As a part of my US trip, it was the turn to visit the "Geek City" - Boston. Most of you must have heard about the famous universities - M.I.T. which stands for Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University! Both of the world-renowned institutes are the homey of this place! It is a hub of students gathered from all around the world. Boston is not only famous for these two institutes but many other famous colleges, innovations, healthy green spaces, quality of life and its cultural attractions!
How to Reach Boston
Boston is around 220 miles (354 km) from New York City. You can reach Boston by any mode of transport - Bus, Car, Train or Flight. As a Solo traveler I try to make sure - wisely use my money and time. I found a very cheap website - https://www.wanderu.com/ which gives many lists of bus and train schedules with minimal fares! You can even reach Boston from New York in just $10. While booking any bus services, please make sure to read about the reviews of the service provider to avoid uncomforted journey. If you are planning with a bus - try Greyhound Lines. I have personally taken their service. They have good timings, with lesser delays and comfortable journey!
HI - Boston Hostel
I started from New York Port Authority Bus Terminal late at night and reached around 5 am in the morning. My stay was booked at HI - Boston Hostel, 19 Stuart Street. Though it was the hostel with better facilities like more security, access cards for the shared rooms, comfortable beds, lockers with padlocks, clean and nice bathrooms, bigger common area with 24 hours coffee, daily free activities and nice morning breakfast. Normal check-in timing is 4 pm but the staff was very friendly and they let me check-in at 5:30 am in the morning. Of course, they had the bed available at that time! I paid $80 for the night. I took sleep for a few hours before starting my adventure in Boston!
The breakfast was almost over by the time I got ready to go out. I grabbed a Quinoa Bowl from a nearby Starbucks Cafe and met a guard horse just outside the place!
Boston
Autumn in Boston Common
November starting are the best days to visit places that respect the Autumn season! Boston happens to be a part of this list. I walked to the famous Boston Common park. With roots starting from 1634, this park is the oldest city park in the United States. Well, definitely it wasn't looking old to me! It was a good sunny day with a little bit of cold. People were out walking in the park, embracing the sun rays hitting directly to their faces!
Boston Common, Boston
I made a little friend and we had a long talk near the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. I wasn't able to understand his language but pretty sure he was talking something good about me 😉 Meet my little friend below! His name is "Chi Chi" and he is good at giving poses!
Chi Chi Squirrel
Greenery at Boston Public Garden
My next place in the list was waiting for me across the street - Boston Public Garden. It is a beautiful large park adjacent to the Boston Common. It was founded in 1837. The beauty of this park was superb! There was a man using all types of boxes as his musical instruments and trying to play a melodious tune. The lake in the center of the garden was doubling its beauty! The whole place was covered with precisely cut grass and trees with different designs. The place is very clean and nice. Notice the beautiful rainbows in the picture below! 😍
Greenery, Boston Public Garden, Boston
Boston Public Garden, Boston
Walk to North Washington Street Bridge
Weather in the morning was favorable and encouraging me to walk. I started from Boston Common, walked 1.1 miles (1.78 km) towards the North Washington Street Bridge. Due to Sunday, it was less crowded. The view of the Chelsea River is stunning! Boats parked at the harbor adds glory to the river.
Chelsea River, North Washington Street Bridge, Boston
My walking mission was continued. I planned to walk towards the New England Aquarium via Commercial Street. Enjoying the view of the Langone Park and a little Harborwalk, I reached to the Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park. The place was very calm and beautiful. The breeze coming up from the riverside was making it a little colder. It was the day with the bright sun, helping to bear the cold!
Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park, Boston
Penguins at the New England Aquarium
It is a public aquarium in Boston, features a Giant Ocean tank with over 2000 animals. It is opened every day in a week (9 am to 6 pm). The New England Aquarium has lots of activities to watch - Penguin Feeding, Sea Lion Training, Harbor Seal Training, Shark & Ray Touching, Corals Watching, Talking to Divers in a Giant Ocean Tank, watching a short film in IMAX. The aquarium entry ticket for an adult costs $31 while a child ticket costs $22 as on 08/26/2019. It is a little costly but worth it! You can spend your whole day inside and you will still miss a few of the exhibits!
Earlier, I had no plans to visit the aquarium but with the given time I had plenty of free space in my day's calendar! I purchased the tickets, got a stamp on my hand and entered the aquarium. Due to Sunday, the place was packed with visitors.
The first activity was to touch the Shark & Rays! They were very soft and friendly. The only thing you must take care of is not to harm them!
I was very excited about my next exhibit - "Penguins"! It was the first time in my life I was going to see a live penguin! I had a tickling feeling in my stomach! Luckily it was their feeding time and I got to see the action! Watch the following video to see the action yourself!
Giant Ocean Tank
Giant Ocean Tank, contains different types of amazing Corals and about 2000 sea animals were standing from floor 1 to 4 with a diameter of 40 feet. It was one of the main center attraction at the aquarium. On the sides of the tank, there were other small fishes, frogs, Python, and sea horses!
Sea Corals, New England Aquarium, Boston
The masterpiece of the Tank was an 80 years old turtle. The animal was very big with a width of around 2 meters!
Big Turtle At The Aquarium, Boston
I was in a hurry, still, it took three hours for me to complete my tour of the main aquarium building and watch some Harbor Seal training! By the time I came out, it was already dark but beautiful.
Shopping at Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Faneuil Hall Marketplace was the next destination in my itinerary. It was built in 1742. Since then, this place is a hub for visitors contributing around 70 retailers - souvenir shops, bakery, restaurants including world-famous Quincy Market! To enjoy the beautiful trees and bright decoration lights, you should visit this place at night.
I purchased one cap, souvenirs and had delicious dinner in open space with some amazing desserts. The place was very crowded and I had to struggle to find a place for sitting. Normally, you wait for someone to finish their food and leave and then you get their seat! I could not find any single seat for me and had to finish my dinner while standing. Compare to the charm of the place and lots of experience of eating food while standing in Indian Weddings, I had no issues! 😁
Yummy Candies
Quincy Market, Boston
Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston
After having delicious dinner and enjoying the wonderful and productive day, I got some extra time to catch a movie - Dr. Seuss' The Grinch. I love animated movies and this one had no flaws in it 😌!
Later in the night, I grabbed a pizza slice before reaching back to my hostel! Tired of all walking, I went to sleep immediately to refresh myself for the next day's expedition!
Please share your stories of the Boston visit and feedback on this one.
