Places to Visit in Boston for the Tourist

Boston is one of my favorite cities to visit. I'm very biased because for 15 years, it was my home. If you have the chance to visit the city also known as "The Cradle of Liberty", here are some "must see" sites in and around Boston and the outlying suburbs.

1. Museum of Science and the Franklin Park Zoo- Two great places to take the kids or the kids at heart.

2. While the Museum of Fine Arts is one of the premiere museums in the country, go instead to the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum, which is right around the corner and the former home of one of Boston's most eccentric women, Isabella Stewart Gardiner.

3.Harvard Square and Harvard Yard-Contrary to popular belief, there's more to Harvard than the Harvard Yard. Get lost among the stacks of books, magazines, postcards and all other things Harvard Crimson at the Harvard Square Bookstore. While strolling around the first university in the country, stop by the statue of John Harvard.

4.While in Cambridge, have a look around the other famous college in the area, Massachusetts Institute of Technology- better known as M.I.T. The buildings that make up the campus of M.I.T. make for a perfect "Kodak moment."

5. The Boston Harbor and Long Wharf-Take a walk along the river for breathtaking views of the skyline of Boston.

6. Fenway Park- Join the "Red Sox Nation" in cheering on the 2004 baseball champions, the Boston Red Sox.

7. Stop by the Parker House Hotel in downtown Boston famous for the Parker House Rolls and the place where many a Boston politician has given a nomination speech.

8. Speaking of politicians, visit places that keep the memory of the Kennedy's alive- the J.F.K Library in Columbia Point, the J.F.K birthplace in Brookline, and if you have time, the Kennedy's summer home in Hyannis on Cape Cod.

9. Boston is known for its seafood, but take a subway(called the "T")ride to the city of Revere and have a bite at Kelly's, which is known throughout the city for its Roast Beef sandwiches.

10.If you'd rather make your own food, join the locals at Haymarket Square in the North End for the farmer's market. Do you want a history lesson in American History, then you've come to the right place.

11. To get a quick history lesson, visit the following historical sites, Paul Revere's House, Old North Church, the Old State House, Bunker Hill, and the towns of Lexington and Concord where the first shots of the American Revolutionary War were fired.

12. On a hot summer's day, do what a lot of visitors to Boston do, head down to Boston Common, which is a park, not a television show, and take a ride on a boat that's built in the shape of a swan.

13. I would be remiss if I didn't mentioned the most popular tourist site in Boston, Quincy Market and Fanueil Hall.

14. For the music lover in you, take in a concert on the Hatch Shell, near the Charles River, especially on July 4th to catch Keith Lockhart conducting the Boston Pops.

15. Finally, get to know the city that I fell in love with. Get to know some of Boston's neighborhoods, the North End, the South End, South Boston, Beacon Hill, the Back Bay, and Charlestown.