Spring Break 2007 - Four days in Boston
 

Not being a college student this was not really "Spring Break" but more of a vacation, it just happened to take place during the local college's and school's Spring Break.

Monday, March 12, 2007
After dealing with this we finally were confirmed on Continental Flight 482 direct to BOS. I had come down with a cold the day before and was fighting that off as we waited in IAH. With the extra time in the airport, my girlfriend and I decided to go through the suggestions we had received here on FT.

Continental Airlines Flight 482
Houston, TX (IAH) - Boston, MA (BOS)
Departure: 12:58pm CST
Arrival: 5:21pm EST
Aircraft: 737-300 Seat: 18D&E (coach)
Due to weather delays our aircraft arrived 30 minutes late and this bumped our actual departure time to 2:20pm CST. A quick climb 33,000 feet and the FAs made their way through the cabin distributing headphones for the feature movie on this flight (Night at the Museum). The "pizza-de-jour" was served as the snack and we both passed on taking a bite, opting instead for some granola bars that we had brought on board (and the M&Ms that came with the snack).Other than a little turbulence the flight was uneventful and we flew directly over NYC and got a look at the "Big Apple" from 25,000 feet as we made our decent.

Our bags (which had been put on an earlier flight) were waiting for us at the CO baggage claim area. Since I had never been to BOS I walked to the "transportation specialist" kiosk and asked about the "T". He was nice, though he seemed to be a little tired and proceeded to explain how to get on the train and what stop we needed to get off (confirming what FTers had told me) ;)

The Aquarium stop was where we left the Blue Line and there was an elevator there to take us all the way to street level. A little misunderstanding of directions on the surface delayed our getting to the hotel, but we finally made it.

We dropped our bags at the hotel and freshened up before taking a stroll to the North End, which, after the burying of the turnpike is a cinch to get to. Walking around made us hungry and we stopped in a little Italian restaurant called "Pompei" and had minestrone soup and fresh bread. From the instant I tasted the bread and soup I knew it was going to be a wonderful trip.

MORE TO COME! :D (photos can be viewed here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssegrav...57600006852229)

Loved your pics of my hometown. Can't wait to see it from a visitor's perspective.

And dude, your girlfriend is hot.^ :D

Tuesday, March 13th, 2007

Rising bright and early, we decided that we would go to the furthest destinations and get a feel for how the "T" runs. We grabbed a quick cup of coffee and headed to the Government Center T-stop.

The Green Line took us to our first destination for the day, Fenway Park. I, being a huge baseball fan, was thrilled to be in the most historic baseball field in the country. Again, we got a little turned around leaving the "T" stop but quickly realized our mistake and headed in the correct direction.

We just missed the tour and decided to wander, somehow making our way to a brewery/bar :p. It was the Boston Beer Works and was on our list of places to try. The bartender loaded us up with a sampler and talked to us about Boston and things we needed to see. We finished our beers and went back to Fenway for the next tour.

I must say that I was awestruck and amazed at the place and the actual history behind it. Bostonians know their baseball and how to appreciate the big things in subtle ways, such as the site of the longest homerun at Fenway being marked with a seat being painted red instead of blue. The other thing that made my jaw drop was the ticket prices... Some of the new box seats were going for $500,000 for two seats for two years. Some were more expensive.

Leaving the tour we decided our next stop would be the Copley Square area. We boarded the Green Line inbound and in a few short minutes we were at our destination (talk about efficiency). Realizing how many gems Copley held we agreed on a quick lunch and grabbed a hot dog and some water.

The Trinity Church seemed out of place in the urban environment but still beautiful. The entire square was alive. Teenagers were skateboarding, people were enjoying the warm(er) weather, and the smells of street vendors invigorated us and we headed to the Boston Public Library. Inside we were amazed and couldn't believe the detail that went into such a structure. A cool exhibit on John Adams was on display and we spent at least an hour just reading through the collection.

Back outside we looked around walked around the square, taking in the sites and sounds. We saw a few of the trolley tours and decided that our method of sightseeing was better. ;) The time was creeping up on us and we walked back to the Copley Square stop to catch the train to our next destination, Harvard University.

Harvard Square was a little different from everywhere else that we had gone on this day as it was much more crowded and busy. We explored the area, looking at all of the shops, houses, and restaurants (we were getting a little hungry). The actual university was interesting, though none of the students we saw seemed to smile.

By this point we were tired and in the mood for another round of beer samples. We spotted John Harvard's Brew House and made our way inside. Grabbing another sampler we were disappointed in the quality of the beer and the atmosphere. The beer seemed much more bitter and the bartenders were neither friendly nor talkative (and actually a little rude). We paid our tab and agreed to find a place for dinner.

Though we had enjoyed minestrone soup the night before we thought some Italian food would hit the spot. We again made our way to the North End, taking in the nightlife as we looked for a place to eat. The weather on this night was great and we decided on a little spot that had its windows open. The food was fantastic, veal with a mushroom sauce and fresh vegetables, all at a price that was not just reasonable, it was a deal. (I can't remember the name of the place but I'm sure I will at some point and will post it up)

We again decided to take in the nightlife and walked back to the hotel slowly. Between the food, the beer, and the walking, we were bushed by the time we arrived and promptly went to bed.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

The amount of walking that we did was starting to strain on us, but we pressed forward for another full day of exercise and readied ourselves for more sightseeing.

My girlfriend had come down with a cold/flu and though it was mild we decided not to push as hard on this day. We headed back to the "T" for a quick ride to Cambridge and a visit to MIT.

We walked around the campus and found the Computer Science building (my favorite), took a few pictures and sneaked in. ;) We both snapped a few photos and headed for the elevator, only to realize that the buttons went "1, 3, 3 1/2, 4" with no "2" anywhere. Strange.

The MIT library was open and we wandered in there for a while, looking at the newest texts from MIT's greatest minds. (I highly recommend "Simplicity")

It was once again time for another beer tasting and we asked about where the "Cambridge Brewing Company" was located and quickly received an answer, "right down the street". This is one bar/brewery that we definitely recommend, with great food, awesome beer, and a perfect atmosphere, it really can't be beat.

Boston Common was our next stop but we made a detour to a nearby cemetery, one of the oldest in the U.S. and saw the grave of a passenger on the Mayflower, the significance was overwhelming. We walked to Beacon Hill and the State House, really taking in all that we could, from the weather to the buildings, to the history contained in them, it all was fascinating.

Ending up by the Garden we checked out Zakim bridge and went back to the hotel.

The rest of the night we took it easy and made our way around Faneuil Hall and the marketplace. A lot of walking had taken place and we needed our rest, the next day would be another full one.

I love your descriptions of our wonderful Beantown. I find it interesting that you would choose to tour the university's here. If you live here your calf's turn into stumps from all the walking. It is the most walkable city I have ever been to and I never get sick of seeing the same things. You should come back inthe summertime when the gardens are in full bloom and the swan boats are slowly making their way around the pond.

How did you find the mood of the people? Most people say they seem grouchy. If you needed anything though, I bet the people here would be willing to help, but that depends on what area you are in.

I am looking forward to reading the rest of your story. I love seeing another perspective.