Historical Boston

We visited Boston in early fall, however because they had a later summer, the temperatures were around 24 Celsius, so the autumn leaves weren't abundant in colour at the end of September.

We stayed at The Taj Hotel in Boston and the hotel was on the corner of Newbury Street and right opposite the Public Garden which leads to Boston Common.

Newbury Street is famous for its designer shopping and some restaurants. This is the high end side of Boston and our hotel actually had the Tiffany store inside it.

Although the Taj has an Indian background and has an Indian restaurant on site, it feels and looks quite British. It is one of the most upmarket hotels in Boston and the service and the staff are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. You can even pay to have your bath run for you if you are too tired! The basic rooms are a good size with all the usual amenities plus complimentary water every day.

The location is faultless, right on Newbury Street, five minutes’ walk from Boston Common, 10 minutes to Theatre District and China Town and 20 minutes from Quincy Market. The Arlington Train station is right on the corner and it only takes about 30 minutes to walk to Fenway Park, where Boston Red Sox play.

We bought tickets to see a baseball game and it was fabulous, although it seems people are more interested in eating and shopping than watching the game. We loved it!

You can spend a good few hours at Quincy Market, there are endless take away food places selling fresh sea food and every cuisine under the sun, all top quality too. There are stalls where you can buy anything from trinkets to clothing plus a shop selling 'Cheers' memorabilia from the TV show. The actual bar no longer exists but there is a flag outside the building to show where it once was.

At Quincy Market there is Faneuil Hall which has a few more shops plus information on the Freedom Trail and the history behind it.

Boston doesn't have as many high rise buildings as other American cities and feels more British in its architecture, which is probably down to USA being under British Rule originally.

I would highly recommend doing the Boston Tea Party, this is a fascinating and interactive account of how USA became independent hundreds of years ago. They have a fantastic gift shop and a tea room, where of course, you can select from a variety of teas and scones.

There is a Freedom Trail which runs through the city, this is marked on the pavement by red bricks and you can follow this and walk around all the major sights that were instrumental in the USA becoming independent. The trail takes you over to Charlestown to Bunker Hill which is the monument erected to honour the patriots who died in battle, the museum is free to enter and you can even climb to the top of the Bunker Hill monument. If you can manage the 294 steps to the top, which we did, you can then get some great views across Boston.

Charlestown is lovely, there isn't too much there but it was great to visit and to see the quaint houses and enjoy the sleepy atmosphere, this is how I imagined Boston to be.

Of course, when in Boston you must do some whale watching. We caught a 10am catamaran out to Stellenwagen where whales can usually be spotted and we were not disappointed. We saw Humpbacks and Minke's plus a mother and its calf side by side as they were feeding, it was amazing to see and the on-board marine biologists keep you informed all the way. The trip lasts 3-4 hours with the majority of the time getting there and back so if you don't have good sea legs, then a sea sickness tablet may help if you suffer as it can get bumpy.

I would highly recommend a bite to eat afterwards at the 'Legal Seafood' restaurant at the harbour side. The food is so fresh and delicious but it is a busy place so expect to wait 20 minutes or so for a table.

We visited Harvard University in nearby Cambridge. The campus is huge and there are free maps you can pick up outside the train station so you can find your way around. You could join an escorted tour also if you prefer. The Campus is open until 5pm to the public and you can also visit the library and the official Harvard Clothing Store in the town, there are endless amounts of souvenirs plus clothing to buy but be warned, it comes at a price! You can buy Harvard clothing anywhere in Boston at cheaper prices.

We travelled a few times on the trains which was not too difficult to follow, you can purchase a 1 day travel card which allows you to hop on and off for 24 hours for $12.

The people were friendly and helpful, especially when they can see if you are not too familiar with your surroundings and they are more than happy to point you in the right direction.

Everywhere we ate in Boston the food was good quality and I would say prices are on a par with England, if not slightly more, but you do get good sized portions.

Boston is very easy to walk and travel around, there are endless places to eat and shop and it is steeped in history, I learnt a lot about the Independence of the USA from here.

I would think four nights is a minimum if you want to visit everything that's nearby and there are many hotels to choose from that put you right in the heart of the city.

If you were thinking of visiting Cape Cod or Maine from here, you would probably need more time.

There is a lot to do in Boston and also it's a great town to relax in with the parks and public areas, so with a seven hour flight time from the UK, it's not a long flight to learn some fascinating history.