Hello and welcome to a new blog series. I’m Susan, the new Aussie Guide. Australia is home, but I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some of the best places in the world and will be sharing my experiences here. First stop, Boston! 

Coming from a country with a comparatively short history, and only having heard tales of the American Revolution from textbooks and Google beforehand, it was surreal to explore one of the oldest cities in America.

I’ll admit that, as a tourist on a whirlwind trip, I visited all the places on the top of most people’s travel lists; however Boston has many hidden gems to discover, and I highly recommend taking the time to explore beyond the regular pit stops.

The locals are incredibly helpful, welcoming, and happy to point you to their favourite haunts, and there’s loads of naturally beautiful things to see.

Beautiful, inviting, and mysterious all year round, Boston is a must-see stop on any East Coast adventure. Filled with history, brilliant food, baseball and, of course, ‘Cheers’, the city is teeming with fun and interesting activities for all kinds of travellers.

One of the best ways to explore Boston is on foot with one of the many Boston walking tours, which will show you both the highlights and the hidden attractions just around the corner. But some of my fondest travel memories are from wandering along the marked pavement making my own discoveries as I built my own private tour of the Freedom Trail and up and down the scenic hills of the city.

The visit to Granary Burial Ground is thrilling and magical. Right by the Freedom Trail, and easily accessible by foot or public transport, the Ground is an enchanting place for any budding historians and wannabe time-travellers.

Take a step back through literary, political, and magical history as you wander the grounds with your own map. Look out for the tomb of the remorseful Sam Sewell, infamous judge of the Salem witch trials and Mary Goose, (the woman some claim to be the original Mother Goose); as well as members of Benjamin Franklin’s family and, perhaps the most well known of all, the memorial of Paul Revere.

If you don’t fancy strolling about the on your own adventure, you can always join a guided Boston sightseeing tour in a comfortable coach. The tour guides are friendly, knowledgeable, and entertaining, and you can experience all the wonder Boston has to offer comfortably,. If you want a little more freedom with your itinerary you can climb aboard a Boston trolley tour which lets you hop on and off whichever sights as you choose.

According to my American friends, I can’t make a post about Boston without mentioning the Red Sox. Boston is baseball crazy, (mention the Yankees at your peril, seriously). Even if you can’t make it to a game, I highly recommend visiting a bar in season, cracking a beer, and sharing the festivities with the natives. It might not be our game, but somehow they make it feel like home.

Anyone from familiar with 80’s television has heard of ‘Cheers- The Place Where Everyone Knows Your Name.’ At just 17, when I first visited Boston, I had no clue, and stared blankly as my parents ran around snapping pictures with life-size statues of Sam and Norm, and sat at ‘the bar of all bars’ ecstatically quoting the sitcom.

Turns out there are not one, but two bars built to commemorate the popular show. One is a replica of the set, the other is famed for being the bar that inspired it all, and they’re both within walking distance of each other and well worth a look, even if you’re not a fan. The food is delicious, the drinks always flowing, and you can even attempt the Norm Burger Challenge if you’ve worked up enough of an appetite.

Boston is one of those brilliant places that exudes comfort and modern city life while paying generous respect to it’s cultural and historical roots, and is well worth a visit.

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