Experience Boston by Land and by Sea

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Image of the Boston harbor and skyline.
Heading out to sea to look for whales, with the harbor and downtown Boston in the background. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

When it comes to American History, you really can’t find a more historic place to visit than Boston. This New England city was founded in 1630 and has been an important hub for the United States ever since. Beyond the history, there’s plenty to do and see from a modern perspective too. Boston is a thriving metropolis with so much happening that it can be overwhelming to decide your priorities when planning a visit.

This is where City Experiences comes in. It is part of the Hornblower Corporation which offers tours, experiences and services all over the world. Boston is special though – the company began with Boston Harbor cruises in 1926. When it comes to land or water tours, City Experienes offers expertise that gives you a fun and thorough experience.

Are you eager to explore the world? Join us!

Woman poses in front of Boston harbor. She is wearing a white and floral Boston cap, dark tinted glasses, a red and white striped tank top and gray backpack straps.
Ready to hit the water! Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

One of the best ways to experience the Boston area is by water. The harbor is so much a part of the history (remember the Boston Tea Party?) and also gives an amazing view of the city. I visited Boston recently and had the opportunity to get out on the water (and explored by land!) in several fun ways.

The tours that took me on a journey through the history, food and waters of Boston include:

Keep reading for more details and my thoughts about each of these experiences.

View of the outside of the Salem Witch museum and its sign. Two modern tends provide shade in front.
The Salem Witch Museum looks exactly like what you expect it to. Very witchy! Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

Salem, Massachusetts: a Day Trip from Boston

I have always wanted to visit Salem and learn more about the area and its history. I don’t know that I believe in witches, but the stories about the 1632 witch trials are fascinating, chilling and horrifying.

View of the side of the Salem Ferry boat while docked in Boston.
On the ferry to and from Salem, you can sit indoors or outside. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

Salem Ferry

There are two options for this tour. The 9:30am tour visits the Salem Witch Museum whereas the 9:25am tour visits the Salem Pirate Museum. There is free time at the end of each tour so you can visit the other museum if you wish. We were on the Witch Museum option.

The tour begins at the Boston Harbor, where you board the Salem Ferry. The ferry is modern and comfortable with both indoor and outdoor seating, plus a full bar and snacks. The journey to Salem takes just over 45 minutes and offers some amazing views of the Boston shoreline while you cruise along.

I enjoyed the ferry ride a lot. The ride both there and back was smooth and comfortable. Our group sat outside on the upper deck on the way to Salem and inside on the lower deck on the way back. The ride can be windy if you’re outside, so make sure to secure items like hats and scarves. I don’t generally have motion sickness issues on boats, and was completely fine on the ferry both ways.

View of downtown Boston, taken from a boat in the harbor.
View of downtown Boston from the Salem Ferry. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

SheBuysTravel Tip: The ferry leaves for the return trip back to Boston at 4pm, so if you want to take it, you need to make sure to board on time. I suggest planning to be at the dock by 3:30pm just in case. If you’d rather spend more time in Salem, you can choose to take the commuter rail back into Boston instead. A one-way ticket is $8 and the last trip back to the city leaves Salem at 11:06pm.

The ferry is available to ride even if you don’t wish to take a guided tour in Salem. See the details and schedule here.

View of the facade of the oldest witch store in America, in Salem.
The oldest witch store in the country is in Salem. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

Salem Tour

Once you arrive in Salem, your tour guide meets you at the dock and the walking tour begins. All guides are experts on the area and its history. Our guide was a Salem resident and provided detailed descriptions of every site and building we visited. She was engaging and funny and made sure that we were all together and in the right place as we explored the town.

Lit vignette of what a Salem witch trial would have looked like in 1692, at the Salem Witch Museum.
The first half of the Witch Museum experience includes narrated vignettes like this one showing what a witch trial would have looked like. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

The Witch Museum is a little different from others – it’s a guided and timed experience in two parts. The first part is a show that explores the history of the witch trials and the second is a guided tour which looks at the history of witches and how they’ve changed over time in pop culture.  Both parts were fascinating. I thought I knew a lot about the witch trials, but I learned so many things on this tour that I didn’t realize I hadn’t known.

For example, Sarah Good was pregnant when convicted as a witch. She (and her 4-year-old daughter, Dorothy) were jailed and she was executed after giving birth. The baby died in the jail from neglect. Also, there were six men convicted, five of whom were executed by hanging, and the sixth was tortured to death when he wouldn’t enter a plea. Other people weren’t directly executed but either died in jail or fled.

Sandwich board sign on the sidewalk which lists reasons you could be accused of witchery in 1692 in Salem.
Sign outside a witchy shop in Salem. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

You could be accused of being a witch if you were outspoken, rude to a neighbor, or varied from the Puritan ‘norm’ in any number of ways.

We visited the Witch Memorial, which contains stone benches for each of the nineteen women executed and six locust trees (chosen because they represent the injustice of the trials). It’s a sobering reminder of what being intolerant can cause.

Several antiquated gravestones in the Charter Street Cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts.
One of the stops on the tour is the Charter Street Cemetery. Among others, William Hathorne is buried here – he was an ancestor of Nathaniel Hawthorne (who added the ‘w’ to the name) and his son, John, was one of the judges during the witch trials. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

Be prepared – there is a lot of ‘walking’ on this walking tour. The guide kept a comfortable pace and there are enough stops that you’re not getting winded. It was sunny and hot on our tour – even though the guide stopped in shady areas wherever possible, you’re still going to be in the sun a lot.

View of the House of the Seven Gables with lawn and walkway in front and bushes and trees.
You can tour the House of the Seven Gables in Salem. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

Salem is known for more than just the witch trials – it also has a rich maritime history. And it’s also the birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne, who was inspired to write his novel, The House of the Seven Gables, there. The actual house still exists, although some of the gables have been removed. We also visited the house where Nathaniel courted his bride, and the Custom House where he once worked. We learned about many of the historic buildings in Salem, who owned them and even where a few ghosts might be lurking (not to take away from the Salem ghost tours you can take!).

Here are my tips if you’re taking this tour:

  • Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and dress in layers so you can keep yourself either warm or cool.
  • Wear sunscreen and remember to re-apply during the tour.
  • An umbrella is helpful in case of rain, or to help keep you in the shade.
  • Hydrate! Water is not provided on the tour so make sure to bring your own, especially if it’s hot out. We did pass a CVS in town in the later part of the tour so a few of our party were able to go in and buy water for the group, but most of us had run out well before that.
  • Snacks are great to have on-hand since the tour encompasses lunchtime. You can enjoy local restaurants for lunch during the free time at the end of the tour, but that also takes you past noon.
View of the ocean and blue sky with the dorsal fin of a breaching humpback whale.
There be (humpback) whales here! Star Trek fans will get the reference, lol. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

New England Aquarium Whale Watch Cruise

Another one of my bucket list items has always been to see whales. The best time period for whale watching in New England is May-October, so I was thrilled to head out back onto the water for this cruise.

Side view of a New England Aquarium Whale Watch boat while docked.
The City Cruises Whale Watch boats have plenty of outdoor space along the railings to watch for wildlife, along with comfortable inside cabins. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

Cruise to the Whales

This cruise lasts around 3-4 hours and be aware that most of this time is spent cruising out to the Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary and back. I think we spent about 1-½ hours each there and back, with about 30-45 minutes actively looking for whales. The tour does guarantee that you’ll see whales, but if you don’t, you can get tickets for another cruise for free.

If you have motion sickness, pay close attention to the announcements before the cruise heads out. The crew will let everyone know what the ocean is like that day. We were warned that things were on the rough side with swells of 3-5 feet. They suggested that anyone prone to motion sickness might want to consider waiting for a different day if possible. I generally do fine on boats, but in this case, I took a couple of Dramamine just to be sure. I didn’t want to miss out on seeing the whales if my stomach didn’t happen to cooperate!

View of the Boston Lighthouse with ocean in front and blue sky with clouds above.
The Boston Lighthouse as seen from the Whale Watching boat. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

The boat is a catamaran and has both indoor and outdoor seating and restrooms, plus a full bar and snacks you can buy on board. Each cruise has a naturalist on board, who explains where you’re headed and gives lots of fun facts about whales and other marine wildlife.

SheBuysTravel Tip: If you want to hear everything the naturalist says, I recommend you sit indoors. Once the boat gets up to speed, there’s a lot of wind noise that drowns out the speakers on the outside areas.

There’s a beautiful view of Boston that gets smaller as you cruise through the harbor and out to open sea. We were able to see some of the outlying islands, as well as the Boston Lighthouse.

A woman and small boy stand at a boat railing looking behind toward the boat's wake, looking for whales.
Watching for signs of whales over the boat’s wake. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

Looking for Whales

Once you get out to the Sanctuary, the boat stops and everyone crowds the rails around the perimeter for the best views. I started off on the main deck level but ended up on the top deck because it was easier to look down than across the water. It doesn’t help that whales (and dolphins) are just about the same color as the water, so they can be hard to spot.

It’s obvious when anyone sees whales – everyone around them lets out loud “oohs” and “aahs” that are easy to hear with the boat idling. The naturalist also uses a clock system to tell you where to look (with the front of the boat being 12 o’clock and the rear being 6 o’clock). The crew also does a good job turning the boat to give everyone a better view.

View of the ocean with a humpback whale dorsal fin and next to it another whale blows air out of its blowhole.
There were two humpback whales here – you can just see the dorsal fin from the one in front and the air from the blowhole of the second. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

On our cruise, we saw a pod of dolphins as well as five to six whales, including two that were swimming together. The best way to find the whales is to watch for the gust of air that comes out of their blowholes when they come up to breathe. They’ll often breach afterward. No whales jumped out of the water or anything like that. We got to see their backs and dorsal fins, which was so amazing and majestic to view.

The boat uses its wake to tempt the whales to come close. There was another cruise boat out there so we watched the water around that boat as well. The naturalist was able to recognize and knew the names of every whale we saw and told us stories about them.

Here are my tips if you’re taking this cruise:

  • Bring a sweatshirt or jacket! Even if it’s hot in the city, when you’re out on the water it gets cold, especially in the wind. The temperature was about 87 degrees Fahrenheit that day in Boston, but according to my phone, the temperature out to see was in the 60’s and windy.
  • If you’re at all subject to motion sickness, bring something to help such as medication, wrist bands or whatever works best for you. If the sea is rough that day, see if you’re able to move to another day if possible.
  • I recommend taking video over trying to take photos. Instead of having to try and point the camera/phone at the exact time and place a whale breaches to get your one shot, you can just let the video run and crop out any extraneous sections later.
  • Don’t forget sunscreen! A hat is helpful too, but make sure to secure it when the boat is up to speed so it doesn’t blow off.
  • Enjoy the cruise! Whether or not you see any whales, the views are beautiful and it’s an enjoyable way to spend your time.
Image of the front and side of the Spirit of Boston docked in the Boston Harbor.
Our dinner cruise was aboard the Spirit of Boston. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

Boston Signature Dinner Cruise on the Boston Harbor

Beautiful city skyline views along with wonderful food? Yes, please. This evening cruise includes a buffet dinner, full bar, a DJ and dancing, and lovely views of the Boston shoreline as you cruise along.

The tour website calls for casual attire but our group took the opportunity to dress up a bit and most everyone did the same. We were given cards before boarding that specified which deck we were seated at. A server brought us drinks and refills but the food is on a buffet located near the stern (rear) of the boat. Coffee, tea and water are included but any other drinks cost extra.

The dining and seating area is fully enclosed and climate controlled. You can head outside to the open deck area to view the shoreline, but there are also many tables with window views. The boat keeps a steady pace that’s easy for walking around with full plates and I knew I’d have no trouble with motion sickness.

View of one side of the dinner buffet aboard the Boston dinner cruise.
One side of the dinner buffet – the other side has identical offerings. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

There’s a wide variety on the buffet with several salads, entrees and sides to choose from. I am a somewhat picky eater but was able to find plenty of options I liked. My favorite was the Baked Orecchiette Pasta, which is also vegetarian. Vegan and gluten-free options are available as well. The menu is posted on their website so you can take a look in advance.

The dinner buffet closes down an hour before you dock, but they do offer dessert at that time. The dance floor also opens and the DJ plays classic dance music. I thought it was funny that the only song that got the below-40 folk out on the dance floor was by Taylor Swift. Along with dancing, they also had board games set out for people to grab and play. Our group had an impromptu Connect-Four tournament and then we played Uno with giant cards.

The weather was beautiful for most of our cruise, but it began to rain during the last half hour. Unfortunately this meant there was no sunset to view, but we were glad for the indoor seating!

Here are my tips if you’re taking this cruise:

  • Spend some time out in the fresh air where you can see the shoreline better and take in the beautiful view.
  • Check out the menu ahead of time online to make sure there will be options that everyone in your group can enjoy.
  • Relax, enjoy the ride – and don’t forget to play games, dance and have fun!
Things to do in Boston include taking a food tour which also incorporates some of the city's history. Tour group walks along the Freedom Trail toward the Old State House.
Heading along the Freedom Trail to the Old State House – no food here but plenty of history! Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

Ultimate Boston Food Tour: North End & Boston Public Market

This walking tour by Devour Tours is entirely on land and while it focuses on food, you can’t help but take in some of the history too. It’s all around you. And you’ll get to taste some of Boston’s classic food items too! Our tour guide was thoroughly helpful and fun to listen to. She did a great job of leading us through some pretty narrow streets and making sure we all stayed on the right path.

View of a sign that says Red Apple Farm on an apple logo, with a small cup of apple cider and a hand holding a mini apple cider donut on a stick in front at the Boston Public Market.
The apple cider and mini apple cider donuts were SO good! Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

Downtown Stops

We began at the Boston Public Market, and had a chance to explore this indoor space that houses around 30 food and artisan items. Here we learned about Red Apple Farm and enjoyed a taste of their hand-pressed apple cider and apple cinnamon donuts. The donuts were so delicious that I bought some to take home to my family. If I could have gotten a gallon of cider past security, I would have gotten some of that too.

Our other tasting stop at the market was at The Popover Lady. We learned about the history of this small business from Naomi herself and had a choice from several of her savory popovers. The Brits in our group knew them as Yorkshire Puddings!

We also walked a portion of the Freedom Trail and learned some of the colonial and more modern history of this quintessential American city.

Oysters on ice on a plate at the Union Oyster House in Boston.
Don’t miss the oysters at the Union Oyster House! Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

The Union Oyster House opened in 2816 and is the oldest continuously running restaurant in the US. It was also a favorite of JFK’s – you can check out his ‘special’ booth on the second floor. Here we got to taste oysters, clam chowder, Boston baked beans and cornbread. I discovered that I’m not a huge fan of oysters or clam chowder, but the beans and cornbread were some of the best I’ve ever had.

Statue of Paul Revere situated so that his outstretched arm points at the steeple of the Old North Church.
The trees in the Paul Revere Mall are kept trimmed so you can see this iconic view of the Old North Church. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

North End Stops

We headed into Boston’s historic North End, where the streets are narrow and you can just breathe in the history. Here we walked past The Old North Church and enjoyed the view from the statue of Paul Revere in the Paul Revere Mall.

Food stops included trying my first lobster roll (yum!), lemon slush (so refreshing!) and cannoli (mmmmm!). As we walked, we continued to learn about the history of the area, including the famous “Cannoli Wars”. We chatted with Bobby from Polcari’s Coffee and loved his classic Boston accent and the unique story of this historic local coffee shop.

Hands hold an open to-go container with a lobster roll inside.
When in Boston, you’ve got to try a lobster roll. Gets a thumbs-up from me! Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

The tour encompasses lunchtime, but you get plenty to eat along the way. It is a lot of walking, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes, dress in layers, and don’t forget to bring water and sunscreen.

Here are my other tips if you’re taking this tour:

  • Start out hungry! You’ll be trying many different foods and want to make sure you’ve got room for everything.
  • You do get a few minutes to wander the public market so bring some cash or a card with you. I bought a bagel for the next day’s breakfast but skipped the cream cheese since we would be walking out in the sun afterward.
  • I like to walk up front near the guide so I can make sure to hear everything they have to share.
  • Keep an open mind – this can be a good opportunity to try something new. I’d never had clam chowder before, and while it’s not something I’d eat again, I am so glad I had the opportunity to try it, especially in such a historic place.
View of the side of the Codzilla as it heads out to sea with passengers in ponchos.
The CODZILLA heading out to sea. Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

CODZILLA Thrill-boat Ride in Boston

If you’re an adrenaline junkie, then this is the boat ride for you. The Codzilla is essentially a giant speedboat that can hit speeds up to 40mph and turn on a dime to splash water aboard. Yes, you will get wet on this ride!

Note: Children must be at least 4 year old and 42 inches tall to ride. If you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, back or neck problems or any other condition that would be aggravated by sudden sharp movements, you should avoid this ride. Also, if you have issues with motion sickness, you should also probably stay on dry land.

I grew up with speedboats and my inner 20-year-old totally misses the speed and the splashes. However, my middle-aged body isn’t as cooperative and given the warnings, I knew the best option was to skip this, as much as I didn’t want to.

View of the front of the Codzilla boat heading back to the harbor with a full load of passengers.
Love the giant tooth-filled mouth on the CODZILLA – it totally sets the vibe! Photo credit: Deb Steenhagen

So I sat this one out, but many others in our group did go. The consensus afterward was that the loud music, fun and excitement far outweighed any minor discomfort from motion. They only got wet once, but it was a big splash.

Zoe says, “Codzilla was a fantastic group activity that I would happily do again and again!! The onboard staff set the scene for the experience with their fun-loving energy, while the ride itself offered a refreshing escape from Boston’s summer heat along with spectacular views of the city. Hot tip, for those who want the most splash sit in the back! The company also provides ponchos, for those who prefer not to get completely soaked.”

Deb is Director of Operations for SheBuysTravel.com and the mom of 3 teenagers and young adults. She lives in the greater Grand Rapids area in West Michigan, and is a former city planner and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Analyst who loves gadgets, maps, writing, and traveling both within and outside of Michigan. She also enjoys reading, sewing, running and knitting.
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