Be warned- this is long!
When we moved to Williamsburg, we made a list of all of the places we wanted to visit while we were here. Places are slowly being marked off our list, and our time here is growing short, so we were both happy when I found cheap airfare to Boston since it was a destination we really wanted to visit.
I must say, other than checking out a couple of books about Boston and asking advice from friends and family, I really didn't ever get into the full-on, Nazi-esque planning mode I am well known for- this trip was meant to be a laid back perusal of the city, and it was the perfect approach to a great place. Luckily for us, this laid back approach could not have been better timed because we had a few curve balls thrown at us on this trip.
It all started when we got to D.C. the day before our plane left. We planned to meet up with our friend, Kevin, for dinner, and then stay in Baltimore since we had an early flight the next day. We met Kevin at the Air and Space Museum, and Caitlyn was particularly thrilled- she loves Kevin, AND she loves planes, so this was a big hit.
However, 5:00pm rolled around (I like to call it the witching hour), and the girls were cranky, hungry and tired. After much walking and looking around, the boys were hunched over the iPhone looking for a Chipotle that should have been right there, when I decided to just ask someone. We ended up at a Legal Seafood, where everyone had a good meal.
We said good-bye to Kevin, then headed to Baltimore. Or, we tried to head to Baltimore. I, sadly, assumed that Jason knew how to get from point A to point B since we'd done it before. I also, mistakenly, assumed that it would be pretty easy to find the loop we needed, even if Jason didn't know. Wrong, Ashley. Wrong on both counts! After many twists and turns through the Mall area, Jason planning to just pull over and buy a GPS and me telling him to just ASK someone, we did manage to find our way and laugh.
Our next obstacle came the next morning at the airport. We were talking with another couple traveling with two young girls, and their mom was telling me that they are good little travelers, too. We were swapping stories about rough flights, and the other mom told me about two times that her girls threw up on a plane. I laughed that we hadn't had that happen yet.
About 4.6 seconds after I uttered those fateful words, as we were lining up to board the plane, Caitlyn threw up. Everywhere. When Jason turned her to take her to the bathroom, she threw up again, all over him.
We quickly got her cleaned up, and luckily we knew exactly what caused it (not an illness), so we were able to make the flight.
Once in Boston, we took a few moments to figure out the T, and we were off to our hotel. We stayed at the Boston Park Plaza, and all I can say is thank goodness for priceline because I got an incredible deal on a spectacular hotel that was in a great location. Our room was large, and we were right by the Public Gardens.
Since we arrived in the middle of the day, we decided to check out the theater district and the area around our hotel. We strolled through the Public Gardens to take some pictures, and we spent a lot of time being amused by the giant squirrels that would take food from our hands and feeding the ducks in the pond.
We wandered into a few shops, and Jason bought a Red Sox hat, and then schooled Lorelei on the finer points of baseball.
We also picked up a copy of the book Make Way For Ducklings because the girls were enthralled by the statues in the park, and we ended up reading the story no less than 20 times during our 4 day stay.
We also meandered through Boston Common, and ended up stumbling upon the famous Cheers pub. Jason wanted a picture, and Caitlyn wanted to swing on the fence in Mary Poppins fashion.
We ended the day with a quiet walk through Beacon Hill, one of Boston's most beautiful (and affluent neighborhoods. It was gorgeous.
Our second day dawned clear and cold, the perfect day for our trek on the Freedom Trail. We bundled up the girls, and set off for a 2.5 mile journey through history. Taking it slow, we managed to see all the sights along the trail, enjoy a delicious lunch and soak up the quiet ambience of Boston. While Lorelei was content to ride snuggly and quietly, Caitlyn enjoyed dictating from her stroller throne, and there were several times during the day when she pulled out the map and barked things like, "Mama, go down the blue and then turn on red. Attached to that is the road, and that's where we go."
Among other things, we visited two graveyards, the State House, Paul Revere's house and the Bunker Hill Memorial.
Let's talk about Bunker Hill (of "Don't fire till you see the whites of their eyes" fame). You are able to climb to the top of the tower, home to 294 winding stone steps to enjoy a 360 degree view of Boston and the harbor. That doesn't sound too bad, right? Jason and I took turns, not wanting to carry the girls, and I went first. 294 steps is a heck of a lot more than I imagined it to be. The views were great, but I was glad to get back to the bottom where I could rest my weary legs. Working out on a Stairmaster is not quite the same as climbing real steps.
After a ferry ride back to downtown, we walked to P.F. Changs to enjoy a quiet dinner while Caitlyn slept in her stroller, and Lorelei entertained us with chopstick antics. She was so happy to have our undivided attention, and it reminded us of our early days of parenting when we only had one baby most of the time.
Our third day was cold and damp-- the perfect atmosphere for a trip on the train to Salem. Getting to the station was an adventure in itself, but I am proud to say we did it with nary a misstep. I am utterly fascinated by the Witch Trials, so it was incredible to me to be able to see the Witch House, the Memorial and the hill where 19 "witches" were hung by religious zealots.
We enjoyed another stroll through the Public Gardens, along with stops to feed the ducks and squirrels. After dinner, the girls and I settled in while Jason explored some of the city on his own.
Sadly, our departure day arrived with Caitlyn protesting that she wanted to stay in "Fauston." It might be more heartbreaking if she didn't say that at the end of every trip! We explored Newbury Street, where we bought a set of watercolor paintings for the girls' room that detailed the duckling statues in each season. We headed to the public library to gaze at the massive marble foyer. Caitlyn and I explored the upper floors, where she wanted to know who Galileo and Plato were after I read off the names carved into the walls. Lorelei enjoyed looking at all of the books, and both girls were very respectful of those who were reading.
Finally, we headed back to the Gardens for one final visit with the ducklings. We fed ducks and squirrels. Again. We climbed on the statues. Again. We played in the leaves. Again. It was bittersweet to leave behind the park that felt a little like home, especially when we said good-bye to one of the dog owners we'd seen each day of our trip during our park jaunts.
Boston tops the list of my favorite cities. The people are friendly without being boisterous, and the history is crushing and omnipresent. Before we left, I read somewhere that Bostonians live history every day, and I can see now what the writer meant. Everywhere you turn in Boston, there is an integral part of American history, and it is nestled right in among the every day facets of life.
The colors were truly awe-inspiring, and the backdrop of red, orange, yellow and brown was intense and lovely. There were times we didn't know whether we should gather the leaves up and toss them with joy, or simply stand and marvel at their beauty. Of course, we did a little of both.
As we headed to the airport, I felt sure our adventure was over, and I began to think about all of the things I would need to do once we got home. Little did I know we had one more adventure in store.
When we checked in for our flight, we ran into the family we'd seen on our way to Boston. We exchanged stories, and they were so glad that Caitlyn had not been ill again during our trip. Our flight was very bumpy, and Lorelei was inconsolable during our final descent into Baltimore. She fussed like I have rarely seen her do, while Caitlyn sat in stone cold silence as her unease with the landing grew. As soon as the wheels of the plane touched down, Jason handed Lorelei to me, and she promptly threw up. Yes, she did. No, I am not joking.
Luckily (for everyone else), she mainly got me, and we were able to clean up quickly. Jason and I honestly just laughed. Lorelei was fine after that, so we were relieved, and it was just unbelievable that on a single trip, both of our girls vomited in close proximity to the plane.
When we ran into the other family at baggage claim, I told the other mom, and she and I just laughed about the fact that neither of us will ever tell a story about throwing up at the airport again.
What a trip.
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