Boston Duck Tour - it'll quack you up!
Written: Sep 18 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fun, educational
Cons: It ended too fast
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| bceaglesfan's Full Review: Boston |
Review Topic: Sights & Attractions
I took a ride on an amphibious Duck yesterday through the streets of Boston and into the Charles River. I'm a Boston native so I can provide a non-tourist perspective to you.
The cost -
Adults pay $21.00;
Students, seniors and military pay $18.00;
Children 4 to 12 pay $11.00;
Children 3 and under pay $.25.
The Vehicles -
You will ride in an amphibious DUCK, an authentic World War II landing vehicle used in the invasions of Normandy and Sicily. This fact gave me a tremendous sense of pride in the ingenuity of our industries during the war, in the men and women who assembled these and of course in the brave sailors and soldiers who rode these into the coasts. I don't know how many of these Ducks are in the Ducktour fleet but I saw at least eight in our travels.
The Drivers -
These tours are often only as good as the driver. Our driver - "Quackadile Dundee" - had a pleasant personality, a good knowledge of the City and was enthusiastic about his job. He had the group of us shamelessly 'quacking' at the pedestrians and at the other Ducks.
The Preparation -
The Duck holds 32 passengers. You may need to buy tickets some time in advance but it must be on the same day that you plan to ride. The Ducks run 7 days per week from April 5 through November 28, leaving every half hour from 9 a.m. to approximately 1/2 hour before sunset.
The Tour -
You board at the Prudential Center in Copley Square. You can park in a garage beneath the Prudential or you can take public transportation. The ride lasts about 80 minutes, depending on auto and pedestrian traffic.
You are taken through most of downtown Boston. You will see the Boston Public Garden, the Boston Common, the State House. You will pass through Government Center. The highlight of the trip is when you enter the Charles River - splash! You get a fantastic view of the city skyline from here. After a lap around the river, you're back on dry land. You'll see the Big Dig, the Bunker Hill monument, the U.S.S. Constitution. You'll pass through the Italian North End, Quincy Market, down fashionable Newbury Street and back to the Prudential. You pass right by some of attractions while others are viewed from a considerable distance. The driver narrates throughout the journey.
My only complaint is that you can't get off the Duck and explore. The Duck never stops moving - unless stuck in traffic. So you get a glimpse of a lot of places but no real feeling for them. I do understand that it would be a totally different tour if it had stops and there are probably those types in Boston, as well.
I do recommend this experience, especially for tourists who might not have much time to enjoy Boston.
Thanks for reading.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
bceaglesfan
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Member: Mike S
Location: 25 miles Northwest of Boston
Reviews written: 25
Trusted by: 108 members
About Me:
Enjoy epinions, family, friends, not in that order, ok maybe in that order.
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