MOANing Leg 2--Boston, MA

Well, we made it to Boston! I didn't think we were going to pull it off, but we managed to do 230 miles this week. And since Port Henry is only 199 miles from Boston, we've got a head start on next week. This is an incredible feat since our group is starting to shrink. I think the bad breath and foot odor finally got the best of some MOANers and they bailed for more pleasant smelling companionship. Hopefully, they didn't get lost in the wilderness (a la Blair Witch Project) and will meet up with us in Boston.

I can't imagine why they wouldn't want to come to Boston, or Beantown (does anyone actually refer to Boston in this manner?). In case you're sitting, scratching your head and asking "why is Boston called Beantown?", here's the explanation: At one time, Boston's port was once filled with ships bringing in sugar and molasses from the West Indies. When some clever Bostonian got the idea of cooking beans and molasses together, a new culinary masterpiece was created - Boston Baked Beans, which quickly became a favorite dish of the locals.

So now that you know the origin of Beantown, here's some more information. Not only is it home to the lovely Honeylioness and native home to Red_Wagon, it's rich with history. Boston has produced some of the greatest moments in American history--the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere's ride, the Red Sox historic 2004 World Series Win and on, January 15, 1919 a tank burst open in Boston's north end and flooded the streets (a two story high wall of molasses moved 25 mph and killed 21 in a slow, sticky fashion).

In addition to the number of historic moments, Boston and the surrounding areas are also credited with a number of the country's first: telephone demonstration, public park (Boston Common), lighthouse, regularly published newspaper (The Boston News-Letter), subway system, major university (Harvard), and the very first Dunkin Donuts. Oh, and the birth control pill was developed nearby at Clark University. (Thank G-d for these inventions. Without them, we'd be uninformed, cranky, bored, and pregnant. If I didn't love Boston before, I sure do now!)

The volume of artistic talent to come out of Boston and surrounding areas is incredibly high. Some of the most notable: Matt Damon, Dane Cook, Mark Wahlberg, Aerosmith, Denis Leary, Barbara Walters, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Jack Kerouac, Alexander Graham Bell, and Samuel Adams. Not to mention the Kennedys, Emily Dickinson, and Robert Frost. Tons of movies take place in Boston including: Legally Blonde, Mystic River, Good Will Hunting, the Departed, Fever Pitch and 21. Oh, and it's also home to John Krasinski, the man who brought the wonderful, amazing, Jim Halpert to life.

Let's grab some Boston Creme Pie, some Samuel Adams beer (or some cranberry juice for our nondrinkers), and curl up with a Boston Terrier. This leg isn't too long, but our next destination will be exhausting. We neeed to MOAN really hard in order to get to...New York City!!!