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| Take me out to the ballgame |
Boston Public Library, Charles River Esplanade, South End - Day 1
We left upstate NY early and drove straight to Boston, another short drive, less than 3H. The drive was beautiful (so green!) and we didn't hit any traffic. JD dropped us off at our hotel in Copley Square and then left to return the rental car. The kids and I discovered a grocery store very close by, Star Market, that was multiple levels with a Starbucks, sandwich counter and great prepared hot/cold foods area. My kids bypassed the hot food and sandwich options for lunchables haha. We ate back at the hotel and then officially started our Boston adventure! JD surprised me with a facial and massage at a spa in the south end, while JD took the kids exploring.  |
| Represent! |
I walked to the spa and loved the south end. It reminded me a lot of Anna's neighborhood in Brooklyn, with quaint tree lined streets. I had a wonderful spa experience and it was very relaxing. JD and the kids left the hotel and first went to the Boston Public Library, which is one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. Just absolutely stunning. They then found an awesome playground on the Charles River Esplanade, that was so fun Julia and Luke even played for hours. Yes, HOURS! Later that evening, we all met up for burgers at a restaurant on Boylston Street. Afterwards, we found a great local ice cream place (I'm sure you guys understand now how much the kids love ice cream). Day 1 was a success!
Freedom Trail & Boston Red Sox - Day 2
Our first full day in Boston! After breakfast, we headed to Boston Commons to meet our tour guide for the Freedom Trail tour. The Freedom Trail tour is a 2.5h, 2.5 mile walk through Boston that passes 17+ historical landmarks important to our nations history. Our tour guide was awesome and the tour was very interesting. The kids even enjoyed it (minimal complaints!) In fact, it was JD's favorite thing of the entire vacation!  |
| MIT Regatta |
The tour ended in the north end, which is also the Italian area of Boston. We decided to find a place to eat for a late lunch and were surprised that every restaurant was packed (it was around 2pm). We finally found a pizza place and waited 30min for a table. After lunch Luke said "We waited 30min for this place and it was worth it. This is the best pizza I have had in my entire life." HUGE compliment from Luke, who normally doesn't even really like pizza! Now, you are probably wondering what the name is of this amazing restaurant is, I cannot remember. Sorry! After that delicious lunch, we went back to the hotel to rest for a little while. Next stop-America's oldest ballpark, Fenway, for a Red Sox vs Blue Jays game! We walked to the stadium, which was about 1.5 miles from the hotel. Once again, the kids were troopers (especially Jillian) and walked without complaints. The Red Sox lost but it was a pretty good game. Awesome day!
Newbury Street, Downtown Crossing, Faneuil Hall, Waterfront District - Day 3We did not have any set plans this day except to explore the city and the shopping areas. Boston really is a beautiful, small city and something I loved, very dog friendly. People were out walking dogs everywhere, even large ones (there were a lot of doodles). Most shops had water bowls outside for the pooches. Julia did some back to school clothes shopping, while Luke found a few stores with a great anime and manga collection. Another great day!
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| Most beautiful library |
Aquarium, Tea Party Museum, MIT, Harvard - Day 4Our last full day in Boston. JD and Jillian started their day at the Boston Aquarium. She had a blast and really loved all the exhibits, especially the penquins. Next stop, they went to the Boston Tea Party Museum, where Jillian was able to "tip" tea into the harbor in a reenactment and they were assigned roles for a role playing part of the museum. They had so much fun! Afterwards they found a local playground and Jillian made new friends. Our little chatterbox loves meeting new people wherever she is.
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| they loved the Boston weather |
Meanwhile, Julia, Luke and I started out with brunch at a local hotel. Luke ordered the pancakes and when the order came out, it was enough to feed multiple people. To my shock (horror?) he cleared the entire plate (this will come into play later). We took the subway (much easier to navigate than NYC) across the river to MIT. We came in on the back side of the campus and walked past several buildings until we were able to access the "Infinite Corridor" which is a 823 ft hallway connecting the main buildings on campus. By this point, Luke was feeling the pancakes and had to take repeated breaks to sit down because he was so full. After walking the Infinite Corridor (there and back), we exited the building and walked across the street where the dorms and athletic areas where. Now, Luke was really struggling and had to keep sitting down. We crossed back across the street to visit the front of the Maclaurin Building, probably the most photographed building on campus. It also faces the Charles River and has a fabulous view.
At this point Luke was laying down on the grass (he and Julia could not believe how silky the grass was and asked if it was real, they are used to the spiky rough grass in Texas). Once Luke was able to move again, we walked across the street to look at the water. Julia then proceeded to get her knee stuck between the slats and it took a solid 10min for her to get it out. Never a dull moment! Final thoughts on MIT-the campus is not very pretty with the exception of the Maclaurin Building, but it has a great location on the river. We then headed back to the subway and headed to Cambridge. I was very impressed with Cambridge and would have loved to live in that area as a student. The Harvard campus is very beautiful however it was insanely busy. There were tours EVERYWHERE, it was essentially a tourist attraction. Apparently touching the foot of the John Harvard statue is supposed to bring 'hope' and the line for that was 40 people deep (we did not wait in it).  |
| Beautiful Boston |
Overall thoughts from the kids:
"Hands down, Columbia is my favorite out of the schools we visited. It was so beautiful and I just loved the campus. Harvard was like a circus, I would never want to go here with random people constantly around campus. MIT, not for me." - Julia
"Harvard over MIT." - Luke (he did not see Columbia)
After our college adventure (Luke's pancakes were finally digested by the time we arrived in Cambridge), we went out for a family bbq dinner in the south end and then packed up for our flight the next day.
Our flight home was not quite as smooth as our trip there. We had a connecting flight in Nashville and were delayed in Nashville for close to 3H. We arrived home late to very happy pets!
Boston Pubic Library
Charles River Esplanade
Freedom Trail
Fenway Park
Aquarium
Boston Tea Party Museum
MIT
Luke "resting" at MIT haha
Charles River (across from MIT) - Julia's leg stuck before these pics were taken :)
Harvard
Out and about in Boston (and yes, I bought the tote bag!) I suggested Luke contact this professor, this course is right up his alley! (of course he thinks I'm crazy)
