On a trip visiting family in New England, Nate and I had the opportunity to take a day trip to Boston. I had never been to Boston. Due to a silly song from my childhood, it was always on my bucket list to go (in the fall, naturally). Since we were close by, we jumped at the opportunity. We only had the one day, so it was essential that we maximized our time while we were there. Here are three tips we learned that helped us make the most of one day in Boston.
Tip #1: Know Your Limits
For this trip, neither of us had any interest in dealing with the stress of driving to and parking in downtown Boston, so we got creative. After researching the options, we decided to take a commuter bus. We left Concord, NH in the morning, and in about an hour and a half, we arrived at the station in Boston. The bus tickets were extremely reasonable, the Greyhound coaches were clean, and we felt safe and comfortable the entire transit. Most importantly for us, we didn’t arrive to Boston tired and stressed from the drive. We knew our limits and this solution allowed us to arrive rested and ready to enjoy the city. It was a win-win.
Tip #2: Plan Ahead
Now ”plan ahead” seems like the most obvious trip planning advice ever, but hear me out. I have gotten this wrong too many times. Nate and I have attempted to visit a museum or restaurant on the one day they were closed just because we didn’t think to check ahead of time. On one day excursions, we don’t have the luxury of “winging it” and getting it wrong.
How we applied this for Boston:
A.) We purchased a city map beforehand. Physical paper maps aren’t that common these days, but I sometimes still like to have a paper map in addition to online maps when touring a new city. This was handy for locating historic sites and following the Freedom Trail.
B.) Since we were on a time-crunch, we pre-purchased our Freedom Trail guided walking tour tickets. It’s a good thing we did, too, as morning tours tend to be busier. Tickets are about $14 per adult. We’d heard rave reviews about these tours, and our experience was no exception. Our guide, dressed in period-appropriate costume, was both entertaining and informative. This 90-minute tour began at Boston Common. We walked by Massachusetts State House, Paul Revere’s Grave & Statue, a few cemeteries, Benjamin Franklin statue, Old South Meeting House, Old State House/Boston Massacre site, and ended at Faneuil Hall. After our tour, we headed into Quincy Market, which is a huge food hall in a historic building, to find some lunch.
Tip #3: Don’t Underestimate Free
Admissions fees and guided tours can be so worth the money, but don’t underestimate the things you can do that don’t cost anything. Stopping for lunch at Quincy Market ended up being more than just a convenient lunch break. This historic building has served as a marketplace in Boston for nearly two centuries. The shops and kiosks are much more interesting and unique than your average food court. We wandered down the bustling hall and enjoyed the people watching as well as the window shopping without spending anything (except for buying lunch). Once outside, there were various street performers and large crowds of onlookers. We joined them for a few minutes of free entertainment.
After a relaxing rest, we continued on the next leg of the Freedom Trail, self-guided this time. Nate and I were able to see Paul Revere’s house, the Paul Revere Statue, Old North Church, the Skinniest House in Boston, and a few more burial grounds. With that, our historic tour ended.
We did, however, continue exploring. The streets of Boston really have a different feel than other major cities we’ve traveled to, and we got a bit of an architectural tour as we headed southeast to get a better look at Boston Harbor. Our last stop before heading back to the station was Rowes Wharf, where I couldn’t get enough of the giant American flag and the beautiful Boston Harbor behind it.
Conclusion
Since we only had one day in Boston, that was all we had time for that day before taking the bus back to New Hampshire. It would have been easy to become overwhelmed by our Boston Wish List knowing full well we couldn’t do everything, but were very strategic in choosing what we could do. Traveling and seeing new places and new cities is important to us, and we have to make it a priority. Sometimes that means a one day trip like this, and we’re so glad we got out of the house and made these memories rather than wasting the day away.
Keep following along for more of the one day only trips series.
