Boston is the capital city of Massachusetts. Our base for the next four days was the Boston Plazza Hotel. The city covers an area 48 square miles with an estimated population of 667,137 in 2015, making it the largest city in New England and the 23rd most populous city in the United States. The city is the economic and cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Boston.

One of the oldest cities in the United States, Boston was founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by Puritan settlers from England. It was the scene of several key events of the American Revolution, such as the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston. Upon independence from Great Britain, the city continued to be an important port and manufacturing centre, as well as a centre for education and culture. Through land reclamation, Boston has expanded beyond the original peninsula. Its rich history makes it an attractive centre for tourists, with Faneuil Hall alone drawing over 20 million visitors per year. Some of Boston's many firsts include the United States' first public school, Boston Latin School founded in 1635 and the first subway system in 1897, and the first public park in 1634.