July 31, 2018 – A month later and the Boston Travel Blog is finally being posted! To say that this past month (or past two months since my last post) has been crazy would be an understatement. It has been an eventful two months and my time has very quickly gotten away from me. I’ve had some rough times (my car accident), some major celebrations (like the Caps winning the Stanley Cup, my brother graduating high school, and getting promoted), and some adventures (Boston and Martha’s Vineyard – MV post coming soon).
If you have been following along on my instagram you know that a few months ago I met a wonderful man and we “planned” a very spontaneous weekend trip to Boston and Martha’s Vineyard. I have been to Boston a few times before to visit family but I haven’t had the chance to really explore Boston. My boyfriend is a graduate of Boston University and it was his goal to change that. So the weekend after my birthday we embarked on our first trip together and I couldn’t wait to truly explore his city.
We began our adventure Friday night after we both got off work. Our, what should have been easy, drive very quickly went from being a 7-hour drive to a 10-hour drive before we even got out of Washington, D.C. We were greeted with standstill traffic in the District and then pouring rain throughout the remainder of the journey. At this point, we knew our trip could only go up from there. At 4am after 10 hours in a car jamming to throwbacks and talking nonstop, we arrived at my Aunt and Uncle’s house ready for sleep and excited to start our exploring in the morning.
Saturday morning we woke up ready for a day of exploring fueled by Dunkin Donuts. We left Winchester, MA at 9am and made it into the city by 9:30am. Our day started in Brookline, MA at the John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site. For anyone that knows me, they know that I love JFK. So to see his childhood house made me smile like a kid in a candy store. It was so interesting hearing about the dedication that Rose Kennedy put into making this house a historic landmark after the assassination of her son, JFK. Mrs. Kennedy wanted to make the house a true replication of how she kept the house when she raised her first four children in this house. I highly recommending making this a stop when you visit Boston, it is free to visit, a short tour, and Brookline is absolutely gorgeous.
Our next stop was Quincy Market and the Long Wharf. This area of Boston has a special place in my boyfriend’s heart because he was sworn in as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force in Faneuil Hall. We, unfortunately, couldn’t go inside Faneuil Hall because an event was taking place but that just means we have to go back to Boston to visit it. We stopped inside Quincy Market, which is right across from Faneuil Hall, for a quick lunch. Our second stop on the Boston tour was pretty touristy but I was completely intrigued by the hustle and bustle of the area.
Next up, was the Long Wharf. I am a very preppy person so a harbor full of sailboats really spoke to my preppy heart. I was also wearing a Helly Hansen anchor raincoat, so I really looked like I belonged at the Long Wharf. All jokes aside, the Long Wharf was “wicked” (did you really go to Boston if you didn’t say wicked?) pretty. Although our day in Boston was cloudy and constantly fighting away the rain, the gloomy weather made the city look picture perfect. Although our day in Boston was cloudy and constantly fighting away the rain, the gloomy weather made the city look picture perfect. The Long Wharf doesn’t have many “landmarks” per se but there is a loop that follows the water and drops you off in the Financial District, near the location of the Boston Massacre.
At this point in our day, it was time for Dunkin #2. Corey and I were the true epitome of “America Runs on Dunkin” while in Boston. We were running on about 4 hours of sleep and we had one day to see all of Boston, thus lots of caffeine was required. After caffeine fix #2 was acquired, we made our way to The Bostonian Society (i.e. where the Boston Massacre occurred). This was something that you could definitely snap a picture of and then continue on the Freedom Trail. For anyone that isn’t familiar with Boston (like I was until I visited), the Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile loop that takes you to all the historic revolutionary sites in Boston.
Graveyards are less than welcoming places, also usually creepy places. And I am usually not someone who willingly goes into a graveyard. But when a graveyard houses the burial sites of three revolutionaries, you kind of have to go in. Which leads me to the Granary Burying Ground. In this specific graveyard, you will find John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Paul Revere. This is another stop along the Freedom Trail that you can snap your pictures and then continue sightseeing. Also, if you’re like me and don’t like graveyards, this specific graveyard is easily laid our that you can see all three tombstones and get out. One other cool thing about the Granary Burying Ground is all of Benjamin Franklin’s relatives are buried in this graveyard.
I quickly discovered that most domed building in Boston were gold and I was such a big fan. There is something about a building with a gold dome that makes it seem very regal. The Massachusetts State House was one of the gold-domed buildings that stole my heart. There was also a JFK statue on the grounds that, you guys know, I loved.
(peep the Dunkin that kept me going all day)
The Massachusetts State House is in the Beacon Hill Neighborhood of Boston. Before actually visiting Boston, whenever I thought about the city, I pictured the Beacon Hill Neighborhood. This area has the traditional cobblestone streets, the brick townhouses, and the beautiful walkups. If nothing else stole my heart in Boston, Beacon Hill made sure to do that.
For as long as I can remember, I have always loved beautiful and extravagant front entrances. And the front doors in the Beacon Hill Neighborhood were everything I dreamed of and more. Each townhouse had window boxes with the most beautiful flowers trailing out of them. The doors had elegant and ornate door knockers. And every house was completely unique while maintaining the classic character of the neighborhood. Beacon Hill is the type of neighborhood I can see myself thriving in later in life, now to figure out how to make enough money to afford to live there.
Our next stop was a very touristy one but I don’t even care. So like most tourists, Corey and I stopped by the Acorn Street. This street is the ultimate Boston picture taking destination, and can you really blame people for wanting to take pictures here? It is absolutely stunning. Acorn Street is very quaint and a must see. Although it is a complete tourist trap, one piece of advice that I have for anyone visiting the area is remember to be courteous to the people that live on the street. When we visited, there were some obnoxious teenagers yelling up and down the street. They were so loud that a resident of Acorn Street came out and reminded them that people actually live on the street and are trying to enjoy their Saturday peacefully, so be mindful of your surroundings.
Corey and I decided after finishing in Beacon Hill it was time to treat ourselves to a snack. So we started our hunt for ice cream. However, it wasn’t a far journey because while in college Corey worked for an ice cream shop called JP Licks. So, of course, we had to stop in! After an ice cream break we were ready to continue exploring, so off to the Boston Public Gardens we went.
We walked along the outer edge of the Public Gardens and quickly sought after stores for shelter because the rain had finally made its way to Boston. And off we went to Newbury Street, which in my mind is Boston’s equivalent to Fifth Avenue. We passed the stores that I want everything from but don’t have the financial backing to afford (aka designer). We kept making our way downtown (see what I did there?). Except not really, like most streets with high-end shops you eventually get to a point where the stores become affordable and we found my favorite place for bargain hunting, Nordstrom Rack. After about 5 minutes of looking around, we realized that the 4 hours of sleep we got the night before finally hit us and it was time to head back to my Aunt and Uncles.
We finished our day of being tourists by visiting the finish line of the Boston Marathon and hopping on the “T”.
After catching some zzz’s for an hour, it was time for an outfit change and an energy boost for the night ahead. Our night consisted of dinner at Corey’s favorite Italian restaurant (I can’t remember the name of it) and drinks with Corey’s college friends at the Whiskey Priest. Our night was full of fun and meeting new friends, for me, before heading back around 10pm for a good nights sleep before Martha’s Vineyard.
For those of you planning a trip to Boston soon, I recommend staying at a hotel outside of Boston. There are multiple little towns right outside of the city that will provide easy access to the city but also give you an escape if you need a break from the hustle and bustle of a city environment. We stayed in Winchester which is 7 miles outside of Boston and it only took us about 15 minutes to get into the city and park. We parked at the Government Center, which is central, cheap, and has a lot of parking spots. Boston is also a city that is easy to drive into. Boston doesn’t have the typical city traffic like New York City or Washington, D.C.
For food, I recommend getting something quick and easy in Quincy Market for lunch and finding a restaurant in the city that tickles your fancy. There are some many great restaurant options for all types of food. The same goes for Quincy Market. Corey and I got pizza for lunch and I believe we paid about $5 for two HUGE (and delicious) slices of pizza. An absolute must for food is Dunkin Donuts because Dunkin started in New England and they are on every street corner.
If you’ve never been to Boston before or are from the South, pack clothes for the colder weather. Winters are brutal! For my cousin’s wedding last December, it felt like it was below zero every single day we were there so warm winter jackets, layers upon layers, thick socks, and boots are a MUST! The summers are warm but watch out when it’s forecasted to rain because Corey and I dealt with a high 60s (which is why I am in jeans, a 3/4 length sleeve top, Hunters, and a raincoat).
Lastly, Boston is doable in a day. If you are doing Boston in a day, like Corey and I did, make sure you wear comfy shoes because you will do A LOT of walking. At the end of the day, Corey and I walked about 8 miles.
Overall, I had an absolutely amazing time exploring my boyfriend’s city and I cannot wait to visit again. If you’ve made it this far into the post (sorry I know it’s a long one), thanks for sticking with me and letting me share my first true Boston experience with you!
Until Next Time,
Emily Jane
SimplyEJV 