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…
What a year it has been! Between the record snows of February curtailing almost ANY travel, even to the grocery store, to my first attempt at a ropes course and chasing fall foliage throughout New England, it was a great year. It saw us attempt (and successfully complete) our first ever 2 country trip (with plans to go back!!) and use our local beaches on an almost weekly basis. 2015 was pretty darn great. 2016, though, should be amazing….
If you live in the New England area and have not gotten out to see the leaves, stop and drop everything. They are amazing this year and you owe it to yourself to go and watch one of the most spectacular death scenes in the world. Throughout New England, there are beautiful old trees that produce amazing color just hanging out in the town green or some lucky (for now) person’s back yard. Personally, I hate raking so I’m OK…
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…
Being a coastal city, Boston has a thriving boat culture on the Charles River and Boston Harbor. Several sailing clubs service each location and offer sailors the opportunity to see Boston and Cambridge from unique vantage points. I have been a member at Community Boating on the Charles and at Piers Park Sailing Center on the harbor, and both experiences have been very positive. I sailed on the Charles River at Community Boating for several years when I first…
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…
Today, I got to do something that a lot of people would probably love to do: dig in an archaeological survey in downtown Boston. I’ve been talking with the city archaeologist of Boston for quite some time now and was invited to help dig up the front courtyard of Old City Hall. Old City Hall is located on School Street and has been reused a number of times. In 1635, it was the site of the first public school:…
For today’s #MapMonday, I would like to showcase a local store that I cannot leave without having a map in my hand: Ward Maps. Though it seems like a slightly odd name, it actually has its foundation in the map and cartographic world. A “ward map” was created in the 19th and 20th centuries and contained very detailed information about properties. This could include their owners, street number, height, water mains, and other town and city infrastructure. Located at 1735…
