In an effort to keep pace with what had been a busy couple of travel days, we hunkered down for a big sleep in (almost 8:00 AM before we got moving) to start Day 2 in Boston. Although the AC was a bit on the loud side, it didn’t seem to bother us in the least. Better loud than none! After a couple of texts with the Grahams, we opted to meet in the lobby and grab a cab across the river and land a coffee and/or some breakfast! The DoubleTree has a cab stop in the parking lot… hailing a ride for 4 proved easy and actually pretty economical.
First stop… Harvard Square. It was leisurely with patrons / students on the move taking care of morning chores. After a loop of the area, and learning several of the spaces would not be open until 11:00 AM, we opted for a little Coffee Shop (Crema Cafe) on Brattle Street. It’s interesting… Coffee shops seem to have a language of their own and once I leave the norm I have little understanding of what I’m buying (*Cliffy – it’s a little known fact that shepherds discovered coffee in Ethiopia circa 800 A.D. and it’s become the second most traded commodity on earth). Nice mug up and we hunkered down for a bohemian style sit / people watch at an outside table. Got us over the first hurdle of the day… caffeine fix!
Next stop Harvard University… as close as I’ll get to attending that fine institution. I’d never visited so it was all new. We enjoyed the walk about through the stone buildings, treed paths and “quiet” offered within the confines of campus. Andrew and I stopped for an obligatory pic with the young John Harvard’s Statue (*Cliffy – It’s a little known fact that no one knows what John Harvard looked like, so the statue is modeled after a Harvard student collaterally descended from an early Harvard president as inspiration). We also spent some time in the Memorial Church of Harvard University, built in honor of Harvard students that died during WWI. A very historically bound space…
We hit the “T” for the first time outside of Harvard… looking for the shortest route via subway to Boston Commons. After viewing a couple of maps, a very nice young lady came to our aid and pointed us to the Red Line and Park Street stop. Nicely done through the hand of a stranger (*Cliffy – It’s a little known fact that Park Street Stop is one of the two oldest stations on the “T” and the fourth-busiest station in the MBTA network with nearly 20,000 entries a week day). Like ground hogs we popped up in the Commons… exactly as expected! It was then that Lori once again got her trusty “Foodie” app working. After a quick scan… she picked out a nearby bar and off we went to check it out!
Stoddard’s Fine Food and Ale proved to be Lori’s second awesome eating pick. Our timing was right on… with tables open / no waiting! We settled in for what must have been almost two hours of fun sampling each others food & drink in a really cool setting (*Cliffy – It’s a little known fact that barkeeps at Stoddard’s Pub will hand shave, or chip if necessary, from a block of ice, pound ice in a bag & yell at spirits to get into the glass). Appetizers, drinks and entrees were all thumbs up! My favorite was the charcuterie board with all kinds of interesting goodies. Andrew even got his phone charged there. It’s a stop we’d recommend!
So it was either go back to bed… or keep on cruising! After a fun morning we walked Washington Street and Downtown Crossing (*Cliffy – It’s a little known fact that Washington St is the longest street in Boston, and it remains one of the longest streets in the state of Massachusetts). Excellent people watching as we strolled past department stores, street performers, the watch making area and even a Mennonite Choir! Lori and I zeroed in on a particular musician who was playing a Hurdy-Gurdy. Very cool… a stringed instrument that produces sound through a hand crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings, with origins Europe and Middle East. Some good listening in that CD Lori! I loved that sound.
On our quest across town, we also stopped to check out the New England Holocaust Memorial. The site is designed around six luminous glass towers, each reaching 54 feet high, and each lit internally from top to bottom. Particularly poignant are the millions of numbers etched in the glass, representing the infamous tattoos found on many of the victims’ arms. It is interesting to take time to reflect, while in the busy streets of this major city, and see stones left at the site of the Memorial (reflecting the ages-old Jewish custom of marking a graveside visit). Sadly… the Memorial was actually vandalized shortly after our visit (NY Times – Article).
Nearby… we found seats at our crosstown destination, The Green Dragon Tavern. Established in 1654, The Green Dragon was a favourite haunt of Paul Revere and John Hancock, and that it was indeed in the Green Dragon that the plans for the invasion of Lexington and Concord were overheard thus starting the famous ride of Paul Revere. We enjoyed a pint, wandered through the decor and grabbed some wireless. Fun stop in one of America’s oldest cities, with so many ties to the revolution. Reminded me of the TV Series “Turn” that we watched last spring. A whirlwind afternoon saw us head back to Cambridge to freshen up (I got a quick nap) for another big evening on the town!
Late afternoon we had one destination in mind… Fenway! Concert… Bonnie Raitt and James Taylor at the Ball Park. What else needs to be said. True to form… we were there early and actually took the opportunity to duck out of the heat and secure a refreshment at Loretta’s Last Call. Loved watching the goings on there! Band setting up, laying out a few tunes, folks waiting for the concert at Fenway… all kinds of music lovers! At about 5:30 we made our way across the street to see if they’d let us in for a little JT!
The possibility of attending this concert was too much fun. Taylor really was a floor favorite from our university years. Now creeping into his late 60’s, the time seemed perfect. And where would be more appropriate than Fenway… Home field advantage (*Cliffy – It’s a little known fact that Fenway is the fourth-smallest among MLB ballparks by seating capacity, second-smallest by total capacity, and one of eight that cannot accommodate at least 40,000 spectators). As we entered I was more than curious as to how the show would roll out technically. Fascinating to see the on field set-up, the seating and security, as well as all the little details, from video to sign language interpretation. A most professional team.
And then, of course, there was the show itself. Raitt opened the evening and played a stream of hits… still rocking at 67 she doesn’t seem to have missed a beat musically, ripping the Fender and signature Raitt vocals. We could tell she was pumped with the big crowd! JT, with his powerful stage band, seemed to be flying! Awesome show where he cranked out the hits. He had the faithful from the time he crested the back stage… wonderful evening of entertainment and worth every consideration. From the video and sound production to the encore… nothing but a pro! Feel so privileged to have attended.
And as if all this wasn’t enough… out we head like the 20 somethings we are to find a bar. We eventually landed at Tony C’s Sports Bar & Grill where we talked concert, ordered wings and enjoyed a couple of tall ones! The amount of food delivered was obscene and there was no way we could come close to finishing. In closing, a really unforgettable day with friends and so much fun I hurt! The pillows were just what the Dr. ordered…