The Boston Traveler

I’ve recently written several posts about family-friendly things, so now it’s time to talk about stuff for adults only.
Boston Globe staffers have done those of us who imbibe alcoholic beverages a great favor. They conducted a survey of sorts that involved sampling numerous drinks at numerous locations to compile a list of Ten Tasty Drinks best indulged in during the summertime.
If you’re in or around the city and can’t decide which drink from your normal repertoire will satisfy your taste buds most, the following suggestions might help get you thinking in the right direction. Make sure to also …read more

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Planning a family-friendly vacation in Boston doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, especially if a substantial portion of your itinerary focuses on enjoying the many nature-based attractions in and around the city. Since no matter where you go in Boston you’re never too far from a body of water, it’s fitting that one of the most popular activities in the area consists of hopping on a boat and taking a scenic tour of the region’s sights, many with deep historic ties.
The go-to company for a trip along the Charles River and Boston Harbor is the Charles Riverboat …read more

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Although the French national holiday Bastille Day officially takes place on July 14, Boston residents and visitors will get to celebrate it early when Harvard Square hosts a marathon block party this Sunday, July 13, to commemorate the start of the French Revolution in 1789.
The assorted activities scheduled during the family-oriented event include attractions for children, ranging from a parade with the one and only Curious George to face painting, as well as highlights for adults, such as scrumptious French cuisine provided by Sandrine’s Bistro, Chez Henri, Brasserie Jo, the Elephant Walk, Rialto, and Petit Robert.
Attendees will also have a …read more

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Advantage: This 236-room, eight-story, luxury-class boutique hotel is conveniently located in easy traveling distance to downtown Boston (via the Green Line’s Science Park T Station, which is right down the block and across the street), MIT, and Harvard University, and in easy walking distance to the Museum of Science. It also boasts décor and furnishings that are funky yet sophisticated, and it offers a full range of services for business travelers, including meeting space and a business center with computers.
Disadvantage: Past guests point out that many rooms have inadequate or no drawers for storing items, and the location isn’t …read more

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Advantage: A converted Victorian firehouse officially deemed historic, the Kendall Hotel is conveniently located directly across the Charles River from Boston, right in the midst of Cambridge’s Kendall Square, and steps away from MIT, popular Legal Sea Foods restaurant, the Red Line T’s Kendall Station (two stops place you in the heart of downtown Boston), and a free shuttle bus to nearby CambridgeSide Galleria mall.
The Engine 7 firehouse that opened in 1895 is now the hotel’s main building, which contains the lobby, an on-site restaurant called The Black Sheep, and eleven guest rooms. A recently erected seven-story building behind …read more

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Take note if, like me, you enjoy spending the Fourth of July on the Longfellow Bridge that connects East Cambridge and Beacon Hill, watching the fireworks over the Charles along with hundreds of other spectators.
Urgent safety considerations forced state officials to take action this week when a Thursday inspection revealed a steel beam supporting one sidewalk requires immediate work. That discovery is in addition to previously known problems with deteriorated railroad ties, which urged MBTA officials to have Red Line subway conductors slow down substantially as they ride over the bridge on their normal route until replacements are completed.
As …read more

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This weekend, Boston will offer one of my absolute favorite local warm-weather events.
Dragons will be taking over the Charles on Sunday, June 8, when the annual Boston Dragon Boat Festival kicks off bright and early at 9am. The free family-friendly event will last all the way until 5pm, providing revelers with arts, crafts, and always essential food, in addition to the traditional exhilarating racing that makes the day such a memorable good time.
As is customary, individual items on the schedule will unfold on both banks of the river, with the Boston side featuring an eye-dotting ceremony, a dragon dance, …read more

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Since Boston is a college town, bookstores abound wherever you go, some even housing convenient cafes where customers can grab a cup of coffee or tea to go along with their reading distraction of choice. Coming Up: Ten Boston-area bookstores worth visiting, in alphabetical order.
Borders
Helpful staff; nice prices with ample bargains; occasional events; good selection of books, movies, and music; one of those aforementioned cafes; and located near several subway and bus lines, not to mention directly down the street from the central Downtown Crossing shopping area. It’s not the only Borders in town, of course, but it …read more

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Miss those open-air raves from your younger days or were too old when they first came out of nowhere? Have no worries because some enterprising people, namely underground electronic music purveyors Soul Clap and Marz Entertainment, have a solution for you: Dancing on the Charles 2008.
First started last year, Dancing on the Charles is a recurring warm-weather, outdoor, nighttime event established specifically for people who like their loud music mixed live and in the fresh air. Oh, and there’s barbecued food and booze from cash-only bars to boot.
Lots of good stuff is on the way this summer now …read more

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In fact, Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s seven-day Bay State Bike Week, a companion to May’s nationwide Bike Month, will be here on Monday, May 12, and will stick around until Sunday, May 18.
The main focus of the weeklong event is the 50,000-Mile Commuter Challenge. Daunting as the name is, it’s a bit misleading, too, because the challenge is more of a call for collaboration than an actual invitation to compete.
How it works is simple. Participants each pledge to bike the number of miles they prefer, with the overall goal being to collectively cycle 50,000 miles instead of driving …read more

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