For spring break this year {and I use the word “spring” very, very loosely here}, we decided to do the counterintuitive thing and head north instead of south. We went way north, in fact, to Boston, Massachusetts, to visit my brother and sister-in-law who are stationed there with the Air Force. This was a big trip for our crew for a few reasons: 1) We’ve never been to a big city as a destination with all three girls, 2) We’ve never been to the Northeast in the winter, and 3) We’ve never flown with the girls. Actually, the Spouse and I haven’t been anywhere on a plane in thirteen years because I HATE to fly. I know it’s an irrational fear if you use statistical logic. But, it’s a fear no less. And, it can only be overcome with an Ativan and a lot of prayer, both of which were in full effect last Friday when we flew out from the Nashville airport.
The girls were beyond excited to be flying for the first time. And, thanks to a lovely lady named Linda at the ticket counter, they received their wings and “helped” with the whole luggage check-in process. This is the Preschooler explaining to Linda {in her best British accent} that she didn’t have to worry about our suitcases because, “There’s nothing dangerous in there. It’s just our clothes and panties!” Trust me when I tell you that Linda absolutely earned the rave review I gave her on the airline website for her kindness and patience with our inquisitive crew.
After we checked in we had a good bit of time to spend in the airport because here’s the thing I had forgotten about flying: not only are you not in control of the plane, but you are also not in control of your travel schedule. So, just because our flight was supposed to depart Nashville at 6:45 PM CST, does not mean it did. In reality, it departed nearly four hours later meaning we arrived at the Boston airport around 2:00 AM EST. And that is when and where we began our experience with Uber. {If you’re not familiar with Uber, it’s an app you download on your phone that allows you to choose/schedule a ride from place to place with the tap of a button any time of day or night}. Our first Uber driver cancelled, but after exhausting all other middle of the night transportation options we finally found {perhaps God sent} a man driving a huge Suburban who could fit all six of us and our luggage {Mimi was traveling with us, too!} in his vehicle.
Don’t let anyone ever convince you that Northerners are inhospitable. When we finally got settled at the hotel it was 3:00 AM, and the two young guys who were working the check-in desk were so kind as to throw together makeshift welcome bags for the girls with some rubber ducks, tiny stuffed animals, and notepads they found somewhere in the back of their offices. It may have been more than six hours past their bedtime, but they were delighted with this warm welcome.
I should note here that this will be the only time I will use the word “warm” in connection with this trip because from here on out it only got colder. Much colder.
You know, we Southerners know how to handle our winters. We go to the Target and get cute scarves and hats, sweet mittens and leg warmers with fuzzy little balls that dangle off of them. We purchase ear muffs with pearls. Who cares if they actually insulate? Pearls are pretty! And, we get excited to wear all of these fun pieces on the occasional days when the temperatures max out in the thirties or forties.
Well, Boston is not in the South. And, it turns out looking cute and/or feeling pretty becomes immediately irrelevant when you step outside and can’t blink because your eyelids have frozen to your forehead. We knew it would be cold. We saw the forecast. But, there’s nothing quite like feeling that kind of wind chill in a city where walking to and from your destinations is a necessity.
We stayed in Cambridge in the Harvard Square area to be close to my brother and sister-in-law’s apartment and the T station. The area is obviously very collegiate but one of our first walking stops was a Harvard Square landmark, The World’s Only Curious George Store.
The Preschooler is still a big fan of George, so this stop was among her favorites. And, while the store is a special nod to the fact that the authors of Curious George lived in Cambridge for forty years, they sell far more than just George merchandise. It’s a great bookstore/toy store for kids of all ages.
Our next stop on Saturday meant using the T {their subway and commuter rail}, which we became very familiar with during our four days up there. Thankfully my sister-in-law is a fabulous tour guide and had mapped out the best days and ways for us to get from point A to point B the whole trip. I can’t imagine us navigating the city smoothly without her and my brother literally holding {some of} our hands.
The thing that makes me most nervous about mass transit with the girls is the yellow line that separates the waiting area from the moving trains. Unlike Disney World or the zoo where dangerous things are roped off or difficult to access, the big city just trusts you to train and/or watch your children close enough to not let them cross that line. I trust my oldest two because they have a healthy sense of fear about such things. The youngest one is another story. Guiding her {and her stroller} through the ticket gates and around the train station was intense.
The T was our preferred mode of transportation for all kinds of sightseeing. Some of those sights, like a man wearing lipstick, were actually on the T itself. That was hard to explain to the Preschooler in a whisper when she gasped at the sight of his hot pink lips. The other sights, though, were more historical. A few of our favorites were…
Fenway Park: The tour of the iconic stadium was interesting from start to finish… only I didn’t finish it because the Preschooler, Mimi, and I were escorted out by a sweet older tour guide named George, who suggested we go to the gift shop across the street to thaw the Preschooler’s toes. But, before we left we saw the Green Monster, the press box, and lots of other fascinating tidbits of Red Sox history like this old bullpen cart.
The most amazing fact we heard all morning was that while our {mostly outdoor} ballpark tour was a balmy fifteen degrees, they had actually given a tour to a group of fifty diehard fans when the temperature was nine below zero. Who are these people?
I could never live in the Northeast because I don’t have Northeastern hair. Once I put a toboggan or winter headgear on, I must then wear it for the entire rest of the day. So, I wore that huge toboggan from 8 AM-10 PM like it was my job.
Harvard Museum of Natural History: This place boasted a huge collection of animals, minerals, and other natural-science collections. It was a good destination on a frigid afternoon, and the girls loved the animal exhibits.
The Freedom Trail: Since it was so cold and this is a 2.5 mile walking tour, we only did portions of the Trail. But, we saw King’s Chapel {where families purchased their own private box seats in the church}, Paul Revere’s House {built in 1680! and the oldest remaining structure in downtown Boston}, Faneuil Hall, and the Old North Church {where lanterns were hung to signify the British were coming “one if by land, two if by sea”}. There’s so much American history in this one stretch of the city, it’s hard to take it all in!
Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum: This is a multi-sensory floating museum where live actors recreate the night the Sons of Liberty dumped British East India Company tea overboard the ships in Boston Harbor. You tour the ship and kids can pretend to dump their own “carton” of tea overboard before entering a theatre where they show a documentary on the role the Tea Party played in the Revolutionary War. The museum also has a tea room onsite. The picture below is in front of the harbor where the museum is housed. We look the same in every single picture because we only had one set of outerwear.
Sacco’s Bowl Haven: This is a candle pin bowling alley and pizza restaurant all in one. The candle pins and tiny balls are just the right size for kids and a fun spin on bowling for adults. The girls took right to it with interesting form but surprising success once we got the gutter guards put in place.
I should mention that on our way to Sacco’s we took the T on our very own from our hotel to meet up with my mom, brother, and sister-in-law. We had been given specific instructions and had even mapped our route on Google. Yet, somehow we got on the correct color train… going the wrong direction. The circled area of our phone map illustrates the correct route. The arrow points to the blue dot which indicates where we were in real time. Apparently we were headed downtown.
Two men on the subway noticed our confusion and offered to get off and even walk us across the street to the correct train at the next stop, but we assured them that with their careful instructions we could surely find it on our own. Thankfully we did, but I don’t advise just hopping on the first OUTBOUND train you see coming your way. They move fast, the doors shut automatically, and the driver doesn’t offer to turn around.
We packed a lot of activity, great food/coffee, and history into our first three days, which turned out to be a good thing because we started hearing and seeing things of this sort on Monday:
The snow turned out to have a name: Winter Storm Stella. We actually blame this unfortunate weather event on the 2nd Grader who had been specifically praying we would see snow on this trip since we didn’t get much snow at home this year. Her wish was granted and then some, and, essentially it shut the city down on Tuesday.
The snow itself was beautiful, but the gusting winds were brutal. After the worst of it had passed we braved a brief trip outside to catch one of the few Ubers we could find to get to my brother’s place where my sister-in-law made the perfect snow day dinner: chili.
Once again we were reminded that this is not leather or sweater boot weather. And, I’m pretty sure the 2nd Grader’s hair bow was the only one on anyone’s head in Boston that day.
One perk of the forced time indoors was spending some time with Dixie our dog niece. I feel certain she will need several days to recover from the extra hands-on attention she received while we were there, but we all love her.
The crazy thing about snow in the Northeast is how well-equipped they are to deal with it. This weather would have shut our hometown down for a week. But, workers continuously shovel and plow during the storm so travel can resume as soon as possible. So, Tuesday was a huge mess, but we were able to fly out late Wednesday in cold but sunny skies. We were just sad to leave so soon because there was so much more to see and do in the city.
Despite the ridiculous weather and the snow day that forced us to stay in one day, Boston will go down as one of our favorite family adventures to date. We’re forever grateful for our patient tour guides and hopeful to return to the beautiful Northeast for more exploring some day soon in above-freezing temperatures. Until then, thanks for the “spring” break memories Boston!
That sounds like a great trip!
Wow! That is one trip none of your family will forget!! Your account was so amusing! Your journals would definitely be on a ‘best seller’ list! ha! I think you took in most of the historical sights. including the “Make Way for Ducklings” bridge, Harvard School Museum. After seeing Yale Campus, we thought Harvard seemed unimpressive with their Ancient buildings, etc. You might have seen the blown Glass Collection of wildflowers and shrubs at Harvard. A German Glassblower fashioned and gave his collection to Harvard, and his son added to it. A lot of the wildflowers we see in the Smokies were fashioned in glass, and colored to perfection! Your girls will never forget the snow and Blizzard! What lasting memories you have!