BOSTON, BROWNSTONES, BRONZE and the T

While it's fresh  and I can remember correctly the chain of events, this post shares the highlights of this past long weekend's Boston trip we took along with our daughter's family.

1. Rode the Subway on the T  Missy was a great navigator and knows how to read those maps.   Rode them over the Salt and Pepper (Longfellow) Bridge many times, photo taken from Michelle's  blog she pictures it beautifully. 
2. Walked through Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market had snacks.
3. Riding a carriage via Cheecko and Jared to get across the Charles River.   Clip Clopping on those cobblestones at dusk with the lights glowing from the underside of the carriage. 
4. Boston Children's Museum, the 2 youngest grand children had a blast.
5. Copley Square tour with dinner following at a California Pizza.  YUM!!  The arugula salad with asparagus, roasted peppers, almond and a lemon vinaigrette was lovely.  Wish that franchise was around here.
6. Rode the T which the grand children wanted to do constantly, if not that than ride the escalators. She was a Pro and he quickly caught on.
7. Ate breakfast at Champions cafe at the Marriot Hotel.
8. T ride to Boston Commons, seeing Monuments and then to the Public Gardens for the Swan boats.   When I went to Boston when I was little and realized they had Swan boats I have always wanted to ride them.  Can I say Wish list - CHECK!  We treated all since this was an item on my wish list and of course I purchased a couple of souvenirs so we'd remember it more easily.  Besides magnets, Lil' man wanted a stuffed swan, while lil' Miss selected a sweet swan T shirt, I selected a charm for my ever expending bracelet  with earrings and an ornament beautifully painted  of the swan boats for our Christmas tree.  Our  Daughter even picked out the same ornament, it amuses us when she and I select the same things at almost the same time.  lol
9. Watching several artists in the commons like the Japanese gentlemen elegantly playing the stringed instrument near a fountain and cascading tress overhead.  Also near the entrance of the park with BOSTONIA molded over the gate, listening and watching the wily Hurty Gerty man sing his Eagles' songs with all his instruments strapped all over his body.
10. Went to visit Chinatown.
11. Saw the sights from the Skywalk at the Prudential Tower with a cocktail and dessert on the Top of the Hub, 52 stories high.  Daughter and her family went to Dunkin Donuts and stayed low since they'd already seen this in a previous trip.
12. All of us returned to the Hotel at the same time since the guys were headed to the Red Sox White Sox game and the ladies were headed to a belated Birthday Party at the American Girl Doll  in Natick for lil' Miss.  Spent a fortune there and when we returned realized just how little were in our bags.  Must have been something in the nice dinner we had there.  Lil' miss enjoyed herself and brought along her babies: Rose, Emily and her nephew Danny for the party and I do have to say the staff there really know how to treat the dolls and visitors correctly.  Even the dolls had lil Birthday crowns in their high chairs.  Rose had her hair styled and then McKenna shopped for her look alike doll. The newest addition to the family is McKenzie also known as Kenzie and ZZ.   She got an outfit, had her ears pierced and shopped like the rest of us girls.   Great time with a Ka-ching! 
13. The menfolk enjoyed a terrific game at Fenway Park with the Red Sox winning 7-2.  DH said the worst part was the wait for Subways on the way back to the Hotel.  He mentioned that they luckily they got one of the last trains out of that area and many people were left without the T transport back to there destinations.  Also that the Yankee Stadium kneww how to do it correctly compared to Boston (that was the only negative point on this trip.)  Lucky enough for s but not for the next fellow and I can just imagine trying to cope with a 4 year old and obtaining a cab at that time of night, no thank you.
14. Take out breakfast via Dunkin Donuts for the kids and grands while DH&I ate the veggies and coffee cakes I brought from home then on to an escalator ride to a Hop On Hop Off tour.
15. RJ wanted to get a Hard Rock Cafe T shirt so we got off near the Aquarium to access Quincy Market.  He didn't buy one though because of the prices but his daughter (age 8)  did, (Go figure that one out?) 
16. Walked part of the Freedom Trail to see the Paul Revere House.  The youngest one (age 4) was all ears as his imagination was taking over.  Couldn't believe there were so many fireplaces and that the children had to work as part of the family just to survive.  That Santa would bring maybe marbles if the child was really really good but most likely Santa brought them a new pair of shoes or boots if that.  Did you know that Paul Revere had 16 children!  Lil' miss saw the kitchen and was impressed with the bread making accoutrement's and the cradle setting next to the fireplace.
17. While finding Mike's Pastries we stumbled through the  Little Italy section.  The Aromas, pure heaven, so.......
18. Backtracked to have a Beautiful family dinner at Villa Francesca and really PAID for it.
19. Walked more to The Old North Church and enjoyed the tour there, 37 crypts and 1100 people buried there.  Enjoyed the stories of the One if by Land and Two if by Sea  River  (the Charles).  Actually it's because of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere that he got credit for hanging them.  Two other gentleman actually did hang the lanterns after his command to do so but their names didn't rhyme with here.   The following day the "Shot heard from around the world" started the American Revolution.
20. Hop On the Tour Bus to return to our parked cars and finish the tour seeing the Liberty Gardens(name?) MIT, Stata Center along the way.

It was a very nice vacation with us able to hit many of the tourist sights.  Should we ever vacation there again, I'd buy the hop on hop off tour tickets first besides the 7 day passes.  Expensive but worth the convenience.  The sights I wasn't able to see but would love to are the Church of  Science Complex, Trinity Church,  MFA, the Liberty Gardens near Fenway Park area, actually Walk the whole Freedom Trail Tour with all those enactors dressed in the period costumes, visit Hardvard, Bunker Hill, the Hatch Shell with the Boston Pops during the fouth of July weekend along the Esplanade,  have dinner at The Lobster Shanty (a restaurant that was on the Drive Ins, Diners and Dives Program with Guy Fieri) and   DH mentions that he'd love to do the Cheers Tour.    lol

We'll have to save much for all that if it ever happens!

Oh!!  That reminds me of another sight I'd like to see, the ducks at the Public Gardens......

 

Thank you Boston for a wonderful and very memorable trip. 

Such a friendly city and it deserves it's well known title as the Walking City.

It's easy to get around and walk to the many spots.

Enjoy your week.  Soon the little ones will be back at school and my schedule will have more demands, now I'm getting off this computer to work on some quilts that need finishing......

Jane