Boston April 10th to 13th
The planning for this trip was a little stressful. I was in the middle of projects and finals when we were booking the plane tickets. After a couple of days and things began to settle, we started looking for hotels. Probably the worst part of the trip planning, because we where unfamiliar with Boston and couldn’t decide on an area to stay. After looking around we realized that hotel prices where thru the roof! We only realized days before the trip, that we would be in Boston the same weekend as the Boston Marathon. (probably why hotel prices where so high)
Our trip started early in the morning as we headed to the airport (an airport that I have never been to). Security was different, it was so easy and such a breeze (although I still had to take my boots off due to the buckle). Our flight was with JetBlue, also another airline that I have never flown with. However, I give them props for such a nice flight, there was complementary snacks and free basic cable tv on board. I also believe your first checked bag is free, but since we where traveling for a couple of days, we both took carry on bags.
Once we landed we headed for the rail and ended up at Quincy Market. First stop was food!!!!
(the lovely Clam Chowda – Award Winning)
Our hotel was located in Wakefield, just a rail from the North Station. Side note, north station is also the location of the hockey stadium. The hotel was small but lovely, they offered a complementary shuttle, which picked up and dropped us off at the station and drove us within a 5 mile radius of the hotel. In addition, there is a nice gym similar to the YMCA and a small store strip with a Whole Foods. The Whole Foods was a life saver for late night dinners and snacks.
Here is a list of the more memorable stops along the way:
1. Fenway Park – the rail ride alone was eventful, the rails where completely packed because there was a game that day. However it made the trip more exciting, we got to experience the day like a true Bostonian. We bought hats, walked among fans, however we forgot to get some hot dogs.
2. Harvard, MIT & Boston University – it was a lot of fun, visiting other colleges. Although I wish where could have gone thru the hallways and really experienced the college environment. One thing that I did not realize, was the amount of tourist that visits the campuses. I am not sure if they where there, due to the Easter weekend, or are there always a lot of tourist year round?
3. Boston Public Library – Breathtaking! As an added bonus, the finish line is located in the same area, and the library also had an exhibit in remembrance of the Boston Marathon.
Although there was a lot of walking, I am thankful for the T rail. Without it, it might have been a nightmare. One thing I wish I knew before getting to Boston, was that things are closer together than you think. For example, we would often go back to the rail to get to our next destination, however we later realized that our next destination was very close within walking distance.
MissGwendolyn88 