Day 15: Not a Duck, but a Swan

I'm Adam Sell and I have two months left before I leave Boston. My challenge? Do something in the city every day. Have ideas for my adventure? Send me an email.

Being from the Boston area, I was naturally indoctrinated in the Gospel According to Robert McCloskey in grade school. But when I drew up the plans for this project, somehow I neglected to include that little piece of nostalgia on my list. Thanks to the several folks who reminded me of the "other" boats with waterfowl titles.

Usually when I'm walking around by Park Street, I'll cut through the Common, but skip the Public Gardens entirely. Today's trip on the Swan Boats was a vivid reminder of why that's a mistake. The water underneath it may be only 24 inches deep, and the journey only a few minutes long, but it's a serene little slice of the city.

And speaking of Robert McCloskey, my friend and I walked the short distance from the Swan Boats to the statues commemorating the 1941 book. The two fixtures of the Gardens seem so intertwined that it's impossible to think of one and not the other. While my friend (who is not a Masshole by birth) listened to me prattle on about the book that engendered the figures, we caught a couple of young kids sitting down to draw the procession.

Yeah, that's really what it's all about.