Founded in 1630, Boston, Massachusetts, is an exciting historical city where you can learn about Paul Revere's famous ride and the Boston Tea Party, shop on posh Newbury Street, and savor New England gastronomy; come experience what makes New England so special.

Boston, nicknamed Beantown, population of approximately 600,000, is the capital of Massachusetts and the centerpiece of New England. Although the city is beautiful at any time of the year, visiting in October 2008 when the leaves were beginning to don their autumn finery in breathtaking shades of crimson, gold, and burnt orange, with the weather warm and sunny, with bright blue skies and nary a cloud, it was perfect.

Autumn in New England

Edward F. Nesta and I stayed at the stunning 273-room (45 are suites) Taj Boston where elegance and luxury convene. Built in 1927, and renovated for the 75^th anniversary, the hotel is located on Arlington Street across from the Public Gardens with an entrance also on fashionable Newbury Street, which Bostonians refer to as the "Rodeo Drive" of Boston, as the street is lined with prestigious shops.

Guests are pampered with luxurious appointments including their gourmet restaurant, The Café where Chef Franck Steigerwald shines, The Lounge where guests may enjoy traditional and gracious Afternoon Tea, and The Bar for cocktails in an intimate ambience with live piano music each evening beginning at 6:00 pm. The hotel has a Club floor where we received personalized service, and there is a Fitness Center, and also a Business Center.

Read about the Taj Boston and The Café in the Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, and Chefs' Recipes sections.

Taj Boston
15 Arlington Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116, United States
Telephone:    +1-617-536-5700
Toll-Free:       1-877-482-5267 (Within United States)
Fax:               +1-617-536-1335
Email:             This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.TajHotels.com 

Statue of George Washington in Public Garden 

Having once lived in Boston, we enjoyed rediscovering this easy to walk enchanting city, named "America's Walking City" that has something for every visitor. Boston is an eclectic mixture of old and new architecture where mirrored glass skyscrapers act as backdrops for historical buildings that must be seen to be appreciated.

Edward Walking in Public Garden

We began our historical exploration by walking through the 24-acre Public Garden, founded in 1837, where the statue of General George Washington on horseback greets visitors entering the park, which is home to the shortest suspension bridge in the world and the famous Swan Boats, where from April until September garden visitors can enjoy a 15-minute fairytale ride on the swan shaped boats.

Massachusetts State House

Continuing on, we walked through Boston Common, founded in 1634, an impressive 50-acre public park, bordered by Tremont Street, Park Street, Beacon Street, Charles Street, and Boylston Street, that was once a cow pasture for families who lived nearby.

Walking along the 2.5-mile (4 km) Freedom Trail, marked by red bricks and red lines in the sidewalk, we passed the Massachusetts State House, built in 1798 by Charles Bullfinch with its impressive dome landmark of 24-kt gold over brass plating. This area is known as the exclusive Beacon Hill and is lined with townhouses and quaint narrow streets.

We walked along Tremont Street, which has much to offer history buffs, and stopped at the Granary Burying Ground, founded in 1660 that is Boston's third oldest cemetery. Among the many city notables buried here include Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Paul Revere.

Samuel Adams Headstone

One of the easiest ways to maximize your time and dollars in Boston is to purchase a Go Boston Card, which provided us with free admission to many of the museums, attractions, and cruises, in addition to special shopping and restaurant discounts.  For information: visit the Go Boston Card website, www.GoBostonCard.com.

We took a tour of the Old State House Museum which has an interesting collection of Militia and Revolutionary War treasures, scrimshaw, English ceramics for the American market, Boston Maritime Trade items, and items from John Hancock including clothing and an inscribed box.

Lion and Unicorn Coat of Arms

The Old State House opened in 1713 and was the head of Colonial Massachusetts, and at the time was the largest building in Boston and the Colonies. The Old State House holds a prominent position in Boston's history - the Boston Massacre took place outside the building in March 1770 (the area is marked by a circle in the street); in 1776 the Declaration of Independence was read from its balcony, and the crowd tore down the symbols of the monarchy including the lion and the unicorn coat of arms and threw them to the ground; from 1799 - 1829 the building served as a Masonic Temple; from 1831-1881 it was a merchants office, and in 1881 when the city wanted to widen State Street and demolition the building, the Chicago Historical Society stated that if the building was to be torn down that they would remove the bricks one by one and rebuild the Old State House in Chicago. Not to be shown up by Chicago, Boston created its own Historical Society who intervened and saved the building, and in 1882 opened as a museum. Another interesting note is that Samuel Adams once stored his beer in the Old State House cellar.

The Old State House Museum is open daily from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (January from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm; July and August 9:00 am - 6:00 pm). Admission is $5 for general admission, $4 for seniors and students, $1 for youths. The museum is closed on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. Free admission with Go Boston Card.

Old State House Museum
The Bostonian Society
206 Washington Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02109, United States
Telephone:      +1-617-720-1713
www.BostonHistory.org 

Also on Tremont Street is King's Chapel, located on the corner of Tremont and School Streets, which was built in 1754 and was the first Anglican Church in Boston. The church's bell has an interesting history, as it was forged in England in 1772 and shipped to Boston. The bell cracked and was recast by no other than Paul Revere in 1814 and re-hung in 1816. Another interesting place to visit is the King's Chapel Burying Ground located adjacent to King's Chapel.

King's Chapel

If you are visiting Boston on a Tuesday, be sure to stop by King's Chapel for their music recitals at 12:15 pm. The recitals last approximately 30-40 minutes, and the suggested donation is $3.00. On Sunday evenings, King's Chapel has evening concerts that begin at 5:00 pm with suggested donation of $12, $8 for seniors and students.

King's Chapel
Tremont and School Streets
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Telephone:     +1-617-523-1749
Email:             This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  
www.Kings-Chapel.org 

We passed the gold Steaming Kettle located at the corner of Court and Tremont Streets at Government Center, which has been a landmark since 1873. Although the coffee shop has changed names throughout the years, steam still continues to rise out of the kettle.

Boston is a delightful treasure trove of ethic neighborhoods, and the North End is especially interesting as it is the home of Little Italy, where the streets are lined with authentic Italian restaurants, coffee shops feature antique espresso machines, bakeries and pastry shops entice with aromas of baking bread and fresh pastries, and there are many interesting shops.

The North End is also home to The Paul Revere House, built around 1680 and is Downtown Boston's oldest building. Paul Revere owned the home from 1770 until 1800. The house provides an interesting look into daily life during that period and also sheds light on his life, including his marriage to Sarah Orne Revere who was born in 1736 and died on May 3, 1773 after giving birth to the couple's eighth child; and his second marriage to Rachel Walker Revere (born 1745) on October 10, 1773, who also gave birth to eight children between 1774 and 1787, and died in 1813.

The Paul Revere House

Visitors are reminded of Paul Revere's trade as a silversmith with the display of a 900-pound bell in the courtyard, and mortar and bolt from the USS Constitution, made by Paul Revere & Sons.

Best Chamber
Courtesy Paul Revere Memorial Association

The Paul Revere House is open April 15 - October 31 from 9:30 am - 5:15 pm, and from November 1 - April 14 from 9:30 am - 4:15 pm. Admission is charged: $3.00 for general admission, $2.50 for seniors and students, and $1.00 for children ages 5-17 years. The house is closed on Mondays January through March. Also closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Free admission with Go Boston Card.

Kitchen
Courtesy Paul Revere Memorial Association

The Paul Revere House
19 North Square
Boston, Massachusetts 02113, United States
Telephone:      +1-617-523-2338
www.PaulRevereHouse.org 

St. Stephen's Church

We also stopped at St. Stephen's Church, originally called the New North to distinguish it from the Old North Church, designed by Charles Bullfinch and completed in 1804. The décor of the interior is simplistic with balconies lining either side of the church.

St. Stephen's Church
401 Hanover Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02113, United States
Telephone:      +1-617-523-1230

Paul Revere Statue 

Across the street from St. Stephen's Church is the statue of Paul Revere on horseback, and continuing on across the red brick courtyard there is a gate and steps leading to St. Francis of Assisi Garden, and the Episcopal Old North Church, officially known as Christ Church, built in 1723 and is Boston's oldest church. It is here that Sexton Robert Newman climbed the church's steeple and held two lanterns aloft as a signal from Paul Revere on April 18, 1775 that the British were approaching. An interesting feature of the church besides its historical reference, are the high wood pews which families would purchase. The church is open daily and there are tours from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.

Old North Church (Christ Church)
193 Salem Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02113, United States
Telephone:      +1-617-523-6676
Email:             mailto: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  
www.OldNorth.com 

Another interesting church in the North End is St. Leonard Peace Garden and Church, founded in 1873, the first Roman Catholic Church in New England. Located at the corner of Hanover and Prince Streets, interesting notes in the interior of the church include the painted ceiling and stained glass windows.

St. Leonard Peace Garden and Church
Telephone:      +1617-523-2110
Email:              This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  
www.Catholic-Church.org/StLeonard/Churchwebsite 

Copp's Hill Burying Ground 

Copp's Hill Burying Ground, founded in 1659, is the second oldest burying ground in Boston. We walked up Hull Street and climbed the six steep steps to Copp's Hill Burying Ground where we had a view of the harbor. Among its many notables interred include Robert Sexton who lifted the lanterns at the Old North Church. Copp's Hill Burying Ground is open daily from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.

From Copp's Hill Burying Ground we also had a great view of the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, which is the world's widest cable-stayed bridge. From a distance, the bridge reminded me of two standing wishbones with white cables forming triangles.

 
Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge

After spending the day experiencing the cultural highlights of Boston, it was time to experience the culinary highlights. We had an elegant dinner at The Café at the Taj Boston where French Executive Chef Franck Steigerwald has created an exciting menu which features French cuisine, New England favorites, and Indian specialties by Chef Prabeen Prathapan.

Crab Cakes at The Café

A few of the delectable selections that we had for dinner included: Lump Crab Cake (warm breaded crab cake, mixed greens, homemade tartar sauce); Oysters Gratinees (warm oysters with spinach and bacon, white wine Sabayon); and Lamb Boganjosh (lamb cooked in aromatic spices, a specialty of Kashmir). Read about the Taj Boston and The Café in the Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, and Chefs' Recipes sections.

The Café
Taj Boston
15 Arlington Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116, United States 
Telephone:    +1-617-536-5700 
Toll-Free:       1-877-482-5267 (Within United States) 
Fax:               +1-617-536-1335 
Email:             This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  
www.TajHotels.com 

One of the best ways to experience Boston is to take one of the trolley tours, and we took both Beantown Trolley (the red trolley, which is free with Go Boston Card) and also Old Town Trolley Tours (the orange and green trolley), as they have different routes that cover the city.

Old Town Trolley

A few of the highlights of the tours included Back Bay, which is the only part of the city where the streets are placed in grids and is the second most exclusive area of Boston; Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox baseball team, which opened in 1912 on the same day as the Titanic sank; Berklee School of Music, the best Jazz school in the country and has turned out an impressive number of famous musicians including Branford Marsalis, Aimee Mann, and Patty Larkin; the Prudential building; and Northeastern University which is the oldest co-op university in the United States.

Beantown Trolley
Telephone:      +1-617-720-6342
www.BrushHillTours.com

Old Town Trolley Tours
Telephone:      +1-617-269-7010
www.TrolleyTours.com

We visited the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which opened on July 4, 1876, and moved to its present location on Huntington Avenue in 1909. The museum has an astonishing collection of more than 450,000 works of art. During our visit we saw the Art and Empire - Treasures from Assyria in the British Museum (September 21, 2008 - January 4, 2009) an impressive exhibit with displays on Disease and Medicine, Counting, Astrology and Omens, including observations of stars and planets, and much more.

We also visited the Impressionism galleries to admire the many works by Mary Stevenson Cassatt (American, 1844-1926), The Loge, and The Tea; Pierre Auguste Renoir (French, 1841-1919), Dance at Bougival (1883); Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917), La Petite Danceuse de quatorze ans; Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853-1890), Houses at Auvers (1890), and Ravine (1889) which he painted while he was at the asylum in Southern France in the town of Saint-Rémy. It is interesting to note that he moved to Auvers in May 1890 and committed suicide in July 1890. Other notable works in the exhibit included those by Claude Monet (French, 1840-1926), Field of Poppies near Giverny; Camille Pissarro (French, 1830-1903); Gustav Caillebotte (French, 1848-1894); Edouard Manet (French, 1832-1883); Auguste Rodin (French, 1840-1917); Paul Cézanne (French, 1839-1906); and Paul Gauguin (French, 1848-1903).

The Museum of Fine Arts is open daily Monday - Tuesday from 10:00 am - 4:45 pm; Wednesday - Friday from 10:00 am - 9:45 pm; and Saturday - Sunday from 10:00 am - 4:45 pm. There are tours offered in English, French, Russian, and Spanish, and are included in the admission. Admission is $17 for general admission, $15 for seniors and students ages 18 and older; $6.50 for ages 7 - 17; free for children 6 years and younger; and on Wednesdays from 4:00 pm - 9:45 pm there is no general admission required, voluntary donations welcome. Free admission with Go Boston Card. They also have an agreement with the Isabella Stuart Gardner museum, where visitors who show a ticket stub from the museum, receive a $2 discount.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Avenue of the Arts
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
Telephone:      +1-617-267-9300
www.MFA.org 

Located a short stroll from the Museum of Fine Arts in Fenway, also called The Fens, is the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum. This is a sensational museum where the architecture designed by Charles Amos Cummings is as interesting as the incredible collection of art that Isabella Stuart Gardner and her husband John amassed.

Isabella (1840 - 1924) was a passionate horticulturist, patron of the arts, and an inspiration for artists, and it was her lifelong dream to create a museum. This jewel of The Fenway features a courtyard designed as a Venetian palazzo as the Gardners loved Venice. The museum features over 2,500 works collected by the Gardners, and although Mr. Gardner died of a stroke in 1898, Mrs. Gardner carried out their dream by purchasing land in The Fenway, and working with the architects to build the museum, which opened to the public in 1903. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the incredible collection of art, tapestries, and furniture, as well as learning about this fascinating woman.

The Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum is open Tuesday - Sunday from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm. Admission is $12 for general admission, $10 for seniors over 65 years, $5 for college students with ID, free for children under 18, and all who are named Isabella. Tours and Talks offered almost every day. There are Concerts held most Sundays at 1:30 pm. Visit their website for programs and fees. Free admission with Go Boston Card. They also have an agreement with the Museum of Fine Arts, where visitors who show a ticket stub from the museum, receive a $2 discount.

Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum
280 The Fenway
Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
Telephone:      +1-617-566-1401
www.GardnerMuseum.com 

The First Church of Christ, Scientist, founded by Mary Baker Eddy, has its world headquarters in Boston, and the architecture is stunning. Located at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Huntington Avenue, the 3,500-seat church was finished in 1906 and features a multi-domed ceiling with the center dome rising majestically to 240-feet (68 meters) and the organ has over 13,000 pipes.

The First Church of Christ, Scientist offers free 30 minute tours Tuesday - Sunday, Sunday from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm; Tuesday from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm; Wednesday from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm; Thursday - Saturday from 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm. Closed Mondays.

The First Church of Christ, Scientist

The First Church of Christ, Scientist
194 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
Telephone:      +1-617-450-3790
www.ChristianScience.com

We also visited Old South Church in Boston the United Church of Christ, located in Copley Place, built by Charles Amos Cummings in the Ruskinian Gothic style in 1872, and features dark wood, large stained glass windows, and a starry ceiling surrounded by windows.

Old South Church

Old South Church in Boston
645 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts, 02116, United States
Telephone:      +1-617-536-1970
www.OldSouth.org

Copley Place holds a Farmers Market every Tuesday and Friday from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm, mid-April until the end of November, and we enjoyed visiting the many vendor stands selling pastries, flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

Cambridge is a short trip from Boston, and is well worth a visit. Sit outside and enjoy a coffee at one of the cafes in Harvard Square, stroll through Harvard University, founded in 1636 and is the oldest university in the United States, or walk along the Charles River and watch the crew teams.

Besides being the home to Harvard University, Cambridge is also the home of T.W. Food where Chef/Owner Tim Wiechmann and his wife, Bronwyn, have created a gorgeous, intimate restaurant where the cuisine is innovative without being presumptuous, has fabulous French flair, and uses local products.

We had a wonderful dinner at T.W. Food and a few of the delicious selections we had from the Grand Tasting Menu included Scallop & Lobster (herb marinated sea scallop and lobster, heirloom tomato gazpacho, native melon), Farm Veal (agnolotti pasta and slow-roasted ham, cranberries and Dijon mustard jus), Hubbard Squash (sweet-savory ice cream, basil pistou, green cabbage and kohlrabi salad), and Tourte (in puff pastry with collard greens and bleu cheese "fourme d'ambert").

Farm Veal at T. W. Food

The restaurant features two Grand Tasting Menus, one of which is an inspired Vegetarian Menu, in addition to the à la carte menu. Dinner is served Monday - Saturday from 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm, and on Sunday from 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Reservations strongly recommended. Read about T.W. Food in the Restaurants and Chefs' Recipes sections.

T.W. Food
377 Walden Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
Email:              This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  
                        This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Telephone:      +1-617-864-4745
www.TWFoodRestaurant.com

Boston offers a wide selection of entertainment from theatre, opera, ballet, and comedy clubs. We took the opportunity to see the comedic play, Shear Madness at The Charles Playhouse, which is longest running non-musical play in the history of the American theatre and is now in its 29^th season. The plot of the play is that a murder has taken place and requires the audience to solve the mystery, and how it ends is up to the audience.

Performances Tuesday - Friday at 8:00 pm, Saturday at 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm; and Sunday at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Call or check the website for ticket prices. Discount with Go Boston Card.

Shear Madness at The Charles Playhouse/Stage II
74 Warrenton Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
Telephone:      +1-617-426-5225
www.ShearMadness.com

Chinatown is also an interesting and exciting area to explore. Enter on Beach Street through the ornate Chinatown Gate, called a paifang, where foo lions welcome visitors and enjoy the sights, aromas, and sounds of the neighborhood. Home to approximately 5000, it is North America's fifth largest Chinatown. We enjoyed walking down the streets lined with restaurants, bakeries, and interesting shops including herb shops which are the equivalent of pharmacies and herbs are dispensed with a doctor's prescription.

Chinatown Gate

If you want to learn about the underwater world, visit the New England Aquarium. There are special presentations that take place throughout the day including penguin presentations, giant ocean tank dives, harbor seal training, and live animal presentations. Depending on when you visit, for the thrill of your life, there are also Whale Watch Cruises from April until the end of October.

The Aquarium has a tremendous collection of species, and two of the most gorgeous creatures that we saw were the mandarinfish, a tiny exotic beauty (2.4 inches/6 cm) with a turquoise face, fluttery chiffon-like lapis fins, an orange body with a turquoise pattern, and a orange tail outlined with lapis; and the benggai cardinalfish (3 inches/7.6 cm at adulthood), with tiny white polka dots on its black fins.

Mandarinfish

The New England Aquarium is open September 2 - June 30, Monday - Friday from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Saturday - Sunday from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm; July 1 - September 1, Monday - Thursday from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm, Friday - Sunday from 9:00 am - 7:00 pm. Admission prices vary, please visit the website for complete information. Free daytime general admission with Go Boston Card.

New England Aquarium
Central Wharf
Boston, Massachusetts 02110, United States
Telephone:      +1-617-973-5200
Email:             This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.NEAQ.org

Edward and Debra Boarding Harbor Cruise 

Next to Central Wharf is Long Wharf built in 1710, which is the oldest wharf in continuous use in the United States, and is where daily cruises depart. As it was a beautiful sunny and warm day, we went on the 45-minute narrated Boston Harbor Constitution Cruise, which provided an interesting historical account of Boston as well as the opportunity to view the changing architecture of the city from the water.

Edward Enjoying the Sites

Seafood is the culinary signature of New England, and the Boston lobster industry brings in over $3 million year, so it was exciting to watch the lobstermen pull their traps and check for lobster as seagulls hovered hoping for a small treat to be tossed their way.

The Boston Harbor Cruise offers passengers the opportunity to disembark at Charlestown National Park and visit the USS Constitution, nicknamed "Old Ironsides," which is the oldest commissioned war ship (launched in 1797) that is still afloat in the world, and also the World War II Destroyer USS Cassin Young, and then re-board the cruise on its return trip. We took this opportunity to take a tour of the ships and to also visit the very interesting USS Constitution Museum. There is free admission to the National Park and the ships.

USS Constitution
1 Constitution Road
Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
www.USSConstution.Navy.mil
www.USSConstitutionMuseum.org
Telephone:      +1-617-242-7511

Lobstermen in Boston Harbor

After touring the ships and museum, we walked the short distance along the Freedom Trail to see Bunker Hill Monument located at the top of Breed's Hill and standing at an impressive 221-feet. Although visitors may climb the 294-steps in the monument, this was a treat that we decided to pass on, as we deemed that the walk up the steep hill to Bunker Hill Monument was enough exercise. Bunker Hill Monument is open daily from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm.

We walked back to the Charlestown National Park where we re-boarded the Boston Harbor USS Constitution Cruise. The cruise has daily departures from April 12 - November 9 (or later) at: 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm, and 4:30 pm. Admission is $14 for general admission, $12 for seniors, $10 for children ages 4 - 12 years. Boston Harbor Cruises also offers many other cruises including Whale Watch cruises. Check their website for more information. The Boston Harbor 45-minute Constitution Cruise is free with the Go Boston Card.

Boston Skyline

Boston Harbor Cruise
Long Wharf
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Telephone:     +1-617-227-4321
Toll-Free:       877-733-94253
www.BostonHarborCruises.com

Faneuil Hall

Next on our agenda was a visit to Faneuil Hall built in 1742 with its distinguishing grasshopper weathervane and Quincy Market where the atmosphere, although touristy, is also vibrant and energizing with street entertainment, restaurants, and shops. Open Monday - Saturday from 10:00 am - 9:00 pm, Sunday from 12:00 - 6:00 pm. Quincy Market Food Colonnade has longer hours.

Quincy Market Building
Boston, Massachusetts 02109, United States
Telephone:      +1-617-523-1300
www.FaneuilHallMarketplace.com

Every Friday and Saturday, Haymarket comes to life with vendors' colorful stands piled high with fruits and vegetables for sale, and we enjoyed walking among the stands and soaking up the local atmosphere of the bustling market.

Debra catching up with an old friend

If you are a sports fan, depending on the time of year that you visit, you might like to attend a Red Sox baseball game, Celtics basketball game, or Bruins hockey game, or venture slightly further from Boston and attend a New England Patriots football game. Thinking about going to school in Boston, or just want to enjoy the academic ambience, take a tour of the major universities including Harvard University, Boston College, Boston University, Tufts University, or Northeastern University.

Boston has much to discover and explore in any season from celebrating St. Patrick's Day in one of the Irish Pubs; watching or running in the Boston Marathon in April, which is the world's oldest annual marathon; celebrating the Fourth of July with the Boston Pops Concert and Fireworks; experiencing Autumn in New England, or skating on the Frog Pond in the Boston Common in winter, so why not consider it for your next vacation getaway?

Autumn Harvest

Read other articles on Boston in the Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, and Chefs' Recipes sections.

For information and upcoming events taking place in Boston, please visit the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau website: www.BostonUSA.com.

© November 2008. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com All rights reserved.