Sept 13-17: Boston, Mass.

So I hopped on a plane and headed for Boston.  


On the plane, just before we got to Boston, I saw this majestic lighthouse on a bunch of rocks in the middle of the ocean.



I know what you are thinking....isnt this supposed to be a roadtrip?  Before the trip, Kayley (my gf) said she would meet me somewhere along the way for a weekend.  It took me about 5 seconds to decide on Boston.  My sister used to live in Boston, and I had visited her several times.  I love Boston.  In a different life, I would have moved there after grad school.  Anyways, we purchased plane tickets for Kayley so she could visit when I thought I would be in the vicinity of Boston on my road trip.  I ended up leaving a week later than I had planned, so I had to hop a plane to make it up there.  On Thursday, I hopped a plane in Raleigh-Durham and headed to Boston.    



What a city!  Almost instantly, I got to experince the kind of weirdness that you only see in a big city.  In smaller cities, where public transportation is less common, you arent forced to interact with people.  To get from the airport to my hotel, I took the subway (called "the T" in Boston).  A boy (about 18-19yrs old) got on the T with his father.  This boy was probably mentally ill, although it wasnt superficially obvious.  He had a couple loud and whiny outbursts in an infantile voice.  A couple stops later, a guy gets on the T and stands directly behind me.  Its about rush hour, so people are crammed together pretty close.  All of the sudden, the guy behind me lets out an angry string of explitives and threats.  Everyone turns to look at him, and he appeals to the crowd "This guy just licked my arm!", and gestured towards the kid with his dad.  The father just hung his head and the kid explained that he did it because he wasnt happy.  They got off at the next stop.  The victim was actually a little embarassed.  He blew up at a kid (btw this kid was about 6'5" 300lbs) and after the fact realized he was mentally ill.  It occurred to me later, if that guy hadnt stood behind me on the T, I would have been the one getting licked.  I have no idea how I would have reacted.  

Later that night, I met up with my friend Christian from back in College Station.  She ran with the same grad student crowd as I did in college station, but recently moved to Boston to work in a lab at MIT.  I was super excited to see her, and she was an excellent hostess.  The first place we went was an old Italian restaurant/bar called Marilave.  We had a spread of excellent oysters ($1 each during happy hour) and had some vino.  After that, we headed back to her place in Cambridge (a suburb of Boston; across the river; home of MIT and Harvard) so that I could drop off my luggage.    




It was cool to see Cambridge. This was my fourth visit to Boston, and I hadnt yet spent much time in Cambridge.  It is similar to other areas in Boston (very similar to Brookline, where I my sister lived), but the general populace is younger.  Lots of cool shops and eateries along the street.     As we walked to her house, we discussed her experience with the Boston Marathon bombing.  A few of Christians friends were close to the blasts, and the manhunt several days later was very close to where she lived.  The surviving bomber lived down the street.  We walked through his neighborhood.  We passed his mosque.  I brough up the controversy about shutting down the whole city of Boston to catch him.  She said she was uncertain whether it was the right decision or not, but the consensus was that everybody felt safer because of it.    


We went to another couple bars to have a couple beers and talk about her work, H-town rap, and reminisce about the good ol days .  Afterwards, Christian (and her roommate Socrates) were kind enough to provide me a couch to rest my head for the night.  Thank you both so much!  



The next day (Saturday) for breakfast, we stopped by a place called Union Square Doughnuts (we picked up these ridiculously huge and tasty doughnuts) and Christian took me to brunch with some of her friends.  We went to this place called the Neighborhood Cafe.  They have a large outdoor patio completely covered with grapevines.  The temperature was perfect (mid 60's haha Texas).  We had a delicious breakfast (it came with complementary OJ, coffee, and baked apple!).  Her friends were really cool and we had a great, relaxing brunch to ring in the autumn season.  




A quick note: during my stay I heard all the locals trying to organize trips to go apple picking. Apparently, this is a popular fall activity in this region of the country.

After this I checked into the hotel that Kayley and I would be staying (she didnt get into town until 10pm, i guess somebody has to work).  We were staying at the Westin Copley Plaza.  I wanted to stay someplace in downtown so we could be close to everything, and our hotel was right next to the Green Line T station for added convienience.  After the hotel lady handed me the room key, I asked if it had a view.  She said it didnt have a view of the river, but a partial view of downtown.  I was a little disappointed....that was until I headed up to the 28th floor to see the view.  The windows took up half the height of the wall and wrapped around two of the four walls.  We got the corner room and the view was great.  I could even see Fenway Park, as the game between the Sox and Yankees was about to start.    





After I took in the view for a little while, I headed to a bar near Fenway called Jillians to watch the A&M vs Alabama game with the New England A&M Club.  I didnt know anyone that was going to be there, but I figured I would be welcomed.   I was excited to see Sara and Samir M.  I know Samir from the biology department at A&M and sara from way back in my fish camp days (she also did a phd stint in the Biochem dept).  They had finished school, got married, and moved to Boston.  I guess it made sense that they would they would be there, but I just didnt think of it.  I also stood next to a couple that was vacationing from Salado.  They both graduated in mid-90's.  We discussed their adopted children and the non-profit they work for that benefits Haiti.  I also saw Michael C. who was in fish camp with kayley and his wife, as they were vacationing in Boston that weekend and decided to watch the game with the local A&M club.  I was amazed at the number of people that I met that were vacationing in Boston that weekend from Texas (myself included).  After the game, I hung out with the local A&M crew at the bar for a bit.  I enjoyed the company.  Sara, Samir, and I discussed science and jobs, and I BS'd about Fish Camp with another guy in the group.    




Interestingly,  I felt like I randomly bumped into more people that I knew or had met in Boston than I would have in Austin.  In addition to the people I ran into at the game watching, I ran into Samir and Sara as I was doing the freedom trail through their neighborhood, I ran into a couple from the A&M club in the T station, and I saw Tyson and Kariss T. as I was leaving a subway car.  Tyson and I lived next to each other in the dorm freshman year.  I didnt have anywhere to be at the time, so I jumped back on the subway and talked to them until the next stop.  They are expecting twins in the near future, and they decided to take a trip to Boston before they were preoccupied for a while.    Crazy!  Smallest big town ever.    




Kayley flew in later that night, and we began our whirlwind tour of Boston.  The next day (Sunday), we did the Freedom Trail.  The Freedom Trail is a walking tour of Boston that takes you through several historical sites of Boston.   I dont know if this is cheesy, but the freedom trail is one of the reasons I first fell in love with Boston.  It helps you appreciate the profound role that Boston played in the birth of our country.  Walking though that city really gives you the sense that you are following the footprints of greatness.    






It takes about 4-5hrrs to do the entire trail.  The trail starts in the Boston Common (Boston's version of Central Park).  There was a band playing and lots of people sitting on the grass listening.  Speaking of grass, I almost instantly smelled the odor of cannibis.  There was a band playing, and I didnt think this was uncommon.  But then I smelled a lot of it.  At almost the exact moment I am encountering these smells, Kayley taps me on the shoulder and informs me that we are in the middle of Hempfest.  All of the sudden the rasta hair qulits and cannabis leaf shirts made sense.  Let me just say that there were quite a few booths set up selling a wide variety of munchies (funnel cake, pretzels).  



In the part of the Commons not associated with Hempfest, we found this guy making huge bubbles.  I remember having a similar bubble apparatus as a kid, but we could never get it to work.  This guy could have gone out to the Hempfest crowd and really blown some minds.  





Next on the Freedom Trail, we ventured through Beacon Hill (the fancy and historic neighborhood right next to the Commons). We enjoyed looking at all the quaint houses that have the classic New England look. We explored some back alleys and admired peoples gardens.





Along the Freedom Trail we stopped off at Faneuil Hall to grab lunch.  I always describe Faneuil Hall as the best mall foodcourt in the world.  We ate from a place that exclusively makes Mac n Cheese.  The Boston Harbour Mac n Cheese was on special (mac n cheese with lobster, crab, and shrimp).  It was delish, and fortunately it didnt destroy my digestives.    





At one point we had to stop and find a bathroom.  Establishments along the freedom are very strict about bathrooms being for customers only.  We saw signs for a public restroom, and we decided to take that route.  What we found was the port-o-potty from the future, and apparently port-o-potties are even more disgusting in the future.  This thing was about the size of a mall kiosk, but enclosed.  It required the payment of 25cents to use, and this sliding door wooshes open, like out of star trek or something.  The odor was terrible.  As you go in, this futurisitic music is playing the entire time.  Everything was automated and it reminded me of some sort of bizzare Japanese invention.  So gross and weird.  We both felt like it took a little bit of our dignity.    


In the North End (the Little Italy of Boston), we stopped in St. Leonards.  A beautiful Catholic church.  




Also, we found the Irish Potato faine memorial. This poor lady in the statue.  As if the potato famine wasnt bad enough....  




Towards the very end of the Freedom trail, we hiked up to Charlestown to see the Bunker Hill memorial.  We also took some time to hang out on a street that I remember from previous Freedom Trail hikes:  Pleasant St (aptly named).  Every time I finish the freedom trail, it is around sunset, and from the top of this inclined and narrow street, one has the perfect view of Boston.  The Boston skyline is framed by the historic and picturesque houses of Charlestown. A site to behold.










After the Freedom Trail, we had dinner in the North End (Tratorria il Panino); I got the lasagna (duh), Kayley got the Lobster ravioli, and the wine was great.  Afterwards, we got coffee and cannoli from Mike's Pastries.  Not a bad day.  

The next morning (Monday), we went for a run on the Esplanade (the park that lines the banks of the Charles River).  Afterwards we had lunch at Legal Seafoods.  Of course we got the lobster, and everything was super delicious.  I also very much enjoyed a rare early afternoon beer:-)  Next, we crossed the street and had a very delicious dessert at Finale.  This place specializes in desserts, and I had been introduced to this place by my sister.  We picked three ridiculous mini desserts: boston creme, dark chocolate decadence, and tiramisu (plus latte/cappaccino).    






Next we hopped on the T and did the fastest walk-through ever of the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum.  This is an art museum that consists of the personal collection of the heiress namsake.  The cool thing about this museum however, is that it is inside of her 1800's  personal mansion.  I dont have any pictures (they arent allowed), but it is hard to imagine that a person could live in such plush mansion filled with some much art.  There were a lot of Reinnasance paintings, including a Rembrandt self portrait, as well as numerous Roman sculptures that date to the first and second century (sorry no pics from the museum...not allowed).  Can you imagine having something like that in your house?   After like 45min in the museum, we rushed Kayley to the airport and we said our goodbyes.  




My plane didnt leave until the next morning.  I spent some solid time bumming around Copley square watching the sunset and people of the city.     After crashing at Christians house again, she drove me to the airport in her car so I didnt have to take the T.   Christian:  thanks so much for all the favors you did me by providing a place to stay and a ride to the airport.  It was so great to hang out with you and chat over some drinks.  Cheers!  




The next day: Durham, NC.