Saturday, November 13, 2010

Boston for Beans

Let's face it, finding something to do on the weekend with your toddler can be expensive.  In Boston there are museums, aquariums and tons of cute stores.  Like most parents these days we're on a budget and need to find ways to have fun without spending tons of money. 
Since today was a lovely day, a crisp 60 degrees Fahrenheit, we went into downtown Boston. Instead of taking the car and looking for parking we decided to take the T.

 Before we got on the train I noticed some inspirational graffiti.


We decided to walk down historic Charles St in the Back Bay.


You can have modern signs.  Even the post office fits in with the Colonial vibe.


A sure sign that winter is upon us: fat squirrels!

A walk through Boston Commons and a stop at the playground before lunch.


We brought our own lunch and sat in the park and ate.  After which we continued on towards the water.
We walked down by the State House (where the Boston Massacre occurred) and on to Faneuil Hall (you can see the clock tower in the background) and Quincy Market.

We stopped for a little while to watch a performer at Quincy Market.  Yes, he was juggling a chainsaw.

On to the Aquarium.  Instead of paying to get in we stood outside and watched the Harbor Seal exhibit for a while.


We were all pretty tired so we took a walk along the water to get to a T station.

We did a lot of walking and had a wonderful time together without spending more then a few dollars.

Even if you don't live in a larger city you can still have fun exploring your city or town.  It's an inexpensive way to have a great day out together and discover more about where you live.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

We love going into Boston - the kids really enjoy a walk along the Harbor or Esplanade and there is always lots to see (planes and boats are a big favourite!).

The Boston Common garage is only $11 to park all day on the weekend - not quite as cheap as the T (not too much though - 2 round trips for 2 adults on the T is $8 these days, right?), but if you have a lot of gear (like for skating in the winter or wading in the Frog Pond in the summer) then it can be worthwhile.

Sometimes on a really rainy day I will get the kids on the T and just ride it to somewhere where you can switch directions without paying again (like Park Street) and then just ride it straight back again. It gets us out the house, and with two boys a train ride is just about the coolest thing ever!

TeawithFrodo said...

It's just under $8 for the T. But we would have had to walk back to the car. This way we can go anywhere and not worry about ending up back by the car.

Naomi said...

We love going into Boston - the kids really enjoy a walk along the Harbor or Esplanade and there is always lots to see (planes and boats are a big favourite!).

The Boston Common garage is only $11 to park all day on the weekend - not quite as cheap as the T (not too much though - 2 round trips for 2 adults on the T is $8 these days, right?), but if you have a lot of gear (like for skating in the winter or wading in the Frog Pond in the summer) then it can be worthwhile.

Sometimes on a really rainy day I will get the kids on the T and just ride it to somewhere where you can switch directions without paying again (like Park Street) and then just ride it straight back again. It gets us out the house, and with two boys a train ride is just about the coolest thing ever!