Boston is one of my favorite places! My best friend, Ashley, attended Boston College (BC) and every year on my Spring Break, I'd travel up to Boston to hang with her for the week. Every single year when I landed, there was snow on the ground or it was currently snowing. While others were in Daytona or on a tropical island, I was with my bestie in the snow! Good thing I love her and I love Boston! There was always fun to be had!
Have a few days to spend? Here's my advice on how to explore Beantown.
Boston has the nickname of "America's Walking City" and it's so true! Every time I visit, I walk EVERYWHERE! If you're driving in, ditch your car and use Pat and Charlie. If you're flying in, perfect! Use the T (Boston's Metro) to get to your hotel and then hoof it!
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| Riding the T |
Things to do:
Get your cardio on:
Start at Boston Public Garden. Boston Commons is just beautiful! Stroll or sit on a bench and enjoy. The duck pond and duck statues are cute!
Take a peek at the Massachusetts State House with it's gorgeous golden dome as you walk toward Faneuil Hall.
The Quincy Market area behind Faneuil Hall has great shopping and restaurants and it's just a really neat area.
From there walk to the North End (The Italian district). You have to check out Paul Revere's house in the North End and the church where he hung the lanterns (Old North Church- 193 Salem Street).
The North End is a great spot to have an Italian lunch and you MUST stop at Mike's Pastry for a cannoli before you leave! (300 Hanover Street). In my humble opinion, they are THE BEST IN THE WORLD! Every time I board a plane to leave Boston with my Mike's Pastry box, everyone is jealous!
If you're down for a history lesson, walk the
Freedom Trail. It takes you past many of the sites I've just mentioned. It takes about 2-3 hours to walk it and shows you about 16 historical sites. You end up on the water by the USS Constitution. It's free, so you can't go wrong!
Top Museums:
Some of my favorite museums are
The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA)- 465 Huntington Avenue.
It's also really close to the
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, a private collection which I really love! The
Aquarium is tons of fun! I'm partial to the penguins!
I've never been to the
Museum of Science, but it gets rave reviews!
For a discounted price on all of these, check into purchasing a
City Pass. They're available in most of the major US Cities and offer discounts to a number of sites.
Back to walking...
My favorite walk in Boston is along the Charles River. Start at the "Salt and Pepper Bridge" (Longfellow Bridge)...you can take the T and get off at the Charles/MGH stop on the red line...and walk Southwest. You can see MIT across the river and view the famous Citgo sign from above Fenway Park. I always turn around when I reach Boston University. It's beautiful during any season! In the summer, you can enjoy watching folks participate in a number of activities on the water.
But don't just watch, get out there yourself! You can kayak, canoe, wind surf or take one of the famous Duck Boat Tours!
Boston Duck Tours depart from three locations: Museum of Science, New England Aquarium and The Prudential Center. I picked mine up from the Pru and really enjoyed the ride! You get a bit of history and get to spend some great time cruising the Charles! Do yourself a favor and make this a priority on your list!
If you do pick up from the Pru, you're in a perfect spot to visit the Boston Public Library and Trinity Church, both on Boylston Street. And you can treat yourself to a meal at the
Top of the Hub, a restaurant at the top of the Prudential Building. It's pricey, but the views on a clear day are outstanding!
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| Trinity Church |
Nothing says Boston like
Sam Adams! It's a short T ride from the Prudential Building on the Orange line (get off at Stony Brook). They offer a tour of the brewery with tastings included. Since you're already out that way, you must have a meal at
Doyle's Cafe. A party trolley will take you to Doyle's from the Sam Adam's Brewery. Doyle's is the first restaurant
ever to start serving Sam Adams and you can get your own Sam Adam's pint glass depending on what you order!
If you're into baseball, catch a
Red Sox game at Fenway Park! It opened in 1912 and is known as "America's Most Beloved Ballpark". You MUST see Wally and the famous Green Monster! Go early to walk down Yawkey Way and check out the madness! If it's your first time, stop into one of the Fan Services booths to receive your "First Timers" fan items! As an adult, this was still a highlight for me! If it's cooler, there's always Celtics games or you can find the Bruins on the ice.
And then there's Cambridge...pop on over..."Pahk the cah in Hahvad Yahd." and visit Harvard! Enjoy the quiet as you step through the gates of one of the countries most prestigious universities. Duck into Memorial Church for some school history, and take a selfie to post to Facebook...Zuckerberg would be proud!
Wedged between Chinatown and Bay Village is the Theatre district. If you're into the arts, you MUST check out this area!
I've seen my fair share of great shows in Boston. The highlight was Bonnie Raitt and John Mayer live at the Orpheum. We met Johnnie afterwards and it was fantastic! Chinatown is also beautiful! If you don't make time to grab a bite, just stroll on through! The China Town Gate on the corner of Beach Street and Hudson Street is spectacular!
Where to Stay:
I've gotta be honest! For my first 4 visits, I stayed in a dorm room on the campus of BC. I'm going to guess that this isn't an option for you.
My 5th visit we stayed at the
Sheraton Boston Hotel. It's connected to the Prudential Center which is pretty much a mall. Great stores and shops and the room was fantastic!
Any hotels downtown near Boylston Street are in a great location to visit the city. Boston hotels are pretty pricey, so look around. Staying farther away from the city is obviously cheaper and you can always take the T in.
Also check out
Airbnb. This is a service where you can rent out rooms or entire residences from local hosts. Some are around to pick you up from the airport, others include breakfast in the stay. Overall, they give you an entirely new outlook on a city. You're staying where the people live. Pretty cool!
So, what are you waiting for? Book your tickets to Boston today and let me know if you have any questions!
