Take a Great Walk in Boston Massachusetts
Download an interactive map of this walk by clicking here.
Boston: A Great Walking City
Boston ranks as one of the best walking cities in the U.S., and it’s not a surprise that as I take a great walk in Massachusetts, I find myself squarely in the middle of Boston. With miles and miles of walking, and a city built to the original human scale, Boston abounds with fantastic jaunts all over the city. The Freedom Trail, a red brick line that runs throughout the city, is tantamount to the walking access and unique finds Boston has. But my walk isn’t on the Freedom Trail, it starts in Back Bay near Copley Square. If you don’t to walk the Freedom Trail due to the crowds, this is a great walk to do to enjoy scenic Boston at its best.
Copley Square in Boston
Copley Square, an area situated around Boylston and Exeter, is where my walk begins. On this morning, a bright and cheery summer day, I headed out on Boylston. Of course, I couldn’t resist the Boston Library and taking a sneak peak at the new renovations on the first floor. Wow, what a treat to experience this world-class library that any reader or learner would fathom over to just sniff the wonderful old library smells! Be sure to sign up for the Art and Architecture tour that is free at the Boston Library.
The Grandest Boulevard of Them All in Boston
I rounded the corner on Dartmouth and strided the quick couple of blocks to the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. Avoiding the quicker runners, I ambled myself along the oldest of walks, crowned by Winston Churchill as the grandest boulevard in North America. I can see why! Every 50 to 100 feet or so, you can feast your eyes on some of the best sculpture of our American icons. Some old, some newer, all fabulous.
My heart stopped at the memorial to the fallen service personnel. I had approached the memorial from the rear, only seeing the fireman’s coat and hat. But when I rounded the front, I couldn’t help but get drawn into the memorial, to read the names of the fallen, and to give my thanks. As I thought through my vision, Bostonians continually ran past the fireman’s hat and gave it a touch or a kiss. Tears!
Nothing Common at the Boston Public Garden
My walk continued across Arlington into Boston Public Garden, the oldest botanical garden in the U.S. George Washington greeted me on his mount, and I followed the path around to the historical and famous swan boats. It was early in the morning–but I planned to come back later and put the Boston student population to work as paddlers of my graceful swan. Around the park, several folks engaged in Tai Chi, and children started to appear. I found the ice cream-swirled boxwood (?) especially charming in this very fun and historical place.
After cooling off under the large sprawling trees, I meandered to the southwest corner of Boylston and Arlington, continuing my walk down Bolyston. It was wonderful to see the acceptance by everyone of couples, both hetero and homosexual, holding hands and the Universal Unitarian church flying rainbow colors. I also had to laugh at the lobster roll advertisement, another unique New England oddity.
The Boston Marathon Finish Line. Boston Strong.
Along Boylston before nearing Copley Square, I found the yellow line marking the Boston Marathon Finish Line. Another dead stop in my tracks, I took my breath as I recalled the day of the Boston Marathon bombing. I was not there–but several of my colleagues who work on Boylston Street told me about how they watched the nightmare unfold from their office windows. Now I understand how close, how intimate, and how personal the event was to many of my colleagues. And I now I get the gist of Boston Strong.
My walk ended back at the Boylston and Exeter. A lovely 1.6 mile walk through many historical moments in our history, it set my mind straight for the rest of my day. What impact could I make that those before me had made? Take a good walk Boston Massachusetts and think through the thoughts of America’s founders.
If you’d like an interactive map of this walk, click here.
