Planes (check), Boats (check), Trains.....

While a day in a half in Boston wasn't nearly enough - time to move on! We took the high speed (for the US!) train to New York. It started off as an ambitious trip....

...that eventually turned into nap time! 

Upon arrival, we dropped our luggage and headed to LUNCH! While the official title of this tour is "American Heritage", the unofficial title may as well be "The Yingling Girls eat their way down the Eastern Seaboard! 

After lunch, we resumed the official tour and went to the National Museum of the American Indian. It is housed inthe Alexander Hamilton Customs House, which is a beautiful building, and has a large collection of American Indian artifcacts. 

The ceiling was absolutely amazing - and it was huge. At least 2 football fields long

Becky is taking some amazing photos - she wasn't downloaded them yet - but I will share when she does. A HUGE shout out to Tami for the camera loan and lessons! 

I am striving on this trip to find the balance of the great historical events of the our heritage, and the atrocities committed in that writing of history. We are being intentional about seeking out the harder peices and parts, becasue they are so very important. 

Our next museum was closed on Wednesday all of a sudden, so we headed back to our digs in Chinatown - the girls wenr shopping and I went and had a foot massage! Not wearing real shoes since November of 2019 (pretty much...) has taken a toll on my tootsies! 

Then dinner in Chinatown and dessert in little Italy with yet another old & dear friend from high school!   The personal walk down memory lane has been pretty awesome - thanks Jeanie for coming in to see us! 

Tomorrow is a four museum kind of day....we'll see how everyone holds up! 

 

History - the nations and mine!

It was a day full of history from long ago in our nations birth, and my own personal over 30+ years ago history. 

Many, many moons ago, I lived in downtown Boston. Our day's acitvity began about a block from my last (and favorite!!) apartment, so we had to do a fly by....it looks exactly the same from the outside - a little bit of personal nostalgia to start the day (the girls were barely even a little impressed...) 

We then walked the Black Heritage Trail. I lived in the neighborhood for a year - and never know that this particular scetion of Beacon Hill had a thriving African American community in the 18th and 19th century. we walked the 1 mile trail, which ends at the Museum of African American History. 

It is a small museum, but we literally were the only people there, so we got a provate tour by the director. 

There were some amazing artifacts, but by far this was the most powerful. If a picture is worth 1000 words - this one says it all about the horror that was the slave trade. 

The tour ends with a visit to the African Meeting House 

Frederick Douglass was a frequent speaker here - and this space was the seat of the  abolitionist movement, along with being the first African American church in the country. 

We then began the trek on the Freedom Trail - Granary Burial Grounds then Kings Chapel and Burying Grounds 

These are the "3 Rebecca" headstone from the late 1700-early 1800's. 

South Meeting House....

 ......Old State House and the site of the Boston Massacre (they were hungry, tired and SO over seeing gravestones by this time!) 

We were so incredibly blessed to be able to have lunch with a friend of mine from  high school! Michelle came into town to meet us, and we lunch and visiteid (while the girls shopped). It was such a sweet time - and way too short! 

Even though we had a few more stops to make (Paul Revere's house and the North Church) - the girls were OVER the Freedom Trail, so we skipped the next few stops, and hopped a ferry over the Charleston Navy Yard and the USS Constitution. 

We headed back the apartment, rested for a bit - then one of my oldest friends came into town and we headed to the North End for dinner! Pam and I worked togetheri n what I call "my first real job" - in Boston, a million years ago. We had great food and even better conversation! 

That's a WRAP on day 2 - tomorrow....off to the Big Apple! 

Midnight Plane to Boston.

One of the things that Covid cancelled last year was Becky's 8th grade American Heritage trip. Ever since Cami went in 2018, it has been Becky's dream to make the trip - so the disappointment was real. Being the mom racked with guilt, I promised we would do our own....so after almost a year of planning - we are off!

 

Since we are trying to be a authentic to the "real" trip as possible - we had to do a red-eye to the east coast! The girls handled it like troopers - but this first day was a little rough! 

Once we got to Boston, we walked onthe greenway and then it was lunch time, so we headed to Quincy market and induldged in some clam chower - and a hot buttered lobster roll! Of course, no meal is complete for the Yingling girls without a little chinese food :) We also marked the location of our dessert later! 

We then ventured over to the New Englad Aquarium. While not exactly on the "original AHT" tour, it's a great aquarium and since this is a homeschool trip and Becky is taking oceanography - I figured that counted as educational! 

A 500+ pound sea turtle was the absolute highlight of the aquarium for me! 

We ended the day at the iconic Legal Seafood with the even more iconic Judith and Avivia! I have know Judith since what feels like before time began but really is about 1991 - so almost a lifetime in years and certainly more than a lifetime of life! We had great food - but even better conversation! 

Day 1 - in the books!