The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Boston is the Boston Tea Party (followed closely by delicious memories of savory baked beans.) Sure, I was excited about being sent to a place with such historical significance, but I’ve seen Historical before. There are many attractions in Boston, but I wouldn’t be me if I headed for the commonplace and ordinary.

Or would I? Normally, anything as touristy as a driven tour — duck or otherwise – would send me running in the other direction. But there’s something unique about seeing these places from the water, and that difference is the start of a surprisingly exceptionally good time. The “Think Unique” selection this time is the Boston Duck Tours.

While the Charles River portion of the tour is only 20 minutes, the remaining hour is also a surprisingly enlightening experience. Amongst stops are the Scientology headquarters, the city’s public gardens, the Robert Gould Shaw Civil War Memorial, the Beacon Hill area, where Paul Revere and Sam Adams laid the cornerstone for the nation’s oldest State building in 1795. The Museum of Science is always good for the grey cells. Then we pass onto the water, and a spectacular view of the Boston and Cambridge Skylines. Then back to land, to visit the U.S. S. Constitution, a triple-mast tallship launched in 1797, and the oldest warship still afloat in the world. You’ll see the beautiful and amazing Bunker Hill Bridge, the Old North Church (“Two if by sea!”), the Quincy Market, with a wealth of stores for shopping… What makes this unique isn’t just the richness of history, but also the style with which the tours are conducted. A little zany, a lot fun, it’s a great way to get Beantown under your belt in an hour and a half. From there, you can pick the areas you’d like to go back to and explore in greater depth. Visiting a place so steeped in national history, your time may be best spent exploring those places, taking them in and making them your own.

The North side of town being the oldest, when it was time for dinner, a few of us managed to sneak off and explore, ending up at the WaterFront Cafe. This Italian restaurant and pizza joint may not be your first choice (and there are more formal restaurants in the area,) but for a relaxed good time with great music and awesome food, WaterFront Cafe is the place for a unique Boston evening. If you’re still feeling adventurous, hit up one of the more formal restaurants (or an Irish establishment) for coffee and desert.

As conference towns go, Boston is a good one. It was relatively easy to get around, and if you flag down a cabbie, you’ll even be able to ask him to say “pahk ya kahr.” Yeah, he’ll have heard it before, but that won’t make it any less fun, and it seems appropriately rebellious to be just a little irreverent in the place where the U.S. patriots first showed us how to do so.

Photo: Down the river on a Duck Tour

Notes:
Venues Visited: Boston Convention Center
Videos: Business Meetings Boston Massachusetts

Tags: boston, meeting

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