After all the preparations on entries parts 1 and 2 of this blog series, we finally begin our adventure. First stop, Massachusetts (MA)!
Massachusetts
Accommodations
For the duration of the first leg of our trip, the Tomas family welcomed us into their beautiful home in friendly neighborhood in Waltham. We were giddy happy with cool breeze and colors of spring, a complete opposite of the extreme heat in Manila, which is at the peak of its summer, when we left.
As we are in the heart of the city, we could not miss seeing the famous universities MA is known for. In Cambridge can be found the two major ivy leagues, Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
A visit to Harvard University will not be complete without a photo with the statue of its founder, John Harvard.
There is a myth that whoever touches the shoe of John Harvard will be studying there in the future. As parents it is our dream that Heinel gets to be a Harvard graduate so this photo is step 1 to that wish don’t you think?
Harvard grounds is huge. Heinel and Hendrix had fun running around the fields.
Going around Harvard square is interesting too! There are a lot of stores, restaurants, and coffee shops.
Of course we did not miss getting those Harvard merchandise to take with us back home.
Just a couple of blocks away from Harvard is MIT. Heinel hopes to be an engineer, so we are also putting MIT on our options =-)
Since it was past lunch time when we got to MIT and the kids are already hungry, we skipped the tour inside the university. Instead, we headed to Boston.
Our friends said that it was raining consistently a couple of days prior to our arrival. We were blessed that on our first day, the sun was shining beautifully. It was a picture perfect day with the beautiful Boston skyline as our backdrop.
After a good meal, we get to try Boston’s version of the a city tour which is the Duck Tour. Boston Duck Tour company describes their operation “as historical tours of the city of Boston using replica World War II amphibious DUKW vehicles.”
It begins by driving around the famous landmarks in the city then later, the vehicle transforms into a boat so it can duck into Charles River. If you want to learn about the history of Boston, this is the easiest and most entertaining way to do so even for the kids.
The view of the city from Charles river is amazing. The tour is quite long, about an hour or more. What will make the tour really worthwhile is your tour guide. Ours is a veteran tour guide and is quite entertaining. What is cool is, she even let the kids take turns in sailing our boat. A big hit for the kids!
We also went to a more sentimental tour in Boston. Daddy S showed us the home he used to stay at back when he was working here a couple of years ago. We also took the same subway line that he used to take back then on our way to downtown.
A popular tourist spot in downtown Boston is its central park, Boston Common.
As the park is vast, kids had fun running around. There are several stalls around in case one gets hungry or wants to buy souvenir items.
Aside from being its central park, Boston Common is also the starting point of the Freedom Trail. It is a guided path throughout the city leading to Boston’s historic sites. It is easy to follow the pavement markings, however, for a more guided tour, a map is available at the tourist office just inside Boston Common. The whole trail has 16 locations and approximately about a 4km walk. Since it was a beautiful day, we decided to try following the trail. Among the sites that we were able to see are as follows:
- Boston Common
- Massachusetts State House
- Park Street Church – this is just across Boston Common. However, since there is a mass going on during our visit, we decided not to take photos out of respect.
- Granary Burying Ground
- King’s Chapel and Burying Ground
- Benjamin Franklin Statue and the Boston Latin School
- Old Corner Bookstore
- Old South Meeting House
- Old State House
- Boston Massacre Site
- Old North Church
As it was a long tour, we were not able to finish the 16 sites. Nevertheless, it was a good way to go around the city. I am proud of how our children patiently went on our walking tour.
Another famous landmark of Boston is Quincy Market. Just in time for some good food!
Aside for some gastronomic adventure, Quincy Market is also a good place to hangout for some music, art and shopping. If you want to buy unusual keepsakes for your trip, this is a good place to buy them.
Boston is a fascinating city. We were amazed that these historical sites are preserved and well-kept. It is a good way of honoring the city’s past while keeping up with the pace of the modern times.
A bonus in Massachussets that can not be found in any of the tours is the special care we received from our hosts, the Tomas family. We were pampered with such hospitality by everyone.
Every day is like a feast too! The steaks and salmon are one of the best that we had.
Oh and look at those lobsters!
As for me, I just love their locally grown cherries, berries and strawberries!
Being in Massachusetts is like being home. The cities that we have seen depicts a warm and homey atmosphere. Commuting is easy, as subway stations are PWD friendly. It is definitely a wise decision by Daddy S to make this as our first stop. Best of all, it is great to be with friends who treats us like family.
Maine
For our first road trip adventure, we head on to a 3 hour drive to Maine!
The state of Maine is known by its lighthouses, which counts about 68 as of this date. We visited the oldest of them all, the Portland Head Light.
If one loves the sound of waves, this is definitely the place to be. It is therapeutic to hear the blow of the wind and the splash of the water as it hits the rocks.
Since it is by the water, we expected it to be cold, but boy, we did not know that it will be THAT cold. We were practically shivering while taking pictures. But our dear boy, Hendrix does not like being bundled up though. 🙂
Hendrix is not minding the cold at all. In fact he seems to love it when the cold breeze blows!
Since we are in Maine we did not miss trying out their food! Maine is known for its clam chowder, lobster rolls and fish and chips!
A good meal is best enjoyed with friends!
The view by the restaurant is amazing too!
New Hampshire
From Maine, we hit the road again for a 2.5-hour drive to New Hampshire.
We intended to take the Washington Auto Road trail to reach the top of Mount Washington (the one that almost touched the clouds in the photo below). However, since there road going up is still covered with snow, trekking is not yet allowed. But it did not dampen our spirit because the view from below is simply breath-taking!
Photos can not do justice to the beauty of Mount Washington. It is like being drawn out from a painting. Everywhere you look is picture-perfect!
The weather is pretty good so the kids had fun playing on the grounds.
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Aside from Mount Washington, we got to visit the town of Meredith.
I like this town a lot. There is something about having a lake nearby that makes the atmosphere so serene.
Meredith is a good stop as we wind down our day’s road trip.
I will describe the first leg of our trip as relaxing, a good jumpstart to more adventures waiting for us. As our usual trips were just the four of us, this time it is nice to reconnect with good friends, reminiscing about the old times while visiting beautiful places.
We are off to a good start! Leg 2 of our trip, this time we head to New York, Pennsylvania and Washington!