New England Aquarium, Boston, Massachusetts

The New England Aquarium sits at Central Wharf, directly next to the Boston Marriot Long Wharf Hotel and quite near Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. It's easy to get to via the blue line (exit Aquarium) or Commuter Boat into Long Wharf.

The aquarium opened 40 years ago and I've seen some say that it is outdated. But, from what we saw, it remains popular. We actually tried to visit twice on weekends- the line to enter was over a block long both times. We had far better luck on a Thursday, though it was still quite busy.

Unlike many aquariums, the New England Aquarium isn't confined to its building. As you approach you'll see that whale watching cruises are available. While it looked like great fun it was just too cold for us to do in March.

You purchase your tickets outside the aquarium entrance (pricing can be found here) and then step behind the building to watch the Harbor Seals frolic in their outdoor habitat.

As you enter the aquarium you present your ticket then step in front of a green screen to have your picture taken. When you leave you have the option of buying the photos- a very personal souvenir that features you with fish, sharks and turtles.

Take a left upon entering and visit the Amazing Jellies and the Sea Turtle Recovery exhibits (you'll want to have your "Turtles Uncovered" book out in here to get one of your stamps!) Jellyfish are pretty amazing creatures when you look at them. And fascinating to watch.

The girls also spent quite a bit of time in front of the sea turtle tanks wondering about their injuries and cooing over their cuteness.

As you enter the main part of the aquarium you can't help but be in awe of the Giant Ocean Tank. It's a 4-story coral reef filled with fish, ells, sharks, sea turtles, and sting rays. It's incredible. A ramp circles the tank allowing you to see absolutely everything- even to look down into it from the top! (The top of the tank is accessible only by a short flight of stairs and is slightly terrifying to look directly down in to- especially with two very curious small girls!)

Surrounding the base of the tank are penguins. We spent quite a bit of time enjoying the penguins. Especially fun for the girls was watching the penguins being fed. They are hand fed; each penguin has an identifying band and each has a ration of fish it is allowed daily. It's funny to watch them eat, to see who's greedy and who's patient and to watch them gobble down the fish.

Around the edges of the aquarium and other great exhibits:

• The Aquarium Medical Center - see the animals being cared for by the aquarium
• Thinking Gallery- interactive exhibits and amazing sea dragons
• Freshwater Gallery- piranhas, anaconda, salmon and electric eels
• Edge of the Sea Tidepool- touch starfish, hermit crabs and sea urchins
• Seahorse exhibit- fascinating little creatures. Good luck getting a good picture! They camouflage themselves very well!
• Northern Waters Gallery- an octopus, sea anemones and fish from the Pacific West Coast as well as the Gulf of Maine exhibit
• Tropical Gallery- colorful clownfish, lionfish, flashlight fish and live coral
• Curious George Discovery Center- a special area for the littlest visitors

Also a part of the Aquarium is Simons IMAX Theater. You can add an IMAX ticket to your aquarium ticket for only a few dollars more.

Helpful Information

The aquarium, except the top of the Giant Ocean Tank, is handicapped and stroller accessible.

Restrooms are located on level 1 and to the left of the information desk near the gift shop. Lockers are available for stowing bags and a free stroller check-in is located behind the information desk.

If you choose to eat on premise the Harbor View Cafe offers a wide range of food (sandwiches, pizza, salads, and, of course, fish) at a decent price. Of course you can just get a hand stamp and walk on one of the many restaurants in the area.

Be sure to check out the visitor guide you receive. The giant ocean tank divers are amazing to watch as they hand feed the animals. And seal training is always fun to see.

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Roisin Dubh (The Black Rose), Boston, Massachusetts

It was our first time in Boston, we "discovered" Roisin Dubh (Gaelic for Black Rose) just a block from Faneuil Hall and fell in love with it! Of course it's an Irish Pub, which didn't hurt, but we were always welcomed, the food was consistently good (I recommend the Irish Stew and the fish & chips, Doug raved about the Shepherds Pie and the hot artichoke dip was scrumptious! I would skip the Reuben) and there was often entertainment. It's very kid friendly and the girls looked forward to our next pub visit.

During our 3 months in Boston we probably ate at The Black Rose 6 times! I probably miss it more than anything else!

In the first video Caelan had just gone potty in a toilet that wasn't familiar. We celebrated with a song!



This video stars Brenna, singing on stage with Frank Ryan of Celtic Clan (whose CD we listen to daily.)



If your travels take you to Boston make sure to stop in the Black Rose for a pint, some pub grub and great craic! The closest T stops are blue (Aquarium) and orange (State). Also very close to Long Wharf.

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The Boston Freedom Trail, Boston, Massachusetts

It is impossible to share the full experience of the Freedom Trail. I hope to provide an inspiring overview for you and urge you to see it for yourself, at least once. It is truly one of the greatest places in our country to grasp an understanding of our forefathers and their passion for our freedoms.

Boston is the "birthplace of American Independence" and has many, many books published exclusively about the Freedom Trail. The two I found that best fit our needs were:

I chose the first for the amazing photographs, mostly. The second, which is more of a thick pamphlet than a book, was chosen for its detailed information and the fact that it was easy to take along with us as we explored. Not only does it have every historic fact imaginable but it also has basic information (transportation, hours, tours, restrooms, etc) and a chronology of the area and events. I highly recommend picking it up before touring the area- you'll get much more from your self tour.

Because we were in the Boston area for so long we actually split our tour of historic Boston into about 3 days. With young children it was better not to try to put in too much in one day.

The Freedom Trail is marked by a red line in the sidewalk- it is either red bricks set into the sidewalk or a red painted line. The girls had a lot of fun "balancing" on the line.

Because we most often came into Boston on the Harbor Ferry from Quincy we began our walking tour at Faneuil Hall.

Faueuil Hall was built in 1742 by Boston merchant Peter Faneuil. The lower level was an open market and the upper a meeting room that became Boston's official town hall. Today the Faneuil Hall Marketplace has spread beyond the original building and houses over 40 shops, the Bullmarket- more than 38 specialty carts, 16 restaurants, 35 eateries in teh Quincy Market Colonnade and street performers (who are auditioned, insured and have must pass background checks.) My girls were completly enraptured by Mailk the Magic Guy who created amazing balloon art. If you're lucky you may even meet Benjamin Franklin!

From Faneuil Hall it is a short stroll to the Old State House which is also the site of the Boston Massacre. If you come in on the subway the blue and orange lines (State Station) are located under the building. Built in 1713 this is Boston's oldest public building and now houses a museum. The site of the Boston Massacre is memorialized by a circle of paving stones below the balcony.

Following the trail you will next come to the Old Corner Bookstore, where The Scarlet Letter was published, followed by the Old South Meeting House where the Boston Tea Party began. Next is the site of the Latin School, the first public school in America which was attended by Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Robert Treat Paine. Statues of Benjamin Franklin and Mayor Josiah Quincy now stand outside the current building- the Old City Hall which now houses a Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, among other things. Stand in the opposing footsteps or hop on the donkey near the gate.

King's Chapel was built on part of the town's first burying ground, seized by Governor Sir Edmund Andros to build a presence of the Church of England. The burying grounds next to the church are not connected with the church; some of Boston's staunchest Puritans are buried here. Also laying here are Mary Chilton, the first Pilgrim to step off the Mayflower and Elizabeth Paine, the inspiration for Hester Prynne, heroine of The Scarlet Letter. Plaques say the William Dawes (the other man who rode with Paul Revere) is buried here; his relatives are, he is in an unmarked tomb in Jamaica Plain.

Next is the Old Granary Burying Ground with monuments to our Founding Fathers Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere and other patriots. The five victims of the Boston Massacre lie near Samuel Adams. Also here is "Boston's Mother Goose". She may not be the original but local lore says her son in law, a printer, published a book of her stories titled "Songs for the Nursery or Mother Goose's Melodies" based on her recitations to grandchildren. The girls could have cared less about the history here, but the monument to Ben Franklin's parents proved to be a great place to play.

Park Street Church, whose 217 foot steeple was the highest landmark in town, replaced the granary in 1809. It was here, on July 4, 1829, that William Lloyd Garrison gave his first public anti-slavery speech and in 1831 "My Country 'Tis of Thee" was sung for the first time by the church children's choir.

On July 4, 1795 Governor Samuel Adams laid the cornerstone for the State House. Paul Revere was the Grand Master of the Masonic ceremonies and, in 1802, his foundry produced copper sheathing for the dome.

Crossing the street before entering Boston Common is the Shaw/ 54th Regiment Memorial, the nation's first all volunteer Black Army Regiment. It's a beautiful sculpture. Be sure to stop on your way into the Common and read the back.

Coming to Boston Common was a treat for the girls. In this 50 acre area where cattle used to graze an public hangings once took place you will now find a playground, the Frog Pond for wading or skating, depending on the season, the Brewer Fountain, imported from Paris in 1867, and plenty of room to run.

Boston Common is the official "starting point" of the Freedom Trail. If you come in by subway use the green line to Boylston Street Station.

Before leaving the Commons cross Charles Street to the Public Garden and visit the Make Way For Ducklings sculpture. The ducks are so cute and great fun to ride and "feed".



Because we began our self tour in the middle, we hopped the green line to North Station and found the Freedom Trail again on Hull Street at Copps Hill Burying Ground. This is Boston's second oldest burial ground. It contains the graves of few famous people but has amazing history none-the-less. The Complete Guide to Boston's Freedom Trail has great information on some of the graves inside.

Just down the hill from Copps Hill Burying Ground stands the Old North Church: "one if by land, two if by sea". It is Boston's oldest standing church building and is still used today, officially as Christ Church in the City of Boston. We spent quite a bit of time here reading the plaques on the pews and the walls. The pew boxes are unique and the boxes for the wealthy are sumptuous. There are usually staff on hand to answer any questions and we caught the end of a presentation on the building's history. There is a gift shop next door. Brenna really liked the tri-corner hats.



Through the Paul Revere Mall, around the corner and a few blocks away stands Paul Rever's house. It is the oldest structure in downtown Boston and you can tour it for $3. In the rear courtyard is a bell cast by Paul Revere, as well as tools of his trade.

You are now in Boston's North End, the oldest neighborhood in the city. Prosperous until independence, the area quickly became dangerous until the mid-1800s. From 1845 to 1855 50,000 Irish immigrants settled in Boston, many in the North End slums. As the Irish propered and moved out the Jews from Eastern Europe and the Italians moved in. Now the North End is undeniably Italian and has regained it's respectability and is well known for its Italian restaurants.

From here we walked back to Faneuil Hall for dinner before heading home. To finish the Freedom Trail I recommend taking the Navy Yard Water Shuttle from Long Wharf to Charlestown. There you will see the USS Constitution, the USS Constitution Museum and the Navy Ship Yard. If you choose to walk it is about half an hour from Faneuil Hall and 15 minutes from Copp's Hill Burying Ground.

Charlestown is the end of the Freedom Trail. It was once a community unto itself. We did Charlestown on a separate day but if you want to fit it in with the rest of the tour you want to get to the USS Constitution no later than 3pm.

The USS Constitution, or "Old Ironsides" as she is also known, is one of the Navy's first ships. President George Washington signed the act that built her and live oak was harvested from Georgia's sea islands- at 5 times stronger than common oak cannon balls bounced from her sides, earning the nickname. Only emotion saved her- twice- from being destroyed after her usefulness on the high seas.


Today the USS Constitution is a commissioned ship. Active duty enlisted sailors guide you through the main deck and the first two levels below decks, telling tales of sea battles and the lives of 450 men and teen boys who lived on board.

For more about "Old Ironsides" be sure to visit the USS Constitution Museum. There is no entrance fee but donations are accepted. You can view artifacts from the ship and the interactive museum allows the girls to try a sailor's hammock.

The Charlestown Navy Yard built, repaired and supplied ships for the US Navy. Today it is part of the National Park Service. Included in the Navy Yard are the destroyer USS Cassin Young which can be explored, Dry Dock No. 1 which has the dubious honor of hosting the USS Constitution as both the first and last ship to enter it and the Commandant's House, a 20 room residence which served as home for the Navy Yard's 63 chief officers and their families.


The Bunker Hill Monument marks the end of the Freedom trail. The Battle of Bunker Hill actually took place upon Breed's Hill, which is confusing. Before climbing to the monument visit the Battle of Bunker Hill Museum, operated by the National Park Service. There is no charge and the dioramas are very helpful in understaning this battle.

Also along the Freedom Trail:

The Irish Famine Memorial, a moving tribute commemorating the 150th anniversary of the "great hunger" that brought so many Irish to the US and Canada.

The Boston Tea Party Ship and Museum was closed while we were visiting. It plans to reopen in the summer of 2010.

The Warren Tavern is the oldest tavern in Massachusetts. George Washington stopped here for "refreshment" and it was the location of Charlestown's first Masonic Lodge. Paul Revere, who became grandmaster of that lodge called the Warren Tavern "my favorite place".

The New England Holocaust Memorial invites you to walk the path and reflect on the 6 million numbers etched in the galss while smoke rises from the bottom of the chambers. Lit from inside these are especially moving at night.

Near Long Wharf is a great playground. It can be a life saver when your kids are sick of looking and want to run and play.

Getting Around the Freedom Trail:

The Freedom Trail is easily walkable but there are a few other options:

The subway can take you to many points along the Freedom Trail. The green and red line both go to Park Street Station at Boston Common; the orange and blue line both exit at State Street Station under the Old State House; North Station, served by the green and orange lines, is an esay walk from Copp's Hill and the Old North Church.

To easily get from Long Wharf to Charlestown Shipyard take the Inner Harbor Ferry. If you're coming from the south shore catch the commuter ferry for an entertaining and relaxing ride in to Long Wharf.

For an informative and entertaining tour try Old Town Trolley Tours. This is the orange & green trolley. We did a bit of recon one afternoon and rode the entire route. This is a great tour, and well worth the money. It goes off the Freedom Trail to some of Boston's other famous sites like the original Cheers and Fenway, allowing you to hop on and off all day. Our guide was great and they catered to the girls.

Around Faneuil Hall and the aquarium are many carriages. I don't know about you, but my girls love horses so carriage rides are a favorite for us. The guides have interesting bits of trivia to share.

Of course you can join one of many guided walking tours- often with historical characters leading the way.

Where to Stay:

We stayed in Scituate and rode the water ferry into Long Wharf. To stay in the North End you will pay from $175 per night up to $500. Look in to hotels near the airport. They often have airport shuttles and from the airport you can catch the subway or a ferry into Long Wharf.

More photos:

I took way too many photos for this article. You can view more at my Flickr page.

Family Travel Tips
Boston

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Boston's St. Patrick's Day Parade, South Boston, Massachusetts, USA

As far as St. Patrick’s Day parades go, Boston has one of the largest. Probably because so many Irish settled here. As I drive along the South Shore I can see why- the country is very similar to Ireland. Areas in Cohasset are very much like the Burren! Since we are in the Boston area for an extended period we are trying to take in as much as we can- the St. Patrick’s Day parade was near the top of my list of “Things That MUST Be Done While in Boston”.

History

Practically everyone knows of St. Patrick, Ireland’s Patron Saint. March 17 is his feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. But March 17 has another historical significance in Boston. That is the day the British evacuated Boston in 1776. The parade actually winds around Dorchester Heights, a National Historic Park, where a majestic monument stands in honor of the victory. It’s a dual event.

Dorchester Heights affords an amazing view of Boston and has a large, open green for running and playing. One thing to watch for -and I’ve noticed this throughout the Boston area- dog feces are not picked up. We saw many, many people step and sit in piles. {{gack}}

Getting There & Other Tips

Utilize Boston’s fine subway system, the T, to get to South Boston. The parade follows a long route, beginning at the Broadway T station and winding around to the Andrew T station. If you have children along I suggest taking the red line to the Andrew T station and walking to Dorchester Heights- Thomas Park. Follow Dorchester to Telegraph and then head up the hill. You can’t miss it- the monument will guide you. But wear comfortable shoes- the hill is steep!

We arrived quite early as I wasn’t sure what kind of crowds to expect. What I found is that you needn’t arrive early. In fact, if you sit at Dorchester Heights don’t worry about arriving until 1:30pm or so- about half an hour after the official parade start time. It will take at least that long for it to reach the park and the crowds were not bad at all.

The parade is rather long so you may want to bring food if you’re coming in from outside the city. Or stop at Bell’s Market on Dorchester and get a sandwich from their deli/ butcher counter. The meats are fresh and the sandwiches are huge.

You’ll also want to bring beverages. Just be careful how much you drink- there are no public bathrooms at Thomas Park. Luckily we struck up a conversation with some locals who kindly let Brenna use the bathroom in their beautiful townhouse.

Speaking of beverages, you’ll see plenty of people carrying beer and you’ll see many, many drunken people. It’s an unfortunate side-effect of the day. You’ll see more intoxicated people near where the parade begins and after it than you will at the park, which has more families. Police presence was high and we saw no problems.

The Parade

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. The parade includes the Pipes and Drums from many organizations, school bands, historical and current soldiers, politicians, local businesses and other colorful entries. Beads were tossed out, and a few green lollipops.

Pipes & Drums abound

Apparently there are even a few Celtic Jedi...

Of course no parade is complete without an Elvis sighting. His cape prompted Brenna to say, "Look! It's a superhero!"

And you can't have St. Patrick's festivities without a walking Guinness...

As you leave the crowd is enormous; it fills the streets. I would recommend waiting a bit before trying to catch the train out of both the Andrew and Broadway stations; Andrew station was still very busy an hour after the parade ended.

Helpful Links

2009 parade details & map
Boston T
Boston.com : Things to do on St Patrick's Day
Weather.com: Make sure you're dressed properly

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A Change of Venue: Off to Boston

Being as I love adventure (of the travel kind) and I'm not one to pass up an opportunity when my husband began commuting to Boston every week I looked into a way for the girls and I to join him. First, it was hard on all of us for him to fly out on Sunday afternoon and fly back late Friday night. Second, I worked the numbers and realized that his company could save so much money if they
a) rented a small vacation house for a longer period instead of a hotel weekly
b) rented the car for a long period instead of weekly
c) Doug had a kitchen instead of eating out 3 times a day
d) didn't have to fly him back every week

And that is how we came to the decision to pack up a few things and transfer ourselves to Boston for 7 weeks. Corporate approved it last week (of course they did- it's saving them thousands!) and we leave Saturday. As in two days from now. Which is why I should not be on the computer right now.

But before I sign off, a few facts.

• We are staying here. A lovely 3-bedroom house with a sunny dining nook that we found on HomeAway.
• We are driving from central Iowa to Boston. We had actually planned to take the train but Amtrak isn't very user friendly- not one of the Iowa stations allows you to check bags and we would have had to get two sleepers.
• We'll spend three days driving, arriving Monday, February 16, in Scituate. I'll do my best to fill you in along the way.
• We haven't completely decided on a route yet, but are considering crossing a bit of Canada and re-entering the US at Niagara Falls.
• My daughters have never taken a car trip this long. Things could get really interesting as my youngest is potty training (her decision, not mine)

Because we'll be exploring for the next 2 months I am sure to have new destinations, tips and stories to share!

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