A Quick Trip to Boston

When my husband got asked to speak in Boston I jumped at the chance to tag along. Not only do we love the city, but we love getting to spend time with our daughter who lives there. 

The trip started with checking in to a really cool hotel. The conference had put us up there for the first two nights. Thankfully it was a Marriott property so we had points for the second two, otherwise we would have had to move. And that would have been a shame! 

The Liberty Hotel started life as a prison. Built in 1851, it continued as a jail until 1990. The renovation into a luxury hotel is quite amazing. They kept some of the awesome architectural details in the granite structure which was built as a more humane prison in 1851, including courtyards and large window to let in fresh air. Of course, after over 100 years, it devolved into a place of inhumane conditions, which was why it eventually closed. 

Not only is it a lovely hotel with a rich history, it’s situated right next to a subway stop and within walking distance of so much! Cute shops. Good restaurants. Even the Public Gardens and Boston Commons are only about a fifteen minute jaunt up fun streets. Maybe my favorite thing about the location was close proximity to two of our favorite places to eat in Boston: Tatte Bakery and Flour Bakery. And yes, we went to both. 

After Jeff finished his speaking engagement, we met our daughter for dinner in Cambridge on Thursday night at Puritan and Company. Loved the space and the food! 

On Friday, we all worked in the morning then met up in the afternoon to shop and eat in the Beacon Hill area, where The Liberty Hotel is located. She hadn’t yet spent much time in this area, so it was fun for us to get to show her something new. My favorite place? Beacon Hill Books and Cafe on Charles St. A delightful space. 

After yummy Italian food in a hole-in-the-wall family restaurant, we headed for the high-end shopping on Newbury Street. Of course, we didn’t buy anything. Well, except cookies at Levain Bakery. Oh. My. Good thing we walked a lot that day. 

On Saturday she picked us up and we drove up the coast to Rockport, Massachusetts. What a charming little town full of shops and restaurants. There we had our lobster rolls—another must for our trips to New England. We meandered back through Gloucester and Manchester by the Sea, where we stopped at Captain Dusty’s ice cream. So good. 

We ended the day with a visit to the Bunker Hill monument (where we’d somehow never been) and cannolis from Modern Pastry. We usually get them from Mike’s, but people at the conference had all told Jeff Modern was the best. Plus, it had a shorter line. Which was significant since that Saturday afternoon, with the sun out, the North end of Boston (the Italian district) was packed with people. The cannolis were wonderful, as usual. As much as I love seeing Elizabeth, I think my quick yes to Boston trips has as much to do with the cannolis as her! 

We were back in Texas by mid-day on Sunday. A quick in and out, but so much that we love in the city. Especially experiencing it with our girl. And what’s even more fun? We have two more work-related trips scheduled there this year!