Boston Ideas
 

We will be in Boston for a few days, taking DD off to college. I will arrive in Boston early on a Saturday, on a redeye into Logan. Lovely DD and DH will be driving (bonding cross-country road trip) up from NYC, arriving sometime later in the day, so I will have the day in Boston to myself.

We used to live in Boston, in the late 80s, and have been back a lot to visit friends or attend meetings. So I feel like I've done every touristy thing in Boston, several times, as well as lots of cultural stuff. I think I could recite the facts of most places on the Freedom Trail.

My current tentative plan, which is subject to change depending on my whim (such a lovely thought), is to drop my bag at our hotel in Cambridge, go for a run, get coffee. Possibly take the red line to Chinatown for dim sum (something I have never done in Boston), there are a couple that open early.

After that? I've looked up a couple of cultural tours, so I might do that - Boston By Foot's Hub of Literary Boston is my kind of thing. Any food-oriented tour looks kind of silly, though possibly interesting. ContextTour, which I didn't realize until now has tours in the U.S., has a couple of specialty tours. If it's hot out, one of the museums. There's also an Art & Architecture tour of the Boston Public Library that I could take.

What else might I do or see? Any little thing that locals might do? I haven't researched, are there any bike trails I could rent a bike and take? And anything I might want to indulge in for myself, seeing that we will be becoming official empty nesters?

Get to know the neighborhood where she is going to go to school.

Ride the T from her campus to somewhere -- Park Street? Logan Airport? BRevere Beach?

Ride one of the long bus routes -- 1 Harvard Dudley via Mass Ave to Comm Ave or Newbury St. then walk to the Public Garden or 66 from Harvard through Brookline to Brigham Circle, where you can change to a 39 (I think) to the MFA/Gardner and Copley.

The 2 Boston food tours are actually quite good - I prefer the North End one to Chinatown.

Go the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art) - if you are even a little into that sort of thing. The art is good and the views from the building phenomenal.

Take a short Boston Harbor cruise

Go have lunch at Liberty Hotel - or just a drink in the old prison yard. Liberty Hotel is the old Charles Street Jail, beautifully refurbished into a hotel while keeping some of the prison features.

There is also at least one company that does Boston by bike tours - but can't seem to find it right now. My daughter and friends took and said it was great.

Boston harbor islands by boat

whale watch

glass flowers at Harvard

recently redone Harvard art museums

Thanks for the great ideas, most of which I didn't do when we lived in Boston, or on any subsequent visits (except for riding the T to get around).

I also came up with the Minuteman Bikeway, which combines physical activity and history, so that's possibly moving to the top of my list! I'll still have plenty of time to do other things that day.

Look at hubway, Boston's bike sharing. People ride and walk by the esplanade. Very nice. I love walking it.

One thing that I really enjoyed in Boston was kayaking on the Charles. We rented the boats from a trailer that is parked on a quiet street with some good restaurants nearby. I think we went out for about an hour. It is a pretty easy paddle and the city looks very different from on the river. I also felt very safe as there were enough other small boats, as well as the Harvard or MIT sailing team out there!

I looked on the forum for ideas for our trip to Boston next month, but I wanted to reply to your comment about food tours seeming silly. I am sure they can seem silly if you've never done one - but honestly they can be wonderful! I have done them in NYC twice (Greenwich Village and in Brooklyn), in San Francisco and have already booked one for Boston(North End).

So the thing about a good food tour - it isn't JUST a food tour (unless I suppose you could search for a super foodie one). They are really a great way to learn about the culture of what is usually either a very diverse neighborhood or a very deeply ethnic neighborhood (like I expect the North End one to be). There is a ton of fun info that is not food related - the food just adds to it. Research it and if it appeals to you, do it! I don't think you'd find it silly at all!

I enjoyed walking through the Mapparium.

Have you seen the JFK library?