Extensive cleanup efforts have significantly improved the water quality of the Charles River, making it a pleasant destination for watercraft activities. VisionsofAmerica/Joe Sohm/Getty Images
Close your eyes and think of Boston. What do you see? Probably lots of legendary things. Revolutionaries dumping tea into the harbor. Paul Revere on his midnight ride. Shamrocks. Larry Bird sinking a three-pointer. Matt Damon in “Good Will Hunting.” Dave Roberts in 2004, stealing second base in the bottom of the ninth at Fenway—the first spark in a big comeback that paved the way for the first Red Sox World Series win since 1918.
The Massachusetts capital, one of the most historic U.S. cities, is an undeniably iconic place. That makes it a challenge to visit in a single day. But we’ll do our very best, traveling through time and space, back through hundreds of years of history and across this surprisingly compact, walkable—and endlessly compelling—urban center.
Arrival
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport (BOS), usually referred to as just “Logan” by Bostonians, is the largest airport in New England. It’s also the busiest in the northeastern United States—if you don’t count the airports in New York City. BOS is serviced by all major North American carriers, which connect Boston to dozens of U.S. cities. It’s a secondary hub for Delta Air Lines and several international airlines, and nonstop flights land there from around the world. That includes Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Amsterdam; Paris; London; Tokyo; and Hong Kong.
