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During your Boston vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924) was an incorrigible individualist long before strong-willed behavior was acceptable for women in polite Boston society, and her forcefulness paid off for art lovers. "Mrs. Jack" designed her exquisite home in the style of a 15th-century Venetian palace and filled it with European, American, and Asian painting and sculpture, many pieces chosen with the help of her friend and protégé Bernard Berenson. You'll see works by Titian, Botticelli, Raphael, Rembrandt, Matisse, and Mrs. Gardner's friends James McNeill Whistler and John Singer Sargent. Titian's magnificent Europa, which many scholars consider his finest work, is one of the most important Renaissance paintings in the United States. In my casual poll of local travel experts, the Gardner was the most popular museum.The building, which opened to the public after Mrs. Gardner's death, holds a glorious hodgepodge of furniture and architectural details imported from European churches and palaces. The pièce de résistance is the magnificent sky-lit courtyard, filled year-round with fresh flowers from the museum greenhouse. Although the terms of Mrs. Gardner's will forbid changing the arrangement of the museum's content, there has been some evolution: A special exhibition gallery features two or three changing shows a year, often by contemporary artists in residence.They have a concert series (tel. 617/734-1359). The cafe serves lunch and desserts, and there's an excellent gift shop.
Old North Church
Officially named Christ Church, this is the oldest church building in Boston (1723). The building is in the style of Sir Christopher Wren. In the original steeple, sexton Robert Newman hung two lanterns on the night of April 18, 1775, to signal Paul Revere that British troops were setting out for Lexington and Concord in boats across the Charles River, not on foot ("One if by land, and two if by sea"). The steeple fell in hurricanes in 1804 and 1954; the current version is an exact copy of the original. The 190-foot spire, long a reference point for sailors, appears on navigational charts to this day. And how's this for a coincidence: Newman was a great-grandson of George Burroughs, one of the victims of the Salem witch trials of 1692.Members of the Revere family attended this church (a plaque is on pew 54); famous visitors have included Presidents James Monroe, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Gerald R. Ford, and Queen Elizabeth II. There are markers and plaques throughout; note the bust of George Washington, reputedly the first memorial to the first president. The gardens on the north side of the church (dotted with more plaques) are open to the public. On the south side of the church, volunteers maintain an 18th-century garden. Proceeds from the quirky gift shop and museum go to support the church.Free tours of the church begin every 15 minutes. The 50-minute behind-the-scenes tour ($8 adults, $5 children under 17) includes visits to the steeple and the crypt. Tours are available on weekdays and on weekend afternoons from June to mid-August, and the rest of the year by appointment. Reservations are recommended.To continue on the Freedom Trail: Cross Salem Street onto Hull Street, and walk uphill toward Copp's Hill Burying Ground. On the left you'll pass 44 Hull St., a private residence that's the narrowest (10 ft. wide) house in Boston.
Blue Hills Trailside Museum
This museum at the 7,500-acre Blue Hills Reservation recreation area is fun for all ages and especially popular with the under-10 set. The museum is at the foot of Great Blue Hill, a 20-minute drive south of Boston. Here you'll see replicas of the natural habitats found in the area, displays about the Native Americans who once lived here, and live animal exhibits. Resident animals include owls, honeybees, otters, foxes, snakes, and turtles. Children can feed the ducks, deer, and turkeys. Other activities include hiking and climbing the lookout tower. On weekends, there's story time at 11am and natural-history programs at 1 and 2pm. Special events and family programs change with the seasons; call ahead to register.
Best Western Roundhouse Suites
'From: All directions. The Best Western Roundhouse Suites is located in Boston's south end. 'From: Interstate 93. Take Exit 18 from either north or southbound lanes. Follow the signs to Massachusetts Avenue. Take Massachusetts Avenue southbound. The Best Western Roundhouse Suites will be on the right-hand side. 'From: Interstate 90. Travel east to Interstate 93 South. Take Exit 18 to Massachusetts Avenue. Take Massachusetts Avenue southbound. The Best Western Roundhouse Suites is on the ...
Ramada Boston
The Ramada Boston hotel is ideally located less than four miles from historic downtown Boston and five miles from the General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport (Logan International Airport). Please call our Boston hotel directly for instructions regarding airport transportation. Ramada Boston is close to the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, Fenway Park, Boston University and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Boston Common, known as one of the oldest public parks ...
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