Boston
Summer
Excursion

Woke up at Lane's place and grabbed an uber around 6:30 in the morning. Got through TSA in no time and sat down to eat our block egg sandwich at 7am. That thing had no business calling itself a sandwich and we absolutely roasted it, but still ate every bite. Hung out at the gate for an hour until boarding at 8. Flew in around 10am, took the bus to the red line station, then hopped on the T toward the hotel. Got on the green line going the wrong way at first and had to hop on the next one back to North Station, but honestly it was all part of the adventure and we were just happy to be there.

We waited a while in the lobby before they let us check in early, which was honestly a win. The CitizenM is this whole vibe. Tiny rooms, floor-to-ceiling windows, mood lighting you control from a tablet, and an elevator mirror situation that was too good not to document. The room was basically a fancy capsule with a king bed crammed into it, but the location was unbeatable and the rooftop views were absurd.

Dropped our bags, hit the gym downstairs, and then met Aud in the lobby around 1pm. She's been living in and around Boston for a few years now and was going to show us the city. First stop was Mangia Mangia, her uncle's place halfway across the North End. I got the North Ender, Lane got tuna salad. From there we walked the harbor for hours and rode a scooter, which officially sealed our goal to ride as many modes of transportation as possible in one weekend (car, bus, boat, plane, bike, train, and now scooter). The waterfront in this city is something else. Sailboats, skyline, perfect weather. We came all the way back to Langone Park and walked east past the coast guard station and fire station, then past Union Wharf and Lewis Wharf.

We ended the perimeter walk by going into Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park, where we found a photo booth and there were all kinds of festivities going on. We didn't stay, just kept walking. The park has these gorgeous trellis archways covered in wisteria, and the whole North End waterfront area has this mix of old-world charm and modern Boston that just works.

Turned a corner in the North End and there it was. The Paul Revere House, just sitting there on a regular street like any other building. Something about stumbling onto a house from the 1680s while looking for a place to grab a drink really puts things in perspective.

The North End is genuinely one of the best neighborhoods we've ever walked through. Narrow streets, Italian flags hanging from fire escapes, restaurants spilling out onto the sidewalks. We ducked into Florentine Cafe for water and a cold beer since it was absolutely scorching out. The water took about twenty minutes to arrive, which was a whole thing. The people next to us sprayed sunscreen right before leaving, which was a choice. We cooled off and then headed across to Charlestown.

From the North End we crossed over into Charlestown, which meant walking across the locks and into a completely different version of Boston. Charlestown has this quiet residential energy mixed with absolutely wild amounts of American history per square foot. The Bunker Hill Monument was looming over everything, and you could see the masts of the USS Constitution poking up from the Navy Yard.

They had two folding tables absolutely loaded with every liquor and mixer you could think of, plus a full drink menu where you could order anything. The drinks were free and they poured them strong. Lane made a Venmo QR code and put out a tip jar for Daniel's friends running the bar, which was the right move. We started with Sun Cruisers, moved on to old fashioneds, and just settled in. It was hot up there, but the views and the company more than made up for it.

After the rooftop we found a playground and got on the seesaw, because when you see a seesaw you get on it. Marc and Aud on one side, us on the other. Lane forgot her hat so we had to run back up to Daniel's, but it was worth the trip.

The walk back toward the waterfront took us right past the Charlestown Navy Yard and the USS Constitution Museum. "Old Ironsides" was right there at the dock. The oldest commissioned warship still afloat in the world. Launched in 1797 and still technically an active U.S. Navy vessel. Just casually parked in Boston like it's no big deal.

On the walk to Pier 6 we stopped to talk with an old couple who had been sailing around on their sailboat all day. They had matching shirts. We got there around 7:45, and Marc and Aud had already secured the best spot in the whole place. Outdoor cushioned furniture with a low table right on the water. Best vibes of any waterfront restaurant we've ever been to, and that's not an exaggeration. We started with drinks and a charcuterie board, then split a margarita pizza while Marc and Aud got fish tacos. The sun was setting over the city, the harbor was glowing, and nobody was in any rush to leave. This was the highlight of Friday, no question.

Left Pier 6 around 10 and walked back along the harbor to the hotel, getting in around 10:30.

Found sand in the bed on the 6th floor room at midnight after having issues with the air conditioner. Ended up switching rooms to the 14th floor at 12:15, then noticed water on the floor. We put a towel down and called it a night. Every great trip needs at least one "we will laugh about this later" moment, and Friday night absolutely delivered.

Woke up to puddles on the floor. Luckily nothing got on the bed or our clothes, but we called immediately to get a room switch. They refunded the first night. We had to stash our bags in the lobby storage to pick up later before switching rooms.

Aud picked us up at 8:30, we got to the car at 8:34. Drove to Marc's place first, then from there we hit Whole Foods for breakfast burritos and coffee. I got a turkey chorizo burrito, Lane, Aud, and Marc got bacon egg and cheese burritos, and then a coffee from Starbucks. Picked up some Surfsides from a shop across the parking lot and loaded them into the cooler. Drove about 50 minutes and got to Good Harbor Beach around 10:30.

Good Harbor Beach absolutely delivered. You could see the bottom of the water clearly, the sand was perfect, and the coastal towns around us were perched up on the coastline. Really cool spot with an island out there that we unfortunately didn't swim to. We had some great conversations, went in the water a couple times, and got some sun. A lot of other people showed up throughout the day, and by the time we left there were probably 20 people in our group.

Left the beach around 2:30 to grab food. Aud came back with me and Lane. I got a chicken wrap, she got a tuna wrap. A storm came out of nowhere while we were eating and talking. Aud headed back to the beach and we tried to call an uber home. Ran into the whole Lyft/Uber situation and ended up waiting about an hour and a half in the parking lot before finally getting one. Lane took a nap in the car on the way back.

Got back to the hotel around 5 and checked into our new room on the 11th floor. Showered, laid in bed, and just chilled for a while.

Got ready and left around 6:30 to go get seafood, but it started raining. We were going to wait it out and just get drinks, but then we found Lo Conte's right near us. Looked at the reviews and people were calling it a hidden gem. Walked into the packed place and asked for a table for two, and they pointed us into a side room that was quieter and honestly perfect. We ate way too much bread and meatballs before the veal parm came out. I got another old fashioned and then we both had wine with our entrees.

Walked back to the hotel to drop off food and ran into the bathroom situation. Got a couple drinks at the hotel bar and hung out there for a while.

Left the hotel bar around 10:30 to see if we could find fireworks after the rain had cleared. Saw a couple through some buildings and then sat on a park swing in the Rose Kennedy Greenway until about 11:15. Walked downtown to find another bar and walk around more. Saw the State House over in Government Square.

Walked back to the hotel around midnight and went to bed.

Woke up to see my flight was cancelled. The American flight in the evening had doubled in price, and JetBlue ended up rescheduling me for Monday evening, but I wanted to be home Sunday night so I could go to work in the morning. I decided the best choice was to wait until tomorrow morning and booked the same 5:30am flight as Lane. JetBlue gave us a free hotel room because of the cancellation, so that worked out.

Had a very lazy morning and laid in bed until 11:30. Cleaned up, showered, and packed. The vibes were insanely immaculate as we danced around the hotel room and screamed and had so much fun once I was locked in on staying the whole day. Checked out at about 12:45 with a 2pm checkout time, even though it should have been 11 but they accommodated everything for us. We should have left much earlier to be more on time.

Should have met Aud back in lower downtown around 1 but didn't get there until 1:40. Had to drop off our stuff at the new hotel first. We checked in slightly early and they gave us a nice big room on the 2nd floor with two beds and a nice bathroom. Got downtown and walked down Charles Street and then into the Boston Commons.

Went to the Harpoon Beer Garden where I got an el jefe's burrito bowl and some IPAs. Lane and Aud got Tatte and also some drinks at the beer garden. There was a jazz band up there playing. Vibes were so high.

Walked down through the Commons and Boston Garden. Saw beautiful weeping willows and me and Lane got an old timey picture that they put in a newspaper. Saw the lagoon and duck island. Then we headed down to the river at Fiedler dock where we stopped and Aud pointed out all the towns and colleges you can see from that view. We saw the T crossing the Longfellow Bridge.

Walked up the river to the T where we saw it crossing and took it to Harvard station. Stopped at a women's clothing store with insanely high prices, 160 dollars for a pair of jeans. Then we looked at some books. Walked around for a second before stopping into Felipe's to go to the rooftop where I got a strawberry margarita. Said bye to Aud from there.

Took the e-bikes for a spin at about 6:30. Had some issues finding the e-bikes instead of the regular bikes but we managed to get two good ones. Rode those all the way back into the downtown area, all the way back across the bridge and main street, then down Cambridge Street into downtown to get pizza.

Stopped at Ernesto's where there was a perfectly timed table we could get. A couple stood up as we walked in. We each ordered two slices but they give you two per order, so we ended up with four massive slices each. Lane ate two, I had three, and we took the other three to go.

Went to Mike's Pastries where we waited in line and talked to an older couple from Mississippi for most of the wait. Got three chocolate chip cannolis and a carrot cake slice. Then we grabbed a bottle of moscato, and while Lane was getting the wine I gave the leftover pizza to two dudes outside.

Finished the night with a shower, massages, wine, and amazing carrot cake with How I Met Your Mother on the TV. Went to bed around midnight.

Woke up at 4am to get the shuttle to the airport that left at 4:30. Lane and I got row 4 and flew into Philly around 7:45am. Got an uber back to her place to pick up my truck, then drove Lane to the Honda dealer to get her car around 9am. Said bye to my bestie Lane.