Boppin' in Beantown

It's the simple things in Boston that please me most. The various districts forever changing but somehow keeping the same old feel. Chinatown is small but enjoyable. The theatre district has first-rate shows with great restaurants. The shopping district is lined with bargain basement shopping such as Filene's for GREAT deals. Then entire town is a historical masterpiece. Take a walk on Freedom Trail; Boston has it all within easy reach for a great trip.

Quick Tips:

Some great sources of information:

City Pass
The City Pass offers a book valued at about for admission into the best attractions including the aquarium, museum of science, museum of fine arts and others.

Search Boston Online
Great site with upcoming event calendar to help you with your plans.

Bizarro Boston
Enjoy the bizarre historical facts about Boston. It is nice to brush up on your historical knowledge to make the most of this city and all that has happened here.

Best Way To Get Around:

You're going to have to learn how the "T" works. The cabs are plentiful but an expensive route. Walking is nice once in the district you're interested in. Use the Underground Subway noted as "T" to get from district to district and you can pack a lot in a day. For the Freedom Trail, there is a painted red line on the sidewalk. Pick up a map at any tourist center and begin the trail at any point. It's a circle of about two miles and, with a cafe stop halfway, it's a very nice walk.

I booked this hotel blindfolded through Priceline and checked off both downtown Boston and Cambridge. Next time I would check off JUST downtown Boston. This Hyatt is located on a beautiful quiet avenue overlooking the Charles River, which is nice for some, but not in the center of things as I like to be.

If you go, enjoy a nice cup of coffee and a dessert in Spinnakers. It is a revolving restaurant overlooking the river and skyline of Boston -- great at sunset!

For $56 a night, this hotel was a steal! They have a free shuttle that runs during the daytime hours that we found very convenient to get to the "T" and a few destinations nearby. The desk, concierge, and housekeeping were great.

The rooms were very clean and spacious. The bathroom we had was a bit small, but overall very comfortable.

If you get a great deal on this hotel you'll not be disappointed, but I would have been if paying full price.

We had a corner seat on the edge of the outdoor cafe. This is one of the best people watching spots in Boston. Street performers gather here around Faneuil Hall and it makes for a great environment.

Don't expect the best meal you can have in Boston. For both a great meal and a nice outdoor spot I'd choose McCormick and Schmicks instead; it's just on the other side of Faneuil Hall. I found the meal to be much better and the location and outdoor cafe just as good.

At Plaza III, you may enjoy the crème brulee covered in fresh strawberries as it was definitely the best part of the meal! If you're just looking for a spot to rest your feet and enjoy a good cup of coffee and dessert, this is it! For a full meal, I'd go elsewhere.

This was our best meal in Boston! Enjoy a spot in the outdoor cafe and breath in the local flavor surrounding you.

The menu offers a great assortment of fresh seafood from around the world: Chilean sea bass, Prince Edward Island mussels, seafood from Australia, etc. I opted for the Nova Scotian steelhead fish with white bean sauce. It was tender and perfectly cooked in a nice sauce. If you just want a bowl of chowder, you've come to the right place. It has a delicate smoky flavor with sweet Vidalia onions.

Earlier in the day, we had asked the locals where the best restaurant in Boston was. McCormick and Schmicks received that awarded response by more than 60% of those we asked. I can see why. Enjoy!

We booked this show in advance through TicketMaster Check to see what great shows you can catch on your trip.

The Blue Man Group is a great inventive experience. The group is very interactive with the crowd and we enjoyed the laughs, comical music arrangements, guests and toilet papering each other. . . you just have to go to understand. Great rhythms and comedy combine into a show great for all ages! Young and old alike were stompin' and definitely laughing. It was a great time I'm sure any and all would enjoy!

The trolley tours give a great start to your trip to Boston. You can buy a one or two day pass and hop on and hop off at your leisure. Most stop at about 20 locations spreading all over Boston in the various districts from Chinatown to Cambridge.

There are many different trolley companies to choose from. We chose Old Towne Trolley and enjoyed it.

We never waited more than 10 minutes for a trolley and the drivers were very animated. You can tell they love their city! Each driver had a different flair and slant in their approach to discussing the Boston they love. At the trolley stops we did have a chance to talk with other trolley riders and they all were happy with their choices of companies. It may just come down to price and desired stops for you. Shop around, we found many small shops selling trolley passes around the gates of the Boston Public Garden.

Enjoy the ride!

If you enjoy LOUD live music, go to the Green Dragon at 11 Marshall St near Faneuil Hall. Actually, there are about four great venues on this street in close proximity for bar hopping.

We chose the Green Dragon for its historical flavor, but it was hard to picture it as a meeting place during the American Revolution as the band "The Swinging Johnsons" belted out "Oohhhh oooo Boston, you're my hommmmme" to a great drumbeat! It's a small Irish pub and we were lucky enough to secure two stools at the bar and whiled away an evening enjoying the band and company we'd met. If you're looking to dance, this isn't the place, as there’s no dance floor, or was there? I'm not sure because it was WALL-TO-WALL people! It is a great place to hear music and mingle with the locals.

Our main reason for going to Boston this time around was to see the Red Sox play. This town revolves around their Red Sox and Fenway Park exemplifies this passion.

Tours leave from the Souvenir Store across Yawkey Way hourly seven days a week from 9am to 4pm or until three hours before game time, whichever is earlier. It was $10 per person and no reservation was needed. Fenway Park Tours has a lot of information on the tours. Our tour was one of the last before the game. The good point to this was that the team players were taking the field for practice and stretching. We were able to bring cameras and got great shots from atop the green monster as well as in the 406 elite club area. It was a fantastic tour and I'd highly recommend it to ANY baseball fans or just fans of historical nature.

The park is the oldest ballpark in the league, built in 1911, if I remember correctly, and the seats and stands. . . it's a sight and experience to behold! My husband, being a die-hard Red Sox fan, was on cloud nine!