BOSTON TRAVEL GUIDE
Obviously 2020 has not been the year of travel. Everything that I had planned has fallen through, which when you are a planner is such a major bummer!! I had a full trip planned (down to the last detail) to Nashville in April with my three best friends that has been postponed twice. I know sometime in the future we will get to go on our trip, and I look so forward to that because we always have the absolute best times. Some of the more recent places we have been together include New York City, Cape Cod, and Boston. We traveled to Boston last May and it was the best time ever! It was my second time visiting the city and it has been one of my favorite places to travel. There is so much history to absorb, and fun places to experience, amazing food to eat….it makes the best place for a little or long getaway.
I wanted to write a blog post that covered this trip in case any of you look to planning a trip to Boston once some of the chaos of our world settles down. There is no time like the present to start planning something fun, plus it can give you and your loved ones something to look forward to!
The main reason we picked Boston to travel to is because one of my best friends (Hannah; who I’ve been best friends with since pre-school) has lived there for the last 8 years. The other three of us are located closer to our hometown and traveled from Pittsburgh to Boston Logan Airport on Friday morning of Memorial Day weekend:
DAY ONE:
After Arriving in Boston on Friday afternoon, the four of us caught up, relaxed and refreshed a bit before making our way out on the town. Traveling is so exhausting, so we wanted to do something low key to start of the trip. We decided to hit a local outside beer garden, Aeronaut Allston. They are open Wednesday’s and Friday’s all summer long, offer ice cold beer, yummy snacks, live music, and a super cozy environment, AND they are dog friendly!!! It is a bit outside the down town area, but definitely worth a trip to if you are looking for a laid back evening.
DAY TWO:
Trident Booksellers and Cafe
Breakfast was our first stop of the day. We went to Trident, which is one of my favorite little spots in Boston. It is a two story coffee shop/book store/cafe. It has major cozy and ecletic vibes, with big windows that look out onto Newbury Street. I have been there a few times over my travels, and there is nothing bad to eat on the menu
Newbury Street
After stopping into Trident, you can walk out onto Newbury street. I would say it is the best shopping in the city. If you are looking to do a little retail therapy you can hit up shops such as Zara, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, little boutiques, all the way to designer. There are also fun little spots to stop and take your picture along the way
GEORGETOWN CUPCAKE
While making your way down Newbury Street I would highly suggest stopping in at Georgetown Cupcake. All four of us indulged on a cupcake, I opted for a lemon elderberry and it was to die for. A tip for when you stop in: every morning on Twitter, they tweet the top secret flavor of the day. If you tell the flavor to one of the workers, they will give you one for free! I have done this a few times, and it is so fun… just remember it is only while supplies last!
Tatte Bakery & Cafe
Tatte is my dream coffee house and they are located all over the city! Each location has a different vibe, and are decorated to perfection with subway tile, bentwood chairs, and fresh flowers on all the tables. They offer a variety of specialty foods and pastries, and their coffee is amazing
Boston Public Garden
If you visit Boston, the Public Garden is an absolute must. In the summer it is full of life, and the most beautiful flowers and sights
You can walk straight down Newbury to the garden. I personally would grab something to go from Tatte and wander through the garden, sit on a bench and soak it all in.
I would also suggest taking a ride on the Swan Boats, so touristy but so fun!
BEACON HILL
From the Public Garden, you are only a short walk from Beacon Hill. This area has to be one of my absolute parts of the city, and you can see why from the photos below. There is so much history and beauty around (literally) every corner. With cobblestone streets and wisteria hanging off beautiful facades, it is simply magical
When in Beacon Hill I would explore the neighborhood, stop by Acorn St. (which is said to be the most photographed street in the US), walk down to Charles Street for some small shops, and make sure to stop into Rouvalis Flower Shop
DAY TWO EVENING:
Tia’s
In a city full of seafood, it can be terribly difficult to choose where to eat. Tia’s is a waterfront restaurant, so the view of the bay is gorgeous. It offers indoor and outdoor seating, great prices, and even better food. I ordered the Lobster and Shrimp Scampi and it did not disappoint
Since Tia’s is located downtown, it is a short trip away from rooftop beer gardens and other great hang spots if you are looking to spend a night on the town
The Lawn on D
The Lawn on D is a large outside venue full of all kinds of life sized games, light up swings, food, drinks, and live music. We Ubered here after dinner and enjoyed the night taking pictures on the swings, and listening to live music on the lawn. If you are looking to get some pictures on the swings, I would advise going earlier in the evening, once it became dark out it was very hard to snag one
DAY THREE:
Colette
The third day of our trip we planned to go a short Uber ride away, to Cambridge. I found the cutest little French Bistro, Colette, that is decorated to the nines
We made brunch reservations a few days in advance for right when they opened, to avoid a crowd and get the best pictures
Brunch is served Saturday’s & Sunday’s. I tried the Eggs à la Provençale, latte, and a mimosa (vacation right?!) and it was all perfection!
Harvard
While in Cambridge, we took a walk through the infamous campus of Harvard
We also stopped into the Harvard Bookstore, where I purchased the cutest Christmas ornament (wherever I travel I always buy a Christmas ornament for the tree)
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
If you are interested in art, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is definitely worth making a visit to. Not only is it incredibly beautiful, there is a ton of history on (and off) the walls
The museum has the most beautiful courtyard garden, displays more than 7500 paintings, sculptures, furniture, and other Medieval Europe and Renaissance Italy objects
Another very interesting part of the museum is that it held the largest art heist in history. In 1990, 500 million dollars worth of art was stolen, and has not been recovered. As you walk through the museum you can see the empty spots where the 13 pieces of art once hung. I would suggest listening to the Podcast ‘Last Seen’ to get all of the information before visiting
Also, if you have a student ID it can help you get your admission for a lower price!
DAY THREE EVENING:
For dinner we were within walking distance from where were staying in Brighton to Devlin’s Restaurant. It was probably my favorite night of the trip. We had the best time grabbing drinks at the cozy bar inside while waiting for our table. Once seated we ate underneath the string lights on the back patio, filled with people laughing and enjoying the summer evening
I ordered Carne Asada Tacos and they were great. They also have a wonderful selection of crafted cocktails, my favorite was the Summer Sangria
DAY FOUR:
Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Day four was the last full day of our trip, so we planned lightly to add in anything extra we wanted to do or see. I had previously been to Faneuil Hall Marketplace, but it is always worth a trip down to pick up some food in the hall and the outside market
The entire inside of the hall is lined with some of the best food outlets. I would grab a Lobster Roll and stop at Magnolia Bakery for banana bread pudding (one of my all time favorites)
While in the area I would also stop by some of the Burying Grounds, such as Granary Burying Ground. It is right downtown, and within it rests Paul Revere, Sam Adams, John Hancock, and a few other notable individuals from America’s history
Fenway Park
I couldn’t have picked a better way to end our stay, a trip to Fenway park for a baseball game on Memorial Day
We had seats in the outfield, I don’t think there is a bad seat in the house. We had the best time watching the game, tracking down some hotdogs and cold drinks in the stands. Even if you aren’t a big baseball person, going to a game is such a fun experience!
So there you have it! A four day travel guide to Boston. Packed with some of the best things to do in the city. I hope one day when the craziness is over, you can travel to Boston and have the best time like I did with my girls. But until then, happy planning!
