- Danielle
Boston Travel Tips.
Happy Travel Tuesday!
This past weekend, I had the great opportunity to travel to Boston with my husband for a little getaway. We had a really nice time, and I'm here to share a few tips with you.
Boston is one of those wonderful cities that has it all: amazing history, wonderful culture, and delicious food. Boston feels more European than some other U.S. cities, which makes sense given its age and its history. Boston, generally speaking, feels safe, clean, and welcoming. It's a really great place to visit.
There's far too much to see and do in Boston if all you've got is a weekend, but here are some of the best things to check out when your time is limited and you'd like to see the highlights.
The Boston Museum of Science
Currently housing an exhibit on chocolate, among others, the Boston Museum of Science is a wonderful, innovative, and exciting science museum that will please both children and adults. This is one of the better science museums that I've been to.
The New England Aquarium
Located right on the water, the New England Aquarium is a really great place to spend an afternoon. The weather wasn't great on our first day in Boston, so we spent the afternoon hanging out with penguins, turtles, seals, and fish.
The aquarium has three penguin species and two kinds of seals, as well as a massive round tank containing a reef and many, many sorts of fish.
As you walk up to the top floor of the aquarium, you circle this tank on a spiral ramp. Other, smaller exhibits surround the main tank.
I think the humongous sea turtle was my favorite.
It's a very neat set-up. During our trip, the aquarium was extremely crowded and filled mostly with young families. If you want a more relaxed experience, plan your visit for a weekday if possible.
Also, if you have the time, check out an IMAX show. We saw the one on the great white shark. Neat stuff!
Quincy Market
Hungry? Head to Quincy Market, essentially a glorified food court inside a historic building.
The varieties of available cuisine are impressive, and everything is delicious. During our visit, guests were playing a beautifully painted piano on the ground floor, filling the space with music. It's a really special place.
The Freedom Trail
The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile path through Boston that takes you on a tour of some of the city's significant historic sites. Boston was such an instrumental part of America's founding. It's really great to be able to see so much of that history here. I would also suggest a visit to the Paul Revere house. It's the oldest surviving house in Boston! I'll never forget how some of the windows are visibly thicker at the bottom than the top because the glass has settled over time. (Did you know that glass does this? It's not technically a solid. It's a super-cooled liquid. Neat!)
The North End
The North End is essentially the Little Italy of Boston. This is a great place to get some Italian food, but be sure to make reservations ahead of time. These restaurants book up well in advance. After dinner, don't miss a trip to Mike's Pastry, home to the best cannoli I've ever eaten. DELICIOUS.
Architecture
Due in part to its extensive history, Boston has a really neat collection of architectural styles. Take a stroll around downtown and check it out.
This trip, we stayed at the Omni Parker House, which I thought was a pretty solid choice. The hotel itself has a neat history--Ho Chi Minh worked in its kitchen, JFK proposed to Jackie Kennedy there, and it's the home of the Parker House Roll. They are also known for their Boston cream pie, which we tried during our trip.
All in all, a satisfying weekend in a great city. What do you like to do when you visit Boston?
Danielle