Jay and Aaron had to go to Boston for work to see New Balance, so Bea and I decided to tag along for vacation! We had two full days on our own to tour the city while the boys were at work, but did have the evenings and a full day over the weekend to share with them and show them around since by then we were pros in the big city :)
view from our room at the Lenox Hotel, right in the heart of downtown, a block away from the "Rodeo Drive" of Boston, Newbury Street...
the pics don't do it justice...such a fun, cute,
quaint place!
so nice out...we really did get lucky with the weather, it was supposed to be rainy and humid, but instead perfect!
surrounded by beautiful churches...felt like there was one at every corner
loved having meals outside...started our 6 hour walking adventure with a yummy breakfast
surrounded by beautiful churches...felt like there was one at every corner
loved having meals outside...started our 6 hour walking adventure with a yummy breakfast
lemon ricotta french toast...may have been my only non-seafood meal on the trip :)
crossing the Longfellow Bridge, on our way to Cambridge...
walked around Harvard Square and the campus...was so pretty!
memories of Gilmore Girls and Gossip Girl...hee!
took the subway back over...passed through Beacon Hill, the richest neighborhood in Boston...love the brownstones, was really feeling the history there :)
and seriously the only place that sells macarons and only on Thursdays :)
did you know Boston was the first place in the US to open a chocolate shop, first jelly bean shop too, lots of firsts here...learned that on the duck tour :)
Boston Public Gardens
back to Newbury street for lunch at Stephanie's for my first lobster roll of the trip, had one every day :) Had to compare and try different places...hee!
met up with the rest of the gang for the Red Sox Game
but first had to change into my new balances :) of course Jay ordered us some matching ones...they came just in time
Love Quincy Market...cute shops, restaurants/cafes
first thing that caught my eye...
the deep fried dough guy :) very memorable...I mean the seafood was great, but not like it tasted any different than some of the other seafood places on the west coast...this dough though was soft and so good, different from funnel cake, but just as good!
got the kids their gifts here and had my second lobster roll, the best of the 3 from Boston Chowda...I won't bore you and post all 3 lobster rolls :)
Duck Tour time...half land and half water tour, on the half truck, half boat vehicle that got it's name when they were used during WWII, code name was DUKW...most were made by women since most men were fighting in the war, so movement of when women started leaving the home to go to work
Duck Tour time...half land and half water tour, on the half truck, half boat vehicle that got it's name when they were used during WWII, code name was DUKW...most were made by women since most men were fighting in the war, so movement of when women started leaving the home to go to work
dinner at the highly recommended seafood chain, Legal Seafood...I'd say my favorite meal besides the dough :) the crab cake was really good
Of course by Saturday, our full day with the boys the weather turned to rainy, but luckily it was in and out that we still got to do what we had on the agenda...did you know that Sam Adams was a great, clever politician, but not a great brewer, they just used his name and the picture on the beer bottles is actually Paul Revere because he was more handsome?
free beer tasting, tried 3 different kinds
Freedom Trail, walking guided tour...the State House, the dome is made of real gold
cemetery where Paul Revere, Sam Adams were buried
with our tour guide from the 1800's
stopped at the North End, Little Italy for canolis at Mike's Pastry, not a huge canoli fan, but they were good, had every flavor you could think of...being there made us want to watch "The Town" again :)
on our tour we learned about the Omni Parker House, it's the oldest still operating hotel in the US, supposedly haunted, but more importantly where Boston Cream Pie was first created :)
so we went back for a little scare and pie!
prettiest Boston Cream Pie I've had, but not as sweet as I am used to but maybe that's how it was really supposed to be, it was really good
Great trip! The history, the people...I swear Bea and I kept saying, "Boston people are so nice"! They really are...people seeing us looking at our map would tell us where to go, the bus driver gave us a free ride and directions. Plus it was so nice to double date with the Triches! Bea and I are the same, want to be up and out all day not wasting time :)
View from the Hilton where we stayed the second half of the trip! We will be back...there's talks of making this an annual trip :)
and special thanks to the guy that made it all possible, New Balance rep Butch!
and special thanks to the guy that made it all possible, New Balance rep Butch!
