The city of Boston can be slightly overwhelming for visitors and residents alike. Towering buildings stretching high above envelop the serpentine streets below.

Boston’s Harborwalk provides an excellent escape from busy city life and a window into the past city and present splendor of an old American city. Numerous people choose to take this path less traveled by.

Looking back at the reflective glass on many of Boston’s high-rise buildings, the old city rises in front of the new. Looking down State Street from the Harborwalk along Long Wharf, viewers are provided with an unobstructed view of the Old Statehouse. One block down is Milk Street which connects Central Wharf to Downtown Boston. From the end of Milk Street, the spire of Old South Meeting House sticks out among other shiny, new buildings.

On Central wharf, behind the New England Aquarium, sits a portion of the Harborwalk that provides majestic views of Boston’s harbor. Sailboats float at anchor inside the harbor, ferries to Charlestown and the Harbor Islands drift by, and planes freshly in flight roar above like the sound of waves crashing against the rocky coast.

This serene, peaceful escape sits at the edge of a bustling, boisterous city and provides a place for the weary traveler to sit and collect their thoughts while taking in the true beauty of Boston.

Finding this slice of paradise is simple; leaving is whole lot more difficult. As you pass the sea lion tank in front of the aquarium, follow the ice-cream-stained brick pathway as it turns into a wooden dock, around the corner of the aquarium sits chairs and benches fastened to the pier.

Take a moment to sit and experience.

The sound of water flowing up against the dockside creates the illusion of sitting on a tropical island. Seagulls land in the water with a caw, a boat exits the harbor with a small toot of its horn.

The sun reflects colorfully off the water and beats down warmly on the faces of those seated along the wharf.

The salty, sea air fills the nostrils of any passerby and creates the feel of the beach.

It no longer feels like the middle of Boston.

Another plane soars overhead, full of adventurers embarking on a journey to an unknown destination. The jets pass so close you can clearly read the name of the airline on the side and get a perfect view of the logo on the tail. For aircraft enthusiasts alike, it’s a hidden gem in the city where planes can be viewed from an intimate angle.

On the opposite side of the airport, a line of lights across the sky become visibly, with each glowing, white dot growing larger by the second. The wings of a plane arriving in the city come into view just as another takes flight.

Looking to the left on Long Wharf, across the bay from the airport sits the Old Customs House. Before the days of flying contraptions and metal ships came old wooden ships crammed with immigrants from across the ocean optimistic for a fresh start.

Presumably, the first place they went was the Custom’s House. Before entering the big, gray building, a look out from the dock towards the ocean presented a different view than the one today albeit with the same effect.

Come, sit down behind the aquarium and take a gander into the great, blue beyond. Do you feel that sense of hopefulness? It’s similar to what immigrants felt centuries ago, and what those who stop for a moment feel now.

Peace.