Written by Chillie Falls and Tour Guide Allen Pierce, September 27, 2024
Yesterday, Hot Air Tom and I hooked up with Allen Pierce, a wonderful tour guide, and embarked on the fully accessible Boston Seafood Lovers Adventure. The tour covered much of the area’s history and included sampling of some popular local food specialties. Amazing but true, the rain held off, with the exception of a few sprinkles, for the entire tour.
We met at Independence Wharf and walked behind the building to look across to several points of interest, including the replica ships of the Boston Tea Party ( December 16, 1775). The Seaport neighborhood visible from this same spot is entirely new within the last 10 years and is now one of the most high-end neighborhoods in Boston.
Our first food stop was at James Hook for some fresh Lobster Rolls made with mayonnaise and served cold James Hook & Co. has been in its current location since 1925, in spite of a major fire in 2008 suspected to be arson to prompt them to move.
After our “Lobstah”, we walked along the Harbor Walk and saw the site of the 1916 Train Bridge accident before coming to the Rowes Wharf complex which houses a luxury hotel as well as premium residences and private boat slips. We entered the hotel at Rowes Wharf to look at the old maps of Boston (1630) as well as what our geography looks like now.
Leaving Rowes Wharf, we crossed over to the Rose Kennedy Greenway which was an elevated highway until the Central Artery Project to sink that highway underground started in the early 1990s. We made our way down to the 1847 Custom House with the 1915 Clock Tower sitting atop. We entered the building briefly to see the magnificent rotunda from inside.
From there, we visited Quincy Market, which was constructed in 1826 at the behest of Mayor Josiah Quincy, who didn’t like the smell of the fish in the open market below his office in Faneuil Hall. We learned that Faneuil Hall was constructed in 1742 and was gifted to the city of Boston by wealthy merchant Peter Faneuil.
The building later became known as the “Cradle of Liberty” (despite Faneuil’s wealth being derived from the slave trade) because leading up to the Revolution, many impassioned speeches and debates took place there regarding independence from Britain.
To take this tour, Go Here
We then went to the Salty Dog, where we sampled Quahogs, the best known stuffed breaded hard-shell clams from Rhode Island.
Moving in front of Faneuil Hall, we talked about the New City Hall (1968) in the Brutalist style of architecture, routinely voted one of the ugliest buildings in the world!
We also learned about Samuel Adams best known for the beer….but in fact one of the most important and influential organizers of the American Revolution.
Last, we sat down at the Union Oyster House—the longest continuously operating restaurant in the United States (1826). Here we enjoyed classic New England Clam Chowder and fresh oysters.
Our guide, Allen, stayed very vigilant about the needs of a wheelchair guest watching for barriers and redirecting the route to accomplish my comfort.
If you visit Boston, like history and food, this tour is perfect and very well done no matter what disability. CLICK HERE for more information.