Day two started off great as everybody got a good amount of sleep. The energy level was much higher today! We started off the day at the Bunker Hill Monument and Museum. Funny story about the Battle of Bunker Hill is that it took place on Breed's Hill. But they named it the Battle of Bunker Hill anyways. The museum is a great museum with a nice display of the battle and and items from the fight.
Bunker Hill Museum
Bunker Hill
Bunker Hill
Bunker Hill
Kaleo with a musket at Bunker Hill
Sally with a sword from the battle
Nicole with cannon balls from the battle
Shekinah with a British drum
Getting ready to climb to the top
Look at how tall the monument is. Can't wait to climb it!
Across the street from the museum is the Bunker Hill Monument. It is 294 stairs in a narrow spiral staircase. So of course we had to do it!
Walking up 294 stairs is not the easiest of tasks but everybody did pretty quick. Legs were tired afterwards for a little bit but the kids are troopers and it didn't seem to bother them. Good job kids!
Success! With some tired legs.....
After the successful completion of climbing Bunker Hill, off we went to go ride the Ducks. The Duck Tour drives us all over Boston seeing the city and all of its landmarks. It then turns into a boat that enters the Charles River. We lucked out and got to have our very own Duck and all of the kids got to be Captains and drive the Duck.
On the Duck Tour
Got to ride Dorchester Dottie
Captain Ayden
Captain Pono
Captain Namaka
Captain Shia
Captain Kaleo
Captain Heno
Captain Shekinah
Captain Sally
Captain Kawena
Captain Kawana'ao
Captain Lia-Chae
Captain Nicole
On the Duck
After we rode the Ducks we had a quick lunch at the Prudential Center. After lunch there is a great fountain nearby that we got to run around in and see who could stay the driest. Good thing it is warm out as nobody stayed dry.
Running through the fountains
fountain
Lia didn't make it out dry
After playing in the fountains we headed off to the Boston Public Gardens to ride the Swan Boats. Swan Boats are boats that look like Swans. Each Swan has a driver in the back that uses a bicycle style to paddle the boat around the pond. We saw lots of geese and ducks. Even saw the all elusive squirrel on the land. Kids were getting excited to see and try to feed the squirrels.
On the Swan Boats
Checking out the Canadian Geese
George Washington statue in Boston Public Garden
The Boston Public Garden is in full bloom with tulips everywhere. Very nice place to hang out. There were lots of squirrels for the children to play with. Even had some squirrels eat from the kids hands. They loved it.
Tulips in bloom
Having success feeding the squirrels
The Make Way for Ducklings statues are in the Public Garden as well. Made after the famous book Make Way for Ducklings. Each duck was rideable!
On the Make Way for Ducklings statues
Kawena rides the duck like a bronco
Lia, Sally, and Saige on a duck
Namaka has more success with feeding squirrels
We then made our way over to the Boston Commons. More squirrels got to have their lunch via the Kualapu'u students. Also there was a nice carousel that many children rode on. Some rode it twice! It was a nice day in Boston so many people were hanging out in the park relaxing.
Riding the carousel
Riding the carousel
carousel action
Good times on the carousel
Shia on the carousel
Sally fed this guy about six times
After the park we walked across the street to the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston. Beacon Hill is a very exclusive neighborhood. Dignitaries from other countries stay here when they are in Boston. We saw where the United States Secretary of State, John Kerry lives. And got to hear a neat story about a murder between two residents of Beacon Hill.
In the Beacon Hill neighborhood
Secretary of State John Kerry's house
Beacon Hill is a very old neighborhood and you cannot change the outside of your home unless you get a ton of permission. Which doesn't happen. We finished up by walking down historic Acorn Street. A neat, cobblestone street that is known as the "most photographed street in America."
Famous Acorn Street in Beacon Hill
We finished up with dinner at a place called Papagayo. Buffet for the kids and the adults had tacos. We lucked out and got to see our math and science specialist, Mrs. Forbes son, Michael Kikukawa. Michael attends Harvard University and is studying for a final tomorrow but made his way out to see us. Good luck on the final and keep up the good work representing Molokai, Michael!
Dinner
Boys table for dinner
Girls table for dinner
Michael Kikukawa took a break from his studying for a final at Harvard to join us for dinner
We then got on our bus and made our way south on a four hour drive to New York. We are staying at the Marriot at the Brooklyn Bridge. We got to see the Freedom Tour, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty and lots of other neat looking buildings on our way in. Can't wait to see them up close tomorrow! See you then!
Before I start just a note that all pictures on here you can get by right clicking and saving. Feel free!!!!
Well we finally made it to Boston, Massachusetts this morning at 7:00 AM Eastern time.....1:00 AM Molokai time. We are running on little energy as you'll see by a video at the bottom! All of the flights went well though and everybody is in great spirits. We started off the morning with a breakfast buffet at the Hard Rock Cafe. We then hit the ground running for the rest of the day. The weather was great. Even a little too hot for periods during the morning.
54 Regiment Memorial
We started off the morning at the beginning of the Freedom Trail that starts at the Boston Commons. We saw a memorial that is dedicated to the soldiers of the 54 Regiment of the Union that fought in the Civil War. You may recognize the memorial on the right from the movie Glory. The 54th was the first regiment of all black soldiers that fought for the Union. Their leader was Robert Gould Shaw who died with his soldiers and was from Boston.
Memorial to the 54 Regiment
Being told about the gold roof of the state house
Lots of sites along the Freedom Trail including the State House of Massachusetts. You'll notice that the roof of the State House is covered entirely in gold!
State House of Massachusetts
Old Granary Burial Ground
Walking along the Freedom Trail
Riding the Democratic Donkey at the Old City Hall
More donkey business
Shekinah and Nicole with Paul Revere's tomb
Paul Revere Tomb
Site of the Boston Massacre
The Old Granary Burial Ground is a graveyard with many famous people buried there. Paul Revere, Sam Adams, John Hancock, victims of the Boston Massacre, and Ben Franklin's parents being some of the people buried here. There are many interesting graves with skulls and crossbones on the tomb.
There are lots of stops along the Freedom Trail. We got to stand where the Boston Massacre happened. And for the first time out of all of the trips, we got to go inside Paul Revere's house. The house was built in 1680. It is a very small house but for the time, it was considered a rich persons home. Paul Revere left this house the night he did his famous ride to warn the countryside that the soldiers were coming in 1775.
Just after the Paul Revere House we walked to the Old North Church. Old North Church is vital to the story of Paul Revere as it was from the church steeple that the colonists knew if the British Soldiers were going to go the the countryside to capture Sam Adams and John Hancock by land or if by sea. Lanterns were hung in the steeple. One if by land and two if by sea. After Paul Revere and other riders had this information, they darted off to Lexington and Concord and all places in-between to warn the people that soldiers were on their way.
The Old North Church is still an active Episcopalian church.
After Old North we went to Quincy Market to choose what to eat for lunch. It wasn't easy as there are 54 different options! After lunch we took a quick detour to a fish market to see the differences between our spiny lobster and a New England lobster. The one we got to see weighed over ten pounds. They also have giant claws on their hands and our spiny lobster do not.
After that it was off to Lexington and Concord to see where the first battles of the Revolution were fought.
Paul Revere House
Paul Revere Statue with Old North Church in background
Inside Old North Church
Lunch time foolishness at Quincy Market
More lunch fun
10 pound lobster
Check out the claws!
Shekinah with a diorama of the Battle at Lexington
Lexington Green Museum
Brief pause after lunch to see what a New England Lobster looks like. Huge!
Spotted a snapping turtle at the Old North Bridge in Concord
Minute Man Statue in Concord
On the Bridge
From the other side
Old North Bridge with Minute Man Statue in background in Concord
We then finished our day up with a tour of Fenway Park. Fenway Park is home to the Boston Red Sox. Fenway Park is the oldest stadium in the United States. In fact it opened only five days after the Titanic sank in 1912! 103 years old this year. On the tour we got to see all aspect of the stadium From up close, the Green Monster Seats, the media room behind home plate, to the right field seats. Unfortunately the team is in Oakland playing the A's so no game for us to see this year! A neat thing similar to what Kualapu'u School has is a garden. We were told that vegetables are hard to grow in New England. So at Fenway Park They laid down a bunch of astro turf and made vegetable boxes. Very similar to our school.
From the Green Monster
Monster Seats
Lia-Chae on top of the Monster
Still on top
Checking out the view
Looking down at the Fenway Garden
Fenway Garden
Right Field
Inside the media room at Fenway
From the media room
Out in right
After dinner it was off to Dillons. Dillons is a restaurant that is attached to a fire station, very interesting. Lots of tired bodies downed burgers, mac n cheese (not the way they are used too), chicken, or chicken caesar salad. Finished up with some ice cream. Lots of big talking about going swimming but that didn't happen. We are a tired group and sleep is what we need. After traveling and touring for 29 hours it is time to get some much needed rest.
Dinner
Dinner
Mac and Cheese, Burgers, Chicken, or Chicken Caesar Salad was what was on tap.
Showing off our dinner
The below video is an example of what happens when you've been traveling and touring for over 24 straight hours. This was taken between a very short ride from Lexington to Concord. The bounce back was unbelievable though as once we got to Concord everybody got right up and we went for a 1/3 mile walk to Old North Bridge in Concord. Great job team. Can't wait for day 2 in Boston tomorrow!
