Independence Day in Boston

4th of July in Boston is no joke.  The streets are all of the sudden covered in tourists and period-dressed tour guides, more so than usual.  Nate's friends from home spent the weekend with us and we explored a lot of the traditional Boston sites. 

 The fireworks were moved to the 3rd because of the hurricane warning.  Before heading to the Charles River to watch, we went to two Italian pastry shops in the North End that are famous rivals for Boston's best cannoli, Modern and Mike's pastries. We put the rivalry to rest by trying some of both, and decided that Modern's was better.  However, this is coming from people who don't really ever eat much cannoli so we can't really say what's authentic.  

The fireworks show was pretty good, but cut short due to the lightning show also present.  On our way home, amongst the throngs of people, began a tiny rain sprinkle that progressed to a full out pouring rain storm in about 3.4 seconds.  We were drenched instantly, despite being underneath a store awning.  We ran to the nearest T station where it was so crowded we had to wait to even get down the stairs and rode a little closer to everyone than I thought possible. 

and the winner is... Modern Pastry!

The next day the rain continued, but not as strong.  We decided to do a walk by the harbor and then visited the Boston Tea Party museum where they did a small reenactment of the meeting of the Sons of Liberty the night before they threw the tea into the harbor, and then, of course, we got to throw boxes of "tea" into the harbor in our "disguises" (aka feathers).  

Huzza!!

The following day the sun came back out and we went to the JFK library and museum, did the freedom trail together, stopped for some pretty amazing sandwiches on the way, and went to the USS constitution.  All the stops on the trail were open, which they hadn't been the first time we went, and we still hadn't seen "Old Ironsides."  We then went to Castle Island and then to dinner at Legal Harborside. I had a burger, as usual when at a seafood restaurant, and the Boston cream pie. I'd highly recommend it, but make a reservation so you can sit next to the water.  

On the USS Constitution