Boston

This past "extended," weekend, I spent in Boston. It was 4, packed-full days. I knew we only had 4 days to experience Boston. We, as in my mother and I, it was a Mother/Daughter Get-a-way weekend. I did my research.

When searching for a place to stay I realized that it wasn't just hotels or motels that I would be looking into. Boston has several options for sleeping over. There are hostels, hotels, motels, guesthouses and Bed & Breakfasts. If you want further information on any of these, please let me know.

After much research I chose the Ramada Inn. The Ramada Boston is in Dorchester, it is just a few minutes from the city. Although a bit crowded, it offers a fabulous continental breakfast (everything from eggs to waffles). The Ramada Boston has an outdoor pool that sits in the center of the hotel. There are glass windows surrounding the pool providing a nice view from several of the rooms. We unfortunately were unable to take delight in the pool because of our busy schedule.

When looking into a place to stay consider surrounding areas, because most lodging areas in the heart of the city are pretty pricy. Another quick tip for the budget friendly, make sure to see if parking at the hotel is free. Many of the hotels charge for parking, especially in the city.

Our transportation consisted of subways, buses, trolleys and by foot. Boston is "a walking city." There are few places to park in the city, unless you want to spend an arm and a leg in a parking garage. I recommend checking into public transportation. The subways appeared to be very safe. We did meet several unique individuals, including one who appeared to have turrets syndrome & a few who appeared to be homeless. For the most part, everyone was very friendly. The subways are very convenient and are time effective. I do not recommend the busses or trolleys at night. Although they may be safe, I did not feel comfortable aboard them. The ones I rode were also not visitor friendly. The drivers were unfriendly & not all the stops were clearly marked. Consider the “Charlie Card,” if you decide to make use of the public transportation system. You can check out the prices and subway schedules at http://www.mbta.com/. This website also offers information for those wanting to travel with bikes. It is a good idea to have a subway map printed out & your stops marked.

We visited several places on our jam-packed trip. We saw the original Cheers bar (originally known as the Bull & Finch Pub), this was the inspiration to the show. We also visited the Cheers replica bar, the New England Aquarium, the Paul Revere House, the North Church, the Freeport Traven (in Dorchester), Franklin Park Zoo (where Kevin James' movie Zookeeper is being filmed) and the Union Oyster House (the oldest restaurant in Boston). We took a ride on the Mass Bays Whale Watch Tour and visited the Quincy Market. We made sure to also take a Boston "Theater on Wheels" tour.

We were able to afford to visit many places because of our purchase of the "GO BOSTON" card. You can purchase this card at http://www.smartdestinations.com/boston-attractions-and-tours/_d_Bos-p1.html?pass=Bos_Prod_Go&GCID=GOOGLE-BOSTON-GOCARD-gbc-gt . If you’re looking for less things to do for a reduced price you can look into the "City Pass."

I recommend the Cheers Original Bar. Please do not expect it to be exactly like Cheers but do enjoy the atmosphere and wonderful memorabilia. If you have a chance to, take part in a whale watching tour. We saw several whales and the ride was very enjoyable. If you do take a whale watching tour I recommend bringing food on board or bringing cash for the onboard snack bar, this is a four hour trip. You may also want to consider bring a deck of cards to keep you occupied when you aren't whale watching. The Freeport Tavern had a fabulous atmosphere and amazing food. If you eat here try the spinach and artichoke dip, it was impeccable. Another local pub that might be of interest to some is the "L Tavern." The "L Tavern," was seen on "Good Will Hunting," this is where several of the main cast got together to eat (including Ben Affleck and Matt Damon). Boston also offers several wonderful pastry shops. Lyndells has mouth-watering cream puffs (it is located on Hanover Street).

With so many places to see in Boston it is impossible to describe all of them. It would take me several pages to write all of the information and detail of just our 4 day trip. I highly recommend visiting this historic city, if you have the time, make it a week or longer. I could spend a month in this city and it wouldn't be long enough.

Please let me know if you have any questions. I'd be glad to assist in any way that I can.

ps. If you visit on a weekend in August there is a festival in town on the North End of Hanover Street. It starts at 7pm.