Tag Archives: Day Trips

The Freedom Trail: A Good Walk Never Spoiled

In the eight years I’ve lived in Boston (off and on), I’ve done the Freedom Trail about one bigillion times. Funnily enough, I’d never finished the damn thing. In all the times that I’ve started following that red line toward the State House, past the Granary Burying Ground, toward Old City Hall and past the Old South Meeting House, I’d never once made it across the Harbor, into Charlestown and up Bunker Hill. Until this past weekend.

With my best friend Sam coming for a visit, I was determined to finish the Freedom Trail if it killed us. And it almost did. Those 300 or so steps to the top of the Bunker Hill Monument nearly did me in, and my legs are still sore (translation: I need to work out more). But sitting at the top of Bunker Hill, with the breeze blowing and the sky a bluer blue than I’ve seen in quite some time, I knew that taking a Saturday to complete the Freedom Trail was definitely worth it.

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Filed under Around Town, Field Trips

Sail Away, Sail Away

Photo courtesy of Boston.com

Someone in Boston really wants me to go sailing this weekend. I opened up my inbox this morning to find not one, but TWO e-mails telling me that sailing in the Harbor is the new thing to do, and I can get it at a discount!

First off, the Boston Sailing Center will be hosting an Open House Saturday, May 1 and Sunday, May 2 at it’s Lewis Wharf location. Free sailboat rides will be offered, as well as discounted memberships and lessons.

In addition, today’s Boston Groupon is a 50 percent discount on either sailing lessons or a leisure cruise with Courageous Sailing of Charlestown. For $95, you and two friends can either learn to sail or take a calm two-hour coast in the Boston Harbor. While this sounds really lovely, I wonder why three people would want to take what seems to me like a romantic cruise on a sailboat…I mean, I can think of some reasons, but it’s not anything I would want to participate in.

Anyway, take advantage of the beautiful weekend (and hopefully future beautiful weather ahead of us). Bon Voyage!

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Filed under Around Town, BEST Things Ever

Day Trip-Trip-Trippin’: Mystic, CT

The historic port at Mystic, CT.

There was little I knew about Mystic, CT before I went there two weeks ago. I knew there was a famous pizza place where Julia Roberts said the f-word a lot and Kit dated a married guy. And I knew that it was on the water. Suffice it to say, neither of those two facts would have made a good tourist brochure.

But now, having been there, I can tell you it’s absolutely beautiful, and a great place to throw yourself back in time. As my mom likes to say whenever she visits a historic place, “I’m pretending.” In Mystic, mom pretended she was wearing lots of gingham and singing shanty tunes in the local schoolhouse. She gets into it.
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