Monday 3 January 2000
Highlights: Boston Freedom Trail, Boston Common, State House, Granary Burial Ground, USS Constitution, NBA Game (Boston Celtics v Clevelands Cavaliers)

I had the best nights sleep in weeks, finally other guests with manners.  Apparently Jon, in the mixed room, again struggled to sleep with all the noise, so much for his plans when jumping at the room 🙂

Today we hiked the Boston Freedom Trail which is about 2.5 miles long.  Starting in the Boston Common, the oldest public park in the USA.  The park includes a monument to Robert Gould Shaw and a memorial to the 54th Regiment which was the first all black unit fighting for the Union in the American Civil War.

We then visited the State House which is the oldest building to still house a government in the USA.  The House of Representatives was beautifully designed and the building housed many historic paintings.

Other highlights included the Granary Burial Ground resting place of John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Paul Revere.  We also visited the site of the country’s first public school built in 1635.  This school taught Samuel Adams, later a USA President.

The last highlight of this big day was a free tour of the USS Constitution.  This ship was launched in 1797 as the first USA commissioned ship and technology is still commissioned today and works.  In fact it is the oldest commissioned ship in the world.  It was used against the British extensively in 1812.

We finished the day by attending a NBA game between the Boston Celtics and Clevelands Cavaliers.  The game lights failed 10 seconds into the match requiring a restart 5 minutes later.  Eventually the Celtics won to the applause and joy of the crowd 107-98 after being 9 points down at half time.