Drive. Pray. Scream?: Day 76: Hunkered Down

Boston is ready for Irene, and so are we. Harvard opened its dorms a few days early so students could be moved in by tomorrow morning, when the storm is at its peak. But the reverse was true on the highways...cars backed up for miles, carrying people out of the city. We feel quite safe in our hotel and look forward to a quiet day of games and movies. We need the rest after our doings today.

We visited the Old State House, site of the Boston Massacre; in its government responsibilities, it was replaced by the New State House, built in 1792! The old one sits in a canyon of huge buildings...quite a sight. Next up was the Old South Meeting House, a church from Boston's early days capable of seating 2,000 people. Its interior was gutted many times over the years, the most extensively in 1775, when it was scavenged and burned for firewood during the colonist patriots' siege of British-held Boston.

A water shuttle took us from Boston's Long Wharf to the Navy Shipyard, home to the U.S.S. Constitution, also known as "Old Ironsides." It's the oldest sailing warship in the world (the British ship "Victory" is older, but it's in permanent dry dock) and is still a fully activated, commissioned ship of the U.S. Navy. The sailors assigned to her give tours and wear uniforms that would have been the norm in 1812, the year the ship gained its fame. In the War of 1812, a British warship engaged the U.S.S. Constitution; cannon balls never penetrated the hull, seeming to bounce off as though the ship were made of iron. Thus, the nickname. The British ship lost its three masts in the returning fire of the Americans, fatally disabling it. Following the surrender of its crew, the ship was burned and left to sink. Old Ironsides sailed in 34 sea battles and is being prepared for the 200th anniversary of her victory over the British ship that earned her the nickname.

Our final stop, to the Bunker Hill Monument, was made in a downpour. We slogged through huge puddles while following the red line, brick in some places and paint in others, that marks the Freedom Trail--a walking tour linking the Boston sites that played a part in our country's Independence. Climbing the 294 steps of the monument gave us a great workout but not the view we'd hoped for, as thick clouds of rain obscured the skies of the entire area. But the steps did mean we didn't feel guilty about having a second cookie, fresh from the oven, provided by the hotel. The kids took a while working through the sugar high; they'll have plenty of time tomorrow to make up for the late-to-bed night. Assuming we have electricity, we'll do our best to stay in touch.