Day 2 – Boston Trolley Bus Tour
A number of hop-on hop-off trolley buses operate in Boston, and we decided to use these to explore further afield on our second day. First stop was Copley Square where the Trinity Episcopal Church is located. The church was built in the 1870’s after the previous church was destroyed in the Great Bostin Fire of 1872. The church is very ornate and was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson in a Romanesque style.
Trinity Episcopal Church
Also at Copley Square is the John Hancock Tower, at 790ft the tallest building in New England. It presents a minimalist design with maximum use of glass, however when it first opened in the 1970s it suffered from a number of structural problems, including some of the glass panes falling out. Repairs were necessary, including a mass damper system to reduce the sway and twist of the building and replacement of all windows with a new design.
The John Hancock Tower
One interesting effect is to photograph the Trinity Church reflected in the John Hancock building – a mix of traditional and modern architecture.
John Hancock Building and Trinity Church
From Copley Square, we next visited the Mother Church of Christian Science. This is a neo-classical building dating from the early 20th Century located at the Christian Science plaza which was developed in the 1960s. There is a long reflecting pool which gives a beautiful reflection of the church.
Christian Science Mother Church
Looking in the opposite direction, the pool provides a reflection of the Prudential Centre, including the Prudential Tower – the second tallest building in Boston, which is on the left in the image below.
The Prudential Center
Our final bus stop took us to the Boston waterfront area, where there are superb views of the Boston sky-line. The ship in the centre of the image below is used for a tourist re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party, which took place in 1773 when disgruntled Americans destroyed chests of tea in protest at the Tea Tax imposed by the British Government. This was one of the acts leading directly to the War of Independence..
Boston Harbour
Boston Waterfront
We ended the day with another walk through the Boston Public Gardens as we returned to our hotel. Along the way we photographed some lovely weeping willows next to the pond areas.
Boston Public Gardens
Overall, we enjoyed our two days in Boston. With its revolutionary history, easy walkability and a few ‘relatively’ old buildings it felt a little different to most other American cities that we have visited.
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