Spring weather has finally made an appearance in the northeast, so we wanted to spend a day outside just walking around and enjoying spring. We didn’t want to spend tons of money or overbook a full day’s schedule, and we didn’t quite want to just lay around outside, so we decided to go out for drinks and walk around and start celebrating spring in the city.
We started the day with a couple of drinks and appetizers at Chart House, a restaurant located right by the New England Aquarium and across from where Boston Harbor Cruises docks their whale watch vessels and Codzilla. It was the perfect day to sit outside with a sangria and some lunch before spending some time exploring the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
Also Chart House is part of Landry’s Restaurant Group, so if you are part of their rewards program (which includes restaurants in Disney like Yak & Yeti, Rainforest Cafe, and T-Rex Restaurant) you’ll want to take advantage of that here. If you’re not sure what the rewards program entails, or if you’re looking to join you can learn more here.
After lunch we decided to take our time browsing the Greenway Open Market. You can find the market there on Saturdays and Sundays, and it’s the perfect place to go for a walk in Boston while doing some ‘window’ shopping, or actual shopping for locally made artisan goods.
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These markets include vendors that span the length of the Greenway, along with food trucks and occasionally other entertainment like dancers or music. We ran into one of our favorite food trucks, Cookie Monstah, so of course we had to stop for some ice cream and cookies. The food trucks change all the time though, so you can easily snack around that way if you don’t want to sit in a restaurant.
While you’re there, you can also go for a spin on the Greenway Carousel. It’s only $3/ride! This carousel has the designation of being the most accessible carousel in New England with design elements geared towards individuals with physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities. As result, the carousel’s design features a variety of animals and seating options all in different shapes and sizes to best accommodate as many individual needs as possible.
So funny story about when we rode the carousel recently. We decided to sit in one of the ships rather than on one of the animals, so we were on benches across from each other. Before the ride started this random kid sat next to Chaz. His parents tried one time to get him to sit with them, and he was just like “No, I’m good, I want to sit here.” And then his parents were basically like “Ok cool make sure you stay there and don’t get out then.”
And then we proceeded to sit with this random child for about five minutes, until the ride started… when we continued to sit together awkwardly. We debated on switching seats, but we were the second group in line getting on the carousel so at this point there were no seats left and we would have had to get off and wait again, which not to sound selfish but we totally shouldn’t have had to do. We made polite conversation with him, but it was totally uncomfortable and weird.
I don’t have kids, so I don’t know how this all works, but I imagine that if I did I wouldn’t tell them to sit with random strangers. (This was like the time the woman in Disney put her child on my lap during the Festival of the Lion King show– I kid you not. That’s a whole different story for another time though!) We didn’t want to tell him to leave, and to be quite honest we didn’t want to interact with him at all–if we wanted to ride the carousel with kids we would have brought family or friends with kids… So if you have a way to handle this because this apparently just keeps happening to me, definitely let me know in the comments! Moving on from that…
The Greenway also has different art exhibits and pop-ups throughout the season. You can check out a list of the public art featured during your visit here
We were on the Greenway during Boston Ballet’s production of La Sylphide so we were able to visit a mural that was created especially for this ballet!
There are even events on the Greenway that include movie nights and fitness classes in addition to the open markets. (It’s also a prime spot for picnic-ing and/or people-watching!)
Related Post // 5 Reasons to See a Ballet When You Visit Boston
Since we just wanted to have a relaxing day outside, we decided to cross the street towards Faneuil Hall to do some more shopping. I bought some things from Sephora and American Eagle, but if you’re looking for more Boston-specific souvenirs like sports gear or hats/sweatshirts you’ll find all of it here. You can even find some locally made goods and replica historical items in the stands and stores around Faneuil Hall, and for more history-themed shopping you can always visit the gift shop located within the National Park Service Visitor Center.
Before heading home for the day, we wanted to stop by City Hall Plaza to check out the new patio! City Hall Plaza is hosting Patios & Pints this summer, and Wachusett Brewing Co. has taken over the space serving a rotating selection of their craft beers with special guest brewery tap takeovers throughout the season. The patio is a nice place to relax on a hot day, with a craft brew and scenic views of Faneuil Hall.
Spring is probably my favorite season to visit Boston! I love summer too, but visiting during the spring gives you a little taste of summer (if the weather cooperates) with a fraction of the crowds.
Do you have a favorite spring in the city activity? Let us know in the comments or share what you’re doing to celebrate spring where you are!
