Sunday: Flew into Boston/Logan International around 8 p.m., mom picked us up (she was on business and flew ahead of us), got to our hotel, crashed into bed.
Monday: My favorite day of all! Derek, dad, and I drove to Salem in the morning. It's only about 20 minutes north of Boston. This is the place of the notorious 17th-century witch trials. It also has importance to the literary minded as the inspiration of many of Nathaniel Hawthorne's (one of my faves) works.
My new pirate friend from Salem. 
Dad checking out the creepy old hanging tree. The "witches" weren't burned, but hanged.
Touristy but still informational.
This house was built by one of the first Puritan settlers in 1630-ish.
Old Salem Graveyard.
The house that inspired Hawthorne's book of the same name.
Cool colonial home.
After Salem we drove further north to Ipswich. This place to me is the real New England, and I can't wait to make a return visit in the fall. We ate lunch at the Clam Box, which was really delicious. I had the fried clam mini plate--you'd never know it was the mini by how huge it actually is. Totally non-greasy and the freshest seafood ever. Ipswich is OLD--the oldest house was built in 1633. The amazing thing to me is that people still live in these houses. Talk about history.
My fried clam lunch.
The Clam Box.
A view of Boston from one of the bridges.
Tuesday: After breakfast we took a shuttle to the "T" station and rode into the city. We walked down Beacon Hill, which is the oldest (not counting the North End) and richest part of Boston, and ended up at the Public Garden, where the famous swan boats are. The park was really nice and relatively transient free.
Swan boat at the Public Garden.
From the park we walked a short distance to Copley Square, which is probably my second-favorite place of the trip. The place has Trinity Church, Boston Public Library (which strongly resembles a mini version of the Library of Congress), a farmer's market, and more. Luckily we went on a nice day and could wander around at our leisure.
Dad and Derek looking up our family name in the social science reading room of the library.
From Copley we got back on the T and went two stops west to Kenmore, where Fenway Park is. It's also near Boston University. (Wishful-yet-hinting cough.) The game wasn't to start until 7:00, but my dad is one of those types that likes to arrive at a game fourteen hours before, to "check everything out." Haha...he was cute though. We took a tour of the park, which was awesome because of all that history involved. It's the oldest working baseball park in the US, built in 1912. Love me some Red Sox. We got to sit on top of the Green Monster for a while, then down in the original wood bleacher seats.
Looking towards home plate from the Green Monster.
The game begins!
We ate so much that day. I don't even want to think about it.
Wednesday: Since the weather was supposed to be in the 90s, we decided to make this day our Cape Cod excursion. Derek, dad, and I set out first for Plymouth, the site of Plymouth Rock, Mayflower II, and Plymouth Plantation. Thanks, pilgrims! At the plantation I bought this awesome hand-sketched recipe book filled with local recipes and flavors. I've yet to use it, but there's a clam chowder recipe in there that's just dying to be made. Not to mention the double blueberry pie.
Cute Derek trying to wake up.
Me and Bud at Plimoth Plantation. (Weird spelling is theirs, not mine.)
I couldn't resist taking a picture of this house, which is for sale. In my mind I've already bought it and live in it.
Beautiful Cape Cod.
Mayflower II.
From Plymouth, we drove 60 miles further east/northeast to the very tip of Cape Cod, called Provincetown. Look at map of Massachusetts sometime, and look at Cape Cod. We stood on the very end of that hook! It was such a beautiful day, and we were lucky to get there at early evening.
Derek's crabby friend.
Ok, that's all I have time for right now, but I'll put up the next three days of the trip later. Loves.
1 comment:
What a FUN trip! I'm so glad you wrote this. Yay!
"In my head I've already bought this house and live in it." Oh, you make me laugh.
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