Misha tweaked her back while jumping on the trampoline earlier in the month, and combine that with the heavy backpack she carries to school, she was in pain for most of the weekend. She and I walked over to the CVS store next to Homewood Suites; I bought her ThermaCare patches which not only helped her back but also kept her warm.
We packed our bags with snacks and cameras for the day and hopped on a bus then the subway to reach downtown Boston. Sadly, it started to rain as we exited the subway station. We had two umbrellas but quickly realized that wasn't enough. Our first stop at Faneuil Hall gave us the opportunity to purchase two more umbrellas, get maps, and start off on the Freedom Trail. We saw the site of the Boston Massacre, plenty of graveyards, churches, Boston Commons, etc. My girls had fun following the red line through the city.
Boston Commons
Before leaving, I had the prompting to pack my gloves. I also put in a pair for Kristen, but didn't heed the prompting to put in gloves for Amy and Misha. Along with umbrellas, we also purchased gloves for the day. It was raining and pretty chilly, though not unbearable. Chris forgot his sweater on our bed at home, so he bought a jacket at TJ Maxx. We were happy to stop for lunch at Qdoba and warm up. Also before leaving, months before leaving, we told our girls that they should start exercising and prepare for a trip where we would be walking a lot. We warned them.
The rain stopped after lunch and the clouds finally dissipated. Still chilly but nicer with a little sunshine. We walked all over Beacon Hill, up and down cool streets, and lovely architecture. I happened to overhear my husband telling the girls as I caught up after taking pictures, "If your mom wants to take pictures, we will wait for her." Love him.
Cabbages and peppers were planted in planter boxes and flower beds all over Beacon Hill.
Yep, we wore them out.
Acorn Street. Chris researched cool streets to see just for the picture-taking opportunities for me.
We spent a little time along the Charles River, enjoying the scenery, resting, and then playing on playground equipment.
Misha looked for acorns everywhere. I found one for her that was still intact.
Chris even stopped at Dunkin' Donuts, which happened to have a store on almost every street. Amy chose not to get a donut in hopes of finding a place that sold caramel apples. No such luck for her.
We stopped at the Public Garden and enjoyed this statue of George Washington surrounded by a lovely park.
Our path took us to the Old State House before choosing to stop for dinner at Legal Sea Food next to Long Wharf. It was a little early for us, but we had acclimated pretty well to our new eating schedule.
We took the train then bus back to the hotel. The girls were disappointed to find out that the hotel had no swimming pool. I'll admit, I was even looking forward to soaking in a hot tub. We watched tv for a while, and Chris decided he didn't want to just hang out at the hotel all night long. He scavenged the internet to find a frozen yogurt place nearby, and off we went. There is a danger in letting your kids fill their own yogurt cups and add toppings. Our yogurt cost $27.00! Crazy.