During the first weekend of April, I travelled to Boston, MA again to visit my sister, Savannah. She is a grad student at Harvard University, and I was excited to bond with her and see the prestigious Ivy League campus for the first time. This was the fifth time I have been to Boston, and I must say it was the best Boston trip yet! When I went previously, I couldn’t see a lot of this diverse city because I was either here for business or other obligations. Savannah and I covered pretty much all of Boston in one weekend and she even got some time to study.
I flew into Boston Logan International Airport around noon on Friday. From there I took the Silver Line shuttle bus to South Station and transferred to the Red Line, which took me to the Shawmut stop that’s just a few blocks from Savannah’s house. Savannah lives in Dorchester, which is one of the Boston city neighborhoods. In Chicago, we refer to the subway as the “L”. Boston’s subway is known as the “T”. Though it was simple to get to Dorchester from the airport, I couldn’t help but notice over the weekend how different the public transportation system was from Chicago’s. For instance, the T in Boston was slower and came late so you have to give yourself extra time to get one from destination to another. It is also not as accessible as it is in Chicago. The Green line converts to a train and streetcar but it has steps you have to walk up to get to the seats. I was able to navigate the Boston transportation system without much issue but it may not be easy for others.
Savannah first showed me the Harvard University campus in Longwood/Boston, which is where the medical school and the Chan School of Public Health is. The main campus is in Cambridge. We then went to dinner at the Laughing Monk Cafe, which is a popular Thai restaurant nearby. My entree was the crispy sweet and spicy basil chicken. Tasty! Following dinner, we headed over to the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston’s Seaport District. The museum was right by the water and they had a “First Friday” event where you can sip cocktails, dance, do art, and visit the various galleries. I especially enjoyed looking at their new exhibit, “Huma Bhabha: They Live”. Huma Bhaba is a Pakistani American artist who is known for her sculptors. To end the Friday night, Savannah and I met a couple of her friends in Kendall Square for drinks at the Smoke Shop BBQ.
Saturday morning started with a hearty breakfast of oatmeal and scrambled eggs at home. Then we jumped on the red line and green line for the hour trek to Cambridge! Before that, we stopped and strolled along the Charles river for a while. Savannah then took me to the main Harvard campus and showed me Harvard Square, a plaza right outside the campus in the center of Cambridge and has various shops and restaurants. We popped in for sweets at Milk Bar, which is a bakery known for their cookies and “crack” pie. Savannah had to study for a few hours so I explored more of the campus and Harvard Square myself while making sure to soak in the sunshine and perfect spring weather. The last hour was spent reading in the Harvard bookstore. Our Saturday evening was topped off with pasta at Al Dente in the North End. I delighted in lobster ravioli while Savannah savored her gnocchi. Boston’s North End is famous for their Italian restaurants. Seafood in Boston also is a can’t miss, especially their lobster rolls!
My flight left on Sunday afternoon, but Savannah and I had plenty of time to check out Boston’s Back Bay area and enjoy brunch at the Friendly Toast. The wait can be easily up to 1.5 hours so we put our name in the no-wait app. That way when we arrived, we only had to wait 10 minutes for our table. Make sure to request floor seating so they don’t place you at high top tables. This restaurant is vegetarian friendly (no pun intended!) and offers a unique menu. After brunch, we walked through the Financial district, the Boston Commons, and relaxed in the Boston Public Garden before I had to go to the airport. I never get tired of coming to Beantown. It’s one of my favorite cities, and I look forward to coming back again real soon for Savannah’s Master Graduation!
Just a Little Traveling... 