Colonel Willam Prescott was ordered to prepare a defense of the high ground at Bunker Hill, but most historians believe that Colonel Prescott concluded that Breed's Hill presented a stronger position and thus the famous Battle of Bunker Hill actually took place on Breed's Hill.
And there is where the Bunker Hill Monument sits today -- on Breed's Hill in Charlestown, just across the harbor from Boston...
The park ranger explained what a beautiful view of Boston could be had from the top of the monument. Of course, it would take 296 steps to see that view.
296 steps. Doesn't sound like much but geez, climbing them is a very draining experience!
Down the road from the Bunker Hill Monument is the U.S.S. Constitution, also known as "Old Ironsides." Here's another weird historical fact. Old Ironsides doesn't have iron sides. Its hull is made of a very dense and hard form of oak wraped in a more bouyant type of oak. It was much harder than anything the British used and when a canonball bounced off it during its first battle during the War of 1812,a British sailor yelled that the American ship must be made of iron.
Thus we have "Old Ironsides."
Here is my mom, Alyssa and Cari on the deck...
You just had to love the flag that flies from this 208 year old vessel...
Our colonists didn't take any crap from anyone! Ya gotta love that.
The U.S.S. Constitution is the oldest ship still commissioned by the United States Navy. A naval crew is still assigned to the ship that boasts 44 cannons, each weighing as much as a Ford Explorer...
A large fresh water container was placed in the middle of the deck where the sailors gathered around. And just like today's water coolers, the conversations around this container will mostly rumor and gossip...
The Navy called this container a "scuttlebutt" -- the same word we use today to mean rumor or gossip!
Anyway, here is Alyssa posing for picture with a mug filled with grog...
Grog was created because some sailors were getting drunk at sea. Each day a sailor was given a small allotment of rum which was supposed to be consumed that day -- far too little to get you inebriated. Unfortunately, a few of these men hid away their rum until they saved enough to get themselves rip roaring drunk.
To avoid this problem, rum was mixed with water, sugar and sometimes lemon juice to create grog. The great advantage is that grog spoils after one day so no one could save enough upon which to get drunk.
Ah, the lengths to which some people will go to get a little tipsy!
Well, after a morning of history and learning, we headed off to perhaps the most liberal city in this great nation of ours.
Welcome to the People's Republic of Cambridge.
In Cambridge, why make twine out of ordinary materials. Make it from hemp instead...
Heck, why stop with twine.
Let's make clothing from hemp and sell it in a store called, well...
In Cambridge, not only is hemp valued, but rodent life as well.
Consider the "Humane Mouse Trap"...
It uses a ping pong ball to trap a mouse inside. Go figure.
In Cambridge, folk singers entertain in the park...
And on the sidewalks...
And outside of the subway station, Zamfir has nothing on this guy and his pan flute...
In Cambridge, someone always has a petition for you to sign...
And if you don't like that issue, there is always a button to be found for your cause...
The funny part is that this particular store in Cambridge was the source of more than two dozen buttons I wore over the years.
Ah, the old college days. Speaking of which, we were joined for dinner in Harvard Square with a very good friend from the world o' Tufts, Jen Bevins.
This is the lady who almost killed me in a car accident in northern Vermont.
I'm told as payback someone filled up her car with balls of newspaper, and her house was basically wall-papered with posters of a picture of her and her totalled car with a caption of:
"This is Jen. This is Jen's car. Friends don't let Jen Drive."
Of course, I had nothing to do with that.
Here we are outside of the Border Cafe in Harvard Square after we all had dinner...
And just like Julio Iglesias who always insisted that pictures of him be taken on his best side, I asked Cari to take two because I'm still looking for mine...
Tomorrow, Boston's famous Freedom Trail.
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