Ames Hotel






Ames Hotel, Boston,Mass

  We decided  to take advantage of a relatively pleasant afternoon and visit the Ames Hotel. It was built for offices of the famed Ames Tool company ,who made their initial fortune by coming up with a top notch shovel,just at the beginning of industialization and the expansion west of the United States and right around the Civil War..Only the outside bears any resemblance to it's origins,as it is now a ultra modern boutique hotel inside. I did get an Ames hat,though maybe $20.00 was a bit much for it.



detail of the Ames Building

For those of you who don't know, my maiden name was Ames. These Ames however were another Ames branch,although there is some speculation they may be cousins.My ancestors originated in Framingham and I hope to visit there tomorrow.

One of the period dressed tour guides that you see around the city

We decided to take a stroll down state street and I am including some more beautiful Boston pictures.



the Customs House...until this was built ,the Ames house,built in 1898, was considered the tallest skyscraper in Boston



A park was created in the spot where an elevated road way went through Boston. This roadway was replaced by The Big Dig, a tunnel and a source of great pride and accomplishment for Bostonians. The pillars light up in multi changing colors similar to the columns in LAX

another view of the park

Beautiful Boston From A Bus



walking to the bus tour,a lot of walking in this city,..reminds me of my early years in New York City

 One of the most picturesque and beautiful cities I've seen is Boston. I'm straying a bit from thrift store finds but there certainly is nothing more Victoriana than Boston.The weather is clear but the temp is mega cold,at least for us Angelinos and Hawaiians(daughter and son-in-law just settled here from beautiful Hawaii)... so we opted to take the hop on hop off Trolley Tours, only we hopped on and didn't hop off.
WE really saw more than my pictures indicate but these are my best photos.
 ps, my son inlaw and grandson

Mast of USS Constitution..would like to visit it sometime

 
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Beautiful new bridge Bunker Hill Bridge  The towers are designed to represent the tower of Bunker Hill




another view of Bunker Hill Bridge

 





remember Cheers?






Can't resist those magnificent victorian brownstone mansions!

 
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Trinity Church







covered walkway joining 2 shopping centers,a necessity given the inclement weather,nevertheles a beautiful necessity



Well we did hop off one time for a visit to the "necessary room" as the victorians would call it. Of course it was a shopping center...here we are walking across the beautiful glass covered walkway described earlier



Here it is Randy,Fenway Park,Can I make you really jealous, my son-in-law's work provides a box seat for it's employees



Fenway Park!!!!!



 



MIT Arts Building

 

The Charles River and heading home

decided to add this not so good picture of ultra modern architecture at MIT




Oh well, one more picture of a Victorian facade



My Daughter, the Pioneer Woman,or a New Respect For City Dwellers

Day 2 in Boston.... The skies are gray,rain is pouring and winds are blowing. Baby is sick. Daughter must go to Cvs for prescription.Being the protective mother,I offered to go along ...to HELP.Ready set go! My daughter bundles baby,bundles herself and slips baby into a cocoon  like plastic covering over the stroller and patiently waits while I'm still bundling up and taking my arthritis pills.
Blastt Off !!down the elevator into the cold blustering rainy atmosphere. Daughter with stroller in tow half  a block ahead of me as I hobble along really making my best effort  to maintain some semblance of decorum and keep up.
Finally making it to the train, I am trembling in complete horror,envisioning the stoller being swallowed up in the CHASM between the platform and the train. As my eyes are closed in horror ,daughter whips that buggy across the chasm with such expertise that I have to admit myself that she is just amazing.
In trying to make at least one heroic motion, I decided to pay for the fare. In my authoritative mother voice ,I asked the porter person(she was a woman) ,how much is the fare. In a somewhat snide remark she answered "It would help to know to where.
We barely dragged ourselves on to the train and it was time to drag ouselves off. Out we go again into the cold ,blustery,wet, hostile weather...only to arrive at the pahrmacy to learn that the prescription needs to be approved before it can be filled.(shades of Obama Care???)
With a rerun of our earlier experience we finally made it home. My daughter asked me what would I like to do now(being the perfect hostess and making an effort to entertain).My answer.. nothing I just want to sit down and blow my nose!