This weekend was so much fun. It was also mildly challenging. Whenever I've had friends come visit, most of our time is split between touring breweries, eating and drinking at great restaurants, and walking around downtown. None of these things appeal to Babcia and Poppy so I was left to come up with some new activities to entertain them for the weekend.
(They're here!)
We met up Friday afternoon after I got out of work. After I gave them a tour of my new apartment (which received their stamp of approval!) I took them to Harvard Square to get some dinner. We headed to Grafton Street Pub, which I don't think they loved but I enjoyed it. It also took them a while to put together that being in Harvard Square meant we were literally across the street from Harvard's campus. The revelation came when Babcia said the buildings looked like dorms and wondered aloud "what college is around here."
Saturday morning, after a delicious breakfast at the hotel they were staying at located just outside of the city, we headed back downtown for some exploring. They parked their rental car at my apartment and we Uber-ed to the Prudential Center to take a Duck Tour. (Side note: Explaining Uber to Babcia and Poppy was an invent in and of itself. "What do you mean a stranger in a car is coming to pick us up?!") If you've never heard of a Duck Tour, they take place in most major cities in WWII style vehicles that were designed to travel both on land and in water. These tours are ideal for cities like Boston that are located on the water. The tour was really fun and perfect for people who were not into walking. We were able to see most of the major Boston landmarks and learn some fun facts about the city. Towards the end of the tour, the vehicle splashes down into the Charles River and we were able to take in that view. I will admit, I got pretty anxious when we were floating around on the wrong side of the river.
(Duck Touring!)
After our Duck Tour, Babcia and Poppy decided to get lunch at the finest of establishments - the Star Market hot bar. Yup, that happened. Afterwards we headed over to the Mary Baker Eddy Library. This place has a lot of history and interesting facts, but the true appeal is the Mapparium. I have never seen anything like this. It is a three-story glass globe that you are able to walk in. Unfortunately, you aren't able to take photos of it but I don't even think a photo could capture its beauty. The tour guide asked visitors to remain quiet while in the globe since it echoes so much, so naturally - Babcia and Poppy began to loudly discuss the location of Poland.
When we had finished up at the Mary Baker Eddy Library we Uber-ed over to Faneuil Hall. Unfortunately, it started down pouring while we were there so they weren't able to take in the true beauty of the area - maybe that's why Babica called it dumpy.
When the rain had let up, we headed over the Barking Crab for dinner. I had been here once before when Todd had come to visit and really enjoyed it. I think Babcia and Poppy enjoyed it as well and we were all definitely in the mood for seafood!
Sunday morning we went to church. Yup. But then we decided to head up to Salem, MA for the day. We had originally intended to check out the Witch Museum which felt like the perfect thing to do in early October. But apparently, everyone else in the world thought it was the perfect thing to do as well because the town was packed to the point of not being able to find any parking. I quickly Googled what else was in the area and discovered there was a lighthouse only a few miles away, so we opted to drive out to that.
Spending my summers in Florida growing up, I'm used to big lighthouses that you can climb up and learn the history of. I'll admit, this lighthouse was a bit of let down. However, it happened to be located right where the trolley tour picked up so we decided to give that a try.
The trolley tour was surprisingly fun and informative and we ended up being able to see much more of Salem than we would have if we had just gone to the Witch Museum. Along with some great history of Salem, we saw the high school and park where Hocus Pocus was filmed and the character Allison's house in the movie.
(Allison's house from Hocus Pocus)
We headed back into Boston after the tour and went back into Harvard Square to get dinner. This time we went to Daedalus for dinner which was delicious.
After dinner it was time to say good bye. I was so sad to see them go but can't wait to see them in just under four weeks for Thanksgiving!
