Summer Travel: One Day in Boston

You find yourself in Boston in the summer, but you've only got one day to soak up as much as you can. How do you get a feel for this historic city in just a day? It won't be easy. There's a reason Boston has been called "the hub of the universe." But here are a few hints for making your super-short vacation in Boston count.

Duck Boats

Take the city-wide tour aboard Boston's unique Duck Boats. Hop aboard the first tour of the day, which departs from the Prudential Center on Boylston Street at 9am. The 80-minute tour will give you a good overview of the city, with entertaining tour guides and a dramatic plunge into the Charles River in your odd-looking amphibious vehicle. That's right, these buses float - as members of the 2004 World Series champion Red Sox discovered when their victory parade left the streets and took to the water.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

You'll get back to the Prudential Center in time for a leisurely walk through Boston's Fenway neighborhood to this uniquely beautiful spot. For over 100 years, the home of the first lady of fine arts in Boston has been open to display her priceless collection. The paintings hang exactly where she decided they should, in a magnificent home surrounding a soaring atrium. Works by many of the world's greatest artists are here - Rembrandt, Vermeer, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Botticelli, Manet, and Degas - in the most beautiful settings imaginable.

Union Oyster House

Grab a cab back toward the waterfront for a midday lunch and shopping break. The Union Oyster House is America's oldest restaurant, serving fishermen, dock workers, politicians and tourists since 1826. Everyone who's anyone has eaten here, from King Louis Philippe of France (who actually lived upstairs for a time) to Daniel Webster and John F. Kennedy (who had a favorite booth upstairs). For the full Boston experience, start with the clam chowder, order the fresh seafood and add a side of baked beans.

Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market

After lunch, it's time to walk - starting with the shopping all around the Union Oyster House. This area has been a merchant district for 250 years, back to the days when Sam Adams and friends were rallying colonists against the idea of "taxation without representation" inside the historic Faneuil Hall meeting house.

Freedom Trail

Don't fill your shopping bags too full, because there's more walking to be done. The Freedom Trail, which winds right through the marketplace, is a 2.5 mile walk past some of the city's most important sites. Park service rangers are on hand to explain the significance of the Old South Meeting House, the site of the Boston Massacre and the Old Granary Burial Ground - final resting place of such luminaries as John Hancock and Paul Revere. Plan your walk (using the plentiful free maps) to start in the center of the city, near Boston Common, and wind up at Revere's home and the Old North Church, where he watched for the lanterns that would signal "one of by land, two if by sea" and send him on his famous midnight ride.

Dinner in the North End

By now you'll be hungry and, having had seafood at lunch, it's time for Boston's other culinary treat - Italian food in the North End. Just walk around and stop at a place that catches your fancy - it's almost impossible to go wrong here. But Joe Tecce's has survived for generations for a reason, Giacomo's has been a go-to standard for years, and Terramia seems to be the favorite of the moment. Feel free to walk around the neighborhood after dinner, as well. If you're smart, you'll have saved room for dessert. Stop in at either Mike's Pastry or Modern Pastry and walk out with the most amazing canolli you can imagine.

Lastly, once your jam-packed day in Boston is over, start making plans for your return visit. There's still so much to see and do.