The Boston Trip

Saturday: We met out in front of Main Hall. Yes, we had to meet at 2:30 so we could head out by 3 or we'd not get to see Emily Dickinson's house. It wasn't worth it.

Sunday: Due to trusting a GPS system, we ended up totally lost and were forty minutes late for church. We also left before Sunday School. We saw Walden pond and Thoreau's dinky cabin. I got a couple of pictures of me with Thoreau, including posing like the statue and giving the statue bunny ears. There was ice on the pond. Then we went to a fireside and found out about the Boston temple. And it was right there.

BUT THEY NEVER LET ME GO!!

I needed to go, but then they wouldn't let me. I had no partner; the one other student who was endowed hadn't planned on going. (I don't think I like her very much for other reasons as well.) I was extremely devastated.

We were on the same plot of ground, and I couldn't go. Every day, that was our base of operations. And they didn't let me go. Even getting permission to take pictures of the temple was like pulling teeth. We needed a consensus. And that was the only freakin' time that the teachers asked the students for a single opinion. I have never been more ashamed of my school than by the fact that they seemed to want to avoid the temple.

The only reason I was able to get through the rest of the trip was that one of my friends said we'll go up to the D. C. temple next Saturday.

Anyway, Monday: We went to Concord and toured the Old Manse. Fortunately, enough different people lived there that it was somewhat interesting. We saw the bridge in Concord, though the meadow was flooded. We also went to the Alcott home -- this house did inspire the book, and a lot of the personality of the family came across. For example, one daughter drew pictures all over the walls. That was one of the better houses we visited. (I saw a thimble with the house on it and thought Tawnia would like it, but I didn't really do a lot of souvenir shopping, mostly postcards and a book.)

Then we drove down to Lexington, where I had to practically drag someone by the hair just to get a picture of the Green while there was still some daylight. I was rather proud of my picture of the minuteman statue there. Of course, I was with literary people, not historians.

Tuesday: We went to Longfellow's house, which was by far the best house we visited. This was also Washington's headquarters at the start of the Revolution. Our guide recited poetry along the way. He apologized for being overly romantic, but considering that the group consisted mainly of young women, we all loved it. We could take some pictures but without the flash. I got a couple of good ones.

Then we went to this fancy art museum that was laid out by this one woman (Isabelle Gardner, I think was her name). I was in and out in an hour. Then we headed to Boston and saw the State House, a couple of cemeteries, and wandered as far as the Old North Church. Julianna and I ran into other members of our group at a pastry shop. Really good Boston cream puffs.

Wednesday: This was the day we got to go up to take pictures of the temple. It was raining. But we had to head into Boston. No choice. What we did there was up to us. So I went to the South Church. Sure, there wasn't a whole lot to see and we were overcharged, but I was still giddy at the thought that this was where the meeting before the Boston Tea Party was held.

Then we went to the Old State House museum. This was actually worth paying to see. Some of the artifacts were quite fascinating. Tea from boots after the Boston Tea Party, a recording of a witness of the Boston Massacre (of course a reenactment, but I think they used the actual testimony), and this was where the Declaration of Independence was first read to the people. This was probably the best place I visited all week.

Alas, I never got up to Bunker Hill. I had hoped to do so, and if we had gotten the itinerary more than a few hours in advance, I might have been able to find the way up there. Rather disappointing.

We also went to Boston Museum of Fine Arts. I really liked the hilts of Japanese knives. And the kimonos. And they had some Egyptian art and other things that were somewhat interesting. But since I've been studying Japanese art this semester, that exhibit really caught my eye.

Thursday: We went to Salem, and got lost again. We toured the House of the Seven Gables, and only the fact that our guide was cracking stupid jokes the only time made it worth my while. We also saw a boat -- the Friendship -- and one of the teachers went on and on and on and on. I found a hammock after a while and just sat there. And we saw the Customs house, which some people want to make a shrine to Hawthorne.

We all wanted to leave, but the teachers said we'd meet at seven and head out. It was freezing, nothing was open, and it was quite boring. I do not plan to visit Salem, Massachusetts again.

Friday: I was told I'd be left at the hotel if I didn't head out in two minutes. I should have taken them up on the offer. We visited Melville's house. The guide was a guide, not a historian or scholar. The tour was extremely boring. The supposedly famous view of the hill was obscured by clouds. We all wanted to go.

But no! There was another house that was supposed to be pretty and famous, and I can't even recall who built it. And it was closed anyway, but we had to stop and take pictures. At this point, I waited in the car.

Then we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening driving, and we didn't get back until 1:30 in the morning.

Well, the trip was free. And I'm so glad I didn't have to throw away money on it.