Boston

I am so blogging illiterate that I hope this works!
Boston was a wonderful experience for me, as was the whole trip but I would like to make one post for each major stop so ...
The Mayflower was great as was the Addams' homes but the day that made Boston wonderful for me was the day we walked the Trail. We read about these places and that historical figures traveled from here to there but until you walk it, you have no concept of what that meant. For me, it was amazing to see how close things were to each other, and not just in the cities but the cities themselves. As I traveled the Trail, I realized how well these people must have known each other. They were "neighbors" in the 17th century form. Though these cities were large for the time, there was still a lot of undeveloped ground and space between homes. Though not all of them were intimate friends, as I walked I began to undertand the true nature of thier relationships.
The highlight of Boston, and arguably the entire trip for me, was the time we got to spend on the USS Constitution. This was mainly from a personal connection to the Navy and those who serve in that particular branch of the military. Yet, the Constitution was also the first frigate of that era I had ever been on and brought a new understanding to the perils and challenges faced by sailors of that war.
From Boston, I will take a new admiration for our founding fathers' humanity. I will teach my students to look beyond the myths and the demigod facades to the reality that these men were men, though unusually talented and insightful as they may have been.