The beautiful city of Boston
The weather could not have cooperated more fully; the sky was clear and blue with a sun shining so brightly that it belied the forecast for temperatures in the 60s. It was the perfect day for a bike ride.
We were quite distinctive–and easily seen–on our bright green bikes
Boston is a city of bikers, from workday commuters to serious road bikers and leisure riders. With many parks and recreational paths, not to mention decent sized bike lanes on most of the roads, Boston is an ideal place to explore by bike; having a team of professionals to guide you is the best way to go.
There’s no better way to see Boston than by bike!
I arrived at the tour office for the Boston bike tour a few minutes before the tour began. Jane, one of my guides, helped fit me with a bike and a helmet and then gathered the group for a pre-ride briefing. Catherine, the lead guide, spent a few minutes going over the expectations for the ride and reviewing the hand gestures that she would use to indicate turns and slowing down. She also reminded us that cameras and bikes don’t mix, so save the photos for the stops. Catherine has been riding in Boston for 30 years—a former competitive road biker, she promised that we wouldn’t be traveling at race speed, but we would certainly cover a good deal of the city.
Our group was diverse, with participants visiting from California and South Carolina to Australia, Canada and the UK. However, everyone had the same goal: to see the city by bike and we were soon on our way, forming a line into Boston’s North End. While Catherine kept her promise to avoid race speed, we didn’t dawdle on the roads. Cycling through the granite buildings of the 1800s and the more modern additions, we soon saw the glint of the water in Boston Harbor, one of the first of many stops.
At Boston Harbor, with Old Ironsides in the background.
Dismounting from our bikes, Catherine gave a brief history of the area, pointing out landmarks from history, like the USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, which is docked in the harbor. The world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat, the USS Constitution (which is made of wood, not iron), has been maintained since its performance in War of 1812; it’s currently undergoing some renovations, but her spirit is as strong as ever and serves as a reminder and symbol of Boston’s storied past.
The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge and the new bike path that runs by it
From the harbor, we continued on roads and bike paths, with frequent stops for photos, stories and illustrations of Boston’s history and future. The newly constructed Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, with its impressive ten lanes of traffic (it’s one of the widest cable-stayed bridges in the world) is one of the most noticeable effects of the Big Dig, a multi-year, multi-billion dollar construction plan that moved a major interstate belowground, freeing up the view of the water and creating a new cityscape. The Big Dig has also created new green space, parks and recreation paths, making Boston an even more accessible city.
At the Christian Science Center
We rode and chatted (yes, it’s more difficult to have a conversation on a bicycle while riding through a major city, but it’s possible), stopped for pictures and learned about the various faces of Boston. We rode through brownstones of Back Bay, heard the strains of the national anthem coming from Fenway Park (the performer was practicing for the evening’s game) and admired the peace and grandeur of the Christian Science Center. The three-hour tour seemed to be over in just a few minutes and before I knew it, we were stopping at the Harbor Walk, our last stop of tour.
I dismounted my bike for the last time, returned my helmet and enthusiastically thanked Catherine and Jane. We covered 10 or 12 miles of the city, giving me not only a much better understanding of not only the history of the area, but a knowledge that I was able to see hidden pockets and gems that were not possible by car or bus.
I am now a firm believer of exploring a city by twos: two feet or two wheels.