Boston bound

First of all I want to say that lately this space has taken a bit of a backseat.  August has been a busy month for us with moving, settling in, visiting, playing, birthdays, knitting.... I could go on and on, but I won't. :)  There's so many things I need to still share with you all, but finding the time and will to do so hasn't been a priority.  All in due time I suppose.

So, after our adventurous trip to New York City we headed up the coast of Connecticut and Massachusetts into the fantastic city of Boston!  Before I delve into any details about our afternoon there, let me tell you about some of the places we stopped at on the way.

We drove scenic highway 1 along Connecticut's coast and both Scott and I were smitten by all the charm and beauty.  It was just as you would've pictured the east coast... Cape Cod style homes, cedar shake siding, white trim, beautiful front yards with an abundance of blue hydrangea.  It couldn't have looked more perfect driving through all those small coastal towns.  Sadly though, we knew it wasn't realistic on Scott's RN salary and we moved on.  We also drove through Providence, RI and took a quick loop through downtown to check out the architecture.  So many old, historic buildings and such a beautiful city.  We wished we could've spent a bit more time exploring but were quite anxious to get to Boston.

Arriving in a new city, it's hard to know exactly where to go and what to do.  Luckily we had our laptop with mobile Internet access in the truck, so I did some research as we were approaching the city.  It appeared that Boston's North End was where it was at for the amount of time we had to explore.  So that's where we went.  It's the part of the city where most of the Irish and Italian settlers came, so it was RICH in authenticity.  The neighborhood was also designed before cars came into the picture, so the streets were narrow and not on a normal city block grid which made everything close and walkable.  Although I've never been to Europe, I felt like I got a small taste of what it would be like while walking through this charming neighborhood.  I instantly fell in love... with everything!!

Before we got to wrapped up in out surroundings, we grabbed a few bags of chips for the girls to munch on (and to keep them from complaining) while we took in the sights.  From the Boston accents to the friendly people on the streets, to the Italian bakery down the way, we were quickly enamored by what we saw and what we were experiencing.

Charming churches, authentic family owned restaurants and cafes, cigar shops, parks... it was all so wonderful.  Before arriving to Boston, a friend of mine told me it was a dirty city so I had reservations of what to expect.  But we didn't see it that way in the least bit.  I really wish we could've spent more time there, but perhaps a trip in the future with just Scott and I would be more enjoyable anyway.

I really wanted to eat lunch in one of the many cafes, but because of our two rambunctious girls we opted for an Italian 'order at the counter' type restaurant.  Scott enjoyed a HUGE piece of pizza while the girls and I devoured a real piece of lasagna... filled with ricotta cheese and smothered in homemade sauce.  You could tell from the depth of flavor that the sauce had been simmering all day.  SO good!!

We also dipped into Mike's Pastry for a cupcake and our first Cannoli, which we tasted later at our hotel.  I didn't care much for it, and I don't believe Scott did either.  An acquired taste I suppose.

We went to what I'm calling 'the Paul Revere park' because I'm unsure of what it's really called, and let the girls run around a bit and chase the pigeons.  We shared a watermelon shaved ice that was so refreshing and cool.  A perfect treat for that incredibly hot day.

It was so nice to take a seat in the shade and people watch, one of my favorite pastimes. :)

By the end of our time there, you could tell that a certain someone was tuckered out and ready for a nap.  A full day of driving and walking around (in the heat) was getting to all of us and it wasn't long before we headed back to our truck and then to our hotel room.

We finished off our exhausting day with a walk down by the water and a good nights sleep... only to wake up the next morning and do it all over again in an entirely new city and state.