While some people might look at this and only see trash, the archaeologist in me looks at it and gets excited. Deposits of sea glass and ceramics along beaches are getting fewer and fewer thanks to dwindling littering and garbage laws. Sea glass is one of my favorite things to search for on the beach. While some of the glass is “modern” (1900-1990s), there is a lot that is from 120 years ago or more. One indicator of age for…
Spooky. Probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Boston… Historic? YES. Confusing to drive through? YES. Spooky? Nope…Salem gets that crown. But never fear, Boston has two really unique spooky spots that not a lot of people know about if you are willing to search them out off the beaten path. Warren Anatomical Museum Years ago, putting skeletons and casts of genetic oddities on display was thought of as the normal thing to do….
Boston is home to many wonderful museums that specialize in very different styles and eras of art. Several of these institutions offer free or voluntary donation admission on certain nights, which will allow you to experience them without breaking the bank. Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts is a world-renound institution that collects and displays many forms of art and cultural artifacts from around the world. The museum is open by voluntary donation on Wednesdays after 4:00 PM. The MFA’s…
The other day at work, a person asked me if the water coming out of the water fountain was filtered. I was taken aback for a moment before I remembered that so many places in the world do not have good tasting water even with filtration. Boston, however, is incredibly lucky that our favorite beverage (no it isn’t beer! haha) comes from a special place called the Quabbin. In recent taste and quality tests, Boston’s water has scored either in…
Happy Halloween! Living in New England, we have the chance to be spooky almost all year round with our historic burial grounds scattered throughout the area (as long as the snow isn’t too high!). Here are some of my favorite photographs that I’ve taken at cemeteries this past month: The Death’s Head is one of my most favorite images in the world. Watching it evolve from the simplistic circle with two dead eyes and a long nose over to…
Whether they are of mice or men, they truly do often go awry unfortunately. For the past two years, I’ve been trying to get us out to Boston Light. This is an amazing site that is part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. As a cooperation between the National Park Service, Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Coast Guard, it truly is a unique site in America. Situated on Little Brewster Island, the Boston Light is…
Some of my favorite pieces of public art are the ones that are hidden right in plain sight. In downtown Boston, there is a series of beautiful crafted “bricks” that hundreds of people walk over each day. Created by Kate Burke and Gregg Lefevre in 1985, these bricks chronicle not just Boston’s history, but some unique aspects of living in the city. Stones include directional ones that tell you how far away places like the North Pole or Moscow are….
Growing up in Massachusetts, you learn to either live with or adore the Kennedy family. They are EVERYWHERE it seems, and many visitors like to visit places related to the family. It is no surprise, then, that Boston was chosen as the location for President John F. Kennedy’s library. What is surprising is that I had never been to this museum until last week! Sure, I’ve toured through its amazing collection and seen Ernest Hemingway’s bullfighting photos next to Bobby…
