For a snow loving girl, I’m a little disappointed that I just missed a huge snowstorm in the Northeast, but regardless of timing, I had a fun little jaunt up to Boston this past weekend. For those who aren’t aware, flights from DC are literally $70 round trip on a regular basis. If you’re looking for a quick getaway, this is it.
Adam and I decided to fly in Saturday late morning and out Monday morning—of course this was booked long before we realized that meant we’d be in Boston for a Patriots Super Bowl Sunday. Saturday night, we stayed at the Godfrey Hotel right in the Theater District and just around the corner from Boston Common. Immediately after checking in, we headed right down the street to Chinatown for some much needed sustenance in the form of bao buns. Of course I can’t recall the name of that restaurant (travel blogger #FAIL), but I guarantee anywhere you turn in Chinatown you’ll find a delicious spot. From there, we took a sunny, below freezing stroll through Boston Common and the Boston Public Gardens. The gardens were gorgeous in the dead of winter—I was absolutely enthralled by the frozen lake—so I can only imagine what it’s like on a warm spring day. We stumbled upon a book sale at the Boston Public Library, a must see on Copley Square, then, book in hand, made our way up Newbury Street, down Boylston Street, and popped in Flour Bakery for a slice of Boston Cream Pie—when in Rome!
Saturday late afternoon took us to Beacon Hill where we sought refuge from the cold at Bin 26, a wine bar with a trendy yet cozy ambiance. A few glasses of red wine later, we were ready to trek back into the frigid air, walking the streets of Beacon Hill, me, of course, peering in every window like a creeper, and back to our hotel. We grabbed drinks at the hotel bar, which was bustling at this point in the evening, and made our way back to the room where I finally had a minute to appreciate the sophisticated and tailored take on New England decor. With navy and grey dominating the color scheme and a plaid headboard, there was just enough preppy, classic influence, yet it still appeared modern and sleek. It was such a comfortable stay that we decided to just have drinks in our room before our late Italian dinner in the North End. (Disclaimer on dinner: we ate at Panza, I would definitely not recommend. I feel like we may need to go back to Boston just to have a better North End Italian experience!)
We got an early start on our day on Sunday with a trip out to Cambridge where we had a long, leisurely brunch at The Hourly Oyster Bar before exploring this adorable little town. An unexpected highlight of the trip was up next—on a whim we decided to stop by the Boston Museum of Fine Art, which ended up being a several hour excursion. The museum is massive and we could easily have spent an entire day there taking in everything from mummies to Monet.
Our trip came to an end Sunday evening watching the Super Bowl, both of us quietly rooting for the Falcons, and enjoying some Boston seafood and beer with the locals.
Disclosure: The Godfrey Hotel offered me a discounted stay, but all opinions are my own!
