Boston Harbor/Quincy Market - Boston

Whenever my family and I go to a destination, we like to take a day or so and just walk the city. We do this because we get as much time as we want at a particular attraction, and we can stop along the way if we find a store, etc. that looks appealing. This is exactly what we did the day we visited Quincy Market and the Boston Harbor.

Quincy Market is like a farmer's market times 100. A popular tourist attraction, Quincy Market has everything from ice cream and sunglasses kiosks, to restaurants, to souviner shops. You want to be sure however, that you are getting the best bang for your buck. Try haggling. It may work. Quincy Market is also home to Faneuil Hall, and the other Cheers Bar. If you are just dying for a beer, go in and check it out, or even if you want to just peek in to see how different it really is. The further you walk along Quincy Market, the closer you come to the Boston Harbor.

The Boston Harbor is breathtaking! It is everything I thought it would be, and more! If you are lucky enough to go there on a clear day, you could spend all day there. The Harbor is a place for inspiration, a place for reflection, and a place for serenity. While my mom was watching planes take off on the other side of the water, my brother and I were goofing around with camera angles (we are photgraphy freaks). If you want to get away from it all in a bustling city, go to the Harbor.

Tips on the Market and Harbor:
-If you are looking for an original and authentic New England restaurant, head to the harbor. I never knew I could love crab as much as I did!
-Bostonites say Quincy Market is the biggest Boston rip-off. Don't believe everythng you see, or hear, price-wise.

Sam Adams Brewery - Boston

I'm from Wisconsin. I've heard of all the statistics that we are the #1 state of alcohol consumption. So what else is there to do while in Boston? Drink! On our second day, we set out to the Samuel Adams Brewery just outside the heart of the city. I remember it being a cold and dreary day, so this was the perfect stop to turn our moods around!

The brewery holds tours at different hours of the day, and it's free! All they ask for is a small donation! If there's anything Wisconsinites like, it's free beer! The tours take you all throughout the brewery, and the all-knowing guide tells you all about the history of Sam Adams, and the process of making barley into beer! A point in the tour took us to an area with 4 barrels all filled with different hops and malts they use to flavor the beer. They even pass it around for people to taste! Believe it or not, this brewery tour was my first, and surely not my last.

After the tour was finished, the guide led us into this huge room and told us to find a seat. As the room was in overflow, we were told that they were going to force beer down our throats! HA! We were loving it! We were given souviner Sam Adams glasses, and pitchers filled with unique flavored beers were passed around for us to taste-test. As we were doing this, the guide would tell us the proper way to drink a beer. There are 5 steps, not just chugging. Can you believe it?! The best beer I tested was a Chocolate Beer. They said that this beer would probably never hit the market, so I felt honored to have had it hit my lips!

As a Wisconsinite, this tour was definitely a memorable part of my trip! I will never forget the Chocolate Beer, and my souviner glass will remind me of it all the time! Sam Adams Rocks!

Tips on the Sam Adams Brewery:
-The Brewery isn't the greatest place to take young children. You can, but you won't be let in to the taste-testing room.

Fenway Park - Boston

We were originally going to vitis the New England Sports Museum to get our sports fix in Boston, but in talking to a few other tourists, they said to get the whole experience and tour Fenway Park instead. I was sold!

I remember barely sleeping the night before with the thought of visiting one of the most storied Parks in MLB, home to the Boston Red Sox. I thought the ticket price for the tours would be through the roof, but they are only $9, very resonable for a family. Their tour guides are very knowledgable on Fenway, and the tour groups are small and intimate, promising the best experience!

The first stop on the tour was the concourse in right field. Up here, the tickets are drawn out of a lottery only. The few lucky ones get instant service, the ballpark grilling aroma, and of course a GREAT view! A unique fact to note was the bar on the concourse. This particular bar was made out of bowling alley lanes that were, in fact, under Fenway at one point...imagine taking in a ballgame AND bowling!! The second stop was just below the club level along the 3rd base line. Here we got a perfect view of the field, and of the skyline!

Along the way to our 3rd stop, we passed the Red Sox Hall of Fame where we got to meet baseball greats like Cy Young! The final 3rd stop destination: THE GREEN MONSTER! I capped that in trying to convey the enormity of it! For those who don't know, the Green Monster is the nickname of a 37 feet left field wall, and it has seating, again, only for people picked out of a lottery. Out of the yet again lucky winners of the lottery, those fans can only sit in those seats once in their lives. The Green Monster is a very sought-after area in baseball due to its targeted popularity for right-handed hitters!

Our final stop took us just behind home plate where the guide told us just how old Fenway is. Not only were we sitting in the oldest seats in baseball, but Fenway is also home to the oldest scoreboard as well. Between innings, a guy comes out of a tiny door with a step ladder and changes the score manually!

Our Fenway Tour was the most memorable activity I did in Boston. Maybe it's because I'm a huge baseball nut, or maybe it's because of the rich history. I do not know. Fenway sure outshined whatever it was that the New England Sports Museum had to offer, and I didn't even have to go there to know it!

I even had the honor of taking in a ballgame there. The Milwaukee Brewers were in Beantown, and there wasn't a chance we would miss it!

Tips on Fenway:
-If you are going to Fenway for any reason, take the subway. There is no parking around the park.

"Cheers" - Boston

Wanna go where everyone knows your name? Go to the Cheers bar, which inspired the ever-so-popular TV hit "Cheers." Pull up a chair and join the fun!

Cheers is just on the other side of the street as Boston Commons, so it is a great place to replenish yourself after a long stroll through the gardens. The interior of the bar isn't exactly like the bar on the TV show, but it's pretty darn close! As you are there, you can imagine Norm sitting at the bar, drinking a cold one! And you can do the exact same!

We happened to visit Cheers on a Thursday, so the bar wasn't overly-crowded. We easily got a spot at the corner of the bar while we were waiting for table. We ordered beers, and got to keep the souviner mug! And it was only right to finish every last drop!

The food at Cheers is fabulous! The portions are extraordinary, and the service is superb! After dinner, go check out the gift shop, filled with memorabilia, apparel, and the history of Norm and the gang!

Tips on Cheers:
-Don't be fooled! There are 2 locations of the Cheers bar. The fake one is along Quincy Market, and the real one (where the show was filmed) is across from the commons! Be sure to go to the correct one!
-Everyone really does know your name! The employees are at your service instantly, and the patrons will strike up a conversation with anyone!

Boston Commons - Boston

Boston Commons is a huge, open piece of land in the heart of the city. I remember going there and noting that Boston Commons was the divider of what seemed like 2 skylines. Boston Commons has the State House (Capitol Building of Mass.), a baseball field right in the middle of it, magnificent views of the city, and amazing gardens.

The State House is a unique Capitol Building. The House has a gold dome on the top of it, and natives would use it to their advantage in history. During the Revolutionary War and the Boston Tea Party, they used to paint the dome black so the enemy couldn't figure out where Boston was. Being Boston wasn't built up at that time, they would have no other way of knowing where they were from the water, so they would just float on by. If they had kept the dome gold, it would have been too distictive for the enemy to just pass by. Very clever if you ask me!

As we were walking through the Commons, there happened to be a little league baseball game going on. Knowing me and my love for baseball, I had to watch some of it! What made this even more unique was the backdrop. These kids played right in front of the Boston skyline! Jealous!

The majority of the Boston Commons was park-like, and that meant flowers and fantastic landscape. I love flowers, the smell and the sight alike. It was amazing walking through all of this. We visited the Commons on a weekday afternoon, so there was half the buzz that there would be on the weekends.

I can't say enough about the Boston Commons, and I highly recommend a visit here!

Tips on the Boston Commons:
-For optimal bloom of the flowers, visit in late May.
-Avoid the Commons if you are allergic to pollen (from experience)!
-Take time to take in the Commons as a whole. You won't want to miss the history of it all!

Freedom Trail - Boston

Upon arrival, we wasted no time getting into the heart of Boston! We took public transit in from our hotel which was just outside the city. Public Transit is a fabulous way to get around in Boston. The trains are never full (unless it's after a sporting event or concert, etc), and they are always clean. The only downfall about the trains is that they shut down for the night at 1am. So, if you plan to be out after 1am, you should probably line up a ride home!

Being we went into Boston without a plan, we could really start anywhere. The stop we got off on happened to be along the Freedom Trail. The Freedom Trail is a tour of famous historical sites and people, taking you all throughout the city. Our first stop along the Trail was the Old Granary Burying Grounds for historical people like Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and believe it or not, Mother Goose! Yes, Mother Goose was real, and not just a fictional character that you read about. In these Burying Grounds you can see the actual gravesites of these people and read about them on their graves.

Walking more along the Trail, we came upon the Old City Hall! This Hall was nestled within a bunch of old buildings that epitomize the thought of Boston. I just couldn't get enough!

There are plenty more sites to see along the Freedom Trail, such as Boston Commons and Faneuil Hall. Tours are available to those who wish to visit each site, but we chose not to, as we wanted to see these sites independently. I will describe these areas of Boston in my next bunch of posts! Keep reading!

Tips on the Freedom Trail:
-The Freedom Trail is marked by lines on the ground, so you will know when you are at a site, if you choose not to take the tour.
-The tour lasts 2+ hours, so plan accordingly if you decide that is what you want to do.

Boston

Boston is a place of excitement, a place of history, and a place where everybody knows your name, if you know what I mean! Prepare to instantly fall in love with Boston, as you take in its rich culture, its famed harbor, and its storied past.

Take a journey along with me as I bring you through Boston! Destinations will include: Boston Commons, breweries, Fenway Park, the "Cheers" bar, the Freedom Walk, and many more! Hop on and enjoy the ride!