Back to Boston! Once on the hop-on-hop-off trolley we rode past the field where the Great Molasses Disaster (aka the Great Molasses Flood) happened. This disaster occurred in 1919, in the North End of Boston. A large molasses storage tank burst and molasses poured through the streets at an estimated 35 mph, killing 21 people and injuring 150 more. Legend has it that on a hot summer day the area still smells of molasses.
We hopped off the trolley at the USS Constitution. What a glorious old ship!
On board we explored all three decks, climbing up and down narrow, steep stairways or ladders. We saw where they made the ammunition. Each cannon had a name such as
Liberty or
Victory.
Down another deck we found where the men slept --
hammocks like cocoons hung waiting for weary bodies.
The captain's quarters were much nicer!
Apparently Old Ironsides was used as a model for the movie "Master and Commander"
and I could envision her on the open seas.
A little history....
After leaving the ship we walked over to the USS Constitution Museum,
passing this dry dock where they built ships.
The museum was wonderful -- great displays and a fabulous gift shop where we purchased several postcards and souvenirs.
From there we hopped back on the next trolley and finished our tour of Boston. I just had to snap this picture of the
steaming tea kettle. You can't see the steam in this photo, but there was steam coming from it! The kettle was built in 1873 for the Oriental Tea Company. (Lucky Starbucks for securing that location!)
So ended our day in Boston. It was a great start to our vacation!
Next stop -- Mystic, Connecticut!
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