Boston - the birthplace of the American revolution. Yes, the United States of America also fought a long and painful struggle for independence and I wanted to see first-hand just where that famous freedom fighter Paul Revere rode his flying steed shouting, “The British are coming!”
My interest in that bit of history made me doubly keen to accept an invitation from friends in Boston to drop by for a short visit during a planned trip to see family in Pennsylvania in the USA. From my reckoning, it would only be a hop, skip and jump from New York City to Massachusetts, where we could walk the streets of Boston and then cross the Charles River to Cambridge, home of Harvard University.
Landing in New York at JFK international Airport via a Virgin Atlantic flight from Johannesburg around five in the afternoon on an overcast Saturday, my partner and I had already decided to find a hotel close by where we could rest, before taking an early bus north along the Atlantic seaboard to Massachusetts and New England.
We hadn't made prior hotel bookings, so I was grateful to see a hotel services help desk in the arrivals hall. Before some dubious looking characters touting taxi service sidled up to me, I dashed for the information desk and got immediate help booking a room at a reasonably priced hotel close by. The help desk staff member gave us directions to free waiting transportation, the Airlink monorail train connecting all parts of JFK.
We were whisked away along the highway on the short shuttle bus ride from the Airtrain station to our comfortable room at the API International JFK Hotel. A double room for one night was $175, not including breakfast. The airport help desk also charged a $10 (about R70) booking fee.
After checking in, we took a brief rest and had a wash before we dragged our weary bodies to the in-house restaurant. Meals were reasonably priced, generous portions and tasty. My partner ordered steak which came with rice and a choice of vegetables. I ordered pasta and salad. The meal and drinks plus gratuity totalled about $40.
As we could barely keep our eyes open over dinner, we retired immediately following the meal to our room, where we slept comfortably. Up early the next morning, we enjoyed the breakfast buffet (about $30 with gratuity) in the hotel restaurant before catching the shuttle back to the Airlink, where we rode to the end of the line and then caught the Long Island Railroad ($7.50 per person) to the Penn Station. From there we caught a Greyhound Bus to Boston ($37 per person). We pulled out of the bus station in New York at 2.30 in the afternoon and arrived in Boston four hours later at about 6.30.
Despite a lingering dinner and late night of reminiscing with our hosts in one of Boston's wooded suburbs, we got an early start the next morning, catching the subway from Cambridge, where our host dropped us on his way to work, to Boston.
Breakfast rolls and coffee in a cafe just off Boston Common paved the way for a whole day of tramping along the historic streets of the city. From the wharf to the original State House Museum, we strolled through the Leather District, Chinatown, Kenmore Square, Faneuill Marketplace and Beacon Hill.
A subway ride back across to Cambridge late in the afternoon saw us meandering around the campus, trying to forget our sore feet and aching thighs, and then eating soup and sandwiches at a student haunt on the Harvard Campus. We rejoined our host later for another evening of laughter over a home-cooked meal that kept us lingering at table until midnight.
Our day-long trek had exhausted us but following Paul Revere's trail, marked by brass horse shoes in the pavement; reading the tombstones in one of America's oldest cemeteries; listening to the tale of Boston's contribution to the American's fight for independence in the 1700s; gazing at the Aquarium, full of children enjoying their summer holiday; and, resting in the early summer sun on Boston Common were worth our blistered feet and aching limbs.
Sights we didn't have time to explore included the Museum at the JFK Presidential Library; Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox; Boston Harbor Islands National Park area; Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket; the length of the Freedom Trail; and, the Harvard Museum of Natural History. A week is not long enough to catch a glimmer of the wonders Boston and Cambridge have to offer.
Our departure the next day from our hosts and the historic city saw us race through the morning rush hour traffic and a warm summer rain to Boston to catch the train from South Station to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Climbing onto the train just a few minutes before it pulled out of the station, we settled our luggage in the space at the rear of the carriage and sat down in spacious seating to enjoy a day-long journey along the eastern coast of New England.
The hospitality facilities included plug points, back of seat trays for holding coffee cups and snacks, back of seat pouches for the on-board magazine and newspapers, a dining car that served delicious food and drinks at reasonable prices and toilets at the end of each coach.
At $298 for two passengers, one-way, the journey was relaxing and comfortable and allowed us to marvel at the scenic countryside - we rode through various parts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Delaware states - throughout the day. Passing through Mystic, Connecticut thrilled me as I recalled scenes from the Julia Roberts' film Mystic Pizza filmed in that quaint town.
By the time the train pulled into Harrisburg Station, at half past 5 in the afternoon, I was wishing that our return to South Africa a few weeks hence could be made completely by Amtrak train!
If You Go...
Worldwide Hotel Reservations for JFK Hotel can be made on 001 718 751 4000 from South Africa and on 1 800 733 7666 in the continental United States.
The address of the hotel is 144-02 135th Avenue, Jamaica, New York, 11436.
The Long Island Railroad can be reached on 001 718 217 5477 (LIRR).
Amtrak bookings can be made online at Amtrak.com. Amtrak specials are outlined in the company's brochure.
The company has guest rewards for frequent travellers and prices compared to other modes of travel are competitive.
Greyhound bookings can be made online or call 1 800 231 2222 in the USA. - IOL