"Freedom Trip" - "Freedom Trail"...same thing ;)

February 2007

We've now been in Boston one afternoon (spent napping) and one night, and already I've learned that paying $20+ for a salad inside the hotel isn't money well spent.  Who does this?! However on occasion, circumstances will dictate.  An under-the-weather travel pal, combined with a strange big city and darkness, may force you to throw away all those penny pinching travel rules you had just studied (darn it).  Plus, eating inside my first night beat the safety concerns of venturing out into the unknown, alone.  Very strange now thinking back, I never once questioned the price of the beer I had been served, couldn't even tell you how much it was. But I've never forgotten that pricey salad.  Funny eh? 

Rise and shine.  We were up early (both parties feeling 100%) and ready to explore. We were able to figure out the "T" pretty quick.  How many of you have tried this system?  For those of you who don't know, the "T" is Boston's subway system (underground public transportation).  They use the Charlie card, a plastic access card that you attach "rides" to via a machine similar to an ATM machine. Once you've mastered how to add those rides to this card, you're golden.  On and off at every stop if you wish.  YAY for this system.  It's congested and expensive to drive (and park) in Boston.  Taxis are great, but if you're spending five days, presumably you want to get places.  Get a Charlie Card (paper copy of this rider card will do the trick too, the machine decides which to give you). 



Just follow the bricks :)



First stop....the Freedom Trail

What is the Freedom Trail you ask?  It's a 2.5 mile (4 km) red trail, mostly in brick, that allows you to stroll along in amongst pedestrian traffic, throughout downtown Boston, while exploring 16 must see historic sites.  Give yourself a day and even at that it won't be enough.

Here's the tale of our historic adventure ...


We opted for a self-guided tour, but you can book a guided one.  Pick a starting place, get your camera ready and you're off.  :) As you walk ... the bricks you follow, the people you meet, the buildings you see, all the statues, fountains and monuments you take pictures of and the establishments where you can venture inside (restaurants, homes, museums), become a collective collage of past and present that provide you with a history lesson and the living culture of this great city.  I hated history in school (really, who didn't?) but honestly, I can't get enough of it when I'm actually feeling, seeing and understanding it.  And for no charge, this Freedom hike offers you that. :)

Some of the sites: 
Boston Commons.  This is a 50 acre central park, the oldest public park in USA history and home to the Make Way for the Ducklings bronze on cobblestone tribute monument for the author of a famous children's book.  Do you like monuments and statues?  Start here.  In amongst the history markers, this park was an ice skaters paradise with both an outdoor rink and a frozen pond, how fun. I was certain in the Spring and Summer months this park would boast the most beautiful assortment of annuals, perennials, shrubs and tree species. Even in February there were some breathtaking sights within the landscape.

Cheers.  Just on the Beacon Street side of the Commons, you'll find Cheers (one of two actually).  This one has the entrance that was made famous by the TV show.  Once you go down the steps and open the door, aside from the door itself and the wooden statue beside it, nothing here appears as it did on the show. 

But apparently the Cheers near Quincy Market doesn't look anything like the TV show on the exterior, but is a replica of the bar seen on TV inside.  Is this true?  (I'll await your feedback as I've never ventured inside this one).

Be sure to step inside the Old State House and Paul Revere's place.  They're both two floors of fascinating historic information. Behind the Old State House you can find the Boston Massacre site marker.  It's a large circle, made of paving stones, set in-ground, with a centre star. And you should open the doors to the Old North Church, it was pretty neat to see the box like seating / praying areas. 

When you get to Faneuil Hall you can pick up some neat trinkets to take back home.  Be sure to go upstairs, it's the meeting hall. Apparently, way back when, Samuel Adams (the same guy they named the beer after) gave several speeches there.  Stroll across the way to Quincy Market, once inside, the one centre aisle that's lined with food vendors and shops from one end to the other will overwhelm your senses with the aroma of delicious food (good luck lol). 

Before we crossed the Zakim Bridge en route to Bunker Hill and the USS Constitution, our trek along the Freedom Trail led us to the City's North End, Little Italy.   We decided that this is where we should have lunch.  Just about all restaurants had their menus displayed in the windows but we chose this place "Strega" because of their menu and they had these pictures.  Photos with staff and famous people lined the edges of their menu in the window and around the entrance.  You won't believe it, but within all the pics posted there, who's do you think?!  The Soprano's, John Travolta etc etc. and there he was, Justin Timberlake (it was 'his' trip remember lol).

What an incredible choice.  The meal was something else (seafood, pasta, rich sauces...mmm).  The atmosphere inside this restaurant was very "welcome home" like.  And our waiter, OMG our waiter! Gianni, with his thick dark hair, his deep voice, his Italian build, his dark eyes, that accent.  He'd be walking to and from the kitchen, when out of nowhere he'd belt out Italian songs and verses.  That deep voice, oh my dear me (bliss).  He gave us our check, wished us a fun stay in Boston.  He mentioned over and over how he'd hope we'd visit there again during our next stay (to which we promised we would).   Now, if all this isn't enough for you to think you need to try this place out..it wasn't until we were outside that I noticed the receipt.  At the very bottom it states:  "What Happens at Strega, Stays at Strega".  haha, how perfect ;)

Okay, back to the Trail.  At the USS Constitution Museum you'll learn all about the Navy's vessel, the Constitution and how it received the nickname Old Ironsides.  Be sure to venture on board the ship, it's quite something.  This is where we ended our history lesson.  Of the 16 sites along the Freedom Trail, (this link will take you to a website that I found useful when trying to describe the Freedom Trail) Quinn and I can happily say that we saw all of them and most were visited (whether of interest or because the February wind gusts pushed us in the door, I can't quite recall lol). 

We then took the water taxi (part of the public transport system) to the New England Aquarium.  We'd only allotted an hour and a half before closing, too bad, it was pretty spectacular inside.  The walkway to the top spiralled around a giant water tank filled with so many creatures. :)  Amazing.  We could've easly spent a half day here, you can plan accordingly.

BOSTON 2007 - trip photo album 
(this link will take you to the Picasa website, where you'll find all the pics from this trip... enjoy)

A few more 'Must Shares': 

• The Skywalk Observatory (in the Prudential Centre) is well worth the time and money to view Boston from the 50th floor, with a handheld device telling you exactly what you're seeing, while you're looking out windows that provide you 360 degree viewing access.
• You can take the "T" from the airport for a fraction of the cost of a taxi.
• Justin Timberlake filled the TD Garden that night.  His audience a very mixed demographic, all of whom watched him intently (he's pretty great to see live).
• Pink, who opened for Justin, was phenomenal!  The ribbons hanging from the ceiling and her own acrobatic moves.  WOW!
• If you try to take a case of beer into the hotel, you will be stopped (some existing by-law).  However, you can occasionally find nice people who help you put it in a bag before proceeding through the doors :P
• There is no Wal-Mart in downtown Boston (lol, I was convinced there was one...it's outside of the downtown, a fair distance away haha).

We left Boston with a vow that we'd be back (it's beautiful there).  And when we do, Strega (amongst a few other places) would definitely be on our list of must-dos.

Here's a valuable lesson, I don't need to shop for EVERYONE I know when I go away (and neither do you).  Avoiding this will eliminate the last minute rush to purchase an additional piece of luggage to get things home (o.m.g.), long waits at customs upon return and a hefty tax bill for bringing so many items back over the allowable dollar amount.  This trip taught me not to shop, little things maybe, it's better to save the funds for the next adventure and share the stories and pics of the adventure instead.

Results from the Weekly Survey Question:  have you visited the City of Boston in Massachusetts, USA?

Yes:  66%

No:  33%
Glad to see so many of you have visited this historic city!!  Would love to hear your stories and adventures.  Feel free to comment below or send me an email: holidayheidi@hotmail.ca.

Ready?  Well, get your bags emptied and repacked my friends.  Less than 6 weeks from this adventure, we're leaving for the next!  How about the Caribbean?!  All Inclusive, direct flight, 7 days.  Hola, Republica Dominicana!!

Boston?! ... I'm in!

November 2006

I was sitting there (not sure what I was doing exactly), when the phone rang. A very excited Cousin (Quinn) was on the other end telling me that Timberlake (yes, Justin) was coming to Boston in early 2007 and later to Montreal for his Future, Sexy, Love tour.  I was excited for her just listening to her talk about him (she's in love).  Pink was opening, the show was scheduled for a Tuesday night, Delta flies direct from here.  I still wasn't getting the gist.  So then she asks, "Would you like to go to Boston with me?"  I pondered, "for Timberlake?" ...  "Can we make it a vacation, like go for more than a night or two?"  She calls me back shortly to say that she'd be given leave for 5 days.  My response was only two words, "I'm in". :)

The planning phases were fun.  Where will we stay, what will we do?  List all the things you want to see and do and we'll compare. I'm sure I drove her crazy with my millions of travel questions  "what are you packing?" "Should I bring a hairdryer" "Do you think I'll need a 2nd jacket?" "Is our hotel next to this?" "Can we walk there?" She's a travel agent, she had all the answers. 

Three months flew by and departure day was here.  Quinn was finally going to meet her Justin and I was going to shop (and shop and shop), and WE were going to Boston! :)  Early morning flights are the best (still think so) for departures anyhow.  This was my first time on a 'big' plane, having more than 9 single rows. I enjoyed snacks and beverages thoughout our trip and as the plane started to descend, I heard a noise similar to what I'd imagine the sound of one wing ripping off or the cargo door tearing open (vivid imagination) would be.  With very large eyes, I turned to Quinn who was calm and smiling back at me.  She noticed my white knuckles squeezing the arm rest and touched my hand.  "Heidi, don't worry.  We like that noise"  Confused and not convinced, she smiled at me again. "It's our landing gear hun, we need that".  Phew, she was right!  :)  Thanks Quinn (I had no idea, the small planes were always so loud that I didn't get to hear this noise, not once, not ever - what a relief). 

With landing gear down (yay), we arrived at Logan airport before noon and then off in our taxi to the Hyatt Regency hotel (it was as swank as it sounds).  We'd be staying in the financial district of Boston, beautiful tall buildings, hustle and noise all day long, streets lined with stores and vendors, even in the chilly month of February.  Macy's was in the bottom level of our hotel (didn't even have to go outside) and across the street was Filene's Basement.  Next to those, a T.J. Maxx, a Shoe Company and a Marshalls. I was so in trouble. 

The drive from the airport to the hotel was scenic, busy and provided the start of this incredible history lesson. We passed through the tunnel and heard the first mention of Boston's "Big Dig" (just google that, Boston's Big Dig and you'll be totally informed).  And then we rolled up to our home for the next 4 nights.   WOW  Gorgeous!  What a room.  We asked a few questions, reviewed our lists of must sees and to-dos and began plotting the itinerary (after a lil nap, oh those beds were amazing).

The Commons, Cheers, Prudential Centre (Skywalk Observatory), Harvard University, John Hancock building, Faneuil Hall (Quincy Market), the Freedom Trail, Little Italy (Strega), Chinatown, the "T" (complete with a Charlie rider card), Zakim bridge, Old State House, Paul Revere's house, USS Constitution museum, Old City Hall (donkey), the New England Aquarium, Fenway Park etc.  Oh and the Justin Timberlake concert, rrr-right. Thanks JT for bringing us to Boston!   

Hello Beantown :)  

 "adventures of" to be continued ...........

Pictures...

...or, pictures with captions? :)

If you want to see where the pics were taken while viewing the slideshow (running on the right side near the top of this page) here are just a few instructions:  hold your cursor over the pictures and little icons will come up.  Click on the second one from the right (looks like a comment box) and then press the "play" button in the center.  This will add captions to each picture as it runs through the slideshow for you.  

Can't see it?  No problem.  Here's a link for the ablum on Picasa, Heidi on Holiday (you may have to download or sign up for the latest version).  Enjoy!

A journal! Ha. What a novel idea!

Life happens.  I know you already know this, but it's incredible when you can open a book and review dates, times and the five W's of your life, isn't it?  It doesn't matter if it's in our everyday life or during that week long vacation to the sunny south, writing in a journal is a wonderful way to document your adventure. 

I'm not a diligent journal entry person, I'd have to say that I'm not one, except for when I leave for vacay.  Aside from detailing the occurrences from the planning stages of a trip until departure, my journal captures the names of who I'm tavelling with and who we've met, the smell once I get off the plane (ie:  the smell of  Dominican is sweet and mouldy, Costa Rica's would be described as earthy and flowery, like a green house (very damp and tropical) and Madrid Spain, smelled like fabric softner, perfumy) and all the little funny, crazy, odd, nice, wonderful things that happen over the course of a week or two.

My journal becomes a scrapbook, hosting things like tickets stubs, napkins from restaurants, beer labels, invitations etc. It details the dates, times and events of my vacation from start to finish.  It's not that I can't think back and recall a certain moment in time, I can, but I can relive my adventure entirely when I review my journal (oh the stories hehe).  The play by play of how the event unfolded, how I felt (that raw emotion from living it and not just remembering it) and the outcome. How a day really was, not just that it was sunny and hot or dark and rainy ... but the happenings that made this day, Saturday March 12, 2011, a significant one.

I guess not every moment makes it to paper when travelling, just the highlights.  Fortunately I'm a digital camera fanatic (understatement really) so I tend to capture the rest of the adventure there. I'm sure my travel companions see blue spots long after our vacation ends from the shear number of camera flashes.  I tend not to purchase things while on a trip.  Not much of a shopper really.  I instead make use of the pics, videos and journal notes to create DVD's that I can share with my travel pals, family & friends and treasure as my very personal keepsake of the places, people and events that I've been so fortunate to have shared. After my video application for a vacationer position (found at the end of this blog page, powered by YouTube) I'm now trying to incorporate video diaries or intros to creatively enhance what I do already.  Combine all these methods of record keeping, and viola, you've got Holiday Heidi's complete collection.  This is what I'm hoping to share with you.

Like for example, I had a run in with a very angry ocean back in 2009.  From the look of the pic below you'd never suspect that these beautiful waters knocked me down and pulled me under, would ya (stupid undertow)?  Raped by an ocean.  Perfect.



Sosua, Dominican Republic


Just let me review my notes and I'll get back to you with a few more travel stories, adventures and moments.

- - - - -
Results of the Weekly Survey: How often do you write in your journal or diary...
0% of you write daily
18% update your journal occasionally
25% only write during a special event
and a whopping 56% of you who responded said that you "NEVER" write it down.

Where "Holiday Heidi" came from ...

..."from a small town in rural NB" hehee (well, it's true). 

It honestly started as a kid, I have no doubts.  Mom and I would spend hours lying on our backs in the grass, sky gazing in the heat of summer afternoons.  Allowing our imagination to tell us what character formations the clouds created.  The occasional plane would fly over leaving a trail of 'cloud' behind it (so this is where clouds come from). "Where's it going"?  Never having to leave the front lawn, we'd know where it was going, how many people and when it was coming back. ;)

My first plane trip didn't happen until my best friend's wedding during my University days.  I didn't fly far ... Fredericton to Halifax (about 400 km's), but it was just enough to eliminate any fear I might have of flying.  I LOVED IT.  So I made that trip at least twice more (why drive 4 hours when you can fly in 45 minutes).  Thanks Shannon.

Then I did some 'grown up' things.  Finished my degree, accepted a permanent job, fell in love, settled down.  Vacations consisted of new doors, fences, landscape projects with the occasional road trip to the nearest Province for an overnight stay, just to 'get away'.  I enjoyed every second of this decade (or so).  When things didn't work out in some of those aspects, it was my cousin (a travel agent) looking for a travel companion to Boston, a Justin Timberlake concert and an opportunity for five days of exploration in Beantown, that lit this desire of mine to 'go-see-do'.  (Thank you Quinn). 

From there, one trip led to another really.  Boston, then Dominican.  While in Dominican I met these wonderful gals from Newfoundland. One in particular, Stephanie, ended our week long Dominican party with an invitation to visit her in her hometown.  In August that year, I showed up for that visit (like you're surprised).  I was immersed in genuine hospitality, incredible good times and local traditions.  And because so, since that visit some 4 years ago, I now try to take a holiday on the Rock at least once annually to visit Stephanie (my best friend) and her/my family and friends who live there.

The idea of visiting overseas entered my holiday agenda (oh dear, it was just a matter of time really), so I thought that I best pick up a part time job (giving myself a solid year to save and plan).  And then a strange set of events took place... there was an opening for a job at the gas station where I used to work at while in University.  Some ten years after leaving there, I was back behind the counter!  Work-play-work...then Cuba, Newfoundland...  more work-play-work... then Newfoundland again before jetting off to Sosua, Dominican Republic (oh the friends and the stories from this trip ... unbelievable) and before I made concrete plans on my own for my trip to Ireland in 2009, an invite to join 3 others and explore Italy, Spain, Greece and Croatia came about (thanks Lyanne). ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! 

It gets better.  While on the cruise ship, another coincidential occurrence, our dinner table consisted of the four of us from Canada and 2 fabulous couples from Ireland (now what are the chances).  Ironically, even though things hadn't worked out and I wasn't in Ireland this day/month/year, I instead made fabulous new friends of whom now I can't wait to reunite with.  Then back to Newfoundland a second time that year  (after sharing Fredericton's Harvest Jazz and Blues festival with my NL pals here) for Halloween.  What a party!   Costume upon costume for four days lol.  Fun.

About a year ago, I decided that I wanted to try serving at a restaurant. After applying at a few places, a local Greek establishment took me on. Unable to give up my hours at the gas station (because I thoroughly enjoy the staff and customers there) I now work all 3 jobs (OMG).  I won't say that it hasn't impacted my social life where I live but not on any large scale, I'm still fortunate enough to visit with my wonderful friends here, make road trips to spend time with the fam and dig out my dancing shoes from time to time. 

In 2010, I visited Newfoundland, Boston and of all places... Costa Rica.  Not kidding.  A high school pal had moved there some 11 years before and made roots there.  Having lost touch until the days of facebook, I learned that a couple other classmates were thinking of making the journey.   Of course I wanted to go!  What a reunion and what a great destination to have it in.  So aside from my visits to NL, I had never travelled to live off resort or not in a hotel before, while on vacation.  Kristie knew the culture, the people, the language.  What an experience, one to which I will forever be grateful for.  Amazing.

From the official creation year of Holiday Heidi (2007), I've lost a few good ones (RIP, I will forever miss and love you), life hasn't always been fair (it's not all the time) and I pinch myself in disbelief from time to time to make sure all the wonderful opportunities and people ARE really in my life (so lucky).  I've been surrounded by good family - good friends - good times to which I am beyond grateful, and have learned to appreciate every experience for what it is and the lessons it provides me (each one with an opportunity for growth). 

When it comes to travel:  the more I go, the less I know (Michael Franti and the Spearheads sing in best in their song "Say Hey").  What a nice feeling.  It's what I love.  I physically sweat when I hear of a deal to a destination lol. I'd work a fourth job, if it meant I'd have enough money and time off to travel 6-10 weeks per year.  I live for vacation countdowns.  I can't wait to go make new friends and bring my old pals along with me (physically or 'in my pocket').  Having just returned from a visit to the Middle East (to visit my best friend Stephanie, crazy I know) and now making travel plans to explore my heritage while reuniting with my Irish friends from the cruise of '09, what better time to start a blog.

So if you're ready, I think I am. 

"for your safety, please stay seated until the seatbelt sign as been turned off"  ;)