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Sailing the Streets of Boston with a Pirate

At Griffin's Wharf, the site of the Boston Tea Party, Captain Nick demonstrates to the kids on the Pirate Tour how a revolver from the 1700s works.

It's a sunny July afternoon in Boston's historic Quincy Market. Vendors are entertaining passers-by with their unusual wares (a purse made entirely of zippers! a skirt-dress that you can wear ten different ways!), the scent of clam chowder wafts from a nearby seafood restaurant, and nearby stores like Abercrombie & Fitch and The Loft are advertising their midsummer sales.

Standing in the middle of it all, attracting curious glances from strolling shoppers and hungry tourists, is a pirate — a real one — from the top of his tricorn hat and his dark blue doublet, down to his brown breeches and knee-high leather boots. A don't-mess-with-me sword, pistol and axe are slung around his large belt, completing the costume.

And he's yelling my name, right in the middle of Quincy Market. Hollering, actually, with a few pirate cusses thrown in for good measure.

"Kristin! Ye scurvy dog, where are ye? KRISTIN!"

Okay, so I am running late, having dashed away at the last minute to raid an ATM. Apparently Captain Nick, who's about to start the Pirates and Patriots Tour of Boston's Freedom Trail , doesn't take kindly to stragglers, as he informs me when I breathlessly arrive.

"Ye be on my Bad List," he growls (jokingly, I hope), to the immense amusement of my kids and the other folks on the tour, then turns and leads the way toward Faneuil Hall. My kids are giggling madly ("Mom! you're a scurvy dog!") as we trail behind our new 18th-century friend. The Pirate Tour has begun.

For the next two hours, our group follows Captain Nick from one waterfront location to the next, listening to his tales of Revolutionary-era patriots: Sam Adams and the founding of the Sons of Liberty; John Hancock, the wealthy merchant who outwitted British customs agents; Massachusetts Spy publisher Isaiah Thomas, who was betrayed by his unfaithful wife and farmer-turned-British spy Benjamin Thompson. One amusing story came when we visited the former offices of Ebenezer Hancock, the younger (and vastly poorer) brother of John, who was also the stingy comptroller of the Revolution's funds. He was so infamous for his “skinflintery” that he became the inspiration for Charles Dickens' character Ebenezer Scrooge.

Boston's historic Faneuil Hall, also known as "the Cradle of Liberty," where Sam Adams and other Sons of Liberty gave speeches urging American colonists to separate from England.

And then there were the pirates. At Faneuil Hall, Nick begins the tale of the unfortunate Captain Kidd, betrayed by the governor who employed him and hung at the Tower of London, who had buried his treasure in hidden spots around New England, including (as the stories go) on the island now covered over by Boston's airport. Then we learned of John Foster Williams, a privateer (government-sanctioned pirate) contracted during the Revolution by George Washington himself to attack and plunder British ships. Williams was caught and escaped from the British three separate times, including a daring escape from the Tower of London "that would've made Jack Sparrow proud," according to Captain Nick. Williams went on to become the first commandant of the Coast Guard. Among the many other pirate tales Nick told, one of my favorites was the story of Black Sam Bellamy, the "Robin Hood" of pirates, and his beautiful love Maria Hallet. Maria watched in agony as Black Sam's ship, the Wydah, wrecked just off the Massachusetts coast in a Nor'easter as he was finally heading home to her after years of separation.

And, perhaps best of all from my "let's hope the kids learn a thing or two" ulterior motives, we visited the historical sites. On a busy city street, Captain Nick tells us in his pirate brogue that we are standing at the location of the Boston Massacre, then goes on to explain how it went down (turns out it started with some American sailor vs. British soldier hostility). Our tour concludes by visiting Griffin's Wharf, the site of the Tea Party, where Nick retells the story of how the tea was dumped into the harbor in a way that no history book could ever match.

I don't know whether I ever made it off Captain Nick's Bad List. Then again, as my kids and I followed him from site to site, story to story, listening in complete captivation and relishing every detail, I'd like to think maybe I redeemed myself a little. Which is a good thing, since it turns out that his sword was real.

Public tours are offered daily at 12:30 p.m. from the ArtsBoston/Bostix Booth at Faneuil Hall. For information or tickets, visit www.freedom.org or call 617.357.8300. Tickets available online here.

The Disneyland Resort with school-aged kids: What not to miss (by age)

This blog post was originally published on Trekaroo, a website dedicated to everyday travel with kids, where you can read reviews and travel tips, connect with other traveling parents, and more. The author, Amy Whitley, is the founding editor of Pit Stops for Kids, a family travel resource. She writes for a number of print and online travel publications, and is a family travel expert at Best Family Travel Advice.

Southern California is one of the theme park capitals of the world, and for families trying to do it all (or all it’s possible to squeeze in before dropping in exhaustion), at least three to five days in the area is ideal. To stretch your vacation dollar, I recommend CityPASS for your theme park ticking needs: their all-inclusive Southern California passes include one day admission to Universal Studios Hollywood and SeaWorld, one day admission at either the San Diego Zoo or Safari Park (formerly known as the Wild Animal Park), and three-day park hopper admission to Disneyland Resort. Can you get to it all? If you plan your vacation around your three days at Disney (centrally located in Anaheim), the answer may be yes. And most certainly you’ll get your money’s worth. more ->

City Tours With a Twist

Sure, you love your car – but maybe it deserves some R & R, just like you do. Leave it in the parking garage at the hotel, and take advantage of the futuristic, whimsical and earth-friendly touring options found in CityPASS locales. You can sign up for a Segway tour and zip through town on your self-balancing, battery-powered personal transportation device, or climb aboard a “Duck” modeled after the World War II amphibious vehicles for a guided land and sea adventure. If you prefer a self-powered mode of travel, bike tours let you get around without straining your wallet or the environment.

Photo Credit: anothersideoflosangelestours.com

If you believe the song by the Missing Persons, you don’t want to get caught walking in L.A. On a Segway tour of this ultra-chic town, you can enjoy a ground-level experience without the embarrassment of missing wheels. On the Hollywood route with Another Side of Los Angeles Tours, you'll cruise along Sunset Boulevard on a human transporter at a cool 6 to 12 miles per hour, giving you plenty of time to star gaze.

Though big-city Houston isn’t exactly known for its outdoor recreation opportunities, Houston Segway Tours makes the most of nearby open space to provide rejuvenating respite from this city of 4 million people. In Harris County northwest of downtown, you can take a two-wheeled “hike” on the nature trails of Burroughs Park. A different trip takes you to nearby Galveston Island, where you can roll along the seawall and ogle historic mansions at sunset.

On the west coast, San Francisco Electric Tour Company’s newest Segway route invites experienced riders to conquer ultra-steep Russian Hill and challenge themselves on Lombard, the world’s most crooked street. But if extreme scooting doesn’t suit you, you can check out the more-level-but-still-thrilling tours of the waterfront and Golden Gate Park instead.

Any city with a big body of water probably has some type of amphibious landing craft tour. These boat/bus hybrids, affectionately dubbed “ducks,” are modeled after the WW II landing craft used to storm beaches. The modern interpretations navigate crowded streets in wacky style but also cruise the waterways, giving passengers an alternative view of the cityscape. Boston Duck Tours depart from the Museum of Science, Prudential Center and the New England Aquarium, passing points of interest such as the State House, Bunker Hill and Boston Common before splashing into the Charles River. The narrated tours last for 60 to 80 minutes, with about 20 minutes on the water.

Ride the Ducks Philadelphia tours start across from the Liberty Bell and pass by significant landmarks from early U.S. history, including Independence Hall, Betsy Ross’s house, Ben Franklin’s grave and the Philadelphia Mint. This 70-minute excursion finishes with a cruise on the Delaware River, in keeping with George Washington’s famous crossing.

Across the country, Ride the Ducks Seattle tours explore the waterfront, Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square before wheeling right into Lake Union for an afternoon party afloat. Coast Guard-certified captains also pass an unofficial hilarity screening, keeping guests entertained with their spirited discourse on Seattle history.

Photo Credit: Bicycle Tours of Atlanta

No need to worry whether you’ll return from this three-hour tour. Gilligan is nowhere to be seen on the guided Heart of the City Tour with Bicycle Tours of Atlanta. But you will explore 10 miles of Atlanta’s historic neighborhoods on a trek highlighting events in the city’s return to glory following the Civil War. The Progressive Dinner Tour offers a more modern look at Atlanta through the city’s varied cuisine. Better yet, you can indulge your taste buds with a five-course meal and work off the extra calories all in one package. Each pre-scheduled trip includes stops at two restaurants, and the inclusive price covers bike and helmet rentals, food, wine and restaurant tips.

In the Windy City, you’ll want to keep the breeze behind you and use it to your advantage. You can bike along the famed Lake Shore Drive on an 8-mile tour of Chicago’s Lake Michigan waterfront with Bike and Roll Chicago. Or cruise past some of Barack Obama’s favorite Chicago spots, including his home and the site of his first kiss with Michelle, on the Presidential Tour of Historic Hyde Park & Kenwood.

With Toronto Bicycle Tours, you can explore the Lake Ontario waterfront, or cruise through some of Toronto’s downtown parks and neighborhoods.

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