The Best of the Best Came to Beantown

Almost a full month ago now, my two favorite people came to Boston. Yup, that's right - Babcia and Poppy ventured back to the East coast.

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!

Summer Songs 2014

I can't believe summer is over. I've been in denial of it all week, but today's chilly, cloudy, windy weather officially sealed the deal that fall is really hear.

As a conclusion to summer, last weekend I went to Boston Calling with my friend Zach. Boston Calling's Saturday line up was killer, featuring, Lorde, Childish Gambino, Bleachers, and Girl Talk among others. (I was personally really bummed The 1975 were playing Sunday so I missed them.)

The weather was hot (90 degrees with humidity) and we eventually got rained out at one point but it was still a really fun show!

A couple of my other favorite songs this summer have included:

You Are My Summer
by LA+CH
This song could have been a sound track to our weekend on the Cape. The lyrics are fun and quirky (and oddly align with our activities) and just speak of classic summertime fun. While its a little less upbeat than typical summer songs, it still makes me think of long days spent on the beach and backyard bar-b-ques.

A Ways to Go
by GroupLove
I love GroupLove and I love this song. But after the four of us had it stuck in our head the entire time we were in Hyannis I can now only think of biking around the town!

Boom Clap
by Charlie XCX
This song just screams fun and long summer nights.

Recent Reads: The Lullaby of Polish Girls

I randomly picked up this book while purusing Barnes & Noble a few weeks ago. I had never heard of it but felt like I had to read it because of my Polish heritage.

The book itself was not anything to write home about but it kept me interested mainly because of the handful of Polish words that I was able to understand and the Polish traditions referenced in it that my family also partakes in.

My favorite was that the main character called her grandmother Babcia - which if you know anything about me, you know that is what I call my grandmother. Her Babcia also wore nightgowns all the time with no bra and pockets sewn into the front - which is my Babcia's uniform.

I won't go into the plot line of the book because there truthfully wasn't much of one. But if you have a family with real Polish pride like mine, its kind of a fun read.

Recent Reads: Sharp Objects

I read another Gillian Flynn book – Sharp Objects.

On the positive side of things – the book was an easy read, kept you interested and provided the same chilling detail that Gone Girl did.

On the negative side of things – the book was so effed up (like gave me twisted dreams level of effed up), some of the character development was lacking and it really felt like the author rushed the ending. Seriously, the whole book is wrapped up in like five short pages.

Chicago reporter Camille Preaker is sent back to her hometown of Wind Gap, MO to investigate the murder of two young girls. As Camille dives into the murder investigations she is faced with some familiar faces from her past and some unsettling discoveries from about her family.

Was I interested while reading it? Yes. Was I disappointed after I finished it? Yes. But not because I never wanted it to end, but because I was actually disappointed with the authors “quick and easy” ending.

I read this with a group of girls here in Boston and the feeling was mutual. I can’t say you shouldn’t read it, but I don’t think it should be high on your reading list.

Old Orchard Beach, ME

One day, Laurissa and I spontaneously bought a Groupon for tickets to a water park. Neither of us had been to a water park in years, we actually had no idea where the park was, and we are both in our mid-20's (not your normal water park demographic) - talk about an impulse purchase!

That being said, the water park was a bit of a bust. And after spending a lot of time waiting in chilly lines, and riding a grand total of four rides, we decided enough was enough.

But why waste a perfectly good day in Maine? So we headed to Old Orchard Beach - once again, not knowing anything about it.

Old Orchard Beach is incredibly touristy, or at least the little we saw of it was. But it was such a fun spot. Their main street was just a mix of ice cream stores, surf shops, and gift shops. The main road lead right to the beach which was completely packed with people! Seriously, every inch of sand was covered with sunbathers - which was really shocking considering the weather was overcast and in the low 70s and both of us were wearing sweatshirts. There were even some kids swimming in the frigid water.

(Some Saturday fun in the sort of sun.)

(Love this boardwalk)

There was also a quaint and picturesque boardwalk that extended out over the water. Both starving, and now in the mood for seafood, we decided to check out what the boardwalk had to offer and grab some lunch.

(Under the pier.)

The very last spot on the boardwalk, facing right out to the great Atlantic Ocean, belongs to The Pier Pub. You can tell based on the blasting music and their extensive drink menu that this place is the spot to be on summer nights in Old Orchard Beach. We each ordered a Sea Dog Sunfish and I kid you not this was the best beer I have ever had - a Belgium white beer with peaches and grapefruit.

(View of the beach from The Pier Pub)

As for food, I had the fried shrimp platter and Laurissa had the lobster roll, both were fantastic.

(My mouth is water just looking at this...)

Despite being full of amazing beer and seafood, getting ice cream was a given. We tried a local place along the main street where we were served by two men who could have easily been on The Jersey Shore. Anyway, my coconut chocolate chip ice cream was the perfect end to a spontaneous beach trip.

(Ferris wheel at Old Orchard Beach)

Summering on the Cod (aka the Cape)

The ocean is my happy place. And a long weekend on the beach was exactly what I needed.

The four of us (Marissa, Jess, Alyse and myself) departed Boston Friday afternoon on the Cape Flyer - a train that runs from South Station in Boston to Hyannis. I highly recommend taking the train because not only do you avoid all of the traffic, you can drink on the train!

(Prosecco for the train ride.)

(And chocolate!)

We arrived in Hyannis a little before 8 p.m. on Friday and checked into our hotel which was perfect. The Cape Cod Harbor House Inn is fantastic. It had a nice beachy feel to it and a little kitchenette. After we had unpacked a little and changed (semi-unintentionally) into matching outfits we went to meet Jess' friend at Torino's, a bar and restaurant in downtown Hyannis, where we kicked off our beach weekend with some pinot and apps outside on the patio.

(Casually matching)

Saturday we started our day with our hotel's complimentary breakfast on the patio overlooking the harbor. Talk about how I would like to start my day everyday - coffee with a view!

We decided to rent bikes for the day so we could get around a little easier. And after biking around town for a while we were all starving and decided to check out the place right across the street from our hotel that Alyse's boss had recommended - Spanky's Clam Shack. I had a lobster roll which was phenomenal and so packed with lobster meat it was impossible to eat as a sandwich! Plus, I of course didn't finish my meal so we decided to save the lobster meat to add to mac n cheese later. We were also adventurous and tried oysters and I did not freak out this time!

(So good!)

Incredibly full of seafood, it was time to hit the beach. A short bike ride later and we were soaking up the sun at Kalmus Beach. The water was a little too cold for swimming but it felt nice to have that salty air on my face again. A nap and a couple of margaritas later and we were all feeling incredibly relaxed.

(I swear I was having fun.)

(My jellyfish friend.)

(Lol if you thought we wouldn't match.)

(MSU girls take on the Cape.)

We decided to get creative with dinner Saturday night. Instead of going out, we decided to take advantage of our kitchenette and patio's view of the harbor and put together a little picnic. Our picnic consisted of cheese, crackers, grapes, apples, "homemade" lobster mac, chocolate, carrots, hummus, and wine. Such a simple but awesome meal.

After our picnic and some ice cream we headed back downtown and wound up at the British Beer Company with quite the mix of people. We started telling people it was my bachelorette party (which people terrifyingly enough believed) and shut down the bar with our own rendition of piano man.

And for sake of this blog, I'm going to pretend our night ended there but please enjoy these lovely pictures of me and Alyse.

Sunday morning we spent shopping around downtown. Mixed in with the standard touristy surf shops there were some pretty good finds!

Starving once again, we went to the little restaurant next to our hotel called the Black Cat Tavern to order some fried shrimp and clam chowder. The clam chowder was some of the best I've ever had and totally hit the spot - and I ate the whole thing!

(Amazing.)

We then headed to the Veteran's Memorial Beach which was a bit closer to our hotel and, personally, I think it was the better of the two beaches we visited it. While smaller, it was less busy and the water wasn't filled with seaweed. My only complaint, for both beaches, is there weren't enough big waves. I love body surfing and getting tossed around in the water.

(Ready to go back!)

Unfortunately, our time in Hyannis was coming to close and after another ice cream stop we boarded the train back to South Station.

I wish this weekend could have lasted longer. The weather was great. The food was delicious. The hotel was perfect. The beach was relaxing. And the people I spent it with were by far the best.

(Sunset on the train ride home.)

Boston Exploring With Some Lovely Ladies

The weekend I was looking forward to all summer finally came! Marissa and Jess arrived Wednesday evening and our long weekend of adventures kicked off!

Laurissa met the three of us downtown and we headed over to Faneuil Hall for dinner with no particular destination in mind. After taking a quick walk around the Quincy Market area to see the sites, we settled on Mija's - a great Mexican restaurant that has a very authentic feel to it. Wednesday was a fairly quiet night since we were all tired from work and travelling and wanted to get an early start on Thursday.

(Post dinner by Faneuil Hall)

Thursday was my company's summer outing so I parted ways with Marissa and Jess for the beginning of the day. My outing was at Harpoon Brewery and Whiskey Priest, both in the Seaport District. Marissa and Jess spent the better part of the afternoon taking a Freedom Tour Trail before also heading over to Harpoon where I met up with them.

After Marissa and Jess finished their flights of beer and we headed next door to Legal Harborside for a couple of drinks and apps. We had already decided on the North End for dinner but I didn't want them to miss out on Legal's spectacular view of the water and their delicious strawberry sangria. Plus, while we were there we got to enjoy a beautiful double rainbow over the harbor!

(Photo thanks to Mar)

(Delicious strawberry sangria with a view)

(A double rainbow, you can almost see the second one if you look to the left of the big one)

Already full from the apps and wine we had consumed, we started walking towards the North End and met Laurissa along the way. The North End is the equivalent of Boston's Little Italy and I think it is one of its most endearing neighborhoods. Every street is lined with small shops and restaurants and you can find delicious gelatto or cannolis on just about every corner. We randomly chose a restaurant along the main strip and were definitely not let down with our meals - although, some of us had issues with the bathroom situations. *cough*Mar*cough*

Of course, I had to take them to Mike's Pastry. I still stand by what I said previously that it is better than Modern. Marissa and I shared a cannoli and it was sooo good.

(The four of us - all very full on pasta and dessert)

Friday is when the real fun began! I had taken the day off work so I could enjoy the day in the city with Marissa and Jess before catching the train to the Cape (more on that in my next post!).

I took them to the Back Bay area of Boston so we could enjoy the shopping the Newbury St. has to offer. We stopped for some phenomenal breakfast treats at the Thinking Cup (and some caffeine!) before kicking off our shopping spree. This place had a fun, hipster atmosphere with it being set partially underground, lots of great looking pastries, and fun little chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

(Awesome way to start the day!)

I was on the struggle bus hardcore when Marissa asked to go into the Finish store Marimekko and I asked what a "finish" store was - confusion/laughter was on the "what do you mean a black leotard" level. We popped into Barbour too and all tried on awesome jackets and unfortunately found none in our size (note to self: Barbour is not good at making clothes for small people).

A few stores later and we decided it was time to move on to our next destination. I took them through the Boston Gardens and Commons (it's important to note that these are different or else a random stranger may yell at you) which were both gorgeous in the full bloom of summer. And we hopped on the red line to explore Harvard Square.

(Photo courtesy of Jess)

We took a guided tour of Harvard, something I definitely recommend! I learned so many things about the campus that I didn't know before, such as:

• The statue of John Harvard, is not actually John Harvard because we have no idea what he looked like.
• Some Harvard students live in dorms that were once lived in by John Adams, Sam Adams, and John Hancock.
• The main Harvard library extends six stories underground.
• Until 1999, women who attended Harvard received a degree that said Harvard-Radcliffe. (I thought Mar might lose her sh!t here.)

After the tour ended, it was time to head back home so we could get ready to leave for the Cape!