Boston Sunday
Despite tired legs from walking all around Cambridge yesterday, Andrew and I headed off on foot this morning across the Charles River and into Boston. Our first goal was Quincy Market, and from there we went to the New England Aquarium.
At the aquarium we decided to take in an IMAX show, too Sharks 3D. I’ve been going to IMAX shows since I was in third grade. My family bought and maintained a membership to the Minnesota Science Museum from that time, so that we saw every IMAX film that came through the museum. Twenty years ago, IMAX films were few (at one time, our museum had already shown something like 20 of the available 25 films). Even 10 years ago, there weren’t that many IMAX films, and they were still generally educational. Sure, the filmmakers would use the unique medium to its fullest – zooming in on a landscape, following beavers through a lake into their den but the films largely told a documentary-like story. What I’ve noticed lately, though, is that the IMAX films, while still marginally educational, focus more on just showing pretty pictures than on telling a good, consistent story. Sharks exemplifies this new trend. We got lots of cool footage of sharks, as a friendly sea turtle gave a tour of his neighbors. The turtle started out by telling us that he wanted to show us that sharks aren’t just mindless killers in the sea, but then when we saw the footage of the great white shark the music might as well have been the Emperor’s theme from Star Wars.
< getting off the soapbox >
From the aquarium, we grabbed a quick lunch at Qunicy Market, and then walked to the old City Hall and meandered through two of the old burying grounds.
Another tiring day with lots and lots of walking, but also a lot of fun.
By the way, be sure to check out Andrew’s pictures, too Andrew’s Cambridge/Boston Flickr Set