Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Summer Nights Tour and Charles River Cruise by Old Town Trolley

charles river cruise

The New Charles River Dam will remain; the tides will never flow into the city. But upriver, if the dams go down, the old Charles will spring back. The river will meander free as it did long ago, and the change, I’d argue, could prove to be a tonic for Greater Boston. It would connect the region to nature and give us a bit of the old Charles River. As I continued my voyage, I neared two major dams, and there was no way I was going to paddle them. The first, the Silk Mill Dam in Newton, boasts a roaring 15-foot-high waterfall.

FEATURED CRUISES

Charles River Boat Company offers daily sightseeing tours, sunset and cocktail cruises, plus an architectural tour on the Charles River. Enjoy a relaxing cruise as their crew points out the historic sights of Boston and Cambridge. View Beacon Hill, Esplanade Park, Back Bay, Boston University, MIT, and Harvard while cruising past countless sailboats and rowers. Charles I is a custom designed 75’ classic riverboat perfect for cruising The Charles River and Boston’s inner harbor.

Group Sunset Cruises

Bring your group onboard for a 90-minute cruise while taking in the spectacular scenery of Boston and Cambridge from the serene waters of the Charles River. With cocktail music in the background and a refreshing drink in your hand from our full-service bar, you will watch the sun set majestically over the city of Cambridge. The tour focuses on the historic and contemporary architecture that can be seen from Boston Harbor. Taking a cruise on the Charles River is a great way to experience Boston.

What's included

Although this tour is called the "One Hour", it actually lasts about 70 minutes. Multiple departures from Lechmere Canal Park are available daily. The Marriot's Custom House is an all-suite hotel that overlooks Boston Harbor. The waterfront resort is located inside the Custom House Tower - a 32-story skyscraper that was built in 1915. And on the Boston side of the Charles River, there are some of the famous landmarks across the city's skyline.

Columbia and Snake Rivers

charles river cruise

I dropped my paddle so I could use both arms to pry myself up onto the log. Pressed by the current, my legs were dead weights—1,000-pound rocks I had to lift skyward. Still, I managed to wrench my way up to safety on top of the log. Then I watched in horror as my paddle floated downstream, and I asked myself why I’d been stupid enough to embark on this solo seat-of-the-pants Charles River expedition. The Charles began taking a new course in 1634, when entrepreneur Thomas Mayhew erected a small stone dam in Watertown to power a grist mill, making the river one of the first in the country to be dammed. Over the centuries that followed, many more dams went up on the Charles to drive corn mills and sawmills and, later, to power textile mills.

A guided riverboat tour allows you to see the many historical and cultural sites that line the river. Some of these sites are rather significant in terms of Boston's history, and others are newer additions that have helped to create the city's landscape that exists today. At least, I thought, I could still salvage my half-submerged kayak.

All privately chartered events offer a full service premium bar and a variety of catering options. Our riverboats are ideal for a traditional New England Clambake Dinner or an elegant Sunset Cocktail Cruise. Guests will experience unique, memorable views of the Boston skyline from the observation decks onboard the Charles I.

Moments after I climbed into my kayak, in the day’s first light, I saw a large-antlered deer swimming in the river right in front of me. Deer are abundant in suburbia, certainly, but I felt lucky to be communing with this one on such a lovely morning. I could just as easily have been inside, staring at a screen, or stuck in one of the traffic jams gathering on the highways nearby.

charles river cruise

Reserve your 7+ day vacation today with reduced deposit per person. Only applicable when you book a club balcony suite or below. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age.

Video: Canoeing on the Charles BU Today - Boston University

Video: Canoeing on the Charles BU Today.

Posted: Fri, 09 Sep 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Your riverboat tour guide will be pointing out sites in both cities. Drinks and snacks are available for purchase onboard the Charles River Boat. At the end of the river cruise, you will return to the Cambridgeside Mall to board your trolley for the return journey back across the river into Boston. Still, I paddled on, heading toward the fully breached Bemis Dam, which has Class 1 rapids after it.

Lunch includes an entrée, a piece of cheesecake, and a non-alcoholic beverage. Tour and restaurant are based out of the CambridgeSide Mall. One of America’s most historically rich cities, the story of our nation is evident on nearly every corner in Boston. Officially founded in 1630 by English Puritans who fled to the new land to pursue religious freedom, Boston is considered to be the birthplace of the American Revolution—and with good reason. It was here that the Sons of Liberty, led by Samuel Adams, inspired colonists to fight for their freedom against the domination of British rule.

Charles River Sunset Cruises depart from Lechmere Canal Park at CambridgeSide. The ticket booth and boat departure are located outside the doors by the food court. Lauri Wakefield is a travel writer who specializes in  river cruises in Europe and the U.S.

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