Last weekend John and I jetted off to Boston for just a couple of days to attend the wedding of my college roommate. The weather was gorgeous from the time we landed to the time we left. I love summer mornings – the air is cool and crisp and there’s a peace about the day. That’s exactly what it was like in Boston – just warm enough to frolic, cool enough to not break a sweat. I wish we were able to stay in Boston just a little longer than the time we were there but hopefully we’ll be able to go back soon. I especially would love to go back and take a little getaway to Martha’s Vineyard. With just a limited amount of time, you can only fit in so much but we did what we could and here’s my guide to 48 hours in Boston.
Getting around: use Uber.
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Where to stay: Cambridge
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| photo via Marriott Cambridge |
Because of the wedding, we stayed in the same hotel in Cambridge. This hotel was in a great location; walking distance to quite a few sites and if it wasn’t walking distance it was a very short cab/Uber drive away.
Note: Cambridge is home to two of the nation’s best universities: Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. If you stay in Cambridge, be sure to visit.
Friday night:
The first night we were in Boston, the soon-to-be-married couple arranged for out of town guests to socialize for a bit at a nearby restaurant/bar – walking distance from our hotel. More on this in a second because John and I went back there the next day!
But after we left the restaurant, the night was still young so we decided to frolic to a nearby bar: West Bridge.
From the moment I walked into this place, I was in love. The music was just loud enough for it to make an impact and I got high-fived by a random dude because we were both wearing polka dots. So, we stayed.
The drinks were fantastic and beautifully crafted.
If you’re there: try the Radar Gun – gin, chocchi Americano, bonal and asparagus bitters. Weird but delicious. John had a strawberry cobbler – strawberry infused vodka, mint and lime. I made a drink similar to this not too long ago but with bourbon.
We didn’t try any food but the man sitting beside us at the bar had the duck and it looked amazing.
If you go:
WestBridge
1 Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA 02139
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Saturday:
We got up early Saturday morning to take a tour of Fenway Park. Now, I’m not a big baseball fan but I really enjoyed this tour. The weather was perfect and the tour was really interesting. If you’re in Boston, I suggest you take a little time and take the tour – great activity for kids too.
We even got a chance to go on the field!
The end of the tour, they brought out the big guns: the rings. The photo is a little blurry – sorry!
If you go:
Fenway Park Tours
4 Yawkey Way
Boston, MA 02215
Adult tickets are $17 each.
Saturday Afternoon:
After Fenway, we met friends for brunch at ArtBar. I read about ArtBar and thought it would be cool to try. If you sit outside, the view is amazing. Fun fact about Massachusetts: there are no bottomless mimosas like we’re used to and no happy hours due to Massachusetts law.
My girlfriend and I started with brunch cocktails:
I tried a pineapple habanero caipirinha. Tasty but not as much heat as I thought it would have. I can’t remember what my friend sipped on but it looked refreshing.
Now, I’m in Boston and though we don’t have time to really frolic to some of the “best” places for an authentic lobster roll, ArtBar has one on their menu and so I thought I would try.
I don’t want to lead you astray here so I say this with the nicest intentions: this was not a delicious lobster roll. The lobster was tasteless and very chewy. Such a disappointment. Now, I still think you should stop by ArtBar, everyone else liked their meals, just don’t get the lobster roll. The view from this place is worth the visit.
If you go:
ArtBar – located in the Royal Sonesta Hotel
40 Edwin Lane Blvd.
Cambridge, MA 02142
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Saturday afternoon (before the wedding):
We decided to have a midday cocktail and split a little bite to eat.
Meadhall is the restaurant we visited when we went to hangout with wedding guests, it’s also our stop for a midday snack. Meadhall features hundreds of beers and an even better cocktail list (according to me, the non-beer drinker). The bartender made it known that there’s no “regular” liquor there: no Jack Daniels, no Jameson but they have alcohols that are comparable to mainstream alcohols.
Well, I had to try one of these comparable liquors so I ordered the Broadway & Ames:
Knockabout gin, yellow chartreuse, simple syrup, lemon and orange juice. Loved it.
John opted for the not pictured, Kendall T Party, which featured Deep Eddy’s sweet tea vodka, lemon, ginger beer and rosemary – also delicious.
Just from the few snacks we had, I’m positive that if you order anything off of the menu, you’ll be happy.
If you go:
Meadhall
4 Cambridge Center
Cambridge, MA 02142
Saturday Night:
The wedding took place at 808 Gallery, which is a gallery associated with Boston University’s fine arts program. Even if you’re not attending a wedding here, you can still add it to your list of places to visit.
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| photo via 808 Gallery |
If you go:
808 Gallery
808 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Friday 2-5pm.
Places we didn’t visit but are high on my list for the next time:
Freedom Trail – See all of the historic sites Boston has to offer. You can go with a tour guide or do your down self-guided tour.
Tatte Bakery – This place was recommended to me but didn’t get a chance to visit. When we drove by, it definitely looked pretty popular.
Hungry Mother – Another recommendation but unfortunately they were closed for vacation when we were in town. Sad face.
Good times.
