A Whale of a Day

“Is it not curious, that so vast a being as the whale should see the world through so small an eye, and hear the thunder through an ear which is smaller than a hare's?" -- Herman Melville

One of the coolest things to do on a trip to Boston is to go on a whale watching cruise. I have some "Things to Remember" to help you along if you decide to go.

1. Bring a sweatshirt, no matter how the actual temperature may be. It gets cold out on the water especially with the speed of the boat. I had a lightweight jacket and still got cold enough that I had to go inside for a while. The temperature when we left Long Wharf in Boston was about 78 degrees.
2. If you have kids with you (and this is definitely a kid-friendly activity), bring along some books and travel games. The cabin has several booth-type seating areas perfect for families. Snag one of those booths as soon as you board. This a perfect spot for snacking, playing games, and reading/coloring/drawing. It takes over an hour to get to the whale beds, and you know how bored kids get. I loved just watching the waters, but kids need more stimulus.
3. Bring some snacks. They are sold onboard, but it would be much cheaper to have your own. 
4. Your voucher, which you show at the wharf, will state that you need to check in an hour before your cruise. We did not find that to be so. We rushed down to the wharf that morning only to be told that we needed to check in about 15 minutes before our departure time. Plan accordingly.
5. There is a Boston Marriott located at the wharf. This is a perfect place for a final bathroom stop. The bathrooms are located on the outside of the hotel, right behind Starbucks. Of course the boat is bathroom-equipped, it just made sense to make this stop first.
6. Enjoy the experience to the fullest extent. Once you arrive at the whale feeding-grounds, the staff onboard goes into action. They did a great job of pointing out possible/probable whale "footprints" and then turning the boat so that the maximum number of viewers could see. (The whale watching cruise comes with a lifetime guarantee that you will see whales or be able to ride again with no time expiration.) I did not have any trouble viewing several of these gorgeous God-created ocean mammals. It was an experience beyond awesome!!!
7. On the return trip, the staff did a great job of educating the passengers about what was seen. Young aquarium interns moved around with pictures and whale artifacts that passengers, including children, could see and even hold!  How amazing is that!

I hope that this list helps in the planning of your trip and your ultimate enjoyment of whale watching in Boston. Below the accompanying pictures is a link to the cruise line. 🐳

Boston Whale Watch Tours

Boston Trivia

"I'm always trolling for trivia." -- Lynn Abbey

Whenever I travel, the nerd in me collects any interesting information I can soak in about the place I am visiting. Boston was no exception. This post is for all the trivia nerds out there and for those who want to know all they can about Boston.

• Two great children's books set in Boston are Make Way for Ducklings and Johnny Tremain. The first is a Caldecott winner picture book, and the second is a 4th-5th grade level historical fiction classic which was awarded the Newbery Award. Both are wonderful! 
  
  
  
  
• Boston has physically grown by 5,000 acres since 1640. It amazed me to learn how much of Boston is built from/on landfill! And yes, it began as far back as 1640. Logan Airport is built on landfill. I had to keep referring to a topographical map to see if where I was standing wasn't always there!
  
• NASA was originally supposed to be built in Boston. After the death of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson had the NASA site moved to Dallas. 
• There is a 23 year waiting list for a mooring in Marblehead Harbor.
• Elias Derby (of Salem, MA) was the first millionaire in North America.
• The first lighthouse built in what is now the United States was built on Little Brewster Island in 1716. Little Brewster lies in Boston Harbor. The present lighthouse on the island has been there since 1783 and is the second oldest US lighthouse.
• America's first subway was built in Boston in 1897.
• The oldest public US park is Boston Common. Amazingly, the British army camped and trained here while quartered in Boston after the Boston Tea Party.
• The deepest tunnel in the United States is the Ted Williams Tunnel in Boston, running almost 90 feet under the surface of the earth.

These are some of the facts I collected on my trip. I would love to learn more though. If you have additional Boston trivia, please comment below!

Boston Bits and Pieces

"Just as they were getting ready to start on their way, a strange enormous bird came by. It was pushing a boat full of people, and there was a man sitting on its back." -- Robert McCloskey in Make Way for Ducklings

One of my favorite Boston spots is the Boston Public Garden, and the Swan Boats are a major reason for that. If you are on your first trip to Boston, the Swan Boats should definitely be on your list! The driver sits at the rear of the boat inside a giant swan shaped "box" and pedals the boat around the pond. The passengers sit on benches in the front, enjoying a perfect view of the pond, the bridge, the island, and the park. It is relaxing, rejuvenating, and refreshing.

The Swan Boat season lasts from April to Labor Day. One heads-up is to arrive early because the boats close 5, even earlier before mid-June. The cost is $4 for adults and $2.50 for ages 2-15. The small cost is totally worth it. If you are a fan of Make Way for Ducklings, an added thrill is all the ducks you get to see on your 15 minute ride around the pond. If you take a short walk from the boat pavilion to the edge of the park, you will even get to see those 8 sweet ducklings and their protective mother cast in bronze and immortalized on their journey across the park.  Swan Boats

No visit to Boston is complete without one or several (in my case) trips to Faneuil Hall Marketplace. If the Old North Church is the heart of Boston's history, then Faneuil Hall is the life of Boston's present. It simply bursts with life. You can eat here every day for a week and never eat the same thing twice. You can shop for souvenirs intended for any age recipient. There is also retail shopping for those whose idea of travel is to shop until you drop. People-watching is also a favorite activity of the marketplace, especially when watching the talented street performers, of which there are many. Make sure that this is one of your first stops, and you will not be disappointed! Faaneuil Hall Marketplace

Other interesting stops for your time in Boston are the Prudential Center (for shopping/dining), Copley Place (for upscale shopping), the Mappparium (interesting inverted glass globe), the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (made more interesting by the theft of 13 paintings in 1990), and Chinatown (good, but it's not NYC). 

Boston Restaurants

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating." -- Luciano Pavarotti

Part of the fun of traveling is trying new foods and new restaurants! Who doesn't agree with that? Before visiting a new place, I always spend some time online checking out recommended restaurants. I create a list but use it merely as a jumping-off point. Once I arrive in a place, I like to ask the locals for their recommendations. Sometimes I find that their favorites are on my list. There are also times when I just see a place and take a chance; these risks often pay off. In a big city like Boston, I had an additional food goal; I wanted to sample foods from various ethnic groups. Below are the results of research, interviews, and luck. Enjoy!

Tasca Tapas Restaurant
This was a Spanish restaurant on Commonwealth Avenue very near our hotel. We went here based on its proximity to the hotel and by recommendation of the desk staff at the hotel. I have never eaten in a Spanish restaurant before and had no expectations. The food selection was very seafood heavy, which I guess should not have surprised me. The waitress was kind and helpful, assisting me with the menu selections. We ordered patatas bravas, potatoes with a highly seasoned cream sauce, and fideos con mariscos, a seafood stew over pasta. (pictured below) The courses were brought out individually and seemed slow until I realized that I was looking at it from an American viewpoint. I remembered that Europeans eat at a much slower relaxed pace. Overall, I enjoyed the experience. I am not personally crazy about squid, especially when I can see and feel the tentacles. The food was all well-prepared and affordable, and the restaurant staff was attentive. I would recommend it if you are on the west side of town. Tasca Tapas Restaurant

Legal Sea Foods Restaurant
There are several satellites of this restaurant. We ate at a big one on Long Wharf. It was actually on my original list and was recommended by the crew of our whale watch cruise. It was also extremely convenient since we got off the ferry, walked about 100 yards and were at our table. Since it is a type of chain restaurant, (There are 37 in 6 states and Washington, DC.) one might think the food tasted canned. It was actually delicious! We ate at an outside table and had a very attentive waiter. I ordered a cup of clam chowder; he misunderstood and brought me a bowl but only charged me for a cup. The chowder was scrumptious, as was the hot lump crab dip. I also got Caesar salad which was just so-so. Emma ordered fried shrimp which she loved. This was a great place to relax, eat, and watch people in a busy area. This was actually one of my favorite places we ate in Boston. Legal Sea Foods

Warren Tavern
The day we visited the Bunker Hill Monument we had no idea of where we would eat. We were so tired after climbing to the monument's pinnacle that we did not want to walk far before eating lunch, so we asked a park ranger at the monument. He recommended Warren Tavern. This small intimate tavern was the perfect place to have lunch in such a history-rich locale. Named for Dr. Joseph Warren, a Revolutionary hero who died in the Battle of Bunker Hill, it sits a very short walk from the monument. The menu choices are reasonably priced and taste good. The ambience was delightful. I ordered the pretzel stick appetizer (yummy) and the beer steamed pastrami sandwich. I highly recommend this spot, frequented by both tourists and locals. Warren Tavern

La Famiglia Giorgio's
Boston's North End is famous for its Italian food. I know that is true, but I should have been more selective in my particular choice of North End restaurant. We had to wait 30 minutes to get in here on a Tuesday night for dinner which should have been a good sign. Upon being seated and having our order taken, we were kind of forgotten. Also, the food was not that impressive. I got linguini with meatballs, and would have gotten the same thing for a much cheaper price at Olive Garden and gotten salad with it. I felt like this place was over priced, the food unimpressive, and the service mediocre.

Cityside Restaurant
This is an O'Charley's type place with an outside balcony area. (If you are from Meridian, think Weidmann's.) Emma and I just happened upon it for lunch our first day in Boston as we were exploring the area around Boston College and getting our bearings. The atmosphere out on the balcony was fun. We enjoyed people watching and bird watching. The waitress was very sweet and attentive. The food was just okay. We got some good artichoke and spinach dip and also ordered rattlers which turned out to be a fancy name for quesadillas cut into little pieces. Cityside Bar and Grill

Hennessey's Restaurant
In my attempt to sample several ethnic food groups, I had a desire to eat at an Irish Pub. The one on by original list turned out to be the one where we ended up, not exactly intentionally. We had finished up with Paul Revere's House and the Old North Church and then went in search of a pub for lunch. The first one we thought we located turned out to be just a bar, and the bartender sent us to Hennessey's about a block away. We went in and were seated amidst several empty tables, only one other table in the restaurant being occupied. After looking over the menu, I selected the Irish sampler and was told that was no longer being served. (Side note -- it is still on their online menu; I just checked.) I then ordered shepherd's pie. The food was very good, but the service was awful. Our drinks were never refilled, and we had to get someone's attention to finally bring our check when we had clearly been finished for a while. I was extremely disappointed. I mean, there was no one else in the whole place except for two guys at another table! Maybe it was just an off-day for them, or maybe our waitress was having a bad day; I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt. Let me know if you have had a different experience there. I do have to add again that the food was good. Hennessy's

Quincy Market
For other meals we mostly ate at Quincy Market which I remembered as having amazing choices from my earlier Boston visit 30 plus years ago. My memory did not disappoint me. The choices were myriad and abounding. You can choose an ethnic food and find it at Quincy Market. It's awesome. (It's also the best place to buy souvenirs or t-shirts and to see street performers.) Quincy Market

If you have some other great Boston restaurant recommendations, please leave them for other readers by commenting below.