Happy Thursday, friends!
Something we’ve tried to be intentional about since we went to Europe last summer is taking advantage of every possible new travel experience we can. Seeing things we’ve never seen. Doing things we’ve never done. Eating where Urban Spoon, Yelp, Zagat, and 10Best all agree we should. Being part tourist, part food critique, part wanderer, and documenting it all. That’s why when we left Nantucket last weekend, we opted to spend a morning and afternoon in Boston with our friend Melissa Jill before flying home to Phoenix.
We started with brunch on a quiet side street at a quaint café called South End Buttery, Melissa’s favorite. We found parking quickly about two blocks away. We mention that because – Holy cow, Batman! – it’s almost impossible to find parking in the land of Samuel Adams! East Coasters, how. do. you. do. it?! We’re getting our new promo photos done by our talented friend Annamarie Akins when we’re in Virginia in a few weeks, so Jordan’s been on a pretty strict self-imposed diet since the beginning of the month to shed his love handles (his words, not Amy’s), so we ordered a few items to share between the three of us — one sweet and one savory – and Jordan had a few bites to go with his three cups of coffee.
After that, in the spirit of Good Will Hunting and Legally Blonde, we drove to Cambridge to walk around Harvard. In hindsight, we should’ve raced pickle slices down a glass window or at least asked someone if they like apples, but we didn’t. Some highlights from the stroll that we did do? Dessert at a secret Mike’s Pastries THAT DIDN’T HAVE A LINE. If you’ve ever been to Boston, we don’t even need to say more. If you haven’t, getting a treat at Mike’s is like waiting for Space Mountain. Without a Fast Pass. The first day school gets out in California. Amy got hooked on éclairs when we were in Paris last summer, so she ordered one the size of a Long John and loved every bite of it. Jordan – again, the diet – enjoyed one bite of it, which was the size of an entire éclair in Paris. That led us to one of two conclusions: either their prices are too high or our portions are too big. Okay, maybe it led us to two solid conclusions! God bless America.
We thought about walking the Freedom Trail again and seeing places like Paul Revere’s house. We also should’ve run down the streets screaming, The redcoats are coming, they’re coming! but instead we perused the ONLY Curious George store in the entire world. IN THE ENTIRE WORLD! Jordan loooved that curious little monkey growing up, so going to the place where the authors wrote most of his adventures was an unanticipated but welcomed pilgrimage, like visiting the Vatican of children’s books. After all, if your childhood was anything like Jordan’s, you probably knew more about George’s stories than our Founding Fathers!
Hoping to catch some brain cells by osmosis, we snuggled up under a big shaded tree on the Charles River and watched bikers and runners work hard while we let our eggs benedict, French toast, and cream-filled pastry digest. Keep up the good work, guys! You’re doing great! we thought. Once we felt smarter, we headed to the heart of Boston to see the sights before having a late lunch/early dinner at Mothers Anna’s Italian restaurant. Side note: there should be a name for late lunches/early dinners. What do you think? Linner or dinch? Okay, maybe there shouldn’t be a name for it. After watching a few street performers, walking along Boston Harbor, and seeing one of America’s greatest cities from the North End to the South End, it was time for our time there to come to the end.
So, we packed up the rental car, drove in circles a few times (because Boston streets are like H&M sizes: narrow, different, and confusing), filled up our tank with a gasoline pump that sprayed like a fire hose, and, after eleven days on the road, boarded a plane that took us back to the Arizona desert, which might not be the home of the free, but the parking is. Ah, it is good to be home!! Here are some highlights of our six-hour stint in Boston.
We l-o-v-e traveling! Wanna catch up with our adventures around the world? You can do that here!
International: Ireland • England • France • Spain • Italy • Greece & Turkey • Anniversary Photos: Venice • Italy 2.0 • France 2.0 • Vow Renewal: France • Switzerland • Iceland • Prague • Germany & France
Domestic: Nashville • Denver • Phoenix • Vancouver • Seattle • Vegas • Atlanta • Santa Barbara • Florida • Virginia • New England/New York • Sedona • San Diego • Nantucket • Boston • San Diego • Virginia • Arizona • Charleston • Disney Cruise
