Boston in the Fall

Does anyone know the Veggie Tales song, “We are the Pirates who don’t do anything?” My kids were big Veggie Tales fans when they were little, and this song got more than its fair share of play time in our house. Anyway, one of the big repeating lyrics is, “and, I’ve never been to Boston in the fall.”

Well, until last weekend, that was true! And I’ve only been to Boston once before–in the summer of ’69. Just kidding, but it’s fun to speak in song lyrics. I think it was actually the summer of 2021. And, sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. Are you with me?

On my last trip to Boston, I did most of the “must-do’s”, like the Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall, etc., so this time, I didn’t feel the need to do everything, but I just wanted to repeat some of my favorite things. Mostly, though, I wanted to see Boston “in the fall.” Because, I figured it is impressive enough to write songs about, SO…..

And, spoiler alert, it’s true. Boston in the fall feels pretty special. See for yourself! Its actually more than a feeling. (wink)

Boston Common

We started our day at Boston Common, America’s oldest park, established in 1634. I don’t know what it looked like back then, but it sure is pretty today. And, look at those colorful trees!

Soldiers and Sailors Monument

When we entered Boston Common, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument was one of the first landmarks we noticed. Designed by Martin Milmore and dedicated in 1877, it was created in honor of the soldiers and sailors from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts who died in the American Civil War. And, it sure looks glorious framed by these statuesque autumnal trees!

We spotted a picnic bench nearby to admire the scenery, and we sat and ate pastries that we had brought with us. And, they were very special pastries–tied to a fond childhood memory for Dan.

Dan’s grandma (Mummu) and grandpa (Grampy) lived in Pelham, New Hampshire (about 45 minutes from Boston) from the mid 1960’s to the late 1990’s. When Dan was growing up, he often visited them there. When they took trips to the market, he was promised an apple fritter if he was a good boy. So, in honor of Mummu, we stopped at Market Basket and got an apple fritter and an apple cider donut. Cheers to you, Mummu!

Of course, we stopped in Pelham on our way to Boston and visited the old house. Read through to the end of this post, and I will throw in some Pelham pictures. But, let’s get back to Boston for now (or I’ll have to change the name of this post).

The Embrace

This 20-foot-tall, 25-foot-wide bronze figural sculpture called, “The Embrace,” by artist Hank Willis Thomas and Design Group was installed last year in the Freedom Plaza on the Boston Common in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Its mission is to spark a public conversation about advancing racial and social justice in Boston. The overarching message is one of hope, peace, and love. We could all use a little more of this right now!

Boston Public Garden

Adjacent to Boston Common, Public Garden is a beautiful place to picnic, hang out, read a book, and see urban wildlife. We enjoyed taking a romantic stroll around the garden grounds, and I loved taking pictures of animals–and it seems Dan enjoyed taking pictures of me taking pictures!

The George Washington Sculpture

Boston artist Thomas Ball created this 38-feet-tall sculpture of George Washington on horseback in 1869, and you can find it at the Arlington Street entrance of Boston’s Public Garden. And, how about those beautiful, colorful trees? That’s Boston in the fall, baby!

Cheers

I remember watching Cheers in the 1980’s with my step-grandmother (Grandma Pat), late at night on her black and white television with the rabbit ears. My favorite character was Diane, who I thought was pretty and funny, but a little bit ding-dongy. Later, I fell in love with Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley), who in my mind was the perfect example of femininity–cool, confident, and strikingly beautiful. Any other Cheers fans out there?

It was so fun to go to Cheers in Boston–the bar that inspired the show. We had a delicious lunch and looked around at the memorabilia and original photographs from the show set. My childhood self would have been star-struck. My current self was also pretty happy to be there!

Acorn Street

This narrow cobblestone street was built in the 1820’s. It was named, “Acorn Street” because of the acorn trees that used to line it. It is one of the oldest and most photographed streets in Boston.

Let me just digress for a couple of paragraphs here and tell you a funny story. When we put our names in for a table at Cheers, we were told it would be an hour and a half wait. The host said we could go outside, but we had to stay right in front of the building because the pager would de-activate. Acorn Street is just a few blocks from Cheers, and we didn’t want to just stand around and wait…

So, we did what any normal couple (of criminals) would do. We hid our pager in a bush outside and hurried over to Acorn Street. When we got back (30 minutes early), our table was ready! In fact, the host said, “We’ve been calling you for a while, where’ve you been?” To which we replied, “Just outside!”

Quincy Market

This market has been a Boston staple since 1826, and although I don’t know much about its origin story, I can tell you one thing for certain. It’s one of the best places to get clam chowder in New England! (Today, it’s basically a food court.)

And, this is the place to get your clam chowder. You can thank me later.

We also shared a virgin piña colada smoothie from The Monkey Bar. 5 stars!

There was a street performer in Faneuil Hall Marketplace, (where Quincy Market is) and he was very talented. He lined up four adult audience members and did a running flip over them. Look closely–he just barely made it! I was sweating for him!

We watched a band sing and play a few songs. It made me feel like dancing! But, my foot is still ouchie!!! Next time, maybe.

We stumbled upon the Haymarket, where they were practically giving away produce because it was the end of the day. The sellers were yelling, “One box of __________, one dollar!!” We got 2 pints of strawberries and a pint of blueberries for $1 and a box of local tomatoes on the vine for $1. If we didn’t live in a van, we would have stocked up! Dan could make us lots of his delicious strawberry jam!

It got chilly as the sun went down (you can see everyone bundled in their warm coats below), so it was time for us to leave. Also, neither of us are night-owls, so when the sun goes down, we start to get sleepy. Mostly me, actually.

And, if you are wondering where we slept in the van, I’m afraid I have to keep that part a secret. But, suffice it to say we were “stealthy” and we parked right in the heart of the city and walked to everything we did.