Boston Common, Public Garden, Newbury Street and Faneuil Hall

Scott and I spent the day together exploring Boston and left Cohen with Ashley and Regan (Thanks so much you guys!) We got off the T at Boston Common, then headed to the Public Garden and walked down along Newbury St. After grabbing some dinner we walked back through everything and made our way up to Faneuil Hall so Scott could get a look at it too. Here it all is in detail! :)

Boston Common is the starting point of the Freedom Trail and is the oldest park in the country. It's almost 50 acres in size and was filled with people lounging on blankets eating, sleeping and reading, playing frisbee, enjoying funnel cakes (like we did!) and lots of people walking their dogs!
The Common has a long history and has been used for many different purposes. Public hangings took place here until 1817 and grazing cattle filled it until 1830. Also, in 1775 British troops camped in Boston Common prior to the Revolution.
Martin Luther King Jr. and Pope John Paul II have given speeches at the Common, along with other celebrities. It continues to be a stage for free speech which we experienced first hand hearing a man shout his religious speech at passerbyers.

This squirrel below made me laugh. It was just "hanging out" on a tree munching some food!


We enjoyed wandering through the Public Garden and seeing George Washington and the swan boats.



This is the Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54^th Regiment Memorial.
It serves as a memorial to the group of men who were among the first African Americans to fight in a war. (Civil War)
Augustus Saint-Gaudens took nearly 14 years to complete this bronze monument, which celebrates the sacrifices made by these men.
It is amazing to see it up close, in detail and to again, think about all the history that makes this country what it is today.

We then walked along Newbury Street which had great shopping, (especially if you don't mind paying an arm and a leg, YIKES!) restaurants and another one of Bostons many beautiful churches.

Here is the Massechusetts State House and a memorial for a woman named Mary Dyer who was a Quaker and a witness for religious freedom. She was hung in the common in 1660.
Religious freedom is something I know I have taken for granted, seeing this memorial put things into perspective for me more than I had experienced before...

Here we are manuvering the curvy Boston roads making our way to Faneuil Hall and once we arrived, Scott quickly made a friend.

We loved spending the day together, just the two (and a half) of us, and had so much fun getting to know Boston a little better!