Exploring Boston

Look at all that ice in the harbour!

I wasn’t going to let measly snow stop me, even if some piles were taller than I am. While in Boston for the Model United Nations conference last week, I used all the free time I had to explore the city.

Since we had until opening ceremonies at 5PM on Thursday free, I woke up at 8AM in order to maximize my exploring time. I bought an all-day pass for the T, Boston’s subway/bus system, so that I could hop on and off the buses and trains as I pleased, and made my way to the north end of Boston.

From the USS Constitution website.

The USS Constitution museum suggests a donation, though you can go in free. I wasn’t really sure what I was expecting, but I was absolutely blown away by one exhibit they had on view, a model ship show. They had about sixty model ships up, all perfectly constructed miniature replicas of real ships. The amount of time, precision, and technique it must have taken those crafters stuns me.

They also had an exhibit that was geared more towards kids about what it would be like to be a sailor in 1812. I was one of the only people in the museum, being there so early, so I threw away my self-consciousness and played with all the interactive pieces of the exhibit. There was a test to see if I was ready to go to sea (I needed some training, but had the spirit!); there was a display shop of what sailors could buy; and there was even a ‘belowdeck’ for me to sling my hammock. It was a ton of fun.

From the National Park Service website. It looked a lot different with snow piled all over that field!

To my disappointment, the Bunker Hill Monument was closed–I thought climbing those stairs might have warmed me up. However, the Bunker Hill Museum was open, and also free of charge. Across the road from the monument, it took me several minutes to figure out which door to use. I was the only visitor, so I ended up chatting with the volunteers working there from the National Park Service. The museum was very small, but had some cool pictures and I learned about what exactly the battle of Bunker Hill had been about.

From the City of Boston’s website.

I had just enough time to stop by the Massachusetts State House and wander around by myself, poking my nose into every corner that wasn’t restricted. Since I was wearing formal clothing, I think I could have passed for a legislative aide or something, but I decided that it wasn’t the best time to talk politics. They offer free tours, but I had plans to meet one of my best friends from high school, who goes to Tufts University, that afternoon.

The snow made some vicious attacks.

When our flight was cancelled on Sunday, I made plans to go to the South side of Boston on Monday. It was a perfectly clear day with blue skies for miles, but I don’t think I’d ever been anywhere so COLD. I had to wrap my scarf around my head and tie my hair so that it was like earmuffs in order to make the 15 minute walk from the T to the harbor. Of course, I decided not to follow the directions I’d noted down for myself, and ended up going ten minutes out of my way across a bridge. The view was entirely worth it.

One of my favourite traditional pieces at the ICA, from their website.

I went to the Institute of Contemporary Art, which gave me a discount for being a student, and enjoyed some time staring at art. They had some less traditional things, such as an audio exhibit made up of music being piped out of artistic speakers. One of my favourite pieces had several portraits of people with no eyes, and in front of it, there were model eyeballs that were half ripped up and bloody. It sounds weird, but it was really fascinating. The building the ICA is located in overlooks the harbour and they have two rooms where the art is the view, so I sat in one of those and did some work on my laptop.

Somehow, I managed to delete all of the photos on my phone from my time in Boston, but this is one of the few that got saved as I had emailed it to my parents.

One of my friends at McDaniel is from MA, and I took his suggestion and went to Flour Bakery for dinner. I’m normally very frugal about spending money on food, but I decided that if I was going to utilize their WiFi and sit there for several hours, I could indulge. That sweet potato sandwich may have been the best sandwich I’ve eaten in my entire life–it had sweet potato, walnut pesto, green apple, blue cheese, and kale. Delicious. And I was super productive, reading a couple of manuscripts for my internship before heading back to the hotel.

Being snowed in Boston was definitely a treat, and I felt so lucky that McDaniel sends its students to cool places. I always want to explore more cities, and getting to do so while attending a really interesting conference? It doesn’t get any better!