How do you spend one day in Boston? The short answer: walking your butt off!
Doug and I have both travelled to Boston for business and he spent an afternoon wrecking his feet in business shoes, running the Freedom Trail. I’ve only really seen its traffic as I headed from the airport to destinations outside the city, so we were both looking forward to the day and we got an early start.
There was no way we were going to drive or park in RV in Boston, so Doug did some great research and found that if we camped at the Wompatuck State Park, it would be a short drive to a ferry terminal with very reasonable parking rates where we could leave the RV for the day.
Getting there was half the fun as serendipitously, the USS Constitution (aka “Old Ironsides”)was cruising the Boston Harbor as our ferry was heading over! This ship was built in 1797 and played crucial roles in the War of 1812 and is the oldest commissioned warship still afloat anywhere in the world! It was sailing for Chief Petty Officer Heritage Training Week and they even fired a 21 gun salute! Sailing the ship only seems to occur a few times a year (how lucky are we?!), but it can be toured while sitting in the harbor.
I’m going to apologize in advance for taking too many pictures, but it was just so cool!
Ferry Ride to Boston 
USS Constitution
The Freedom Trail is only about 3 miles long. Although, we started at the wharf and had to return there so our total trek was closer to 8 miles long and it took us all day to complete, because there’s so much to see along the way, including the Massachusetts State House, Boston Common, Granary Burying Ground (buried here are Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and John Hancock), Boston’s Old City Hall, Paul Revere’s House, and Bunker Hill to name a few.
One thing we loved about the city was the juxtaposition of old and new. Something I wouldn’t recommend about our tour was climbing the 294 steps to the top of the Bunker Hill Monument, as the windows weren’t clean enough for any kind of view.
There are tons of blogs, maps, apps, guided tours, etc. that you can use to complete this trail, so I won’t bore you with more details here. This city holds so much history of the colonial and Revolutionary War that going to Boston without walking the Freedom Trail is like going to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower.
Boston Common
Massachusetts State House
Granary Burying Ground 
Old City Hall
Paul Revere
Bunker Hill 
Bunker Hill View
There are plenty of tree-lined streets with a European atmosphere and some of the oldest pubs in America. Definitely pick a pub and enjoy a drink and something to eat. Bell-in-Hand is popular since it’s the oldest continuously run tavern in America. We stopped at Warren Tavern which is the oldest tavern in Massachusetts. After a long walk, pick up a delicious cannoli from Mike’s Pastry as they’ve perfected this and have been making them since 1946.
With just one day in the city, we managed to pack a lot in, but with additional time, you could go to Fenway Park; ride in the 1870s swan boats in Boston Common; visit the museum of fine arts, the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum or the JFK Presidential Library and Museum; or enjoy the Boston Pops and Orchestra.
We can’t say enough about this highly underrated city! Boston is definitely worth adding to your travel list!
