JFK's Boston, USA
Airing Date: Jun 2nd, 2003
Pick up any newspaper or best-seller chronicling the Kennedys and you'll learn about the payoffs, black market dealings, conspiracies, assassinations and extramarital affairs surrounding this family.
However, there was a time when the Kennedys lived a normal life out of the public eye, in a modest suburb of Boston. You can experience JFK's old days on your own JFK tour of Boston.
Before the Kennedy family became political and tabloid fodder, they lived in the quiet, tree-lined streets of Brookline.
Their home, full of memories and childhood toys, was later turned into a historical site and now sits among the modest homes of the neighborhood. You can grab a free walking map from tourist offices and check out all the spots from JFK's childhood days.
The next stop on the itinerary is the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, one of Boston's most dramatic architectural structures. The museum covers JFK's entire life, from the presidential election campaign right through to his assassination in 1963.
Another popular JFK hangout is the Omni Parker House Hotel. The hotel is filled with Kennedy history, including JFK's first public speech when he was 8 years old.
This fully restored luxurious and prestigious building stands alone as America's most historic hotel. The Omni Parker boasts 551 elegant guest rooms and 21 luxury suites decorated in old world dcor. It has a hotel registry of presidents, royalty, poets, philosophers, scientists, and diplomats from the past to the present.
No trip to Boston would be complete without a visit to America's oldest restaurant, the Union Oyster House. The restaurant boasts an amazing history dating back to 1826, and was JFK's favourite restaurant in the whole city. They have a booth tucked away upstairs where he could hang out all day without disturbances. Today, the public can hang out in JFK's Booth 18 and taste one of the 5000 oysters shucked on the premises each day.
The facts
Air New Zealand flies to Los Angeles. Prices start from $1906 from the east coast and the west coast from $2267.
Air New Zealand
Tel: 13 24 76
Connections on America West Airlines to Boston start at $445 return.
America West Airlines
Tel: 1300 364 757
Entry to the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum costs about $14 for adults and $6 for children. The library and museum are open from 9am to 5pm, daily.
John F. Kennedy Library and Museum
Tel: 0011 1 617 514 1600 (international)
Omni Parker House Hotel
Tel: 0011 1 617 227 8600 (international)
Union Oyster House
Tel: 0011 1 617 227 2750 (international)
Boston Visitors and Convention Bureau
