Travelogue: Boston, Massachusetts

 

Travelogue: Boston, Massachusetts

Aug. 22-25, 2026

 The family decided to stay local for our August vacation; we weren’t in the mood to fly anywhere, so we chose historic Boston, another urban jungle like my beloved New York City. My sister Bheng, Jordan, and I shared a room, and my sister-in-law Nel and her daughters Charlene and Camille shared another room at the MidTown Hotel by Sonesta. It was exactly two months since my brother passed away, so the trip was part of our healing. It was time to create more memories.

Boston, the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Massachusetts, is the cultural and financial center of New England, a region of the Northeastern United States. It is a 3-hour, 27-minute drive from Queens, so we planned stops along coastal Connecticut.

Boston is near major universities like Harvard, MIT, and Tufts, in the cities of Cambridge and Somerville, known as the Brainpower Triangle. I even bought a “Wicked Smaaht” Boston T-shirt, which was meant to be spoken with the Boston accent, dropping the ‘r’. Do you know that “wicked" is a regional intensifier meaning "very"? Quite coincidental that we watched the Broadway show “Wicked” the day after we returned to New York.

Boston has many medical and research facilities (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, and Joslin Diabetes Center).

 

ITINERARY

I’m impressed by how the “Kids” (I know they’re grown, yeah) exerted so much effort to vet the tour stops and research the restaurants. Jordan created a whole spreadsheet of potential attractions and restaurants, with the girls suggesting a few, complete with popular menu items, but the adults just gave up and told them, "We'll go wherever you want to go."

No ChatGPT chart, but real-deal travel plans with travel coordinates figured out. Typical Millennials and Gen Z’s. I am 100% sure that they studied as hard in College, right? They just chuckled mysteriously at this question.

 

ATTRACTIONS

Duck Tours- part bus/part boat, an amphibious vehicle that drives down a ramp into the Charles River. This is easily the most enjoyable excursion we had. The Duck Tours traverse historical landmarks and unique neighborhoods that make Boston a city of firsts, the birthplace of freedom, and the “Cradle of Liberty” because of its role in the American Revolution. The 80-minute tour includes the 20-minute river ride.

The conDUCKtours certainly made it fun. We were lucky to have the delightful and unforgettable Papriqqa (double Q), a vivacious person with multi-colored braids, a wicked sense of humor, extensive knowledge of her dear Boston, and a great memory for names. She got some volunteers to steer the boat as we descended into the Charles River, with the view of the Boston and Cambridge skylines. She was certainly popular, as several tourists on the street waved at her. She also got us to yell "Quack, quack" on cue. My son said I was too enthusiastic. She taught us how to pronounce "Harvard"", and also demonstrated several heart signs that younger kids had shared with her.

 

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

25 Evans Way, Boston, MA 02115

This art museum was founded in 1903 by Isabella Stewart Gardner, an American Art collector, patron of the arts, and philanthropist. Her collection included 7500 paintings, sculptures, tapestries, and decorative arts. Her will strictly detailed instructions on how to display her art.

I was thrilled to be surrounded by great art from Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Degas, Whistler, Raphael, and Titian.

The central courtyard is a photo-op opportunity with rotating seasonal floral displays and lush foliage. The 6-foot-tall starry blue-and-white chimney bellflowers are breathtaking.

 

 

Boston Public Library-

McKim Building at 700 Boylston Street in Copley Square

Opened in 1852, this is the first free, publicly funded municipal library in America with over 20 million items (books, maps, manuscripts) on display.  The architecture is spectacular; it almost felt like a grand European palace with massive stone arches, a grand staircase, and stunning murals by John Sargeant and de Chavannes.  There are collections of watercolors and drawings by Thomas Rowlandson and some early editions of Shakespeare.

I am a bibliophile, so I can imagine myself spending hours and hours in libraries like this and, of course, the New York Library.

 

Boston Garden

The first public botanical garden in America, this is an oasis in the midst of the urban jungle with beautifully manicured lawns and seasonal trees and flowers. With benches facing the pond, we enjoyed people-watching as all kinds of people promenaded along the path, some with dogs, and some with children. Near the pond, some ducks promenaded too, probably watching people too. It’s funny that they also poop on the grass, with some lifting their back leg.

For $15 a person, you can also ride the Swan boat for a 15-minute ride around the pond.

 

 

Elephant Migration Exhibit

Along Commonwealth Avenue (from Arlington Street to Fairfield Street in Back Bay)

This free public art exhibit features 100 life-sized elephant sculptures along Commonwealth Avenue from August 8 through September 13, 2026. They are on a global journey from East to West in the United States; they stopped in New York last year.  

The anatomically accurate wood sculptures were made from a repurposed invasive plant called Lantana camara by Indigenous artisans Southern India.

“The Great Elephant Migration is a global fundraising adventure to amplify Indigenous knowledge and inspire the human race to share space.”

https://thegreatelephantmigration.org/

And yes, since this is a fundraiser, you can buy the elephants (Calf, Adolescent, Matriarch, or Tusker) with prizes ranging from $8,500 to $22, 500. Sorry, the calves are sold out.

 

Other attractions:

Acorn Street in the historic Beacon Hill neighborhood- famous for its IG-worthy pictures of charming, picturesque Federal-style brick row houses, original cobblestone streets, antique cast-iron street lanterns, colorful doors, and vibrant floral window boxes. It is cited as the most photographed street in the United States.

Freedom Trail- I opted out of this 2.5-mile hike, but my niece Charlene (a history buff) powered through with the journey on an audio-guided tour. The walking tour, marked by a distinctive red line starting from Acorn Street, passed through16 significant historical sites, each telling the story of America’s illustrious past and quest for independence.

Piers Park- 

This is a beautifully landscaped park and a 600-foot pedestrian promenade, with a waterfront view of the Boston skyline. Sorry, Boston, nothing beats the Manhattan skyline.

FOOD TRIPS

Travel affords us the luxury and the excuse to enjoy the local restaurants. No fast food restaurants for us. If you look for the definition of “foodie” in the interest, you might see my son’s and nieces’ names. They treat our food trips as adventures, as experiences to try new dishes, flavors, and cooking styles from various cultures.

Here’s a list of the restaurants we tried:

1.      GG at Home, Niantic, Connecticut. A quick stop with delicious sandwiches and baked goods. However, rain prevented us from exploring the beachwalk.

2.      Yunnan Kitchen- authentic Chinese cuisine from the Yunnan province. Great ambiance.

3.      Mahaniyom-  Thai food. Awarded the Michelin's Bib Gourmand and Northeast Cities Exceptional Cocktails Award. Served tapa-style, the food was great, especially beef massaman, pomelo salad, and chive cakes.

4.      Lolita Fort Point- modern Mexican-inspired cuisine. The décor is a little odd for me, with red candelabras and skulls for vases. The pink cotton candy was a surprise treat.

5.      Saltie Girl- a chic, nautical-yet-contemporary atmosphere. My favorites are clam chowder, pistachio tiramisu, lobster roll, fried artichoke, and the caviar dip. A little pricey.

6.      Jana Grill, Watertown, MA- Easily our favorite of the restaurants. They serve Mediterranean, Armenian, Lebanese. and Georgian cuisines. We demolished the food right after it was served. The Assorted Khorovats & Losh-Kebab Plate served on a charcuterie board was the best.

7.      Kuya Jay’s Ube Café, Somerville, MA. An unexpected trip out of Boston into Somerville to find the Ube café. The open market that we were planning to go to closed early. The café's co-owner, an Italian husband of a Filipina, was enthusiastic about the food in the Philippines. He was quite exuberant about Filipino culture and expressed his desire to expand Filipino food culture here in Boston. He said he has many non-Filipino customers who could not believe how food as purple as it was could taste so good. I loved the Ube Macchiato. We also met a family bringing their daughter to start her studies to become a lawyer at Harvard. Very impressive. The father said he had to delay his retirement to support her daughter’s studies since the family lived all the way in California.

 

Of course, the trip would not be complete without driving by Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Its prominent alumni include former Presidents Barack Obama and John F. Kennedy. Noted dropouts include Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.