Our Unexpected Day in Boston
Sometimes plans fall through. If plans don't work, parents need to figure out something new. New plans can even be made on the fly.
Wife took a week off. Summer Vacation is winding down and she wanted to have a little more time with the family before the children go back to school.
We're Going on a Whale Watch
We planned to go on a whale watch. I was excited to do this. I hadn't been on a whale watch in over 30 years and the kids have never been on one. It's been a hot summer, so some time on a boat would be a great way to cool off. I also liked this because watching the whales reminded me of my time at the Whaling Museum in New Bedford.
As usual, there was the usual hustle and bustle that involved getting our children out of bed and on the road in the morning. Wife and I worked together, especially when it came to the teens, to make sure everyone was up and ready to go. We hit the road rather close to our scheduled time. This is an accomplishment for our family. Traffic going into Boston wasn't as bad as it could have been. This was considered to be another victory.
As mentioned before, it was a warm day, so the breeze coming off the water was appreciated. I was excited. I told my children I felt like one of the Pilgrims getting on the Mayflower. They just looked at me, then looked away and announced to everyone they didn't know me. I talked about how nice and cool the water looked and how nice it would be if we could take a quick dip in the ocean. Upon hearing this, The Oppressed decided we were going to be "buddies" for the rest of the tour and I wasn't allowed to leave her side.
All Aboard!
We boarded the boat with the other passengers. The crew welcomed us aboard. I was going to ask if there was time for a quick swim but, again, my youngest daughter informed me I was not allowed to speak to anyone or ask any questions, especially the crew.
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| A lighthouse as we leave Boston Harbor. |
The engines started and we were soon on our way out into the deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It was breezy, but not to windy as we left terra firma. We headed out when the boat suddenly slowed down. Again, it had been a long time since I went on a whale watch, but I was certain we went out further than this. The boat came to a stop. Soon, we were just drifting in the ocean, not quite far from dry land. We all wondered what was happening. I looked the other way, hoping I could see a whale before anyone else.
Are we going to see Whales?
While we all waited on the boat wondering if we were going to see whales or go further out, we were informed that a lobster trap line had got caught in one of the engines. Hopefully, this wouldn't be too big of a problem to figure out. We were out there for a while with no engine running and no whales in sight.
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| The "whale" I spotted. |
It was huge. It had to be a whale. The Oppressed just shook her head and reminded me I was not to speak to anybody.
The captain of the boat was seen walking through the boat back to the helm. He had oil on his clothes. Poor guy. He was down there with the crew trying to free the line so we could get further out. Another announcement was made sadly informing us there would be no whale watch and the boat needed to go back to the dock for an in-depth repair job. We were all disappointed, especially me. On my last whale watch, it was a gray, misty day, and the only whale we saw was out in the distance. We could barely make it out through the fog and mist.
As we mad our way back, I was excited. I informed The Oppressed I saw a whale. She was confused and asked where this whale was. I pointed up at the sign for the New England Aquarium. There on the sign was a big fish. It was huge. It had
to be a whale. The Oppressed just shook her head and reminded me I was not to speak to anybody while we were out in Boston.
Paul Revere's House
Did he call people or text them? Again with the look.
The Oppressed and I went through the house. I told The Oppressed there were a lot of people that night who rode through Massachusetts warning people of the Redcoats' march towards Lexington and Concord. For some reason, Revere was the one who got all of the glory. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow might have had something to do with that. I asked The Oppressed how Paul Revere got the word out. Did he call people or text them? Again with that look.
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| Henry Wadsworth Longfellow |
Dinner and Dessert
While we were enjoying a little history and culture, Lovie texted and informed us Wife was able to get us reservations at a nearby restaurant. The restaurant was close, but we still had to hustle a little. Lucky for us, we had seen just about everything and were able to talk with the tour guides when it came time for us to leave. We were off the the North End for an early dinner. After dinner, we stopped at Mike's Pastry for some dessert and a little something to take home for another day.
We went back to the car. I was glad I wore my Apple Watch, because we did a lot of walking and I closed all of my circles that day. Everyone was tired when we got home, but it was a "good hurt". We didn't see any whales that day, but there's always the chance we could get back out there for another shot at seeing whales. The Oppressed and I got to visit something from the American Revolution. I still maintain we did see a whale, but no one seems to believe me.
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| Another photo from our short-lived cruise. |
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