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).