Part 2: Bunker Hill & Cheers

11/2/2017

After starting the day off exploring the Charlestown Navy Yard, I drove down the road to the Bunker Hill Monument, which is located on the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill, one of the early battles of the American Revolution.

One of the unique features of the monument is that you can entire the tower, and climb a spiral staircase up to the top. It is free to climb, but getting to the top is not as easy as it sounds as there are 294 steps to the top.

Once you get there and take a few moments to catch your breath, there are a few windows that offer some incredible views of Boston, including the city center, and the previously visited Charlestown Navy Yard. It certainly helps to justify the effort to get to the top.

Upon returning to ground level, just on the other side of the hill is the Bunker Hill Museum. The museum helps to showcase the battle that took place on the hill, and features miniature replicas that help show what the layout of the area was like at the time of the battle. It also helps to emphasize just how much Boston had changed since that time, especially as much of the area around the hill has since been developed.

They also feature a collection of artifacts from the battle, of which included weapons, artillery, and the coolest of all, one of the drums used during the battle.

And of course, like any good museum, you have a large selection of items to choose from in the souvenir shop, including bobble heads, hats, stuffed animals and historic personalities.

From Bunker Hill, I made my way into the core of town for a quick lunch stop before heading North for the trip’s first coaster riding, and on a suggestion from a former colleague who used to live in the Boston area, I went to the old Bull & Finch Pub. This was the bar for which the show Cheers was based off of, and has now become the Cheers bar.

The bar and restaurant is comprised of two floors of dining space, and throughout the place there are several portraits featuring the show’s cast. There also is a gift shop located upstairs.

Where I would dine was at the Set Bar, a section of the restaurant that serves as a sort of replica of the bar which the show was based on. While not exactly like the set from the show, it was neat that on the bar itself were little tags with the names of the characters with their respective spots they frequented during their visits on the show. Of course, being from Seattle I had to take the seat of one Frasier Crane.

The menu features many items you would find at an American style restaurant, with the sections and items named for the different characters. Items such as Burgers, sandwiches, fish and chips, and so on. You can also purchase the mug your beer is served in as a souvenir if you so choose. For my meal, I went with a trusty old Blue Moon, and Carla’s Meatball Sub. While the meatballs were hearty and filling, the marinara sauce they used seemed to lack a bit of flavor. While it is possible that they could have used a lighter amount of it, I have to admit that it wasn’t something that I would write home about. Perhaps on a future visit if I return I’ll give another one of the items a try, but I sense that this is a restaurant that you go to more for nostalgia of the show.

And with that, it was time to hit the road for some coasters! Next, we head up North for a quick stop in New Hampshire for a shameless credit, then to one of the longest running fairs in the country for a few more.

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Part 2: Bunker Hill & Cheers - October 5, 2017