Monday, October 31, 2011

Day 29

We took another trip into Boston to check out more historical sites before an approaching storm hits. Our ticket for the trolley was good for 2 days.

Our first stop was to see the USS Constitution. This is the oldest battleship still afloat in the world. It was built in 1797 and is still manned and sailed today by the US Navy. We got to take a tour of the ship and see below deck. The cannons on the ship are massive and there are 48 of them. It took 8 to 10 men to man each cannon. The cannons would fire a 23 pound ball up to 7 1/2 miles. In 33 battles, it never lost one. What an awesome sight to see.

Our next stop was the Old North Church where in April of 1775 where Robert Newman hung two lanterns high in the church steeple (at the behest of Paul Revere) to signal that the British were approaching Concord & Lexington by sea and not by land. The church was built in 1723. In 1775 the church steeple was the highest point in Boston and the perfect place to signal the Minutemen and the local militia.

We left the church and headed on foot to see the house where Paul Revere lived. At this point the weather started turning on use. First the wind, then the rain, the cold and then snow. OK, maybe not in that exact order but we persisted.

Paul Reveres house is the oldest wooden house with the original foundation and framework in the US. The house was built in 1680. As with most homes in the New England states, they are small in footprint but usually 2 to 3 floors above ground. I think because it is easier to heat a house of that shape. They wouldn't let us take photos inside the house but your not missing much. The interior was somewhat stark and the few items inside the house are period correct but not the original.

By the time we finished the Paul Revere House the weather was rainy, windy and cold. I guess I'll mention that the subway we took from Quincy to Boston was under repair. This required us and every other subway rider to get off the subway at the Broadway Station and get on a bus for the remaining distance of about 15 miles. The bus was crowded but just as fast as the subway.

As we drove back to the RV Park it started to snow. Fortunately we made it back before it got too bad. The next morning we awoke to 6” of snow, more on that later.

This is a compilation of 3 photos. This ship is a lot bigger than it looks. It cost over $300,000 in 1797. I don't even want to guess how much it costs in today's money.

This is a view of the cannons on the mid deck. These cannon weigh over 5,000 pounds each and took 10 men to operate. They said they could load and fire the cannon once every 90 seconds, just amazing. We also found out the crew worked 20 hours a day with only 4 hours of sleep, just brutal.

This is the Old North Church in Boston. Built in 1723 and still standing. To look at the the construction and think that almost 300 years ago men constructed such an awesome church.

Here is a look at the steeple of the church where the two lanterns were hung.

This is Paul Reveres old house. The house looks plain but what a history it could tell.

Just a quick photo of the snow starting. We were excited about the snow but worried a little as this was supposed to be the worst snow storm in 20 years for October.


Remember, just click on any of the photos for a larger view.



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