Travel To {Boston}

Last year around this time we were in Boston celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4). This wasn't our first time visiting Boston together as the first trip Billy ever went on with my family was to Cape Cod (with 30+ Whalens, seriously surprised I didn't scare him off!), but Boston is by far our favorite city to travel to. Which says a heck of a lot!

I've made the comment before that if I had to move but could pick a location, it would be Boston (I haven't been to San Fran, yet). No doubt in my mind. I have an aunt and uncle that live in Plymouth, 2 cousins that live in Lexington (and another city that I can't remember), and a friend that lives in Hingham. Therefore, I've been to Boston many times and each time surprisingly gets better and better! There is so much to do and you can't beat the history (which we love).

Today, I'd like to share some of my favorite things to do in Boston and do a little recap of our trip there last year. 


1. Newport Mansions:  full recap of our day-here

These mansions are actually in Newport, Rhode Island but I strongly recommend making the short drive to see these mansions. Billy still talks about how this was his favorite thing to do on a trip. The mansions are unreal and you truly won't understand how big they are (does 170,000 sq ft sound big to you?!) until you take a tour of them. They offer an audio tour and I don't think the experience would be the same if you skip that part. The audio tour takes you from room to room and shares so much history about the family who lived in the mansion, how they made their money, and all kinds of interesting facts. Try to get to the mansions as early in the day as you can so that you can tour multiple mansions (try to fit 3 in or more!) and then walk around the back of the mansions by the water afterwards. You really need a full day to fit in all there is to offer.

Also, make a trip into the city of Newport that is close by-it's filled with cute shops and restaurants. 

2. Whale Watch: full recap here

The best whale watching is in Boston. This is a must-do for our family since we love boat rides and my last name (maiden) is Whalen. We LOVE whales...duh. ;) If you have never gone on a whale watch, you are missing out. They are so much fun and are typically around $30.00-$40.00 per person for 4 hours. We normally leave on the boat from Plymouth because it's only a couple minutes away from my aunt and uncles house.

3. Downtown Boston and Freedom Trial: full recap here

There is an unlimited amount of things to do downtown, but you have to do the Freedom Trial if you've never done it before and enjoy history.

Some of my favorite locations include:

-Paul Revere's house
-Little Italy (on the North End)

-See the location of the Boston Massacre (literally an intersection)

-Quincy Market (can be very crowded)
-Eat at the Union Oyster House -oh.em.gee...so good. I'm hungry right this instant. 

-Charles St, Beacon Hill, and the Gardens: Charles St. has the best high end shopping....and now you don't need to wonder why it's my favorite street ;)

-Stop in the famous "Cheers" restaurant
-Old North Church

The freedom trial takes a couple hours, but you can kinda go as fast or slow as you'd like. You can take a guided tour or print out a map and just do it yourself. We've done it pretty quickly when we've been pressed for time, but if it's your first time and want the better experience I'd say do the guided tour!

4. Cape Cod & Martha's Vineyard: full recap here

Just gorgeous. I love the Cape. There are so many cities you can visit, but Chatham and Provincetown are two of my favorites. Provincetown is a good place to go if you want to see a lot of Cape Cod because it is the farthest town, and Chatham is the cutest town for upscale shopping and to enjoy lunch/dinner. 

Make sure to spend some time at Cape Cod's National Seashore which is 40 miles of beach, marshes, and ponds. 

5. Harvard: (sorry, no recap)

If you're interested in this college, it's worth a quick trip to take a stroll through campus and to look at the dorms/buildings.

6. Hingham: see recap here

This city isn't necessarily a must-see in Boston, but this is where we had our first wedding anniversary dinner celebration and it's one of my favorite cities in Boston, so I had to include it! 

Hingham is a cute city and has an upscale shopping center/restaurant area that is perfect for a night out. Our family recommended eating at Alma Nove - which is Chef Paul Wahlberg's restaurant (brother of actor Mark Wahlberg!). Holy cow! This restaurant is delicious and did not disappoint. You can sit down by the boat harbor while waiting for your table to be ready and it's beautiful. 

7. Fenway Park

For the baseball/sports fans-catch a Red Sox game here!

*Extra-8. Visit Erica who lives here! I'm sure she would be a great little tour guide. Unfortunately, last year we didn't get a chance to meet up with her but if/when we go back, we will definitely be hanging out with her. Love me some Erica.


....and don't forget to eat lots of LOBSTER AND CLAM CHOWDAH! ;)
Nom Nom Nom.

*UPDATE: If you want to see our recent 2 year anniversary trip featuring Lake Tahoe, Napa Valley, and soon San Francisco and Carmel--> go here to start reading!

Now, who wants to pay me to tour fun cities and then blog about it? Anyone out there? I would gladly accept (in a heartbeat).

So, tell me, have you visited Boston?

Do you love it as much as we do?

What is your favorite thing to do there?