Travel Photography – Boston Day 2

Travel Photography in Boston, Mass

This is the final installment of my Amtrak Vacation from Cincinnati to Boston. If this is your first time, the whole vacation can be digested bit by bit through the links below.

• Cincinnati to DC
• DC
• NYC Day 1
• NYC Day 2
• NYC Day 3
• Boston Day 1

The final day on my Amtrak vacation was drizzly and cool. The New England air was heavy with fog that clung to my face like a moist towel.

USS Constitution And the Custom House Tower in Boston, MA by Dayton Photographer Alex Sablan (click image to see full size)

I left 40Berkeley soon after sunrise to catch the train down to Government Center Station. That particular stop was a nice central location to branch out from to explore the North End and take the harbor cruise over to the USS Constitution. Sights close by are Boston Common to the southwest, Boston City Hall, the New England Holocaust Memorial, and the New England Aquarium at the Long Wharf.

After getting off the train, I walked up to the stairs that lead to the surface streets. Once you climb up the stairs from the terminal you can slowly see Faneuil Hall revealed around the side of Boston City Hall. I crossed the street to Faneuil Hall Marketplace then walked over to the Long Wharf to grab my ticket for the harbor cruise later.

Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts – Travel Photography by Alex Sablan (click image to see full size)

The historic Faneuil Hall is part of the Freedom Trail and has been in use since 1742. A local artisan created the grasshopper weathervane that rests atop the building still today. Speeches by famous patriots were given here at Faneuil Hall. Speeches that fueled America’s strive for independence from the Crown.

The Faneuil Hall Marketplace has recently been marketed as, “Boston Starts Here.” At the marketplace, I found a quaint Japanese teriyaki joint and got my grub on. Then I crossed the street and picked up a ticket for the late ha bah (harbor) cruise. Included with the cruise, I also got an all day pass for the tour bus that cruises around Boston. You can hop on and off at your leisure so it saves on transportation costs.

Boston, Mass Upwards – Travel Photography by Alex Sablan (click image to see full size)

I hopped on the tour bus and listened to the banter of the tour guide to get my booty up to North End. I found the North End to be a challenge with its narrow streets and high foot traffic area to get nice travel shots, so I decided that I would take a few shots of some of the Freedom Trail highlights and get back on another bus.

I got some shots of Paul Revere’s house and statue, the Old North Church, Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, and Copp’s Hill Terrace. The narrow streets that are lined with some of the best Italian food in the city and the smells are glorious. It really made me think of NYC (if someone bleached and scrubbed down Little Italy). My luck started to shift as the rain started to pick back up again, so I hopped back on a bus.

Boston Harbor taken from the Harbor Cruise Boat Heading Towards the Constitution – Travel Photography Boston, MA by Alex Sablan (click image to see full size)

My vacation was soon to be capped due to rain. Luckily the heavy stuff held off long enough for me to get across the ha bah to the USS Constitution. The cruise takes you from the Long wharf to the USS Constitution. It cruises out towards Logan International, then back in-between the North End and East Boston, and finally heads towards Bunker Hill to the USS Constitution Museum.

On the cruise, you get a great view of the Garden. Also, you see the new construction over in East Boston’s Waterfront. You get a nice glimpse of the Bunker Hill Obelisk that is actually not on Bunker Hill, and some wonderful views of the skyline. At the end of this post, you can see a panorama of everything seen from the boat, from Bunker Hill down towards Southie. After shooting the Constitution, the heavens opened up and never ceased. I headed back to the 40Berkley to pack my bags and head on back to Dayton.

Panorama of Boston From Boston Harbor. It is a Hand Held Panorama of 20 Portrait Oriented Photos Stitched Together in Photoshop CS6 (click image to see full size)

My flight back to Dayton was quick when compared with my 18 hour trip on the Cardinal 50 that began my Amtrak trip from Cincinnati to Boston. My first train trip was complete and ending with a full hard drive of images and a lifetime of memories.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below, fill out the contact form on my website, ask on my Facebook page, or tweet them to me. Who knows where the next trip will take me…but I have had thoughts on a BBQ safari through Memphis, St. Louis, and Kansas City.