Cheers...Here's to Boston

Since the early 1980's before I ever watched the television show Cheers, I can remember my mom roaring in laughter at the show. She did this with All In The Family too. Anyway, after I became a fan of the show I've thought it would be fun to visit Boston and have a beer at Cheers. I also hear there's more important history in Boston besides Cheers, like Paul Revere, Boston Tea Party, the British are coming, and on and on. So here we go...off to the commuter train that takes us into Boston.

I remember conductors from my childhood cross country train rides from L.A. to Chicago to visit my grandparents. The one on the train into Boston was especially kind and funny.

Here's more proof we're almost there. University of Mass and mention of JFK.

The train was amazingly comfortable, quiet and on the outside it was even pretty. We sat in the upper section. As a kid we called this the domeliner.

Our trolley awaited us. A quick trip around the waterfront and a dropoff at the Boston Harbor Cruise wharf and we had just completed our first "hop on hop off" of many to come.

The Barking Crab is suppose to be a famous restaurant in Boston. And to think I didn't even know that crabs barked.

Larry was enjoying the ride to the cruise ship. He must be wishing Gail was there with him. :-(

I'll be taking additional pictures of the original State Building with the beautiful dome. We were told that the harbor waterfront was just in front of this building until the swampy area was filled in to build another wharf and dock area.

We can now all claim that our ship came in.

Bill and I sat on the top deck for the best views. We sat next to a lovely couple from Wales.

You're welcome Moby, our pleasure.

There are oodles of beautiful sailing ships in Boston Harbor. And as beautiful as they are there is only one thing that could make the Boston skyline more beautiful and that would be a bit more sunshine.

This is what's left of the original Anthony's Seafood. Demolition is scheduled and condos are going up in it's place. Got a spare 4-8 million and you can buy one.

Now we're talking.

This ship is a buoy tender. It goes out and tends buoys. Leaves the gulls alone. Maybe it's gay? Hahahaha I'm cracking myself up.

Sorry, not funny.

The USS Constitution at the Charleston yard. This is stop 3 on the Trolley Tour so we'll wait and see it then. Sherry and Randy were so anxious to see it they got off the ship and picked up the cruise an hour later. We never found them again until they got home that evening.

Now this is an interesting vehicle. It's a tour "trolley" that just drives right into the bay. Ducks they're called. Personally those people on board seem hysterical...frantic waving. Not sure they want to be rescued or just to get off.

Once off the cruise ship we "hopped on" another trolley and off we went to stop 2 and there we "hopped off" to visit the Paul Revere House along the Freedom Trail that runs through Boston.

Okay who doesn't remember the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere? Put your hands down!

Built about 1680, this is the only remaining example of 17th century architecture in downtown Boston. Purchased in 1770 by Paul Revere and sold by him in 1800. He and his family lived here through the American Revolution. The house was restored in 1907 after being purchased by Revere's great grandson in 1902. Completed in 1908 it has been open to the public since.

One of four restored rooms. This room contains items from Paul Revere's era.

Paul Revere, a Son of Liberty, a Freemason and a courier of information during the Revolution and most famous for his midnight ride warning of the British coming. The Boston Tea Party was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston. On the night of December 16, 1773 demonstrators, some disguised as Indians, destroyed an entire shipment of tea sent by the East India Company. This was in defiance of taxes on tea and everything else the British could think to tax in order to spread the cost of an earlier war. The value of the 342 bales of tea dumped into the harbor was estimated at approximately 10-18,000 pounds. Being of British ancestry I can tell you not to make a Brit mad and this really pissed the Brits off. This act of defiance set in motion the American Revolution that lasted from 1775 to 1783. Fortunately we won that war and now live in the land of the free. Unfortunately we did not have time to do this tour. Maybe next time.

You don't think this picture of Paul Revere might say if captioned "when did we run out of tea?"

This room is the only one with items from the era of the original owner.

Two original rooms after restoration.

After the Revolution Paul Revere established a bell and cannon foundry in Boston. This is a bell he made.

No credit for this picture but I thought it was so pretty I had to share.

Off to stop 3. The USS Constitution. A painting of her in battle. She won every battle and was given the nickname Old Ironsides because the British could not penetrate her hull with their cannons.

USS Constitution, a frigate and the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. Serving in the Barbary Wars, the War of 1812 and other assignments around the world. She later became a training and barracks ship.

Her bicentennial in 1997 she sailed in Massachusetts Bay under her own power for the first time since the 1880's.

Below she is firing her cannons off Marblehead during her sail in Massachusetts Bay at her bicentennial on July 21, 1997.

She is a beautiful ship, inside and out. We strolled freely all around her and on all her decks.

Now ain't this little tug cute.

One deck down is lined both starboard and port with cannons.

Lower deck was barracks, galley and officers quarters.

A few cannons stored below.

Now there's a bowsprit.

I was in the right place at the right time when the hood of the ships bell was removed for a picture with someone important. It was immediately recovered.

Har Mateys! Standby to repel boarders. Fire at their broadside. What? You think I was landlubber?

I promised you another picture of the original State Building. Here it is.

Statue of Benjamin Franklin in Boston Commons by Beacon Hill.

Along the streets of Boston.

Stop 7. Cheers and the famous stairs leading down. Actually this original pub was the inspiration for the setting of the television show Cheers. It was originally called Bull and Finch Pub, located on Beacon Hill. Though this may be called the place where everyone knows your name, I can assure you they didn't know us from squat.

But a good time was had all the same.

And back up those famous stairs seen through the windows of the Cheers set.

We hopped back on the trolley and continued our tour. Now this is what I'd call having all your ducks in a row.

First church of Christian Science.

Oh yeah, we're getting close but I didn't sense any fans on the trolley.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Riding through MIT land.

Old market.

Daniel Webster...remember the dictionery?

And so we stumbled our way to the train station and fell into an exhausted heap for the ride back to Middleboro. So long Boston. Wish we had more time. Maybe another year.