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What a wonderful report. I'm glad you got to the Gibson House. It is not well-known even though it is also the headquarters of the New England chapter of the Victorian Society of America.
The Oak Room was updated a few years ago. I haven't been since and your report reminds me to put it on my list. Thanks for all your wonderful descriptions. I loved seeing Boston through your eyes. |
Thanks for your very kind TR words.
DonT, the info about Gibson was correct, I just didn't finish reading the sentence. It <i>was</i> first house in Back Bay. Thanks for the correction alert. One last day to end this TR ("Yay!") |
Day 6, 24 May 2015
Mid-80s in Boston, High 70s in Annapolis <u>Short Version</u> Breakfast: Logan Airport Dunkin Donuts: Sausage/egg/cheese on a croissant and OJ. $7 (approx. I tossed receipt) Really tasty B++ Hints: Early Sunday morning of a 3-day weekend might be the best time to be in an airport! Point of Interest: 1. Dedicated computer and printer in this hotel to print out boarding pass if you haven’t sent it to your smart phone. Forgot to see the St. Gaudens statue yesterday! <u>Long Version: Home!</u> Up at 7. Had last cup of room coffee. Don’t believe I mentioned that coffee/tea machine is quite efficient. One fills up the paper cup with water, pours same into machine, places a coffee/filter pod, places paper cup under “hole” and hits “brew.” Within minutes a cup is ready and there is little clean up. Now I wonder how it is kept clean. If I have bad germs and use the same cup to make another brew…. Packed and left room by 9:03. They checked me out via computer so just turned in card keys. There is a dedicated computer/printer for getting one’s boarding pass. Out to front and taxi driver is yelling at the doorman. Once in the cab, driver tells me that livery car drivers bribe doormen to let them jump in line. My driver had been waiting an hour in line as he was supposed to. I think the drive was $21.75 before tip-very fast ride as there was no traffic. Passed a fun Prudential sign “Carpe Dime”!! There is no one in any line! I am at my gate by 10:15. I spent the next 2.5+ hours typing day 5’s TR. Perfect way to wait so long. I snoozed on plane and everything is on time. I’ve mentioned this in previous TRs but it is worth noting if walking is difficult for you. Southwest’s luggage claim is at Door #1; the Off-Site Parking pickup is between #7-9. An even walk but a schlep if you have more than one case. The EconoPark drivers always help with luggage. <u>Looking Back:</u> Boston and D.C. have similar populations and vibes so it was easy to navigate. Both have subways (T and Metro, respectively) that make getting around convenient. Does D.C. still have the Duck? Boston does. The Harvard complex is gigantic. The 25¢ map is only OK for general locations. Remember that Arts Museum is on Quincy and Natural History on Oxford. If you have to choose between galleries, forgetting Sargent, I’d suggest MFA simply because it is larger. Isabella Stewart Gardner smaller, darker and without labels made it less appealing to me. My opinion only! When a hotel is as expensive as the Westin, I’d expect free wi-fi. As always, great to travel but wonderful to be home again! Thanks again to all for your advice, remarks and corrections. Mimi, AGM, yk and dfrosty, it was a delight to meet and see you again. Dfrosty, you are my hero for the number of hats you wear with kindness and good cheer. You made Boston better for me than I made it for you, eh? Photos to come on Flikr. |
I have enjoyed this TR especially with all the additions from the other Fodorites you saw in Boston and Cambridge. I know this was an important trip to you so am glad that it all went well.
Too bad you missed seeing the St Gaudens sculpture (I assume you mean the memorial across from the Statehouse.) It is an excuse to plan another trip to Boston. |
Hi Vttrav, and thanks. I was within spitting distance of the St. Gaudens and totally forgot it. Yes, another good excuse--one could visit Boston for weeks before seeing it all.
Am I going to miss meeting you this weekend? You will enjoy this group just as much in person as on "paper"! |
For some reason, it always seems to be the expensive hotels that charge for wi-fi, and the budget properties that include it in the room price.
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Interesting point, Nikki. That was the most I've ever paid for a hotel. I told the concierge that it would be a deal breaker for me in the future. It may have been free in the lobby, but who wants to get dressed to check email?
They did have a free "print your boarding pass" set up. Very much appreciated. |
I believe that you get free internet at Westin and all Starwood properties if you're a member of their SPG loyalty program.
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It sounds like you had a very good, and very full, trip tdude.
What's next on the Art bucket list?! |
Grrr, Don, that bites too. Why not just do it? Also, why do they want one's credit card number to join SPG loyalty program?
Thanks Toucan2! Amsterdam, St. Petersburg, or Chicago. |
Great bucket list, TDudette!
Aw shucks, it was fun for me because you are such a great explorer. You are also great a retorts when we got yelled at for crossing the street when the walk light wasn't on! |
Thank you Tdu for such a great report (and also dfrostnh's contribution). Your stamina amazes me. I think I need a nap now. ;)
You've eaten at so many places that I haven't been to (honestly, haven't been to any mid-upscale eateries for couple of years now), so I'm making mental notes so I can try them in the future. I'm glad you enjoyed (some of) the ballet. That's a pretty good price for the ticket. Jeffrey Cirio is a principal dancer with the Boston Ballet (he's only 23 or 24, making him the youngest dancer to reach principal status in BB's history). He's also a budding choreographer so the BB director took a leap of faith to program Cirio's work. It was so good to meet you (and dfrostnh) last week. Can you believe that m-yk is still talking about you two? |
Thanks frosty and yk!
Ya have to be careful about retorts though, frosty. I got chased one time I gave the bird to some guy in a big truck. Cirio's and Robbins' kept me entertained the most. We had to choreograph a piece in one of my tap-dancing classes--it wasn't an easy thing to do. m-yk sure knows his trucks. The pleasure was all mine! Not yet sorted or captioned but here are some photos. Flikr gave me fits this time and added everything in twice: https://www.flickr.com/photos/organi...57651179580793 |
the link didn't work.
I wish we were in Vermont with the tribe |
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Nice photos, thanks.
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One of those old apartment s, you filmed, when on Newberry street, was where I lived when single
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Thanks, Nikki. The one with the fire escapes, Mimi?
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PS--The link ending with 'albums' cuts off some pictures. The second one is more complete. Captions are on lower left and quite small.
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