Five Reasons We Loved Our Boston Vacation

It goes without saying that I could have gone anywhere with my sister, Jean, and our friend, Janice, and had a great time. But this year marked the tenth anniversary of our yearly "girl's getaway" trips, so we splurged and all flew to Boston, a place that none of us knew well and all wanted to know better.

Here's five reasons why we loved Boston:

1) There were beautiful flowers everywhere; a real feast for the eye.

2) There was great history everywhere. We walked much of the Freedom Trail and saw many interesting sites from the Colonial and the Revolutionary periods, but we also enjoyed learning about the great wave of Irish and Italian immigrants that arrived in Boston in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and looking at the full range of architectural history that is preserved in the city. Jean's favorite was the Custom House Tower, a prominent marker in the Long Wharf area where we stayed.

We all found the Charlestown Navy Yard very interesting, visiting the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship still afloat, and the USS Caissin Young, a WWII destroyer. Jean's husband had been on a Navy ship that was dry docked at the Navy Yard and it was fun to hear about and imagine his adventures in Boston.

3) There was water everywhere. I was only in Boston a few minutes before I stopped dead in my tracks upon seeing the view shown in the photo below. It is from the lobby at the Hyatt next to the airport, where we stayed the first night. I had no idea how the Boston harbor is so connected to the city itself. Everywhere we walked, it was in sight. And out in the harbor are the "Harbor Islands," a quick boat ride away, and home to more natural and serene water views.


4) There was an abundance of outdoor areas and Bostonians and visitors alike seemed to really appreciate and enjoy them.

5) And oh, my, the food! Everywhere we went there was wonderful food. I can still taste how good this salted caramel ice cream and brown sugar tart was!