Before I met my beautiful wife Jennifer I was with a girl named Karen through most of my college years. While I was with Karen I had three jobs and I was going to college full time so I really did not have time to plan romantic getaways or unforgettable nights out in the city. At one point in May I had a long weekend coming up and I planned on catching up on sleep and seeing a few friends I had neglected during the school year. Karen, secretly, had other plans for the long weekend. She was unhappy with me since I had not taken her on a trip all year and she felt I was being inconsiderate by not including her in my weekend plans. She started crying over the phone claiming I did not love her, I was never spontaneous and I never took her anywhere in the two years we were together. After the call ended I realized two of her accusations were true and I needed to disprove her theories. Quickly I jumped on the internet and booked us a hotel room to save our relationship. Nothing screams “I love you” more than a last minute trip to a place you have never been before. I started out on Expedia, worked my way through google and had a basic plan of attack I was ready to put into action. I called Karen back and told her to pack her bags because I was picking her up at 9am the next morning and we were heading to Boston for four days.
When I woke up on Thursday morning it was torrentially down pouring. Typically the ride from New York to Boston is three hours long but in the rain it can seem like an eternity. In addition I had to drive all the way out east to Long Island to pick up Karen before driving back west and then heading up North. My research led me to stay at the Boston Harbor Hotel which is located in the seaport district close to Quincy Market, Logan International Airport, the local aquarium and the famous duck tours of Boston.
When we arrived at the hotel, the rain subsided. Three hours and thirty minutes of commanding a submarine and the sun decided to come out after I arrived. Whenever I drive somewhere for vacation I like to park my car and leave it in the parking lot for the duration of my stay. If I need to go somewhere I will use public transportation, walk or take a cab. Some hotels even offer shuttle services which will take you up to fifteen miles away from the hotel for free. Self-park at the Boston Harbor hotel was fifty dollars a day which was a little expensive but I do not usually count my dollars till I get back from vacation. The hotel was stunning. The sixty foot archway humbly greeted us as we approached the five star behemoth. The hotel is stocked with three restaurants and is situated in an active harbor so there was a buzz in and around the premises.
As we walked into the room the tile floor started at the door and stopped as it touched the sleeping quarters. Once the rug began we could not take our eyes off of the huge window overlooking the active harbor. Commercial boats, luxury yachts and sailing boats were in constant motion on this ordinary overcast Thursday. The bathroom was stunning as well. Marble floor with a rain fall shower were excellent accommodations for our four day stay. So what was the damage you might ask? This room can cost between $680 - $700 per night and I must say the place was worth every penny.
After the long ride I was famished so we headed to Rowes Wharf and Sea Grill located in the back of the hotel right on the water. The place had killer cocktails, fresh seafood, and an aspiring view. Seventy-five degrees with a light breeze created the perfect late lunch atmosphere. I had an Autumn Sour which was Bourbon, lemon juice and Pomegranate Grenadine and Karen had Sauvignon Blanc upon sitting down. My drink selection was inspired by my desire to indulge in new food and beverages when I am on vacation. By trying new things it helps me create a special occasion and makes me really feel like I am on vacation. I was in Boston at Rowes Wharf so I had to order the fish and chips. The Haddock was fried lightly and the french fries were cut fresh and crisp. It was exactly what I was looking for after commanding a submarine for three plus hours. Karen had a Maine lobster roll on challah bread. Massive chunks of lobster overwhelmed the light fluffy roll making Karen's lunch more appealing than mine. At the end we were both satisfied and I was pleased to see lunch only cost us around $40 each which was not terrible considering we had alcoholic beverages with our meal.
Once lunch was complete I really wanted to take nap but there was no way Karen would let that happen so we headed over to Quincy Market to take some pictures and peek into the local stores. Quincy Market was an eight minute walk from the Boston Harbor Hotel and it features shops, bars, restaurants and some history. Once we finished navigating Quincy Market we walked through the financial district, bought some novelty t-shirts and had a beer at one of the large pubs in the area. When I go on vacation I like to buy a t-shirt with the name of the city or state I am visiting on the front of the shirt. Just a plain shirt with the name “Boston”, “Texas”, or “Michigan” on the front. It is something that is unique to the city or state I am visiting. I would never be able to buy a shirt that read “Boston” in New York.
Once back at the hotel I decided we were going to order room service and eat by the beautiful window in our room. I am a big fan of room service while on vacation. Dinner and late night snacks are my favorite items to order to my room. I always pay cash for room service mostly because I do not like to see anything on my check out bill except parking charges. When the server came up with the food he set us up right in front of the window. The sun was completely down now so we could see the stars and a few lights from boats still out on the water. Both of us ordered the clam chowder because one cannot visit Boston and not order clam chowder. We swallowed the creamy clam chowder filled with quality pieces of clams and then made our way to the main course. I had the cheeseburger and Karen had the chicken fingers which both came with french fries. Nothing beats comfort food with a beautiful view.
We are in the age of technology. It is great to spend months planning a trip but it can also be done within a few hours. Tune in next time when I deep dive on my trip to Boston and how to take full advantage of your surroundings on vacation.
