Playing Tourist in Boston

Two of my favorite people moved to Boston this summer for a yearlong escape from Utah. So, of course, I had to pay them a visit. My sister's birthday fell on a Friday and Mike and I always go somewhere for our anniversary (Belize then Iceland/Ireland the past two years). This year we flew 6000 miles to the gorgeous city of Boston.

After an overnight flight, breakfast and a nap, we rented kayaks and paddled the Charles River, then rode on Hubway bikes just for the freedom and novelty to Boston Commons. Next, we had fancy cocktails on the top floor of the Prudential. We walked back to Em's place and "got all gussied up" as Mike says. Then we had an amazing dinner at a jazz bar and restaurant called The Beehive. It was fabulous!

 

The next morning I woke up feeling like a superhero, weird since I drink so rarely. I talked Mike into running a loop around the Charles over a few bridges. It was gorgeous! We took off feeling pretty good. A mile in we joined a huge group of people doing a walk for heart disease. Two miles in, I realized I was not doing quite as well as I had though. Three miles in we did some walking and took some pictures. After five miles, we were back at the apartment. 

Em and James took us to the Boston Public Library. Its a super beautiful marble historic building with the coolest place to study. It also leads into the new library which is also amazing, but more modern. After that, I was finally ready to eat something. We went to a salad place called Sweet Green. Oh my gosh! So freaking good. I need one of these next door to my office, or maybe my house.

James was called into work on Sunday, boo! Emily, Mike and I went on a Duck tour. Our guide was a pirate with great jokes and a good attitude. Unfortunately, 3/4 of our boat was non-native English speaking. So most of his jokes went WAY over their heads. We were the three giggling in the back corner. Anyway, it was a great tour with a ton of history.

Next, we picked up a Zip Car and Emily drove us to Nashoba Valley Winery for apple picking and wine tasting. It was delightful! There were tons of people there with kids and dogs and picnic baskets. Everyone was just hanging out enjoying the beauty. The trees were just barely beginning to show signs of fall. We picked a peck of Gravenstein and Macintosh apples, sampled a bunch of red wines, and took silly pictures in the apple orchard.

On our way back we stopped at Trader Joe's (I miss this store so much! Pleeeeeese come to Hawaii!!!) and picked up meats and veggies. The rooftop at Emily's apartment building has grills, tables and chairs and even a big TV with cable. We watched a lovely sunset and had a feast. I made an apple pie for dessert. I think it turned out ok, but should have baked longer.

Monday we went whale watching. We sailed way out of the harbor until Boston was just a blip on the horizon. We stopped to watch a mola mola fish sunning itself in the water. These are the strangest looking creatures. They are gray and flat with long gray fins on top and bottom. They move by waving those fins. They don't have the tail and side fins most fish do. Super odd. I'd never actually seen one in person before. We ventured further and started seeing spouts. We found five or six fin whales which are freakin gigantic. We looked them up after the trip and realized we were only seeing maybe five percent of the whole. Then we found a single young humpback. It was a calf from last year and had NO fear of the boat. She swam right underneath us a few times. Seriously the coolest!

On recommendation, we had to try Tiger Mama. It's an Asian Fusian place with clever pairings. We ordered a bunch of plates and split them four ways. They have an extensive gluten free menu and are very conscious of it. The food was amazing! I can't decide whether their papaya salad or their seared scallops were better.

For our anniversary, Mike and I went to the aquarium. You'd think with as much diving as we do the aquarium would be nothing more than amusing. Not so. We spent a full 45 minutes in the shark exhibit. They had rays and sharks you can TOUCH!!! It was amazing! The place in itself is so dang cool. It has four levels with a huge cylindrical tank in the middle. A concrete ramp spirals up around the tank which is full of fish, rays, bonnethead sharks (!!!!) and even a huge old turtle. The first level has three penguin exhibits. They're super stinky but also super cute! Each has a colored band around one wing which lets you identify it on an ipad nearby. There are all kinds of fish on each level including a big octopus. Additionally there were poison dart frogs and anacondas. Yikes. Finally, they have some super cute seals, which are hilarious animals if you just sit and watch them for a bit.

 

We went to Legal Seafoods for lunch. I'd heard they had a GF lobster roll (at $30! yikes). The one we went to did not. Also the service was poor at best. However, we had really good lite clam chowder, a salad and seafood casserole. Very tasty, but we were stuffed for the rest of the day. So much for anniversary dinner. Haha!

Afterward we went back to the aquarium and watched a 3D IMAX film on great white sharks. So cool! I find sharks fascinating. Most people are terrified of them and think they should all die. Those people don't understand how important they are. Sharks are vital the the health of the oceans. They clean up dead and dying animals. They should always be treated with respect and awareness, but they're not mindless killers. I hope people realize that before it is too late.

We stayed at a cute AirBnb in East Boston just blocks from great dining, an amazing view of the skyline, and the airport. Easy peasy. Thanks to Emily and James for a fast and furious weekend in an amazing city!