"Snoop dog"...Quack

Have you ever been to Boston, Massachusetts? Last weekend I had the opportunity and pleasure to travel with the middle school concert and jazz bands to this beautiful place. Of course, our goal wasn’t to enjoy the clean streets and sidewalks but to compete in a few band competitions but since we were missing school, we needed some educational tours and visitations.

All one-hundred thirty-six of us enjoyed the aquarium, IMAX, Math and Science Museum, and Quincy Market yet the time spent on the duck boat with Captain Ray Beez was the most memorable. They might have won the trophy for most disciplined band at the competition but while on the boat with our captain, they were a little quaked up.

Our duck boat captain, Ray Beez not only knew his Boston history, he understood seventh and eighth graders AND the curriculum they study in school. Wow! I still struggle but our captain did it while driving a duck boat. Amazing to say the least. Our kiddos did not want to get off the boat because they wanted to go again.

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Our duck boat stopped in the middle of busy intersections, slowed in front of historical sites, and raised a ruckus across town and into the harbor. Captain Ray Beez made sure our group had the opportunity to snap pictures of the United States history they learned in school. He also shared tidbits of facts you might read in a “101 Things you Might not know about Boston…BUT SHOULD” book.

Some of you who are much smarter than I probably already figured our tour was going into the water. I was not prepared. I just thought it was a clever name for the tour company, with tour busses that “looked” like a duck boat. Yikes, no such luck. For those of you who do not know, I am not a boat person. I prefer the land, lol. Anyway, once in the harbor Captain Ray Beez lost complete faculties and let the middle schoolers, and even a toddler drive the boat!

Each person who drove the boat was given a sticker, well on the other tour boats they were. Our boat was special and Ray Beez wins the prize for sticker design and a good time. As our kiddos, and one chaperone, drove the boat he continued to tell us the history of Boston while creating masks our of stickers on the driver’s face. It was hysterical. As if his jokes and silly facts did not have us laughing enough, the sticker art sealed the deal.

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The sticker read, “I drove the duck boat.” With the tour company’s name on it. I did not drive but Mags did. I have posted her before and after photos so you can see Captain Beez’s work of art. When we returned to the “dock” and regrouped with the other Mexico students and chaperones, the laughter erupted again. All the kids wished they were on our tour boat. So much fun!

Thank you Captain Ray Beez and the Boston Duck Tours for an informative and fun time last weekend. The Mexico Academy and Central School Middle School bands appreciated your patience to wait while we found our way and especially for the tour guides who brought history alive for our kids. And to Captain Ray Beez, you are one cool cat, keep it up!

Planning to go to Boston? To schedule a duck tour:

www.BostonDuckTours.com or (617)267-3825

*I do not receive any profit or promotion for this email. It is simply a gift to our Captain for making our duck boat tour the highlight of our group's trip.*