"Boston Ferry" © 2013
No, not the movie, but life as of late. In the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to travel a bit, burn through a ton of images, work extra hours, appear briefly on National television and still find time to relax and more!
A long weekend in Boston seemed like a great getaway, and I am here to tell you it was. While I had never been there, it is a place I always wanted to visit. Listed as one of America's most walkable cities, I decided to put that to the test, and found it was! For the most part people were friendly, which I did not expect. Navigating the city had its moments of difficulty as I believe whomever designed the street layout must have been drunk. Seafood in Boston was of course amazing, and the architecture found there is inspiring.
We visited Harvard (Cambridge), and found it to be far more understated than I expected. I suppose when you are Harvard, that is enough. The campus and surrounding Cambridge is beautiful, full of history and interesting places and things. We happened upon a cemetery tour nearby, and learned about the carving of headstones in the late 1700s, how to identify who made the stones, and what position (journeyman, etc) they might have held, in addition to learning about some of Boston's most famous residents.
We also spent a day in Salem, Mass. where the witch trials took place. It was very touristy, but informative and fun. Salem was also home to the Parker Brothers, of board game fame. We visited his mansion, and learned about how during the Great Depression, Parker worked with local merchants to accept "Monopoly Money" (literally) from his factory employees, with the guarantee that he would pay back all the notes with interest, which he later did. This allowed his employees to not suffer the impacts of the economy like the rest of the nation. We also found the home that the American version of the game of Clue is based upon. Nestled in old town Salem, it was actually the site of a murder, that reportedly went unsolved many years ago.
Other trips included our first trip to Richmond, VA where we of course took in Carytown, watched the Great Gatsby at the old Byrd Theater, and visited the Maymont Mansion and grounds while there. I would highly recommend visiting Maymont, as it is perhaps the best example of a "living museum" with over 95% original furnishings/items, and beautifully maintained. The grounds are wonderful as well, featuring a wildlife preserve, nature center and more. And don't forget to visit the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond either. WOW! That's about all I can say to describe its glory...
Another adventure in the past few weeks was an overnight trip to Annapolis, MD where we kayaked around Spa Creek inlet as well as across the Severn River. Beautiful, historic, and a great deal of fun.
I left out a lot of details, as there is just too much to share. If you are ever curious about where to visit, eat or stay when traveling to any of the places I write about, feel free to message or email me. I am always happy to make recommendations. Now it is time to head out for another long weekend to meet with friends at a cabin on a lake near Jim Thorpe, PA. It should be an interesting weekend to be sure!
