Boston: Freedom Trail

This is part one of several posts about the Freedom Trail in Boston. It was the activity I was most excited to do (outside of seeing my friends) and I'm glad I got to spend so much time walking the trail and doign the activites on it. I'm a huge history nerd so this trail is exactly what someone like me enjoys. It's also awesome because it's TOTALL FREE. unless you go into a museum along the way. but you can see SO much without paying to get inside any of the museums. Whoever came up with the idea to make a historical trail runing through the city past its most famous sites is my favorite person. ever.

So i took a few pictures along the way while I was walking. It's 2.5 miles through the city but can take as long or as short as you want. I really don't recommend just rushing through. There is so much to see, historically, and through the different neighborhoods that the Trail could easily fill a long afternoon or more. I was glad to have such good weather so I didn't miss anything.

This first pic is from the trail. This is what it looks like most of the time. It's easy to see that the brick is different from the rest of the ground, with the gray brick leading the way. Occassionally the trail is painted on and a little faded in spots but it's easy to find your way back, it curves with the road and picks up again after crossing a street.

This is just another example of the trail runing through the city. It doesn't stand out in an obnoxious touristy way, it really compliments the neighborhoods and doesn't look out of place. Most of the tourists walking the trail, however, do look out of place. I really try to blend in as much as possible when I travel. I probably don't succeed all the time but there are a few things you can do to help the process. Don't wear white tennis shoes, don't stand in the middle of the road or street, don't hold the map out in front of you and look at it while you walk, and don't take up the whole side walk with your big group. That's all I can think of for now. Because I traveled alone some of this was easy. I didn't have to talk to anyone I didn't want to and I could easily slip in between tourists groups and maneuver where I wanted to when I wanted to. As for the map, the freedom trail is easy to use so you won't get lost. put the map AWAY and actually look at the city you are visiting. You probably won't be there again a very long time (or ever). And there are some great resources you can use to get information that don't require a map in front of your face. There are a ton of apps about the Freedom Trail and I will talk about my favorite one in a future post.

The neighborhoods are all so different and this photo taken in Little Italy was so charming to me with the church in the background and the trail line in the foreground. I spent most of my days just wandering around the city doing whatever I wanted and I totally recommend it. You can't get lost with a map built into the ground. And if you do, there are stops along the way for museums and historical sites you can get directions at as well.

 

 

I have a ton of photos from the actual sites along the Freedom Trail that I've split into two different upcoming posts. They will be pretty long but I think give you a good idea of what you can expect when you visit Boston.

Packing: A saga

I LOVE packing for a trip. As long as it's a fun trip. Like when I went to Boston. PS It feels so strange to have just been in Boston and then watch the news about the bombings there. I was staying 4 blocks from Copley Square. A lot goes through your head when you were that close to experiencing a disaster.

ok back to packing. I LOVE packing. On top of all of the plans for what I want to see and do while on my trip I'm also thinking extensively about packing. What to bring, what not to, how to dress for the weather and also pack as little as possible. This was also a unique trip because I was going to a wedding as well. Which meant not just my usual outfits of worn jeans and old navy t shirts. I had to plan  for the fancy stuff as well. I also carried my suitcase on. I could have checked it for free flying Jet Blue and although they are an AMAZING airline I was nervous something would happen to my bag and I wouldn't have my dress for the wedding. Then it's not something to easily replace or run out and get a new one. i COULD have i guess but that would have interrupted a lot of sight seeing time.

This picture is my travel satchel.

I LOVE this bag. i got it when i was living in London in 2009 at a store called NEXT. It's a great store if you are near one. This bag was probably $15 and i use it almost every day in my normal life and also while i travel. mostly because it's small enough to carry around all day without weighing me down but big enough to hold the things i need. and it's crossbody which is pretty much a requirement for me. i hate shoulder bags. For my trip specifically it held: Wallet, kindle, phone, headphones, maps, and chapstick. Pretty simple for me. like i said, i don't like carrying a bunch of stuff around. i just take the basics and figure it out later if i need to-although the basics pretty much get you what you need. i did not have to buy anything else to carry around with me. I have an iphone too which is a huge help. i used a lot of data on my trip, although i found plenty of wifi too, but i took pictures, wrote notes, sent emails, researched travel times and places, listened to music, and got directions from one place. Say what you will but it's so nice having one and i'm glad i do, especially when i'm traveling.


This is the suitcase I took. I carried on a 22" All wheel roll suitcase by Traveller's Club. I got it at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $30. It's really nothing to fancy but it definitely gets the job done. It's well built-even when TSA people are rough with it (I have a larger one that I've used more that has a ripped pocket because of them...thanks). I like this suitcase a lot and mostly bc of the inside which i've also included a picture of. But the outside has 2 pockets that are pretty good size. The large pocket is usually where I keep stuff I made need quickly like a hat or scarf-both of which I brought to Boston because the week before I was there they had a snowstorm. Luckily I didn't need them but I was glad I had them. The smaller pocket on top I use for liquids. It's super convenient when I get to the airport to put my bag on the conveyor belt to get ready for the security check and just grab the liquids in the bag out of the pocket on the front. I already know they are there, in the right bag size and containers, and I can just throw them into a bin with my shoes and be done. All I really have to do is take off my coat-and take out my laptop at times but I didn't travel with a laptop on this trip. I also really like this bag because of the all wheel rolling, which is convenient and easier on your wrist and maneuvering places. I also like that i can drag behind you like a traditional suitcase. So you really have the option of either. For me that was perfect. I would need it to spin a certain way, or I got tired of pulling it, or through the airport it was nice to have rolling right next to me. But when I got to Boston, with it's lovely cobbled streets, it can be a lot to have it right next to me and move it the way I need it to. So dragging it behind me was the best option then.

This is my suitcase open. It's not absolutely everything I packed but it gives you a good idea and I will also make sure to list out everything I brought. That way you can see in microscopically boring detail what I put into a travel plan :) Anyway, there are some really nice things about this suitcase. It's a 22" so it's small and they use space very well. It's also not to heavy empty which is good because that makes it so much harder to move around and carry when it's full. The main part of the suitcase as a lining and also straps which I never end up using (do people use those!?!). I will say now, and go against every travel site out there, I HATE rolling my clothes. Maybe I need a lecture on the subject. I just don't like it. I fold them the old fashion way and still have room for everything I need. So the main part contained my jeans, shirts, socks, underthings, shoes, and toiletry bag.

The top of the suitcase, the lid, has a mesh lined section that's great for needing to see what's in there quickly. I have my journal in there and when I travel that's where I put cords and chargers I will need. For this trip that just meant my phone charger (my kindle I charged before I left, since it has a battery life of almost a month with moderate use and wifi off). The most exciting (ugh i'm lame haha) part of this suitcase that made me like it so much is the shoe pockets. it has 2 shoe pockets inside the lid that you can see my ballet flats sticking out of. It's nice to have an easy spot to put shoes that also fits well with the rest of the suitcase (ie not too bulky) and keeps my shoes from getting everything else dirty. This suitcase was the perfect size for the 5 days in Boston and even with limited space and extra stuff I don't usually bring I still had room to spare and didn't have to use the extra inch expansion it comes with.

OK, now the exciting stuff haha WHAT DID I PACK?? It was 5 days, 4 nights, Boston just barely into Spring, with a wedding and wedding activities

Clothes:

Jacket: Nice looking black one from Old Navy; carried on

Shoes: I brought 3 pair. one pair of brown boots that i wore pretty much the whole time (and on the plan), one pair of lightweight black tennis shoes (more just in case than anything), and ballet flats for the wedding

2 pairs of jeans (I wore one pair on the flight)

1 pair black pants

5 tshirts (i also wore another shirt on the plane so 6 total)

2 tank tops

2 cardigans (worn with the tank tops for wedding events)

One dress (for the wedding; calf length with lace. I actually put this into a plastic bag because I was so afraid of something happening to it-a gallon sized bag worked nicely)

6 pairs of underwear

2 bras (one worn)

1 pair of pajamas; sweatpants and an old tshirt

1 scarf, 1hat, 1 pair of gloves

 

That's it for clothes. seriously. i don't have a lot of fashion sense so don't come to this blog for that haha but i have a lot of travel tips and advice. PACK LIGHT.  i would have way less stuff if i didn't have to bring everything for the wedding. i might have just taken a regular backpack (which i did for 5 days in Dublin once-i may need to talk about that some time.)

 

Toiletry bag:

comb

mascara

eye shadow

makeup brush

toothbrush

tampons/pads

deodorant

extra contacts

*Contact Solution* Some people may not know but you can take a full bottle of contact solution onto a carry on bag. It is considered medical and does not have a limit. Even if it is already opened. i ended up taking a small bottle just for a few days but I've taken a large bottle numerous times with no problems. Only once has someone at security said i needed to bring a smaller bottle and he was corrected by a coworker. This same person also "tested" my solution to make sure that's what it was. so i guess someone may do that but that's the only time it's ever been an issue-TSA agents are used to it and barely glance at the bottle.

 

 

liquid bag (all regulation size bottles):

liquid makeup

leave in conditioner

Ouidad hair gel (my curly hair is a wreck without this)

Ouidad shine hair finishing product

small bottle toothpaste

 

 

THAT'S IT.

 

I feel like i'm a pretty simple person which definitely helps when traveling. i don't need a million things. i go for the experiences and I'm ok with leaving my half empty million bottles of product at home (which sit forever because i use like 5 things to get ready in the morning). But it's definitely something i enjoy thinking about and planning for. I really try to bring only what i will need, even less if i have access to a washing machine. Honestly the above list would last me for a couple weeks (or more) if i could wash/dry everything while i was traveling.

 

If you keep things simple then you can spend more time focusing on the things you want to see and do. instead of lugging around a giant suitcase, walking cobbled streets in high heels, or dragging large bags up and down stairs. not fun. Trust me, pack light and you will have a much better trip. Carry on and you can get to your destination quicker. leave things behind and in a pinch you can buy what you need where you will be going. wherever it is probably has a store or two.

 

I'm actually headed to California in about three weeks for a long weekend with college friends in my college town. I'm really really excited. I moved from my college town back to my hometown outside of Seattle in September and i can't wait for much needed catch up with friends time, the beach, favorite old spots, and just relaxing. I will probably be posting about the packing for that trip too!! (Hopefully I will get more Boston stuff up before then haha)

Boston: Many posts

I've been back from Boston a couple weeks now and really want to blog about everything. I've got lots of pictures around the city, the Freedom Trail, the parks, what I brought with me and what to pack. Let's start with hotel and travel information for Boston.

1. I flew JetBlue. I cannot recommend JetBlue enough. They are a fantastic airline. I try to fly them or Virgin America as often as I can. They have friendly service people, good prices, and their flights are enjoyable. Plus they have a lot of locations. I can get pretty much anywhere in the US from Seattle on one of their places. (Internationally, I prefer Virgin Atlantic--although I had a really good experience flying Iceland Air to London). Anyway, JetBlue, great airline. And good prices. I found a RT ticket from Seattle (SEATAC) to Boston (LOGAN) from March 27-April 1 for $485 including travel insurance. This was the absolute best deal I could find; i booked at the end of January. The first flight left at 11pm on Wednesday March 27th; a red eye. It wasn't too bad actually. It was nice to have a quiet plane and to get some rest before landing in Boston. The flight home left at 7pm on Monday April 1st and was a good flight too. Both flights were completely booked...I guess there is a lot of people traveling from Seattle to Boston quite frequently. The flight is about 5 hours and we landed at Boston Logan smoothly and over the water with a great few; it was about 8am.

2. PREP. Seriously, know the city before you land. At least know how to get to your hotel from the airport. Even if that means writing the address down and putting in your purse or carry on to tell the cab driver. And have your debit card/cash ready for payment. But for me, a cab would be too expensive. I was planning on taking the metro to my hotel. So I looked at the airport info and also the metro/bus lines to figure out the best way. Luckily Boston is VERY easy to get around using public transportation. I felt at home on it right away (given my time in London-It was nice to be in a city with good public transportation again.) So from Logan when you exit the airport you can take the free metro shuttle to the Airport metro station. It was super easy to find everything is VERY WELL LABELED. I got off at the Airport station and bought a CHARLIE TICKET for the metro system (good on buses and the subway). I put $20 on it which ended up being just perfect for the 5 days although I ventured out of the city a bit and needed a different ticket for the commute rail-more on that later.

3. At Airport Station which is on the BLUE LINE. All the lines are different colors. Pretty simple. And you can find maps everywhere, to carry along and to check along the way. And a fare in the city is $2 anywhere-pretty easy to remember and keep track of. Although one of my favorite things about Boston (see my twitter feed @SarahtoLondon and check out #favthingsBoston was when you got your ticket back on the metro it would display your balance...PERFECT). I took the Blue line INBOUND (INBOUND refers to heading INTO the city center and OUTBAND heading AWAY from the city center). I got off at GOVERNMENT CENTER (very busy) and transferred to the GREEN LINE OUTBOUND and got off on Boylston.

4. When I got off the subway I was officially in Boston! I could see buildings, the Boston Common, and brrr it was windy! I had a map of the area of my hotel which was about 6 blocks from the subway station. It was pretty easy to navigate (I'm also good with directions) and walked into my hotel at 9am-about an hour start to finish from landing at Logan. I had checked ahead and the hotel offered luggage storage, so I dropped off my bad, fixed my crazy plane/wind hair, put in my contacts (wore glasses bc of the red eye flight) and headed out to explore the city!


Hotel Information and Review:
Everywhere I looked was expensive. I ended up using the TRAVEL SITE: booking.com to find the best price. I recommend it, it's very easy to use and has clear steps and information.

For 2 nights (Thursday night AND Sunday night) I stayed at the Milner Hotel at 78 Charles in Boston near the Boylston subway station. It was close to the metro, fit in my budget, and was a nice hotel. I had a hard time finding a reasonably priced hotel in Boston. I booked a single bed. It was a small room for sure but also very charming. The hotel is old, established in 1877 or something like that. But definitely adorable. I paid $107 a night which was good for the area in the South End with easy access to subway, restaurants, and the start of the Freedom Trail at the Boston Common nearby. HOTEL LOCATION IS SO IMPORTANT. It really cuts into your vacation time to stay far from the city center to save a little money but sit on the train for an hour or more to get into what you really want to do. The hotel staff was friendly and had maps for me, and answered my questions. They also had a great free breakfast; good variety and also free...works for me.

For two nights (Friday and Saturday) I stayed outside of the city in Dedham, MA. I stayed at the Hilton in Dedham. This was the main reason for my trip-to see my friend from graduate school in London get married! I was so happy to be there to celebrate with them. The room was $188 per night and had a breakfast in the morning for about $16. It was really good hot food and it was fun to see my friend and her family, plus meet a lot of people! The hotel was VERY nice and clean. The staff was excellent, the bed SUPER comfortable, and easy to find my way around. Because it was the suburbs and I didn't have transportation it was a little harder to get around but since the wedding was at the hotel I didn't do a lot of site seeing except for a walk. The rest of the time was at my friends parents house for wedding activities. I did take a commuter rail out to Dedham. That meant taking the subway to South Station and going upstairs to the train level, from there i bought a commuter rail ticket that was $6.00 and waited for the next train, about an hour. Once again everything was very well labeled and easy to find, the announcer made clear the track number and only a few cars were open, so I knew right where to go. I ended up walking from the Dedham Corporation Center station to the Hilton but it was maybe half a mile. That was convenient.

I highly recommend both hotels, the Hilton if you are staying in or around Dedham, and the Milner for a charming little hotel with friendly staff when you are staying in central Boston and want to be near the Commons, museums, shops, and Freedom Trail.

I promise more soon on packing, activities, museums, and more!

Salem, MA

A few pictures to go along with my adventures in Salem. Mostly walking around, the Salem Witch Museum, the amazing food from Gulu-Gulu Cafe, and the lovely scenery. What a great town!!!

Dunkin Donuts

Apparently this is the place to get coffee. Not Starbucks. I'm all for Starbucks having competition. In Seattle we have Starbucks everywhere but also lots of independent coffee places that are amazing. Boston seems to mostly have Dunkin Donuts. And I'm not a big coffee drinker but I've been almost every day of my trip for an iced coffee to pick me up. And they are really good. I've also been on two commuter rail trains to different locations back to back and the train stations have Dunkin Donut stands so it was easy to stop. They have good muffins too. Probably donuts as well but I haven't tried one (yet). Funnily enough there's a Dunkin Donuts not far from where I live but it's more of a joke place, not really taken seriously, and also we have Top pot. Mmmmm top pot donuts. If you are in Seattle consume as many of these as possible.

Thursday: saving money

This post is applicable to my life RIGHT NOW. as I am currently in Boston for 5 days. I arrived early this morning and even tired from the red eye I am having a great time. The city is cold and feels like an older Seattle. I compare everywhere to Seattle, Los Angeles, and London where I have lived.
The airport is perfectly laid out and even with little sleep I wasn't confused on where to go. One of my favorite things about the metro and Charlie ticket is that when you swipe into the metro IT TELLS YOU YOUR CARD BALANCE. this is nothing short of genius. Oh, only $1 great, I can reload before I get on again. No need to get denied and all that awkwardness. It's perfect.
Ok Thursday. Saving money. I'm actually using this tip while on this trip so get ready!!! TIP: Splurge on one decent/nice meal a day. Keep the other 2 simple. Seriously. That's it.
When I was studying in Europe we had "family dinner" every Wednesday night and that was probably the only real sit down meal most of us had that week. It's expensive eating out all the time! And staying in a hostel has a kitchen so you ca cook but that's not practical in a hotel. My friends and I were NOTORIOUS for taking advantage of the free continental breakfast. As in, eat a lot of free breakfast and then go back for more and stuff it in your bag for lunch. Usually, in Europe, this meant cereal and yogurt for breakfast. And then grabbing a roll or two, meat and cheese (a staple European breakfast buffet) and making a couple sandwiches. They would be eaten later, while we were out, a little squished but FREE.
That's essentially what I'm doing here. I have a continental breakfast. I'm not hoarding food for later though. I will however grab a cheap sandwich, granola bar, or bread and cheese from the store for a meal that day. Just barely a few bucks. And then a meal that day be at a cafe or restaurant or market stand you have really wanted to try or that sounds really good.
TIP: I also really try to use my meal out for something I wouldn't normally get. Or something I couldn't make at home very easily or have ever tried before. ESPECIALLY if it's local to where you are. You can hardly go wrong there. That's why they are specialties!
So today, I had some free stuff on the plane, I went out to lunch, and will probably have a granola bar ( I packed a few) or something simple and cheap for dinner. And it will be a good reasonable healthy and cheap way to eat.


Also. I'm going to rave about where I had lunch today. It's in Salem, MA on the corner of Washington & Essex. It's called Gulu-Gulu Cafe. I had déjà vu at the corner when I saw it. I get déjà vu a lot but I knew it was a sign. I walked in, sat at the counter, and stayed for almost 2 hours. Don't worry I tipped well haha first they have a ton of fancy and unique beers and drinks. I ordered a cranberry iced tea that was delicious. Then after going over the entire menu I chose the Barcelona panini. It was smoked turkey, some fancy cheese I can't remember, spinach, apple butter and Dijon mustard. I chose it bc I wouldn't make it at home and it sounded unique for sure. IT WAS SO GOOD. I almost died. Amazing. It came with a little salad and potato chips too. And bc it was warm and cozy, with an INCREDIBLY friendly staff, and I had a fav book on my kindle I hung around over one of their specialty coffees: white chocolate raspberry latte. OMG. HEAVEN IN YOUR MOUTH.
If you visit Salem or live there TRY the Gulu-Gulu cafe. You won't be disappointed!!

Dear bloggers

This day being Wednesday is a look into future travel plans. I'm going to look very shortly into my future because I am currently sitting at the airport.

I LOVE TRAVELING.

I'm on my way to Boston. Firstly I'm going because my close friend from graduate school is getting married on Saturday. We haven't seen each other in 3 years. I can't wait for all the wedding stuff! It's going to be a blast.
Secondly I'm going because I have only been to DC on the east coast. Such a shame. There are so many amazing cities and I can't wait to explore this one
Thirdly, I love history and while I'm a total west coast girl we just don't have the same history that I crave. And yes that is one of the reasons I wanted to first visit and later study in Europe. The history. So I'm excited to go back in time a bit and walk the freedom trail, go to the salem witch museum, and stay at a hotel built in 1877.

I promise a few posts on this adventure in a hopefully timely matter. Time to board!