A Nostalgic Trip to Boston to Celebrate a Milestone Birthday

A GoSeeIt People Interview with the Catherine, Laura and their Mother, Barbara about their nostalgic trip to Barbara’s childhood hometown to celebrate her 75th birthday.

Catherine, Laura and Barbara with the “Minuteman” Statue in Barbara’s hometown of Lexington

Editors Note: It’s often said that when you hit milestones, especially big birthdays ending in “5” or “0”, that it’s a time to take stock, to think about and prioritize what is most important in life. Barbara did just that when she chose to spend a special weekend with her two adult daughters revisiting her childhood hometown in Lexington, MA and following a nostalgic itinerary of classic and historic Boston highlights, that she either hadn’t experienced in many years or had always longed to go!! She shared a special collection she had been saving for years with her girls, and her daughters took it and planned an amazing trip that I thought could be easily recreated by readers who might like to visit historic Lexington and Boston.

I do hope you enjoy this GoSeeIt People interview and I thank Catherine (and her family) for sharing their story and photos. Catherine has a really fun, comprehensive itinerary here, hitting the classic tourist experiences as well as some under the radar spots. I think you’ll also enjoy the humor she brings to her descriptions! Enjoy! Kathleen Klofft - Publisher and Editor Go See It Travel

GSIT: How did you decide on this destination? Why did you want to go?

Catherine: Our Mom Barbara was turning 75 in May. My sister Laura and I wanted to plan a special trip in celebration. We had the idea of spending time in Lexington (her hometown, to learn more about her story) and Boston (to see all the sites she visited as a little girl).

GSIT: How did you plan your trip? Did you use a travel agent or tour?

Catherine: Our first stop was Google to create a fun itinerary for Mom. But then something funny happened.

Mom shared with us that over the years she's created folders of newspaper articles, online printouts, and tri-fold brochures from hotel lobbies from when she's visited various cities. These folders have ideas for what she would do next if she'd visited a particular city. While she’s had several visits to Boston over the years, she still had several things left in this folder that she has wanted to check out. The trick then was to plot them out on a map and determine which to see and in what order.

North End Tour

The Itinerary

Day 1

We visited her hometown of Lexington MA, driving around town to see her old house, the field that used to be flooded for ice skating, her beloved middle school, the recreation building where she took sewing lessons for the first time which that empowered her to be able to design and stitch her own clothing as a young woman, and more. We walked through the stacks at the Cary Memorial Library where she worked in high school and college, and visited the Lexington Battle Green, Minute Man Statue and Visitors Center to see the excellent diorama of the Revolutionary War fighting in Lexington. She remembered it being unveiled during her time in town.

From there, we drove into Boston and attended a North End Pizza Tour, which was a walking history tour of the area, combined with slices of pizza and cannolis. To end the day, we visited a speakeasy, Carrie Nation Cocktail Club, which was not on her list, but seemed like a trendy way to get off our feet and talk about our day.

Day 2

We started our day at Milk Street Café, just between Downtown Crossing and Post Office Square. It’s a cute quick serve café, but most importantly, it had seating. So many counter service restaurants have closed dining rooms due to Covid, so this was a gem. We hopped on the Red Line of the T over to Harvard Square and walked a rather circuitous route (sorry Mom) to the Museum of Natural History, which my Mom had remembered visiting with her father. We saw the whole museum, watching where the school field trips were heading and then going in the opposite direction for a little peace and quiet. We got to see it all, and found it fascinating – the wildlife specimens, the rock and gems, the glass flowers and more. It’s attached to the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, which we visited as well. After the museum, we relaxed in the outdoor courtyard at Henrietta’s Table for a light farm-to-table lunch in Harvard Square.

Barbara checks out Kronosaurus at the Museum of Natural History

In the late afternoon we did the student-led, tongue-in-cheek Hahvahd Tour. It was a leisurely one-mile tour around the campus, steeped in history and fun facts. Our tour guide was great. I did feel bad though, as at the end, we tipped her in cash and others weren’t carrying cash to do the same. It’s a reminder to always carry cash. On the flipside, we also noted a panhandler near Harvard Square with a sign saying she accepted Venmo.

John Harvard Statue during the “Havahd” tour

After a quick respite back in our room we rallied and went to the Irish pub and restaurant, The Black Rose situated near Faneuil Hall, to enjoy some pub burgers, shepherd’s pie, and a pint. We capped off the evening at The Green Dragon Tavern (est 1654), a favorite haunt of Paul Revere and John Hancock. While we were hoping for Irish music at one or both establishments, we were met with TVs aglow with Boston Bruins in action.

Day 3

Mom’s actual birthday! We started our day with a late breakfast at Parker’s Restaurant, the birthplace of the Boston Cream Pie. While we didn’t intend to order dessert with our breakfast, the kind waitress brought the signature dessert with a candle and a song, all unprompted, when she heard about Mom’s milestone birthday.

The birthday girl on her birthday enjoying brunch with legendary Boston Cream Pie!

In the late morning, we were off to the incomparable Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, another request of Mom. Isabella was a fascinating woman and the museum houses her collection of paintings, sculptures, tapestries, and other arts, along with a beautiful atrium garden. While significantly smaller than its neighbor the Boston MFA, the museum feels more like a visit to European galleries and homes, than a sterile white-walled quiet building. There’s something exquisite in every room.

It was a gorgeous day, so after the museum we casually strolled Faneuil Hall Marketplace for some window shopping and ice cream.

Faneuil Hall

For dinner that evening, we got all gussied up and visited the Old City Hall along The Freedom Trail, now the home of Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

We ended our evening back at the Omni Parker House Hotel, at the appropriately named The Last Hurrah. Another chance to unwind and have some girl chat before calling it a day.

Old City Hall building…which now houses Ruth Criss Steak House

Day 4

On our final day, we checked out of our hotel and drove to Jamaica Plain, home of Forest Hills Cemetery. We must admit, we were a bit surprised to see a cemetery on Mom’s list of must-do’s, but we were glad we made the trip. It is an active cemetery, yet so steeped in history. The grounds, greenery, bronze statues and varied headstones and sculptures were quite interesting. We chose to visit this cemetery with a 10 mph drive around, as it was quite large.

Forest Hills Cometary

After our visit there, we had one final lunch of appetizers together out of the city and along the Mass Pike for easy access to head home in our various directions. We chose Burton’s Bar & Grill in Framingham for two reasons. One, they are very good with accommodating food allergies. And two, most importantly, they had spinach artichoke dip on the menu – Mom’s favorite! She even said it was among the best she’s ever had, allowing us to end the trip on a high note. Post lunch, everyone returned home, full and happy with great food, great sites and great (new) memories!

GSIT: What surprised you about this place? Is there a "don't miss it" attraction?

Catherine: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a must do. If you are local to Boston, you can also use you’re the library museum pass program to reserve $5 tickets (down from $20). The Museum of Natural History was fascinating too – and next time I’ll return with my kids who I think will enjoy it as well. We all quite enjoyed the Hahvahd Tour too – a great way to see the campus and learn more about the unique student experience at this ivy league institution.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

GSIT: What tips would you give for someone who wants to visit? Anything special you should pack?

Catherine: We would recommend packing really good walking shoes. Boston is a walking city, and you can expect to be walking up and down stairs both in museums and around the city, navigating cobblestone sidewalks, and from one site to the next. The Boston weather can also be unpredictable. One day we had on hats and warm fleece jackets, and two days later we were wearing tank tops and capris. It's always best to pack and dress in layers.

GSIT: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about your trip?

Catherine: The three of us ladies have done several eating tours in Boston (and other cities) over our years together – an Italian North End tour, a Chinatown tour, a Chocolate Lovers tour, and now this one which focused on pizza. Honestly, the places they brought us for pizza were okay, but not fabulous, and the tour guide/script was just okay as well.

We should mention that on this pizza tour, we were in a group of eight. Two of our fellow tour participants (a 20 something from the Netherlands, and a 60 something from Florida) both were raving about a tour they took that morning. It was The Revolutionary Story Walking Tour. When we looked it up after that fact, we see it does get fabulous reviews. Might be worth checking it out on another trip.

Also, we were very pleased with our selection of the Omni Parker House Hotel for our stay. It was steeped in history, and was conveniently located within walking distance to several T stops which would allow us to get throughout the city easily. They also had many different room configurations, and we were able to choose our room they had two beds and a sofa bed giving us each room to spread out. When the sofa bed returned to a sofa, it also gave us a nice living room feel with the two armchairs on either side. We saw online that they even had family rooms too – with bunk beds for kids.

Laura, Barbara and Catherine toast Barbara’s milestone birthday at Ruth Criss Steak House.

Forty-something Catherine lives in Framingham, MA, and teaches fitness classes but still her feet got tired walking through Boston. Her slightly younger but definitely taller sister hails from Rochester, NH. Birthday girl Barbara resides in East Longmeadow, MA, just outside of Springfield. She enjoyed her 75th birthday celebration and is ready for her girls to get cracking on planning her 80th!

Title Town, Boston MA

It's Red Sox Home Opener Day in Boston. Have you got your tickets yet?!  I didn't think so! Here in Boston tickets to our historic ball park for a big game are a tough to score and often well out of budget!  But for a sports fan, young or old, did you know Boston has many wonderful sports tourist spots commemorating it's legendary athletes and sports teams that are free or cheap (er).  So how can you soak in a little of that sports "cultcha" while you are here even if you won't be in the park on opening day?

Championships are a big part of the Boston's sports landscape, and one of the reasons Boston fans are so proud! You can't get a full picture of Boston culture without also understanding the role Boston sports play in that culture!

There are plenty  of historic and cultural sights to see in Boston that are probably already on every visitor's list; the Boston Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall, the North End, Newbury Street.  But you've also probably heard about the unparalleled popularity of our sports franchises here; nearly every third year a victory parade for one team or another rolls through town and a million people turn out to cheer. And even when they aren't holding parades, there are world class signature sporting events like the Boston Marathon and the Head of the Charles Regatta. All that success means some of the steepest ticket prices for sporting events in the country, if you can even score seat!  Even the free events like the Boston Marathon and Head of the Charles come with pumped up hotel rates that make visiting to see those events during those spring and fall weekends pricey.  But I've got a few sure fire ways for any visitor (or staycationer) to soak up some Boston sports culture without breaking the bank!  Most of these suggestions are near those other major attractions a new visitor would already have on their itinerary!

Click on any item for a link to how to visit!

The Boston Red Sox

Fenway Park can be a challenging place to see a game with the highest ticket prices in the nation, and tiny seats facing every which way, but a tour takes you behind the scenes!

1. Take a tour Fenway Park: Boston's historic ballpark isn't a particularly pleasant place to see a game with it's old seats, some facing the wrong way or behind a pole. But it is a genuine tourist attraction and a great way to get into the ballpark even on days when the tickets are sold out.
2. Hang out on Yawkey Way before a game: It's a little like a pedestrian street festival right near the entrances to Fenway. You'll see plenty of Boston Red Sox caps streaming into the game and food and souvenir vendors. Once the game starts head to Game On or Cask and Flagon or any one of the other many bars where fans hang out to cheer on the team when they don't have tickets.  

The Boston Celtics

A young fan captured in Boston in 2008 proudly wearing his Championship tee.

1. Sit with the Red Auerbach statue:  At historic Faneuil Hall Market there is a bench with a statue of the Celtics legendary general manager with his famous cigar.  It's fun for tourists to plop down next to Red and take a selfie!
2. While you are there visit Faneuil Hall Market Place : you'll find no less than 7 sports themed shops with a wide variety of Boston sports team paraFANalia. 
3. Visit the Bill Russell statue at City Hall Plaza: Bill Russell was one of the most famous and ground breaking athletes in Boston and played for the Boston Celtics winning 11 NBA championships.  His statue is in a popular spot that tourists often pass while heading along the Freedom Trail to Faneuil Hall.

Bruins

Both the Bruins and the Celtics play at the TD Banknorth Garden

1. Go see the Bobby Orr statue:  Near the TD Bank Boston Garden on Causeway Street there is a statue of Bobby Orr flying through the air after making a game winning goal in the 1970 Stanley Cup Championship game. If you want to sound like a local, just ask which way to the "gahden" and the locals will know what you mean! 
2. Hang out with fans and see memorabilia at The Fours or other sports bar: This area isn't quite as "chahming" as Fenway, but there are no lack of sports bars to hang out on Causeway street during a game and watch the team on tv.
3. Have a nice dinner in the North End: If the area around the Boston Garden, isn't the most charming area, the North End is very charming, and the walk there through the North End Park on a strip of the Rose Kennedy Greenway is pleasant for people watching.   To find the best places to eat, line up behind the folks in their Bruin's (or Celtics) jerseys before a game.  The best spots often have lines, but there is always a place to find a sandwich or a pastry to go!

Patriots

Even without a ticket to a game, a visit to Patriots place will allow you to see inside the very open Gillette Stadium where the patriots play.

1. Take a peek into Gillette Stadium: The Pats don't play in Boston, both they and the NE Revolution MLS soccer team play in Foxboro at Gillette Stadium about a 45 minute drive out of Boston. Don't drive down on a game day without a ticket though- in addition to ridiculous traffic, you can only park in the retail parking lots for 2 hours before being charged a hefty fee!! But once you are there on a non game day, you can easily see into the open end of the modern stadium.  The stadium is integrated into Patriots Place, a shopping mall with all the usual stores, a huge cinema complex  and a pro shop full of Patriots and Revs gear.  In the winter, there is even ice skating.
2. Visit the Hall at Patriots Place: Tickets to the Hall allow you to not only see memorabilia from all the championships and Patriots hall of fame players, but there are several interactive exhibits including one that literally puts you in the huddle with Tom Brady. 

A young fan tries her skills in one of the interactive exhibits of The Hall at Patriot's place.

Boston Marathon

1. Visit the location of the Boston Marathon finish line : Even if you can't run a marathon or attend the big event on Patriot's day each spring, you can still cross the finish line!  It' repainted each year onto Boylston street right in front of the Boston Public Library, and it's visible throughout the year. During Boston's record breaking 2015 snowfall, it was covered by snow for a short while until a local bartender made an effort to shovel the painted finish line after a big storm... the news reported at the time that the Boston marathon finish line has become a symbol of more than just the end of a road race.  In addition to being the finish to one of the world's most famous marathons, it also has become a place to honor and remember the victims and survivors of the Marathon bombing that occurred at the finish in 2013.  After seeing the finish line you aren't too far from the scenic Back Bay shopping area of Newbury St  with its unique and upscale shops and cafes. 
2. Plan a stop in the newly opened Boston Marathon RunBase on 855 Boylston St.  A partnership between the Boston Athletic Association (which runs the Boston Marathon) and Adidas, it's part retail store, part museum, part locker room for visiting runners without a local gym membership. As a visiting runner you can use the free locker room anytime of year to stash your things while you head out on a run...could be just the perfect thing to do between hotel check out and late flight!

After a visit to the Boston Marathon Finish Line, historic Newbury Street shops and cafes are just around the corner!

Head of the Charles Regatta

The Head of the Charles Regatta gathers rowers from all over the world. Visit in the late spring or early fall, for a walk along the Esplanade on the Charles River on the Boston side.  You will still see plenty of local rowers out on the river and be able to see the famed college boathouses on both sides of the river.

For Fans of All Sports

1. Visit the Boston Sports Museum : which also located in the Boston Garden. Check the website first for the dates it's closed for events and private functions. 

2. Take a duck boat tour of Boston: If your visit will be in the spring, summer or fall months, it's a kitschy good fun way to get an overview of the city, both on land and (weather permitting) right on the Charles river! These are the same Duck Boats used by Boston's Championship teams during the many championship parades that are held in Boston. While you won't have millions of screaming fans cheering as you go by, you might just be in the same boat that Big Papi or Tom Brady rode in during their championship parades.

Tourists can take a Duck Tour and see all the top sights in Boston, and maybe your "duck" will be the one Big Papi rode in along one of the Red Sox Championship Parade route!

Last of all, if you come to town as the fan of an out of town team, feel free to wear your own local teams logo and don't be surprised if knowledgeable fans comment on your team, Boston fans love to talk sports. Many times you'll find the Boston fans will know your teams stars or want to relive a particularly great match up with your hometown team. Unless of course your are a Yankees , Canadiens or Jets fan, then be prepared for more than a little trash talk! But if you are a Yankee or Jets or Canadiens fan, you probably didn't read this far into this article!

While Boston fans have a reputation for being "fanatical"; they are usually very friendly and happy to talk about your favorite team too! Here is a local fan captured on the street in Boston in 2008.

Just Thinking Outloud: Public Transportation

With record snowfall in Boston, we expect to have public transit bail us out when driving and parking in the city gets challenging, but the MBTA's performance got me thinking about other transit systems around the world and why some of them do it better.

We've recently had record snowfall in Boston, over 8 feet have fallen in January and February. It appears we've absconded with all of the snow meant for Alaska and the Northwest this winter. And our public transit system has ground to a halt at times. 

Sure record snowfall creates sown unique challenges for any public transit system, but Switzerland gets snow and yet their public transit system runs like a fine Swiss watch (that is a hackneyed cliche, and yet, somehow, it works there)  I do not pretend to know the first thing about public transportation systems, but this got me thinking about all the places I've been, and wondering why some in places the public transit works beautifully, while in others, it works so poorly? 

In greater Boston, people love to complain about the MBTA (Mass Bay Transit Authority). They complain about rude behavior on the trains, the condition of the stations and the trains, as well as the schedules and on time performance.  And I have experienced all of these things using the MBTA. But my experience in other places is often quite different. 

The MBTA recently ran an ad campaign to encourage less boorish behavior of passengers. While traveling in Paris once when I was 6 months pregnant during the busy commuter times, not only was a seat made available on the Metro when I boarded, but the sea of humanity literally parted, and I was passed along hand to hand by the other mothers to it.  The only thing missing was the heavenly choir sound and down light shining on the seat.  I had never been treated so respectfully, pregnant or otherwise since.  

In Boston trains and stations are not particularly well maintained or clean, and I always attributed this to the fact the our system is one of the oldest in the world. But then I spent a weekend riding a system built 5 years earlier than the MBTA - in Budapest. The Budapest Metro was scrupulously clean, efficient, easy to use, even in a country where the language is notoriously hard to master. 

The Budapest Metro was built in 1896, more than 125 years later, it's still beautifully maintained, clean and easy to use.

We took a trip to Washington DC with 2 small children, and were able to safely and easily hop off the plane with our roller bags, and surface at our hotel a 1/2 hour later. I wouldn't dare try to take the train to Logan airport from my own neighborhood, where the local newspaper recently named the line closest to my home the worst performer in the system. I'd be panicked I'd miss the flight!

After growing up in Boston where the stations are hard to find and navigate, it was a big surprise to arrive in our nations's capital and get around so easily on the Washington Metro.

Maybe the system in each place takes on the character of its location; in Paris the Metro is elegantly designed,  in Budapest it's clean and efficient, in Washington DC, a city filled with International guests and ambassadors, it's simple to use. Maybe in Boston our transit system has taken on the characteristics of Bostonians, we love to have something to complain about! For a long time, the Red Sox filled that need, (and still do every other year it seems) and the weather often does (especially this year!) so maybe we need a creaky, outdated, inefficient transit system to give us something to complain about!  
 

Boston has recently thrown its hat into the ring as a contender for the 2024 Olympics and the transit system is one of the areas that would have to improve. Many Bostonians are skeptical about running a a successful Olympics here and if you dig, even a little, it turns out most of the concern is about traffic and public transit woes. This winter only reinforced that! 
 

A ride on the Green Line in Boston.

So with all the recent news about our transit woes in Boston I've been thinking hard about what makes some public transit systems great and why some fail to meet standards. And I've concluded (without any actual research, mind you) that public transit generally works well in places where everyone, from all walks of life, uses it. Maybe as the system gets worse, people of means decide to drive their own cars and pay for parking, and without those folks using the system, the public transit systems become the domain of the poorest, most powerless  people in a community, and they have no voice to make it better. As they say the "squeaky wheel get the grease" and clearly if you've ridden the MBTA, you know they have lots of real squeaky wheels, (it's ear splitting at times standing near the tracks!) but maybe not enough people invested in agitating about better service and proper investment. When people from every walk of life use a public transit system there are stake holders in every corner, some very powerful people, and they make their voices heard, so that pressure helps direct attention to the system and demands it be more efficient.  

Understandably, it's much easier to make an efficient national public transit system in a country the size of Hungary than a country the size of the US, but the city systems are pretty equitably sized and populated.  Also, I will grant that some totalitarian regimes have an advantage of unilaterally deciding where to invest resources, but it seems that most places where the trains run on time, everyone uses them, and where they don't, they are largely utilized by the people with few other choices. I can't even say which comes first, the system is poorly run, so people flee it, or it's inefficient so only people who have no choice, use it, it's probably some combination of both. All I know for sure is that I notice when traveling to other places where I can easily use the transit system, even as a guest who doesn't speak the language,  I find myself marveling "wow, I wish we had something like this in Boston!"