September Cruise

Have one day in Boston and was wondering if you could give me some ideas on some sight seeing...or tours walking or ride..places to go instead of the cruise excursions that sometimes miss the true meaning and flavor of the area..not sure where the port is yet or even where to start..we like history..antiques...food...pubs and pints..just about anything...

September Cruise

One day in Boston isn%26#39;t a lot of time. By ';cruise'; do you mean Harbor cruise? If you go whale watching, that takes up a good bit of the day. If you%26#39;ve never been to Boston before, I think you might do well by taking a Duck Tour, which takes you to all the main touristy spots, takes you for a trip down the Charles river.

The ';true meaning and flavor'; of the area is hard to get at. It%26#39;s hard to appreciate Boston without learning something about the history, so those trolleys help. Boston is an incredibly diverse city, so there are multiple ';authentic'; Boston experiences.

We have a huge student population, tons of tourists, lots of major hospitals, a thriving urban base and n-hoods known for ethnic and racial diversity... You might go to Cambridge and hang out at a cafe full of Harvard students. You might go to Chinatown and find a dingy locals-mostly lunch place and find along with the Chinese people eating with chopsticks several tables of doctors in scrubs from nearby New England medical. Another ';authentic'; experience: being on the T when school lets out and having dozens of kids pile into the train or smushed in with 9-5ers at rush hour. Or...you might wander up Beacon Hill and cut across some back streets and see rich folks tending their flower boxes. Or...you might take the train to Southie and go looking for a ';real'; Irish pub.

If I were you, with a day to spend, I%26#39;d jump on a Duck Boat but also, at some point, figure out what might be ';authentic'; for you and go find it. If you want to avoid tourists, avoid Faneuil Hall.

If you had more time, you could do/see a lot. The JFK Library is a great take for history buffs--as is nearby Castle Island-- all on gorgeous picturesque waterfront and it%26#39;s near some authentic Irish pubs in Dorchester but the whole thing would take most of the day and you could come away having seen authentic Boston but only a small portion.

September Cruise

For only a one-day ';visit';, I would recommend either a Duck Tour or Trolley Tour to get a flavor of the city, since most you would not be able to see. Then I would ';do'; The Freedom Trail Downtown portion, which includes some of the historical sites and end up in the Fanueil Hall/Quincy Market Area. Then have dinner in the North End Italian area.

Thanks for the info...were coming in on a cruise ship...I forgot to say its in late September...I hear it%26#39;s beautiful that time of year...do you have any links on the duck tours...I%26#39;m not sure what that is but it sounds interesting....and one more thing what it the weather at the end of Sept. first of Oct...bring heavy coats light jackets what do you suggest....

Check out this site:

www.bostonducktours.com

One other one that you could try to take is the Boston Movie Tour and since you%26#39;ll be on a cruise ship near the Black Falcon Terminal any ways that day? This one might be a good choice to get to do. Most of the movies that were filmed in Boston were filmed right near that Terminal in South Boston, within a few miles, how convenient is that!!

http://bostonmovietours.net

Have a wonderful day!

Rather than a heavy coat, bring layers. Who knows what the weather will be like then? With the layers, you can add or remove as needed. The Duck Tour is a tour of the city, much of it anyway, that ends up as a brief sail on the Charles River. The vehicles are converted amphibious ';Duck Boat'; Landing Craft from WW2.