Boston 4th of July 2009

Boston at the 4th of July is spectacular - there is so much history and many activities.  This was my second year going to Boston for the 4th.  Elise, Catherine, and I headed up early so we could catch the opening ceremonies including the reading of the declaration.

 Boston City Hall - where the parade along the Freedom Trail starts.

 Good Ol' Roomies

Catherine and I with the Revolutionary War re-enactors.

Raising of the Flag

Part of the parade goes to the cemetery of our forefathers where Samuel Adams and Benjamin Franklin and many others are buried.

 The mayor along with these fine men go to each of the graves and tell some of the history regarding the men buried there.

 

 Above is a picture of the re-enators with real rifles they shoot off at the gravesites and along the parade.
Below is obviously the tombstone of Samuel Adams.

 

 Miss Catherine

 

 Here is where they read the Declaration of Independence. 

 Elise, Sam, Catherine, Matt, Rose

 I popped in there somehow.  I think Catherine and I switched places.

At the end of the parade, the crowd went into a historic church building and listened to some classics from American music.

 Elise and Catherine on the ferry across the river.

 Rose and I

 Boston

 Old Ironsides aka USS Constitution coming to shoot off some cannons.

 The Gang

 The Navy

 Sitting in the church pews.

 This is a memorial set up in the North End.  Each of the dog tags hung up represents a fallen soldier in the Middle East. 

 Here is the nice volunteer who sits maintaining the memorial and adding the dog tags.  He let me add on myself and offered a certificate of remembrance. 

 Paul Revere statue.

 Catherine, Sam and Elise in front of the paul Revere monument.

 We went on the tour of this house in the North End - terrible thing is, I paid for the tour, went through the house, but have no clue at this time whose house it was.  I'll have to work on that.

 Guess Sam is tired from our long day.

 Us girls thought this picture would be fun with the statue.  Nice and cuddly.

 I think Joe was quit jealous of my statue man.

In the end, we reached the Charles River where the fireworks celebration and the Boston Pops perform.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any other pictures the rest of the day and night except this one.
Boston, once again, made for a memorable Independence Day.