7 Things You Have to See on a Boston Honeymoon | East Coast Honeymoon Series

Sacrifice, determination, exhaustion, and pure uncertainty. Those four words describe eight years that affect every single one of us. Even though that describes everyone’s experience raising kids or getting through college, it also perfectly defines the American Revolution. If it wasn’t for all of the ordinary citizens of the late 18^th century, we wouldn’t have life as we know it. We also wouldn’t have an awesome celebration every 4^th of July! If a trip to a place with history is your kind of thing, then a Boston honeymoon is right for you!

Imagine a modern twenty-first century city complete with skyscrapers and taxis, blended with historic homes and buildings. Boston is that city. Boston is the city that has captured Jessie’s heart more than any other. One of our favorite things to do when we go to Disneyland or Disney World is to sit down on a bench or curb, close our eyes and take everything in. Boston is one of the few other places that deserve that same treatment. In Boston, history is alive! If take a minute out of your busy itinerary to appreciate it, you’ll be able to feel it. One of the best things you can do before taking a trip to Boston is to read some non-fiction (Boston in the American Revolution) or historical fiction books (Prelude to Glory: Our Sacred Honor is a good one!) that take place in the city. If you are a gamer, take time to really immerse yourself and play Assassins Creed III. You heard right, you’ve got to study before your trip!

Boston is our first stop on our new East Coast Honeymoon Series for our blog. One awesome part about Boston is that it is easy to walk the city and see almost everything on this list. Most of the places to see that we will mention are located on the Freedom Trail, which is a walking trail throughout historic Boston. Not a bad way to get around at all!

Here’s our list of seven must see places on your Boston honeymoon!

 

1. Historic, Kinda Creepy, Old Cemeteries!

We love old cemeteries, and the ones back east are our favorites! They have so much history and often are home to some of America’s most famous people. Granary Burying Ground goes all the way back to 1660, which was over 100 years before the America Revolution! Some of the most interesting graves to visit include John Hancock, Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, the grave for the victims of the Boston Massacre, and even Mother Goose. The cemetery itself is pretty awesome to see and totally different than any kind of cemetery in Utah.

2. Was it Really a Massacre?

Was it really a massacre? That’s the big question that Jessie always asked her 8th grade history students. Have you ever heard of the Boston Massacre? Well, this is the place where it happened, so don’t forget to look for the circle marker on the ground outside of the building. The Old State House in Boston is a sight to see. It seems so out of place smashed between large modern buildings that tower over it, but it fits so perfectly all at the same time. Inside, they have some awesome exhibits including John Hancock’s coat, and some tea that was salvaged from the Boston Tea Party!

3. Say “Ahhh….”

If you blink, you’ll miss it! Paul Revere’s house is another stop along the Freedom Trail that you should be sure to hit on your Boston honeymoon. If you don’t remember from history class, Paul Revere is the most famous of the three men who rode to warn that the “Redcoats were coming!” Revere’s house is actual the oldest building in downtown Boston, which is pretty crazy considering all of the other historic buildings in the city. Paul Revere worked as a silversmith, but did you know that he also did work as a dentist? That’s enough to make anyone a bit squeamish!

4. “One if by Land, Two if by Sea”

Speaking of Paul Revere, Old North Church is the famous church where the lanterns were hung prior to Paul Revere’s ride to warn if the Redcoats were coming by land or by sea. It’s a pretty fast stop, but interesting to see nonetheless. If you get the chance to take the Behind the Scenes tour, do it! You’ll get to climb the steps that Paul Revere climbed, and visit the crypt underneath the church! A Boston honeymoon wouldn’t be complete without a trip to a crypt!

5. Get Your Workout On

Bunker Hill has a monument to the Battle of Bunker Hill, which was a part of the first major battle of the Revolutionary War. It’s the battle where the famous quote, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!” comes from. You can go inside of the monument on top of the hill and even climb all the way up to the top. Be prepared for a tight, LONG staircase. The view at the very top allows you to look out over Boston and is worth the climb. They also have lots of artifacts from the battle that you can see.

6. The Green Monster

You made it through all the history stuff! Next up is Fenway Park! Seeing a Red Sox game at Fenway is still something on our bucket list to do. Each time that we have visited they have been out of town, so we haven’t had the chance to watch a game in Boston yet. If you can catch a game and/or go on a tour, definitely do it, unless you are a Yankees fan I guess! 😉

7. Ever Heard of Touching John Harvard’s Toe?

The Hahvahd Tour is the unofficial tour of Harvard University. It’s a tour done by Harvard students and is easily the best tour of the school that you can take. The tour guides tell you all about life at Harvard, and stories from Harvard history as they take you around campus stopping at all the major sites to see. They’ll even give you the chance to touch the statue of John Harvard’s toe for good luck if you’re brave enough, or if you need luck REALLY badly! If you’ve ever been curious, or if you are a huge Gilmore Girls fan, you need to make a stop on your Boston honeymoon!

Boston is unique because you could easily spend your whole honeymoon there, visit some of the nearby towns and cities, or just make it one stop on your tour of the east coast! Next up in our series will be Lexington and Concord, Salem and Plymouth, Massachusetts, so keep an eye out!