Indian Summer

After weeks of on again off again good weather with a smattering of cold rain, drizzle, and freezing temperatures, today was an amazing day.  The sky was clear, there was no wind, and the temperature soared.  It might have hit 80 degrees today.  Many people were sporting T-shirts on the Gardens.  It’s November in New England; this is September weather.  Sometimes we get a few weeks of great weather in mid October that’s called Indian Summer.  Mid October is one of the best times of the year to be in New England.  This November weather is both highly unusual and very welcome.

This morning we had our typical late start on the day.  Retirement does that to a person.  We had our morning coffee and some breakfast in The Beast, then a time warp set in and *pop* it was 11:30 as we drove toward Riverside Terminal in Newton for the train to Boston.   It’s a half hour drive to Riverside from the campground and another forty minutes to downtown by train from the station.  With plenty of parking we had no problem leaving our rented KIA at Riverside.  The Beast we left safely at the campground fully setup for our return.

Why is it that ticket kiosks are setup with the display facing the sun?  There were three ticket booths that were not usable!  There was no way to read the text.  I tried shielding the display with my hand, my body, my day pack and nothing worked.  Luckily there were two more ticket booths at train level upstairs that were oriented away from the sun.   I said, “How poorly designed, to have the ticket kiosks directly facing the sun” and a ticket agent sitting nearby said, “Tell me about it. Those went in six years ago and were planned to face the other way.  It’s been six years and nothing has been done to change them back.  You should be here for a game.”  He then took a ticket from his pocket and asked where we were going. “Arlington Station” I said.  He then showed how to add a fare to the ticket; in this case four of them: two out to Arlington and two returning to Riverside.  He said you can add more to the ticket as you need.  Any number of people can share one card.  He then activated the style for each of us and we boarded the inbound platform bound for Boston Gardens.

I know Arlington Station from my years as a teenager going to the Commons and Gardens to meet with like minded friends from all around the greater Boston area.  We would hang out on Charles Street at a cafe or lounge around the Commons.  It was a far more exciting place to be than my home town or Arlington, though we would also frequent Harvard Square.  I was curious to see if I would remember how to get around Boston.  The last time I visited the city on foot was 46 years ago.

The train from Riverside makes 17 stops on its way downtown.  It does take some time, though the train was near empty when it left and never became crowded.  We got off at Arlington and took the stairs up into brilliant sunlight and a very warm day.  Ellen immediately took her coat off.  I was toasty in my shirt.  Boston Gardens is a beautiful open space in the heart of the city just south of Beacon Hill and Boston Commons.  I remember swan boats on the small central lake, but there were none today.  Either they no longer ply the lake or they’ve been retired for the season.

Boston Gardens

   

What a gorgeous day.  Many of the trees were in full color.  There were couples walking the grounds, students reading under trees, people on their lunch break enjoying a warm day outdoors. It felt like I had never left.  The city was no more crowded than I remembered, though there was significantly more traffic.  I found Charles Street easily; this was our hangout.  Jim, Frank, and I would while away Saturday afternoons in Brigham’s talking about whatever interested us.

   

 

 

Charles Street, Boston

   

Would any of the old haunts still be there?  Of course the buildings had not changed, but the store fronts were entirely different.  The Church of the Advent had not changed, though everything else had.  Brigham’s was still there, but it was now a Starbucks.  Hunger was setting in as we walked Charles Street. We passed a number of small restaurants and bars that were appealing, but settled on Fig’s Restaurant.  It was small and very busy.  The host ushered us in with, “Sit anywhere you like”  Ellen asked to be seated at the window and he said, “sit any place you like but not that table.”  It was a four-top.  Ellen asked to be seated at the bar and we began unloading our gear.  I swung my day pack off my back while Ellen placed her camera on the bar.  The host relented. “You have a lot of equipment and that is a very nice camera”, he said of my 400 mm lens.  “Go ahead and take the four top by the window.”

   

That began a wonderful lunch.  Ellen ordered a beat salad and I had the basil Gnocchi, both were exceptional  What made the gnocchi especially good was the way they were placed in a bowl swimming in marinara sauce topped in the center with a mild cream and cheese sauce and flanked with fresh tomato and basil.  The dish avoided becoming boring; each bite was different than the last.

I highly recommend Figs Restaurant at 42 Charles Street.  The restaurant is small with bare brick walls and closely arranged tables.  The restaurant can get noisy.  That is a small price to pay for the quality of our lunch.

   

   

We walked Charles Street as I recalled some infamous moments Jim and I shared in 1967 and 68 here on Charles Street.  We had fun together, Jim and I.

 

Boston Commons

   

Some photos taken in the Commons

   

 

The State House, Boston

From Charles Street we went back to Boston Commons to find the Freedom Trail.  We saw it marked on a typical tourist map and thought it would be interesting to follow.  What I did not expect was to find a brick path laid in the sidewalk with banners and trail markers along the way. It is quite an historic route winding past the State Building on Beacon Hill.

We walked and talked and followed the trail past King’s Chapel Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Boston,  to the Old Meeting Hall where the Declaration of Independence was first read to the people of Boston, on to the site of the Boston Massacre, and to Faneuil Hall, and the Marketplace.

   

King’s Chapel Cemetery

It was in the Marketplace that I saw Steamers on a menu. “Yes, we have steamers.”  Then “Well, let me check to be sure we still have some.”  And finally, “Yes, would you like an order?”   Wow, finally I can order some Steamers and beer in celebration of the afternoon I spent with my Mom the last time we were both in Boston together.  Then I had Steamers and beer a number of times as Mom and I walked around Boston and talked.  The beer was a small pour, but good.  The Steamers were all that I had expected.  Everyone makes noise about Maine Lobster.  I enjoy lobster, though I prefer steamed clams and Dungeness Crab by far.  I suppose I prefer Steamers to crab only because I’ve had so few clams and so much crab these past few years.

Faneuil Hall

The Old State House

   

Details on the Old State House

 

On a Boston walk:

 

 

 

By now it was getting late.  We walked down to Christopher Columbus Park by the harbor, past Joe’s, then headed back to the Arlington Station and home.  Along the way we stopped into “Thinking Cup”, a coffee and pastry  shop and left with a berry rice pudding and a caramel cheesecake.  We found the Boylston Street outbound subway station. It was rush hour and the D-train headed to Riverside was crowded.  There was standing room only with more passengers added at the next few stops before the car half emptied out at Fenway. Past the Chestnut Hill Station, the train became an express going directly to Riverside. The pastry survived the trip intact.  Going home, traffic was heavy but flowed at a good clip. Our iPhone GPS apps guided us right back to Normandy Farms Campground.  I punched our code into the gate control and we zoomed in at 9 mph.  The Beast stood at site #1001 propped on his stabilizers, awaiting our return.   With a twist to turn the water on,  a push of the LP button, and some light switches we settled in for the night.

Site 1001 at Normandy Farms Campground has an opening through the trees to DirecTv’s satellites.  It is not perfectly flat, but it is close to the heated shower facilities with seemingly unlimited hot water and floors so clean you could eat off them.  We still have not visited the weight room, pool room, or indoor pool.

Tomorrow’s weather should mirror today’s.  Boston beacons, we will return to follow the Freedom Trail again tomorrow, starting where we left off today.   Jean O’Neil messaged us that the Museum of Science has a Pixar exhibit that presents the science/engineering behind the Pixar movies; we want to see that.  Old Ironsides is moored in Boston Harbor and that is something I want to visit.  Then there is Concord, Lexington, Arlington, and Cambridge yet to consider.

This morning I went over my Facebook posts since starting this road trip.  How easily we forget all the people and places we have visited when faced with the people and adventure each day holds.  What joy we have had!  What new adventure will unfold tomorrow?

Tonight the Northern Lights should be visible from Massachusetts!  This is quite unusual.  We’re in the country and should have a good view if in fact the phenomenon is visible.

November 4, 2015

Boston’s glow to the north masked any northern light sighting we might have had.  We tried.  Our PVR recorded last Friday’s Real Time with Bill Maher with he interview of Tulsi Gabbard a vice chair of the DNC and guest Grover Norquist author of the “The Pledge” that republicans have signed not to raise taxes in the future.  Caramel cheesecake enhanced the evening.

Today will be slightly cooler than yesterday, we will tour Concord, Lexington, Arlington, Hav’ad Squa’ya, and the Pixar exhibit at the Science Museum if we get that far today.

R & E