Boston's Top 10 and Not So Top 8

About two weeks ago I got to visit my sister Shelby, and my BIL, Brandon, in Boston.  What a dream Boston was. Because there were so many awesome things that happened on this trip I decided to compound it into a list of the Top 10 and Not So Top 8 (I couldn't think of 10 bad things).  Beware, you are about to be bombarded by a lot of pictures. 

TOP 10

10. Shopping at a bomb Second hand store - no pictures, but man did I find some killer deals.  And by killer I just mean that I really like some of the clothes and the prices were pretty decent.

9. Boston Temple - I got to check one more temple off the list of temples I've been to.  Brings me all the way up to 21 out of 141..  I just realized that's not very many.  And to think I live in both the state with the most temples, and the city with the most temples.

8.  Visiting Louisa May Allcott's, Ralph Waldo Emerson's, and  Henry Thoreau's stomping grounds - Shelby surprised me by taking me to the house where Little Women was written.  We were both giddy as we walked around the property since we both love that movie and book.  I've always compared it to our family, even though we have 1 more girl than they did (also 4 more boys, but that's besides the point).  I believe this was also a house that Ralph Waldo Emerson lived in for a little bit.  That same day, we also went to Walden Pond where Mr. Thoreau decided to camp out for 2 years.  I can see why, as it really was a beautiful place.  

7. Concord - Turns out that even though I loved history in High School, I've managed to forget most of it.  Going to Concord and reading up on all the facts about Old North Bridge and the "shot heard around the world" was like reliving my high school days in history class.  Very beautiful place and it was fun teaching my nephew, Daxton to play pooh sticks on one of the most famous bridges in America's history.  

6. USS Constitution and Ferry Ride - This was actually our first stop along the Freedom Trail, and it certainly was a good way to start off!  There was more famous history to be seen as we looked (details on why we just looked below) at the USS Constitution and read about everything that the ship was involved with.  We couldn't have chosen a better day to be out on the wharf skipping rocks.  The USS Constitution Museum was also really cool.  It was here we found out that Mr. Daxton is meant to be a sailor as he pulled a baaing goat onto a ship, swung in a hammock, and raised a sail to try and catch the wind.   We also got to take to the seas ourselves as we climbed aboard a ferry and rode over to the north end of Boston.  

5.  Pretending to be a Harvard Student - I visited Harvard all by myself and tried my best to fit it.  It was a thrill to hit up the bookstore, and then take a tour around campus (Luckily I ran right into a tour group as I wasn't sure where to go to find said tour).  After getting my fair share of this scholarly place, I managed to find the public transport system and make my way back home (thanks to Brandon's precise directions on where to get off).

4. North End of Boston -  I loved the feel of the North End of Boston.  The buildings were fun and the streets were cobbled.  While here we saw Paul Revere's statue, the  Old North Church, ate some delicious pizza from Ernesto's, and got a world famous cannoli from Mike's Pastry.  My mouth is seriously still watering thinking about that cannoli.

  
3.  Center of Boston - On Saturday, Brandon was the tour guide.  We wandered our way over to the Boston Commons, a beautiful sprawling park.  Along the way, we passed famous places like Quincy Marketplace, Faneuil Hall, and the Oyster House (which is the oldest restaurant in the US).  The old buildings next to the big skyscrapers created a really fun feel and I was kind of in love with the white blossoming trees.  

2. MAINE - I've kind of had an obsession with Maine for the past couple of years and have a secret desire to someday live there.  Brandon and Shelby were kind enough to take me there for a visit.  After visiting I can honestly say that Maine is just as amazing and beautiful as I had imagined it to be.  We stopped at the Nubble Lighthouse, the most photographed lighthouse in the world, and it was perfect.  It was very cold and windy on the rocks overlooking the lighthouse.  Even though I hate wind more than anything else, this wind just seemed to add to the perfectness of it all.

We then headed to the decently warm beach where we played in the sand and water (first time touching the Atlantic ocean!).  I also showed Shelby that while she used to hold the title as strongest girl in the family, the title now belongs to me.  We then strolled through the quaint little town where most of the shops were closed except for one little ice cream shop where were able to get ice cream.  What a good day.

1. Getting to hang out with the coolest family ever -  I was so glad that I was able to hang out with Shelby and Brandon and experience where they live.  A big thank you to the both of them for being such amazing hosts and tour guides.  It was definitely a trip to remember.

I just realized I had zero pictures that I took with/of Brandon.  My bad. I still loved hanging out with you Brandon. 

Not So Top 8 

8. Being chastised while on a tour - During my tour at Harvard, I foolishly asked what one of the buildings was called.  Turns out, it was a pretty famous library   My tour guide acted like I was kind of dumb for not knowing what it was.  You couldn't even go into it unless you're a Harvard student, so I felt justified on not knowing what it was.  Also, a bathroom was impossible to find at this place.  I think I wandered around for a good 30 minutes trying to find one.
7. "Donations" We decided to hit up 2 "free" places.   I put parentheses around the free because they like to ask you for a donation when you come in, and let you know how much you should be giving.  Here's my thought, if it's a donation, shouldn't I be able to choose how much I give?  

6. USS Constitution was closed - We couldn't actually go on the famous ship due to reconstruction - bummer.  Especially for Shelby who has now visited their twice and has yet to set foot on the ship.

5. Cold Pizza - Not a huge deal but when we ate at Ernesto's and our pizza was cold.  If that's what you're famous for, your pizza should be steaming hot, just saying.
4. $10 tour for Little Women House - Shelby and I were BEYOND excited to see the place where little women was written.  Turns out it cost $10 for the tour of this tiny little house.  With two children in tow, that was not happening.

3. Chicago Airport - This place kind of hated me.  Every flight in and out of this airport got delayed by an average of 1.5 hours.  And no one decided to mention that our planes were delayed until it was time to board.  Talk about a panic attack.  A special thank you to both my dad and Brandon for picking me up at such late hours.
2. Too Little Time - A week just wasn't long enough.  Before I knew it I was heading back to the airport to fly home again.  I miss my two little nephews as well as my sister and BIL.  Work just isn't as exciting as hanging out with all of you.

1. Lockdown in Boston - this was a negative mostly because of all the events that happened this week.  It was a crazy time to be over there and although I was never super close to anything that happened, it was still very sad to see people crying and hugging next to the memorial for those who died or were injured.