Shipping Off to Boston

I always tell people Seth's from Boston but that isn't really true. He grew up on Cape Ann, Boston's North Shore. It's seriously one of the most perfect little places in the universe and I love getting to visit.  A few months ago his parents decided they haven't seen enough of us lately so they flew us up for Memorial Day weekend. The agreement was that if they sprung for the tickets we would make zero plans of our own. Agreed! Seth's mom is a killer memory-creating vacation planner. I was completely content to be at her disposal for a long weekend. The really amazing part was that she managed to plan entirely new-to-me activites, sometimes combining them with parts of Seth's childhood that I hadn't been introduced to before. I'm telling you. You should hire her. Killer memory-creating vacation planner.

We spent a cloudy gloomy day walking the breakwater at eastern point near Gloucester. (Lighthouses! Buoys! Houses so beautiful and expensive they make you question your life plan of working for non-profits!)

On the way home we swung by Stage Fort Park in Gloucester. This place plays a big role in Seth's childhood stories but I'd never seen it. He grew up playing little league games on that field next to the ocean. We climbed rocks and explored grassy paths and kept bumping into quaint little ocean scenes. 

When the sun emerged the following day we decided to drive into Boston. They had a Memorial Day display set up on Boston Common with one flag for every Massachusetts resident that has died in military service since the Civil War. I've only been able to experience the Common in the summer one other time. (To eat quiche and watch free Shakespeare on the lawn!) I love green grassy community spaces in the middle of cities. Why would you not want to live there?

From the Common we walked over the Esplanade along the Charles River. Some friends of ours from St. Thomas were sailing in a national competition. We walked along the river to watch the races and cheer them on into fourth place.

After watching the sailing on the Charles, we jetted down a short ways to Providence, Rhode Island. Did you know that city has canals running throughout it? You did? Oh well, whatever, who cares. I didn't. We went down to experience the first Waterfire of the summer. The canals have sculptures built into them and several Saturdays throughout the summer they builds bonfires in each of them. Boats loaded with firewood keep them stoked throughout the night. We ate a picnic on the grass while waiting for the sun to go down and the fires to be lit. They city lights are turned down and it's lit by these fires throughout the canals. Alleyways under the canals are even illuminated with candlelight chandeliers. There are street artists, food tents, and it's a fun festive night walking the city. We finished at a brewery to satisfy Seth's need for good microbrews that goes unanswered here on St. Thomas.

Our last day was spent in the city. We started at the SOWA market, which boasts that it's Boston's largest open air market. Fresh veggies were bought from a farm stand manned by a guy in a tank top and an animal print cowboy hat. He was nice. Seth got a t-shirt with a bear punching a lumberjack and I found a vintage Napier 80s-ish gold chain necklace. The whole market was set up in a parking lot surrounded by old renovated factories turned artist studios. Food trucks provided lunch and then we headed over to Boston's Museum of Fine Art. 

That's the basic rundown of our quick Boston weekend. And did I mention that most mornings started with simple breakfasts on the porch?

And ended with lazy happy hours on the porch? Not bad killer memory-creating vacation planner. Not bad at all.