We managed to pack a lot of sightseeing into two half days (they also made the mistake of letting me loose in the Harvard bookstore, so I came back with two new books and a 2018 calendar), so I wanted to share some of my favorite places with you!
Duck Tours
Andrew suggested that we do a 'Duck Tour' so that I could see a lot of the historic sites of Boston all at once. I loved seeing historic graveyards and learning more about the city itself (did you know most of Boston is on artificial land?) and I was so shocked that we actually went through the intersection where the Boston Massacre happened.
The 'Duck Tours' happen on replica vehicles like the duck ones used in WWII that are part-car, part-boat. After about an hour touring around on land, you spend about twenty minutes boating about in the Charles River. Our lovely tour guide asked if anyone wanted to drive the boat and Andrew volunteered me so...I drove the boat for about three minutes! She actually let me do some steering and to be honest, I felt pretty cool. I highly recommend it whether you're in Boston alone, with friends, or with family.
Harvard University
Harvard is one of those institutions that lives in the American conscious like nothing else -- perhaps partially because of its presence in films. I constantly wanted to say "What? Like it's hard?" like Elle Woods. I also kept thinking about the fact that F. Scott Fitzgerald had attended the school (even if he didn't do too well). It's quite fun to walk around and see all the (historic!) buildings and their main bookstore is absolutely glorious.
New England Aquarium
I'd heard about the Boston Aquarium before from my friend Kendal who loves it and I wasn't disappointed! I'm not typically one for aquariums, but the Boston one has tons and tons of penguins and sea lions in addition to loads of fish, turtles, and other sea animals. I appreciated their focus on preservation of the oceans and education about the animals.
Quincy Market
Head to Quincy Market for a bustling building full of delicious food choices. I had to get some famous New England clam chowder (in a bread bowl!) while in Boston which we took to eat outside and it was so delicious. I wish I could have another bowl right now...
Mike's Pastry
Mike's boasts that it's "Home of the Cannoli" and I understand why. I had never been to an Italian bakery before, but I knew I had to get a cannoli while in the North End which is Boston's Italian neighborhood. My friend Julie told me I had to go to Mike's and when we stepped in the door, we knew we'd gone to the right place because it was packed. I didn't even know that flavored cannoli's existed, but I had delicious mint and hazelnut ones. I somehow forgot to even take a photo in my glee!
Have you been to Boston before? If so, leave me your suggestions in the comments because I'm positive I will be returning in the next few years. x