Phlip Dover, Seattle Duck tour guide, directs a tour of the city's more celebrated sights from the Duck, one of the country's most embarrassing vehicles. But hey, you're on vacation. (© John Gaffen/Alamy)
A Day in Seattle:
If you're going to be a fake tourist in your own city, you can't be too cool for school. And that means getting on a tour bus. In Seattle, there's perhaps no vehicle more embarrassing to be seen on than the Duck, a bus that can traverse both land and sea. (In case you missed it, it looks like a boat on wheels and it has a giant sign that says "Ride the Duck" painted on the side.) Don some sunglasses and a hat, and hope nobody you know sees you as you get taken for a ride through the city.
As it is for New Yorkers who never visit the Empire State Building, it's possible for Seattle residents to lose sight of the iconic Space Needle. Don't go there. Go there. (© Mark Windom/Getty Images)
You'll see all the major tourist sights in one fell swoop, including the Space Needle, built for the 1962 World's Fair, and Pike Place Market. You'll cruise into Lake Union and get a glimpse of Gas Works Park, which contains the remnants of the Seattle Gas Light Co.'s gasification plant, and you'll see the "Sleepless in Seattle" houseboat where Tom Hanks' character lived.
Still not satisfied? Visit the Fremont Troll in Fremont, one of the city's more bizarre landmarks; created in 1990 by four local artists, he sits under the Aurora Bridge, readily available for all photo ops.
A Day in Boston: Founded in 1630, Boston is one of the oldest cities in the country. As such, it has a bounty of beautiful architecture from the 1700s. Indeed, the nation's first public library, the Boston Public Library, is there. Walking the three-mile long Freedom Trail is not likely something most Bostonians do on their days off, but the stroll will take you down a historical memory lane.
In Boston, Faneuil Hall may be one of those historical sites you've managed to forget. Your in-town vacation is the perfect opportunity. (© Hisham Ibrahim/Getty Images)
Its 16 historical sites include the site of the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere's house and Faneuil Hall, built in 1742 as a gift to the city by merchant Peter Faneuil and the site of many historical political speeches. When you're done, hang out in the Emerald Necklace, a series of parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York. While the historic Boston Commons consists of mostly pastoral open lands designed for walking longer distances, the Boston Public Garden is a botanical garden, filled with flowers and trees and nooks and crannies.
The obelisk of the Bunker Hill monument and the Freedom Trail (© Adam Eastland/Getty Images)
When you're done, you'll no doubt need a beer. For that, you could go to where everybody knows your name: Cheers, originally the Bull & Finch Pub, which was used for exterior shots in the TV show "Cheers." Well, you could skip going inside and get a beer at any of Boston's legendary drinking establishments, but do take a picture with the well-known sign outside. Yes, it's a tourist trap, but you're being a tourist, remember?
Tricia Romano is a frequent contributor to MSN Local Edition.
