"One if by land, two if by sea..." Boston, MA

The problem with vacation days is that they are so limiting! Luckily long weekends come around every now and then to make a trip possible without using those precious vaca days. This labor day weekend, my husband Adam and I decided to take a long weekend trip to Boston!

"Why Boston?" you might ask.. 

1. For starters, Boston in September has amazing weather! Sunny skies with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Such a difference from the 90s we've been dealing with down here in Houston! 
2. Secondly, Houston to Boston flights are cheap! We are lucky to live in a big city with a lot of airport hubs. This makes traveling to other big cities like Boston relatively cheap and easy. 
3. Thirdly, Adam had never been, and I had only been able to explore a little bit when I traveled there for work occasionally. It is challenging to really explore a city when you are stuck in an office building 8-5, so I was almost as much of a Boston newbie as Adam. 
4. And lastly, we were itching to get our hands (or mouths rather) on some real northeastern seafood! Lobster rolls, anyone?

The problem with taking a trip to a major city on a long weekend is trying to stuff everything there is to do into a short amount of time. Luckily, even though Boston is a large and thriving metropolis, it is pretty easy to do and see a lot in one weekend thanks to the close proximity of all the major sites and the city's walk-ability. Adam and I were able to fly into Boston Friday after work, leaving all day Saturday and Sunday to explore the historical city before having to fly back home on Monday. We opted to explore Boston on Saturday, and stay in Cambridge on Sunday to see Harvard and MIT. This blog post looks at our day in Boston

Day 1: Boston

As my husband can confirm, I love old things. Seriously, old things are so cool! So naturally, a big portion of our day focused on following the Freedom Trail.

• oldest public park: CHECK
• oldest cemetery: CHECK
• oldest commercial building: CHECK
• oldest standing church: CHECK
• oldest tavern/bar: CHECK... OK, so maybe that one wasn't actually part of the Freedom Trail, but I had to include it on our own self-guided walking tour

The Freedom Trail is a cool concept, because you can explore whichever parts are interesting to you and spend as much time at each as you'd like. Also, most of the sites were free to check out, and of course you can't forget about the exciting history involved. It is kind of amazing to think you are walking along the same streets and entering the same buildings as our founding fathers. History is very much alive in the North End of Boston. I was able to see the meeting house where the Sons of Libery met to plan the Boston Tea Party, the hall which hosted America's first town hall meeting where early Americans protested the Sugar and Stamp Acts, and the state house where the Declaration of Independence was first read to the public. It is pretty impressive that Boston has managed to maintain all of these important historical sites, while having a thriving and modern downtown with skyscrapers shooting up all around. More information about the Freedom Trail can be found at their website: http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/freedom-trail/official-sites.shtml

Freedom Trail

Besides the Freedom Trail, other notable sites and areas we explored included the following:

• the Beacon Hill neighborhood: perfect for strolling and soaking in the atmosphere of the red brick buildings and small independent stores
• Newbury Street for shopping
• Fenway Park Bleacher bar during the Red Sox game: no need to buy a ticket to catch some of the game, as this bar is built into Fenway Park, and you can see right into the game!
• Boston Public Library
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And let's not forget about the food!

• Neptune Oyster Bar: arguably the best lobster roll in the city, and I can confirm that it is indeed tasty and worth the wait! Tip: put your name and number in early, then hang around the area until you get a call. When we went, we were told there would be around an hour and a half wait. By the time we were seated, people showing up were told there would be a 5 hour wait. Luckily, there is a lot to see and do within a 15 minute walking radius. The Bell in Hand tavern is pretty close, so we chose to hang out there with a couple of pints to feel closer to our founding fathers in the "oldest tavern in America!" Little Italy is also nearby, as is Quincy Marketplace if you feel like doing some shopping.

• Little Italy for cannoli: We chose to go to Maria's, which I had read has the best most authentic and fresh cannoli without the wait of other bakeries nearby. It was indeed delicious!

• The Bell in Hand: as I mentioned, this "oldest tavern in America" was a great spot to grab a few beers. I was pleasantly surprised at their beer selection, and also that they had a really delicious clam chowder full of cream, potatoes, and yummy bacon!

• Harpoon Brewery: This was a super fun way to spend a Saturday night, as the brewery is open until 11pm. They had a huge selection of beers to try, so Adam and I opted to try a couple of beer flights. Also, their homemade pretzels were absolutely delicious!

• Drink: We didn't actually eat here, but their cocktails were sooo good! The concept is that you tell the bartender what kind of cocktail you feel like, and they will whip you up something yummy. Adam and I enjoyed all of the cocktails we tried!