More history this morning. We returned to the Freedom Trail and went inside some of the buildings we saw yesterday. The Park Street Church was the first stop. In this church, Adoniram Judson and Luther Rice were commissioned for foreign mission to India. These two guys were among the very first foreign missionaries from the US. The church was also the starting point of a Billy Graham revival that grew to 20,000 with 1,000 conversions in a day.
From there, we progressed on to the Old State House and Old South Meeting House but did not go inside. We went to the King's Chapel (if you read yesterday, this is the Anglican church built on a Puritan burial ground.) Since the 4th is this weekend, Boston is in the middle of something called "Harborfest." At King's Chapel, the special holiday event was "Tory Stories." These stories were told every half hour by actors who represented Loyalists, those in the colonies who remained dedicated and submissive to the rulers of England in the time surrounding the Revolution. It was pretty entertaining. Paul Revere was a member there and actually cast the bell in the church. He was a man of many trades, including dentistry, but thanks to Longfellow is most famous for his "Ride."
After this, we went back to Faneuil Hall a second time for lunch before taking the subway out to Harvard University. The campus was old and classic, and the bookshop was teeming with tourists. Sidenote: New England has good bookstores. After Harvard, we went a few subway stops back toward town and got off to see MIT. Schools, schools, schools. And I thought it was summer? At least we were not studying economic theory like the guy who sat next to me on the T.
We went back to the hotel for 15-minute power naps and freshening up before getting back on the T to make our way to Fenway Park. We followed the red crowd and found it with ease, making it into the park shortly after the gates opened and in sufficient time for batting practice. About the time Mom could say she was looking forward to a night without history, Dad told her the stadium is 98 years old. We saw the 1918 World Series trophy. Mom and I held down the seats while Fowler and Dad attempted to catch baseballs from practice. I'm actually writing all of this from the very comfortable Seat 18 of Row 7 here at Fenway. We're facing the Green Monster, or as the Bostonians say, the "Green Monstah." I must be lost in Blackberry Land, because I looked up to ask Fowler if the first inning was over and he said the THIRD inning was over. Hey, at least I knew JD Drew used to play for the Braves. Well, the game's almost halfway over, so I guess I should pay attention... Or at least look up so I don't get hit by a foul ball.
That's it for today. Tomorrow's Forecast: Salem, Massachusetts, then on to Maine via New Hampshire!
Loving the history - I hated history in school, but this is a fun way to read about it. :) Also loving all the pics - much more intersting than our old text books! Great one of Kelley and Willie!!
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