"Rock Star" road tripper checking in! Self-proclaimed anyway! Road trips and visits to all 50 states are my game. Find your next road trip destinations here. Fill your bucket list with fantastic US journeys. I love road trips and spare no effort in making my travels and experiences inviting for members of the road-tripping family! Pick a trip you want to take, or get inspired to plan your own. - - The Driveby Tourist (or call me Stan!)
Dinner With a Side of History: Boston's Oldest Restaurants
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On our last evening in Boston, Ms. Driveby Tourist and I decided to enjoy dinner outdoors. October weather in Boston can be a little iffy, but we were willing to take our chances. We chose the Bell in Hand Tavern, which bills itself as America's oldest continuously operating tavern. Founded in 1795, it has an interesting history. Its founder, Jimmy Wilson, had been Boston's town crier. For years, he walked the streets announcing news while ringing his bell. When he retired, he opened a tavern named after his old profession. We enjoyed an excellent dinner outside. By the time we finished, however, the temperature had dropped considerably. Apparently, Boston hadn't received our request for warmer October weather! (Oh yes, the server looked like one of our granddaughters! And the server is from Nebraska, going to college in Boston!) After dinner, we explored Union Street, where historic establishments date back to the 1700s and early 1800s. We wandered into a couple of places, including the Union Oyster House. Opened in 1826, the Union Oyster House is widely recognized as America's oldest continuously operating restaurant. We weren't hungry anymore, but we wanted to look around. A friendly server on the first floor shared some history and directed us upstairs. There, we found a booth identified as President John F. Kennedy's favorite dining spot. Five gentlemen were having dinner in the booth. Naturally, I struck up a conversation. I jokingly told them I had inside information about the Kennedy assassination because I'd worked for the CIA. For the record, I never worked for the CIA. I'll leave it to those gentlemen to decide whether they believed me! Another unusual attraction was a preserved giant lobster, displayed as a record-setting catch from the 1940s. That's not something you encounter in your average restaurant. What struck me most was how naturally history blends into everyday life here. These aren't museums recreated to show how people once lived. They're places where people still gather, enjoy meals, and exchange stories, just as generations have done before them. We came looking for a pleasant dinner and found nearly 250 years of history along one Boston street. Sometimes the best historical attractions come with a menu! Quote of the Day “The best stories aren't always found in history books. Sometimes they're waiting at the next table.” — The Driveby Tourist Classic Rock Song of the Day: “Old Time Rock & Roll” — Bob Seger Here is the Premium Subscription page: You will get early access to new blog posts, one extra weekly newsletter, and access to all past newsletters. And occasionally, I'll ask for votes on content! Stan Two historic establishments still going strong. Some things never go out of style! Related Post: More From The Driveby Tourist Boston was just one stop on a much bigger adventure. For more stories about the places, people, and history I've encountered along the way, check out my road trip through 26 states in 52 days. 26 States in 26x2 Days |
Stan Wiebe
"Rock Star" road tripper checking in! Self-proclaimed anyway! Road trips and visits to all 50 states are my game. Find your next road trip destinations here. Fill your bucket list with fantastic US journeys. I love road trips and spare no effort in making my travels and experiences inviting for members of the road-tripping family! Pick a trip you want to take, or get inspired to plan your own. - - The Driveby Tourist (or call me Stan!)
Five days in Boston with Ms. Driveby Tourist gave us plenty of history, good food, interesting people, and a few surprises. We stayed in the North End, Boston's Little Italy, within walking distance of the Freedom Trail, Boston Harbor, and more Italian restaurants than we could possibly visit. Not that we didn't try. Five National Park Service Sites I managed to visit five National Park Service units, although a couple required some creative interpretation of the word visit. They included...
When someone mentions the National Park Service, most people think of Yellowstone, Yosemite, or the Grand Canyon. Wonderful places, all of them. But you're missing a lot if those are the only places on your list. The National Park Service currently manages 433 units, including 63 officially designated National Parks. That number could soon reach 64, with Arizona's Chiricahua National Monument awaiting final approval. That leaves 370 other places worth exploring! There are 87 National...
Twenty-three days and nearly 6,000 miles gave me plenty of opportunities to explore two of my favorite parts of American history: presidents and National Park Service sites. Of all the presidential stops, Calvin Coolidge’s Plymouth Notch in Vermont intrigued me the most. This wasn’t a grand presidential mansion. It was a small Vermont village where Coolidge grew up and returned throughout his life. His father administered the presidential oath of office there after President Harding died in...