At the start of the new year, we had a family planning meeting. 2022 is a big year for us! My son is now weeks away from high school graduation and will be heading to college this fall, and my daughter will celebrate her sweet 16th this July. So we wanted the kids’ input with regard to family vacations and how they want to celebrate these special moments in their lives. They both said their only request was that we visit places they hadn’t already been to, so after some more discussion and a little research, we decided to head to Boston for spring break!
Not only was Boston a city the kids had never been to, but I’d never been there either. And my husband had only ever been to Boston on business trips.
An April visit to Boston called for sweaters and lightweight jackets, which is likely not the attire most people picture for a spring break trip. But we live in a warm-weather climate pretty much year-round, so mildly-cold temps coupled with low visitor traffic made it the perfect time to visit this city for us!
What We Did
The Old Town Trolley Tour was awesome! You can hop on and off as much as you want which gives you a great introduction to most of the main sites in the city. Plus the tour guides provide a wealth of knowledge along the way.
The USS Constitution & Museum is one of the stops on the trolley tour! This museum had quite a few interactive exhibits that the kids enjoyed. And there’s a fun photo booth on the first floor (see our photo strip souvenir up above).
Of course, we had to visit Cheers, which is also a stop on the Trolley Tour, even if the kids had no clue why this bar is so special.
We also did The Boston Duck Tour, which is a little different from the Trolley Tour. This tour is an 80-minute non-stop tour around Boston in a World War 11 style amphibious vehicle that takes you into the Charles River. You see some of the same sites as you do on the Trolley Tour, but the guides on the Duck Tour add a little more personality. Although, if you had to choose one tour, I’d recommend the Trolley tour over the Duck tour just because I think it’s nice to be able to get off and explore in your own time and then hop back on whenever you want.
Without a doubt, my favorite part of the whole trip was visiting the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum! Not only do the guides dress the part but they act in character as well which really adds so much to the experience. I love US History, so I fully geeked out on this tour.
I’ll bet Public Garden is even more beautiful when everything is in bloom, but we still really enjoyed meandering through the pathways. Unfortunately, we missed the Swan Boats by a week, so we’ll definitely have to plan another visit.
Quaint and charming, Charles Street did not disappoint with its collection of unique shops and cafes, and the cutest Post Office window I’ve ever seen!
Thrifting friends, you will absolutely love The Blessing Barn! I wish I had more room in my suitcase to bring back some treasures, but my daughter was happy to score a couple of clothing items.
I was the only one in the family who was interested in visiting The Boston Public Library, but once we walked in they all changed their tune pretty quickly. It’s the most gorgeous library I’ve ever visited, and I’m so glad I forced these three to tour it with me.
I mean, seriously, can you even?! It’s a must-see, in my opinion!
In addition to everything I already mentioned, we did a ton of walking around…..all throughout the city, taking in the beauty of the gorgeous homes of the Beacon Hill neighborhood…..
…..shopping in the Seaport District…
and we visited just about every historical spot in Boston. Having grown up in Southern California, the history here just really blew me away. To be standing in the place where the Boston Massacre occurred and to see the balcony where the Declaration of Independence was read for the first time in 1776, I was in awe soaking it all in, feeling so grateful for our country.
I’m not sure the teenagers were as awestruck over all the “historical stuff”, but they both thought catching opening day at Fenway Park was pretty cool.
What We Ate
I happily ate my way through this city! And I’d do it again in a heartbeat. As a gluten-free girl, I was thrilled to find Boston offered an abundance of delicious options!
Luke’s Lobsters – There are a couple of these quick-service restaurant locations in Boston. We ate at the downtown location, and I was happy to find that pretty much everything, including the clam chowder, could be made gluten-free. I’m still dreaming about this warm lobster roll!
Legal Sea Foods – They also had a lot of gluten-free options on their menu, but I preferred Luke’s lobster roll to Legal’s. That said, Legal’s gluten-free fish and chips was INCREDIBLE!
While Boston’s North End is home to some amazing Italian restaurants, and I did enjoy a great gluten-free meal at Benevento’s, we had the most amazing wood-fired GF pizza and GF pasta at Pastoral, which is in the Seaport District!
We rarely ever eat breakfast, but one morning we made a donut run. And oh my wow, we were all pleasantly surprised to find that Kane’s Donuts offers a large variety of gluten-free flavors! We sampled quite a few. It’s hard to choose a favorite, but I’ve been thinking about that chocolate iced for days! Yum!
All in all, we had a great week in Boston! We loved it so much I’m sure we’ll venture back again!
Have you ever been to Boston? Do any readers living in Boston have recommendations to share? Would love to learn about your favorite sites, things to do, and places to eat!
P.S. This trench coat was the perfect lightweight layer! And it comes in a pretty navy, too!
My mom was born and raised in Boston, and eVen though I grew up in Minnesota, we made annual trips there. The North End is where Paul Revere ROde, and we used to walk all around that part of Boston. But my favorite Are the swan boats. While there, next time rent a car and head south on Rte 3a to Plymouth, wHere you’ll experience where the Pilgrims arrived in 1620. So much history. Its incredible!