FINALLY had a free moment to get this post together! Jon and I had such a great time in Boston. A city full of history, cannolis, lobsters and delightful people. I can’t wait until his next business trip out there so I can tag along. Like San Francisco, the weather was cold, foggy, and wet. But it’s not too bad as long as you’re dressed appropriately and I packed accordingly.
Our hotel room the first night was a little cramped though it was directly across Faneuil Hall so we had a great view. This was great for photo ops and people watching, but not a good environment to get any work done with the distracting loud school bands in the courtyard. We were upgraded to another room with no view but quieter, roomier, and with a fireplace! It was perfect. Thanks to the fantastic staff at the Millennium hotel, everything was hassle-free.
Thursday night I hosted a Clever Girls Collective dinner at the Union Oyster House with locals Jen of Losing the Shadow and Jessica of Don’t Mind The Mess. I had lobster ravioli that was to die for! Neat facts: The Union Oyster House is the oldest restaurant in the United States and it is said that the toothpick rose to popularity here. I sat in President John F. Kennedy’s favorite booth for a quick photo opp.
I spent Friday morning walking the Freedom Trail, a path through downtown Boston that takes you to 16 historical sites including the site of the Boston Massacre, the Paul Revere House, the Old State House, and the USS Constitution. The path is painted red so it’s really easy for tourists like myself to not get lost. If you’re into history and exercise AND you’re visiting Boston, I recommend you spend a day walking the trail. You see things you read about in the American history books right in front of you. The old cemeteries are pretty awesome, in a sort of morbid, historical way. In total, the trail is 2.5 miles long and starts in the Boston Common and ends at the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown.
While on my walk, I popped my head into shops and snapped pictures on my iPhone. I purchased our awesome Clever cat sitter Ngan a Boston tea towel and a box of tea (below) — she was such an awesome sitter. Love ya, Ngan!
Ngan's gifts from Boston
On my walk, I also stopped into Ten Thousand Villages, a nonprofit fair trade retailer of artisan-crafted items from more than 130+ artisan groups in 38 countries. I purchased fair trade coffee to bring home and a beautiful green rings necklace that was handcrafted in Colombia. You’ll see me wearing it in the picture below where I’m ready to let loose on a huge plate of crab legs and a lobster.
Later that afternoon, I met up with local Clever Girl Alana of The Good Girl Gone Blog. She showed me around town and we had lunch in the beautiful South End neighborhood. The South End would be my dream place to live, if I lived in Boston. Alana and I had a late lunch at The Buttery and I took a picture of the cutest lemon sunshine cupcakes. I opted for a salad and butternut squash soup instead. It hit the spot.
South End
North End
My birthday dinner was hands down THE BEST DINNER EVER. I mean, look at it:
We had dinner at Rabias, a seafood/Italian restaurant in Boston’s “Little Italy” neighborhood. We originally tried to eat at Neptune Oyster since it was recommended to us, but opted for the nearby restaurant that had seating available. After dinner, we walked around the neighborhood and I took a picture of the prettiest, cleanest laundry mat I had ever seen. The picture I took didn’t do it justice. So you’ll just have to imagine it for yourself.
Mike’s Pastry
You would think all that seafood would’ve filled me up completely, but I made room for a special treat. We stopped at Mike’s Pastry after dinner for dessert and I ordered an Oreo cannoli and Jon ordered a pistachio. Writing about this while on Atkins is torture. Pure torture.
Moving on!
Dunkin Donuts
There are Dunkin Donuts in Boston like there’s Starbucks in California: EVERYWHERE. The donut above was a limited edition Men In Black donut, the reason why it’s shaped like a star with those little awesome white star sprinkles. No wonder I needed to go on a diet once I got home.
On my birthday (Cinco de Mayo, woot woot!) we caught a game at Fenway Park with Jon’s co-worker and his girlfriend. They were so much fun to hang out with and they even gave us the lowdown on where to get the best tacos, polish sausages, and cheap beers.
Fenway Park
Our last day in Boston was spent walking more of the Freedom Trail while we waited for a table at North Street Grille. The two-hour wait was actually worth it. I ordered the “benedict in bed,” a first for me. Benedict in Bed is eggs B over over french toast. Can’t go wrong there. Add in a mimosa and you’ve got yourself a well-rounded breakfast/lunch. We even had a special guest at bunch: my coworker Kristy‘s lovely sister came and met us for lunch before we headed back to the hotel to pack up and head to the airport.
We did a lot while we were in town, but there’s still more to cross off my list. Boston, I’m not done with you yet.
Things to do next time:
- get a drink at the Top Of The Hub restaurant at the top of the Prudential (and experience the view!)
- go into Charlestown
- shop at the SOWA Open Market
- do the duck tour
- try a Modern Pastry cannolis
- finish walking the entire Freedom Trail
- picnic at the Public Garden park
- jog through the city
More Pictures
Paul Revere statue and a beautiful flower box.
Brick everywhere! Love it!
