Boston, MA

Why retreat from one urban jungle to another?  Lots of reasons... friends, family, graduations, or maybe you're a history buff!  Whatever your cause, here's my take on Boston.

Location, location, location.  The Omni Parker House straddles downtown and Beacon Hill, and is two blocks from Boston Common Park.  It's pet friendly, so bring the pups!  For around $250 a night we got a lovely 2 room suite with flat-screen TV's and tea/coffee delivered to our room every morning.  Parking is a bit steep, but we found an affordable self-serve garage a few blocks away in downtown Boston.

A smart way to see Boston is by riding one of those hop on/hop off tourist trolleys.  You will get an excellent feel for the layout of the city and they cover every inch, if you're interested.  First we jumped off at Fenway, then again in Back Bay for some shopping at Coppley Square and Newbury Street.  Lastly, the waterfront, where we visited the New England Aquarium and grabbed a much needed coffee.  You can tailor your first day to your needs and wants, with zero planning.

The Paramount

I adore Beacon Hill, so we spent most of our nights eating at places like The Paramount on Charles Street.  For lunch we enjoyed Regina Pizzeria one day and Whole Foods the next - both on Cambridge Street.  At night we meandered over to Chinatown (<10 min walk from the hotel) for some dim sum and a movie (AMC Lowes on Tremont).  If a matinee is more your steez, grab a banh mi sandwich and sticky bun from Mei Sum Inc. and sneak them into the theater.  The North End, home to Boston's Little Italy, is another hotel-adjacent neighborhood worth a visit.  Or if you don't feel like leaving the hotel, the food at The Omni Parker House is delicious!  Have room service bring you some french onion soup and french fries, or try the luxurious breakfast in the lobby.  

The waterfront

Beacon Hill

The North End

Newbury Street

Chinatown

Regina Pizzeria

Fenway

Boston Common Park

Boston Common Park

 

Not ready to go home?  We spent our last night in Rockport, just past Gloucester!!

 

Rockport

Rockport is a scenic, 40 mile drive northeast, along the coast. Take your time and enjoy the sites! The chilly coast of New England is a one-of-a-kind place. Rockport is technically a 'dry town' ever since the 1800's. Recently they began allowing restaurants to serve alcohol, but if you want to buy booze outside of that, you'll have to pick it up along the way.  

Day Tripping: Asbury Park, NJ

 

About a 90 min drive from the big island (Manhattan, duh), Asbury Park is nothing like the jersey shore of MTV.  Firstly, its more gay than guido.  I didnt see any ramshackle shore houses. And newly constructed condo's and outdoor dining overlook the boardwalk.

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If you're planning a day trip out to Asbury Park, I recommend you do the drive in the morning.  We left at 8am, hit zero traffic, and made it to The Buttered Biscuit on Main Street in Bradley Beach (5 min from Asbury) by 9:30! 

{The Buttered Bisquit}
700 Main Street/ Bradley Beach, NJ 07720

By 11am we were jamming our beach umbrella into the sand.  Park over by the condos, it makes for an easier trek to the beach and means you're further from the bar/restaurant noise.  There is metered parking available.  Bathrooms and concessions are located in the Convention Hall, which looks like a stage for Boardwalk Empire.  

  

Just on the other side of Convention Hall is the party beach (hay!), more boardwalk and concessions, and the start of bar/restaurants scene.  Go enjoy happy hour at The Wonder Bar, an ancient establishment with live music and an eclectic crowd.  Dog friendly!

 

The party beach

Apres beach, scootch on over to Porta Pizzeria where the attire is casual and the pizza is formal.  They make the mozz, they make the dough, each pie looks like it was hand crafted for you.

Porta Pizza