caravanman
Engineer
[SIZE=12pt]I became 65 this May, which is the age when we receive the UK retirement pension. I had a few birthday messages from friends on facebook, etc, encouraging me not to act my age, even though now a pensioner![/SIZE]
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[SIZE=12pt]Next day I got busy on the internet, and within a few days I arrived in Boston for a 5 week budget train jaunt around America. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I did not have my laptop, so this trip report is from my note book, written a week after returning home to Nottingham.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Wednesday morning, 31st May 2017. Boston, Mass.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Sitting at the harbour, having walked down from the hostel. Arrived in Boston yesterday. The flight was good, had extra leg room by some good fortune. Very tired on arrival. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Free bus link from airport to South station, and walked from there. Hostel is nice, but the room rather smells of feet, and the bloke on the lower bunk under mine seems a bit mad. I slept straight away after lying down for a “short” rest. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I was pleased to feel rested this morning, I woke up about 6am local time. Crept around so as not to disturb the others, then downstairs for free hostel breakfast, bagels and tea. Several other mature guests here. Met an older English guy, here to walk part of the Appalachian trail, and another guy who was booked to go on a whale watching boat trip. Sitting here at the harbour, I can watch the whale watchers boats, but not the whales! [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I passed the site of the “official” Boston Tea Party, complete with boat, I expect the real site is unknown...[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=12pt]Rather un-American feel to Boston, with road layouts curving and bending, rather than the straight grid lines of many US cities. Felt nice. Attractive skyline and architecture. Hostel is in the “Chinatown” district.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]During the day I had a good walk around, my feet certainly felt it later. I had lunch from one of the many “food trucks”, a Vietnamese offering.[/SIZE]
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[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Found a nice park to relax in a little later, some actors/guides dressed as period folk from the past leading tourists to the attractions, one of which was an impressive golden domed building towards the top of a hill near the park. I went and bought a sunhat to protect my own “red dome” from the heat.[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=12pt]Neither of my UK phones is working here. Grrr! I feel pretty stupid about this, as everyone else in the whole world is connected, except me![/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]The next two days were passed in a similar leisurely fashion, walking and gawping at the sights, and sitting at the coast gawping! There is an impressive green belt along one of the main dual carriageways, the Rose Kennedy Greenway, with seating and many flowerbeds. I saw a seagull catch a crab at the coast. Nature red in tooth, claw and beak! One minute alive and very kicking, next an empty shell! I noticed there are some different bird species here. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I bought a few supplies for my first train ride on Friday, and managed to suck back a few beers too...[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt](more to follow...)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]
[SIZE=12pt]Next day I got busy on the internet, and within a few days I arrived in Boston for a 5 week budget train jaunt around America. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I did not have my laptop, so this trip report is from my note book, written a week after returning home to Nottingham.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Wednesday morning, 31st May 2017. Boston, Mass.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Sitting at the harbour, having walked down from the hostel. Arrived in Boston yesterday. The flight was good, had extra leg room by some good fortune. Very tired on arrival. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Free bus link from airport to South station, and walked from there. Hostel is nice, but the room rather smells of feet, and the bloke on the lower bunk under mine seems a bit mad. I slept straight away after lying down for a “short” rest. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I was pleased to feel rested this morning, I woke up about 6am local time. Crept around so as not to disturb the others, then downstairs for free hostel breakfast, bagels and tea. Several other mature guests here. Met an older English guy, here to walk part of the Appalachian trail, and another guy who was booked to go on a whale watching boat trip. Sitting here at the harbour, I can watch the whale watchers boats, but not the whales! [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I passed the site of the “official” Boston Tea Party, complete with boat, I expect the real site is unknown...[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]
[SIZE=12pt]Rather un-American feel to Boston, with road layouts curving and bending, rather than the straight grid lines of many US cities. Felt nice. Attractive skyline and architecture. Hostel is in the “Chinatown” district.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]During the day I had a good walk around, my feet certainly felt it later. I had lunch from one of the many “food trucks”, a Vietnamese offering.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]
[SIZE=12pt]Found a nice park to relax in a little later, some actors/guides dressed as period folk from the past leading tourists to the attractions, one of which was an impressive golden domed building towards the top of a hill near the park. I went and bought a sunhat to protect my own “red dome” from the heat.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]
[SIZE=12pt]Neither of my UK phones is working here. Grrr! I feel pretty stupid about this, as everyone else in the whole world is connected, except me![/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]The next two days were passed in a similar leisurely fashion, walking and gawping at the sights, and sitting at the coast gawping! There is an impressive green belt along one of the main dual carriageways, the Rose Kennedy Greenway, with seating and many flowerbeds. I saw a seagull catch a crab at the coast. Nature red in tooth, claw and beak! One minute alive and very kicking, next an empty shell! I noticed there are some different bird species here. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]I bought a few supplies for my first train ride on Friday, and managed to suck back a few beers too...[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt](more to follow...)[/SIZE]
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