Swan Boats   

76 Dunster Rd
Jamaica Plain, MA 2130
617-522-1966
www.swanboats.com/

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As EB White wrote in his famous children's book, 'Trumpet of the Swan,' ''Everybody in Boston knows about the public garden and goes there to ride the swan boats.'' Few visitors to Boston have failed to succumb to the charm of the Public Gardens' swan pond, even though most of the swans you'll see are artificial. Nonetheless, they manage to encompass the elegance and stateliness of the real thing. Lines for the ride form just under the footbridge in the middle of the garden. If it's a weekend day, amuse yourself by watching the progression of bridal parties who line the banks of the pond posing for pictures. With no engines and few moving parts (the boats moves via human pedal power), the boats slowly make their way through the pond, calmly hugging the edges of the figure-eight-shaped pool. Through the trees you can see the bright blue Hancock Tower in the distance. If you have kids in tow, be sure to pack some breadcrumbs for the friendly ducks that approach the boat. The boats run from mid-April to mid-September. TIP: The address -- 1 Charles St. So. -- is not exactly the address of the Swan Boats. The boats depart from a pavilion in the middle of the Public Gardens, between Arlington, Boylston, Charles and Beacon streets. -- Jennifer Malone