LeBron - A Message from Boston "NOPE"

As a resident of Cleveland, I have seen more than my fair share of LeBron haters, but I was surprised to see the trend in Boston.

OK - LeBron is still a rival even though he is at the Heat. However, I thought these t-shirts were hysterical.

I had seen these t-shirt being sold outside the arena, and was surprised how many people inside were wearing them.

Even better is the way the guy wearing the shirt is pointing at it. Love it!

The Christmas Tree at Faneuil Hall Marketplace

This year, I spent New Year's Eve in Boston. Althought I was disappointed the Celtics lost the game I flew to see them place, the balmy weather made getting around the city great.

On the morning I flew out, we make a short trip to Faneuil Hall. The Christmas tree was still up - much like my own one is - and I was able to snap a photo before it started to rain.

Ironically, I had just seen a tidbit that the tree is donated by the people of Nova Scotia as a gift for supporting Halifax through some tragic events.

Overall, it was a great trip to Boston, and a great place to spend the holiday.

Another Little Duckling

In the public gardens of Boston, there are a set of brass duckling statues. The ducklings are meant as an homage to the book written about that. Today, when we were walking by, this little boy decided to join the little ducklings on their perpetual march into the pond.

We did get to see other cool things in the Boston Public garden including real ducklings and swans.

Keno In the Rain - Boston Style

So - did you ever wonder what happens when you get caught in the rain in Boston and your friend isn't at home?

There could be many answers to that question. For me, I headed to the Corner Bar - that is literally its name.  When I was there having a Miller Lite, I notice the Keno slips on the table. 

The only other bar I have seen that has Keno was in Annapolis, Md.  At any rate, the beer was cold and the bar was dry.  Eventually, my friend found me.  Then all was right with the world. 

Cheers! - The Pub

While on my walking tour of Boston and the Freedom Trail, we happened across the Bull and Finch pub - also known as Cheers. This pub was made famous by the television show Cheers as the model for the set.

The bar was quite small, but fortunately, my friends and I did secure three bar stools in the back room. Actually, the pub was friendly and poured a great Guinness. Maybe the staff didn't know my name, but sometimes you just might want to go there anyway.

The Memorial Garden

When I was walking the Freedom Trail in Boston, we walked through the memorial gardens that are behind the Old North Church. As we were walking through, I noticed this memorial garden.

The memorial garden is an installation to honor all of the men and women (both the Armed Forces and civilians) who have lost their lives in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. The memorial is made up of dog tags that represent all of these people. There are currently 6 panels in place with the dog tags hanging there. I think it is an amazing representation of the amount of lives lost.

Boston's Faneuil Hall

As I was touring Boston and walking the Freedom Trail, we made our way past Faneuil Hall. There has been a market place and meeting hall there since 1742. It is a very large building considering the time period in which it was built - it was rebuilt in 1762 after a fire.

Faneuil Hall sits ajacent to Quinicy Market and is very busy today. After walking through the historic north end and seeing the Old North Church, it was a good break to do some shopping.

Boston's Freedom Trail

During my trip to Boston, my friends took me on a walking tour through the city. One of the things they pointed out to me was the Freedom Trail. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile red-brick walking trail that leads you to 16 nationally significant historic sites.

The photo I took of the Freedom Trail is at a point where there was a marker for the trail. It was interesting because as we walked around the city on our tour for the day, I noticed that we kept picking up the trail in different areas of the city.

On this trail you get to see great things like the Old North Church, Paul Revere's House, Faneuil Hall and the State House.

Paul Revere's Ride

During my tour of Boston, I visited the Old North Church. If you walk through the alley on the side of the church and proceed to the gardens behind the church, there is a lovely court yard. At the far end, there is a statue of Paul Revere who had made his imfamous ride after seeing the lanterns in the church steeple.

I like this perspective because it links both Paul Revere and the church in the photograph just as they are indelibly linked in history.

With the way the trees have grown, it almost feels like he is blazing a path on his horse to alert the surrounding towns and villages.

Old North Church

This past weekend, I visited Boston. My lovely host took me on a walking tour of the city. One of our first stops was the Old North Church. The church was made famous for being the place where the "One if by land, two if by sea" signal that sent Paul Revere on his famous ride.

The church is nestled in an historic neighborhood in the North End of Boston. This photograph was shot when we were in the church. It has a very traditional setup. The pews were set up as boxes and each box had a designated family with the exception of the strangers and warden's booth shown.