Boston Common
In 1634, when their settlement was just 4 years old, the town fathers paid the Rev. William Blackstone £30 for this property. In 1640 it was set aside as common land. The 45 or so acres of the country's oldest public park have served as a cow pasture, a military camp, and the site of hangings, protest marches, and visits by dignitaries. Today the Common is a bit run-down, especially compared with the adjacent Public Garden, but it buzzes with activity all day. You might see a demonstration, a musical performance, a picnic lunch, or a game of tag -- almost everything but a cow. Cows have been banned since 1830, which seems to be one of the few events related to the Common that isn't commemorated with a plaque.One of the loveliest markers is on this route; head up the hill from the train station inside the fence. At Beacon Street is a memorial designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens to celebrate the deeds (indeed, the very existence) of Col. Robert Gould Shaw and the Union Army's 54th Massachusetts Colored Regiment, who fought in the Civil War. You might remember the story of the first American army unit made up of free black soldiers from the movie Glory.To continue on the Freedom Trail: Cross Beacon Street.

Old South Meeting House
Look for the clock tower that tops this religious and political gathering place, best known as the site of an important event leading to the Revolution. On December 16, 1773, a restive crowd of several thousand, too big to fit into Faneuil Hall, gathered here. They were waiting for word from the governor about whether three ships full of tea -- priced to undercut the cost of smuggled tea and force the colonists to trade with merchants approved by the Crown -- would be sent back to England from Boston. The ships were not, and revolutionaries poorly disguised as Mohawks cast the tea into the harbor. The meeting house commemorates that uprising, the Boston Tea Party. You can even see a vial of the tea. An interactive multimedia exhibit, Voices of Protest, tells the story of the events that took place here.Originally built in 1670 and replaced by the current structure in 1729, the building underwent extensive renovations in the 1990s. In 1872, the devastating fire that destroyed most of downtown stopped at Old South, a phenomenon considered evidence of the building's power.The meeting house frequently schedules speeches, readings, panel discussions, and children's activities, often with a colonial theme. Each December, it stages a reenactment of the debate that led to the tea party. Call ahead or check the website for schedules.Exit through the gift shop and look across Milk Street to see Benjamin Franklin's birthplace. Franklin, the 15th child of Josiah Franklin, was born in 1706 in a little house at 17 Milk St. The house is long gone, but look across at the second floor of what's now 1 Milk St. When the building went up after the fire of 1872, the architect guaranteed that the Founding Father wouldn't be forgotten: A bust and the words BIRTHPLACE OF FRANKLIN adorn the facade.To continue on the Freedom Trail: Backtrack on Washington Street (passing Spring Lane, one of the first streets in Boston and originally the site of a real spring) to State Street.

Franklin Park Zoo
The Franklin Park Zoo is becoming more and more enjoyable -- for animals as well as people. From June to September, you can visit the popular, colorful Butterfly Landing enclosure. On the Outback Trail, you can see kangaroos, wallabies, emus, and cockatoos. Serengeti Crossing is home to zebras, ibex, ostriches, and wildebeests. Other installations house cheetahs, lions, snow leopards, and African wild dogs. The African Tropical Forest exhibit is a sprawling complex where you'll see more than 50 species of animals. This is the domain of the Western lowland gorillas, which appear to be roaming free in an approximation of their natural habitat. If you're traveling with animal-mad youngsters, the Children's Zoo is both entertaining and educational.Schedule at least half a day for a visit to the zoo. Franklin Park is 40 minutes from downtown by public transportation, and the walk from the main gate and parking area to the entrance is fairly long, especially for those with little legs.

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 ...

Days Inn Boston
Boston's Best Value. Property is non-smoking Boston Days Inn provides visitors to Boston with affordable accommodations. Conveniently located near Cambridge and an easy drive along the River to Boston. Don't let your only souvenir of Boston be your Hotel Bill. Boston Days Inn features: Cable with HBO and ESPN St. Elizabeths Hospital - 1/2 mile I-Hop and McDonalds - next door Cambridge / Harvard Square - 1 mile Fenway Park - 2 miles Fine Arts Museum - 3 miles Boston ...

Chandler Inn Hotel
Affordable boutique hotel in Boston's historic South End. The Chandler Inn Hotel is just a short walk from world class shopping along Newbury Street, a fantastic variety of restaurants on trendy Tremont Street and many historic and sightseeing points of interest.The Chandler Inn Hotel is small and stylish. Housed in a building dating from the early 1900's, the hotel offers 55 comfortable guest rooms. All guest rooms feature private bath, satellite television, telephones with voice mail and ...