One Day Stay: Boston, Massachusetts

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Boston is one of the oldest and, in my opinion, most charming cities in the United States and I’m proud to call it HOME. A perfect ‘One Day Stay’ for many East Coasters, Boston is a short drive or train ride and well worth the trip. Pretty in all seasons, Summer and Fall are my personal favorites. Who wouldn’t love watching all the boats on the Charles River or out in the harbor? OR how about viewing the colorful Fall foliage? It is always fun to spend a night in town discovering new hot spots and reminiscing old haunts. I’d say, make Boston your stopover even if you are coming from elsewhere to tour some of The States. It is a great bouncing off point – no wonder it’s nicknamed ‘The Hub of the Universe’!

DROP YOUR BAG

Opened in 1985 in the heart of Back Bay, Four Seasons Boston is an institution of luxury in Beantown. Being a local to Boston, Four Seasons Boston is THE PLACE you think of for a cozy, after dinner drink or Sunday brunch at their Bristol Lounge. Staying as a guest is just a major added bonus! Four Seasons Boston has 196 rooms and 77 suites – all decorated in a contemporary style with touches of New England details. Perfect for the business or leisure traveler alike, recent updates include guest bathrooms as well as the ballroom & meeting spaces. Of course, it wouldn’t be Four Seasons without a FAB spa and fully equipped fitness facility. Completely LOLA APPROVED! I especially enjoyed the welcoming staff. Ron may be the very best doorman I’ve ever encountered.

DO

Stroll through the Boston Public Garden and take in what has gone virtually unchanged since the Garden’s inception.  Said to be the “oldest” botanical garden in United States, the Boston Public Garden is one of my all time favorite places, in ANY season, to take a deep breath and enjoy the beautiful nature all around. You will find there the pretty Lagoon, old school foot-peddled Swan Boats, gorgeous fauna and more. Children of all ages love the duckling statues of Make Way for Ducklings fame.

DRINK

Enjoy a drink along the waterfront. After all, Boston is the capital of the “Bay State”. There are many places to go and have a seaside cocktail but to me the best places are in the recently developed Seaport area. Specifically, Legal Seafood Harborside Roof Deck. Holy WOW! This isn’t how I kicked off my evening. No, I stopped by on a sunny Saturday afternoon and, OH BOY, was this place jumping. I cannot even imagine what the scene must be like after dark. With a scaled-down food menu but a generous drink menu, one could be there for hours sampling the variety of specialty cocktails Legal Seafood offers. Lola tried the Raspberry Fix and it was delish on a warm summer day!

DINE

Eat at Bistro du Midi, named the ‘Best French restaurant in Boston’ by the Boston Globe and it is easy to see why. The dashing staff and talented Chef gave a warm welcome plus a little amuse-bouche. I followed up that tasty treat with a marinated beet salad sprinkled with Vermont goat cheese and then had the pasta with duck & port bolognese paired with apples and French feta for my main course. Even though French inspired seafood is somewhat Bistro du Midi’s specialty, I can attest that my meal was DIVINE. At dessert time little cookies were gifted. My favorite part of the meal, however, may have been the wine! Unique to Bistro du Midi is serving Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge 2011 from a gigantic bottle.  I confess, it kinda won me over instantly.

PS – Another one of my favorite ‘DO‘ activities in Boston is walking the Freedom Trail. It would be criminal not to suggest the 2.5-mile red-brick trail that’s easily navigable and takes you past 16 nationally significant historic sites. Just follow the red-painted line from the Visitor Information Center in the Boston Common to see sights such as important cemeteries, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere’s house, the Old North Church and the Old South Meeting Hall, where patriots planned the Boston Tea Party. Markers along the trail tell the story of the American Revolution and our nation’s early years. OH and by the way, the Freedom Trail is FREE!

A big THANK YOU to Four Seasons Boston for hosting my stay. As a local, I’m also a regular visitor to Four Seasons Boston and so I totally ‘Lola Approve’ it. The views here are mine!