give me feedback!

FOOD is best from the large – SHAWS – Supermarket on Exeter Street , off Boylston, with a great range of fresh, hot, cold & dry foods at good prices, so eat well in Boston from here!

TRAVELLING AROUND - if you arrive at the Rail or Greyhound Bus Stations you will need to take the “quaint” MBTA Subway to the Hostel (it's a long walk). You first buy a $1.25 token from the manned kiosk & place it in the entry gate - now it gets complicated as you need to know your line route letter & colour. For the Hostel it's A/Red line to Park St. then change to BC or D/Green line (down stairs) to Hynes/ICA & the Hostel is over the road, around the corner - got it? For trips back into the City its reverse order to Park Street then walk to all the local sights.

FREE SIGHTS TO SEE

1. Freedom Trail – is a 2 ½ mile “Red Line” history tour, taking in all famous pre independence sights
2. Boston Common – 1st US Public Park with Info Centre, Frog Pond & ideal to relax & people watch
3. State House – 1798 it's the Massachusetts Government Building with “flashy” Golden Dome
4. Museum Wharf – where the replica of Beaver, one of the 3 Tea Party Ships, should be but not ??
5. Faneuil Hall – revitalised original 1742 Meeting House now a thriving Market with Quincy nearby
6. Paul Revere Statue – a Cyrus Dallin landmark dominating the entrance to a lovely quiet Mall
7. Old North Church – where on 18 April 1777 Sexton Newman hung 2 lanterns – find out why?
8. Bunker Hill Monument – Patriots were ordered “Don't shoot till you see the whites of their eyes”
9. Downtown Crossing – central shopping area With Macys & Filenes with its “bargain basement”
10 Harvard & Radcliffe Colleges – in Cambridge , 1638 H for Men then R for Women in 1911

CHARGE SIGHTS NOT TO MISS

1. USS Constitution – built 1797 “Old Iron Sides” fought 49 battles in War of 1812
2. Old South Meeting House – where Boston Tea Party was “brewed” up & signal given 16/12/1773
3. Paul Revere House – 1680 is the oldest Boston House, “green” home of the famous rider for 30 yrs

*Tobin (HI) Carl (RTW Oz ladies) Paul (Lith) Michael (Swiss choc) – Dartmouth , Elenor & Beaver