Day 25 - Grand Tour of the East Coast

Day 25
Grand Tour of the East Coast

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This was my last day in Boston, and really the last day of sightseeing for this trip. Since Bethany was at last finished with finals, she could actually afford to take the day off, instead of just hearing about my experiences in the evening. We had a number of options of places to visit, but we decided that Walden Pond was by far the best bet. It was the clearest and warmest day I had seen in Boston yet. It was a huge improvement over the weather of my first two days there.

Walden Pond is in Concord, which also boasts the site of the beginning of the American Revolution. The T does not reach that far, but Boston has a sprawling commuter rail system which does. Upon arriving in Concord, we had to walk half an hour before reaching the pond. This seemed appropriate. There was no sidewalk, so the walk was perhaps a bit dangerous.

Until we reached Walden Pond, I didn't realize how much I had missed nature. I'd been touring one urban area after another for the past month. Compact cities may be less environmentally damaging than country estates or suburbs, and I appreciate them for that. But cities are not where the soul is refreshed, not like in nature.

Walden Pond.

Walden Pond was bigger than I expected, a veritable lake by arid western standards. The site of Thoreau's cabin is marked with granite posts and brief descriptions. I stood inside the enclosed area and marvelled that Henry David Thoreau had stood there and undertaken an experiment I admittedly envy. Being alone to sort out one's thoughts is something everyone should do, whether at the cusp of the Industrial Revolution or amidst the tumult of the Information Age.


Bethany at the site of Thoreau's cabin.	Interior of a replica of the cabin. I remember seeing a documentary featuring this replica in American Studies class in 11th grade.

We returned to Concord with ample time before our train was scheduled to come. I got hit up by some environmental lobbyists, who only convinced me that I don't like lobbyists. Watching them might be entertaining, but interacting with them is not. We got back to Cambridge just in time for me to eat supper and load up my backpacks before embarking on the last stage of my Grand Tour of the East Coast.

Web links

Walden Pond State Reservation
Walden, by Henry David Thoreau - the complete text on Wikisource

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Assorted Boston sights

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The Road West