Park Unit 101, 102, 103 Saint Gaudens NHS, Boston National Historic Park, & Boston Harbor Islands NRA

Our busy day began with breakfast at Denny's - our favorite road trip eating place - then we went to Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in New Hampshire. According to the NPS website: Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), created over 150 works of art, from exquisitely carved cameos to heroic-size public monuments. Works such as the "Standing Lincoln" monument and the Shaw Memorial, continue to inspire people today and his design for the 1907 Twenty Dollar Gold Piece, is considered America's most beautiful coin.

We were pleasantly surprised by how beautiful this site was, and how moving and impressive Saint-Gaudens sculptures are. The art work is displayed in intimate garden enclosures around the property and feels like a sculpture garden. The landscaping is beautiful, with flowers everywhere. We were also surprised by the fact that many of these sculptures and statues are very recognizable, but we didn't know anything about Saint-Gaudens. This visit was a perfect blend of learning new things and enjoying impressive art in a beautiful setting.

Shaw Memorial by Saint-Gaudens

We next drove to Boston, found our hotel and parked the car. We are staying close to the Charlestown Navy Yard so we started our tour of Boston National Historic Park there at the USS constitution and museum. This is the start of the Freedom Trail which we walked over the bridge and into downtown Boston. The next stop was the Cops Hill Burying Ground which was actually fascinating. We studied the gravestones' decor, linguistic style, and thought about the burial practices of that time period.

Cops Hill Burying Ground

 Next on the stop was the Old North Church and then the Paul Revere House. We were disappointed with the price that each location was charging and the need to pay at each stop. This really limits these historic sites to the economically advantaged.

Paul Revere House

 Next, we veered off the trail to go to the ferry docks. We took the 4:00 boat to Spectacle Island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. The ride was 30 minutes and we got excellent views of the harbor and the islands. When we got to the island we only had a short time until the last boat of the day so we got our park stamp and explored some of the exhibits about how the islands have changed over the years and the conservation efforts that continue. We then took the ferry back, enjoying the beautiful late day sun over the water. The weather has been hot and sticky but the breeze was wonderful.

Approaching Spectacle Island

View of Boston from Spectacle Island Ferry

We spent the evening in Quincy Market, shopping and eating dinner and then took the Charlestown Ferry back to the Charlestown Navy Yard. The sun had just set so we had lovely views of the harbor lights and warm breezes. For $3.50 each way, this ferry is a hidden gem!