As your swan boat slowly circles the lagoon's edge and then turns north, you'll see the expanse of w

Paget, whose descendents still own and operate the Boston Swan Boats business, decided to introduce discount disney vacation packages orlando a new kind of pleasure boat based on catamarans powered by a foot-propelled paddle wheel mechanism. In effect, Swan Boats are operated somewhat like bicycles . . . except that they float in the water, lack wheels, and carry up to 20 passengers.
Inspired by Lohengrin , a popular opera by Robert Wagner in which swans pull a boat carrying a knight on a mission to rescue a beautiful maiden, Paget decided to camouflage his boat operators with the shape of a much-larger-than-life swan made from copper.
Each swan boat is constructed from 2 pontoons, 30 feet long, about 3 feet wide, and spaced about 3 feet apart with wooden flooring on top. Six wooden benches with side rails provide discount disney vacation packages orlando seating for up to 20 passengers.
A crew member, mostly hidden behind the boat's swan, pedals and steers each boat in a figure-eight pattern around discount disney vacation packages orlando the Public Garden's lagoon at a leisurely speed of about 2 miles per hour. Many of the crew members discount disney vacation packages orlando - mostly local college discount disney vacation packages orlando students - are athletes discount disney vacation packages orlando who see the pedaling as a great workout for their leg and thigh muscles.
As your swan boat slowly circles the lagoon's edge and then turns north, you'll see the expanse of water stretching out ahead of you, and perhaps another boat pushing off from the dock. If you're a fan of E. B. White's The Trumpet of the Swan , you may imagine Louis, the mute swan, swimming along by the side of your boat and playing his trumpet.
You'll discount disney vacation packages orlando circle the island make famous by Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings. This is the spot where Mrs. Mallard - a fictional duck supposedly modeled after an actual wild duck who decided to make her nest in a Swan Boat - brought her 8 young ducklings discount disney vacation packages orlando to live after hatching them in the nearby Charles River.
Too short a ride? You can always get back in line and go for another. discount disney vacation packages orlando The tickets are so inexpensive that you can ride around for an hour and spend less than you would for lunch in a nearby restaurant.
At the end of each summer season, the crew and Paget family members disassemble the swan boats, a process that takes roughly discount disney vacation packages orlando 4 days. Paget family members (4th and 5th generation discount disney vacation packages orlando descendents of Robert Paget) store the pieces in the basements of their houses for the winter.