Boston

Day 1
Flying out there, through St Louis the plan there was filled with Red Sox, Yankee and Cubs fans.  That was really cool and a picture of what was to come.  I got into town, did some Lyfting to get to my AirBNB, which was really nice, but maybe in an area of town I should have checked.  It’s not bad, and I really never felt bad, but did hear some gun shots.  But it worked well for what I needed it to be and was walkable to places.

I went straight to the Old North End and walked around.  I hit a place for lunch and had a beer with some clam chowder, that was pretty good.  I then walked toward the old bars, the Bell in Hand and The Green Dragon.  As I was walking to the Green Dragon I ran into “Liam Nesson” Freedom Trail guide.  This guy I met in 2015 and was one of the cool guys that stuck out that trip.  Well I walked by him and he noticed my Iowa gear and dropped a line about the Hawks.  Was awesome.  I walked then into the Green Dragon.  Great history with the bar and it has some great beer.  Sam Adams Boston Brick Red!  Sitting there a gal across the way started talking to me.  She was from Toronto there on a pharmaceutical business trip.  We talked for about an hour or so there and was really cool.

Wandered across the street to the Bell In Hand with the gal from Toronto and mozied up the bar.  On the way across ran into some kids from the NCAA Div 3 champion Hockey team and got a picture with a player and the trophy.  Kinda cool happening to just have that happen.  They were going to throw out the first pitch that night before the Sox/Yankees game.

The Bell In Hand also boasts some history also as the oldest bar in America.  Another place with some exclusive Sam Adams beers, this time I had the 26.2, made only in a certain time in Boston by Sam Adams for the Boston Marathon.  Good stuff again.  Ended up sitting next to 3 fire fighters from Las Vegas, and their wives/others.  They were pretty cool.  Talked to them for about a half hour or so.  They kept egging on the gal about trying to go Vegas.  It was funny.  They were in town for the game that night verse the Yankees and then vs the Cubs the next night.  After they left, a group an older guys came in and sat by us.  Like most that weekend, they were in town for the games and to see Fenway, from Florida this time.  Hilarious group of guys and I’m sure they had an epic time based on the time I chatted with them and their plan.  Never saw a guy chug that much beer that quick than the guy there.  Gone quick.

I decided to get going and go see some history in and went toward the little area and also Paul Revere’s house and hopped on the trail.  This is where things got cool!  Went to Mike’s Pastry to get a cannoli.  This was a place I didn’t get to go to last time in Boston and made sure I hit it this time.  As I was walking there and putting cash in my wallet, I get to a street corner, and look up and see ANTHONY RIZZO!  The Cubs were off that day and I thought a few might be out on the town, but this was AWESOME.  Rizzo, his gf and looked like a brother and someone else all had cannoli’s.  I wanted to ask for a picture with him, but he had a mouth full of cannoli, and he really wanted probably just time to relax.  But I did talk to him asking him “how are you doing?” and “thanks for last year.”  I was still in awe and star struck but I at least got to get some words out.  That was FUN.

I followed the trail to Boston Common and wandered then into the Original Cheers and sat at the corner, ala Norm, by 2 gals from Chicago.  As I got there in the evening, you started to see more Cubbie Blue coming into town.  We sampled beers and chatted about the Cubs, the Rizzo meeting and the town and 2016.  They were really fun and basically continued the trend of people I met this trip.  All just really fun and talked and all kinda in shock that I went out there all alone and praised me for going out and living life.  They even took a picture of me and posted it on Facebook in order to create drama.  That was fun for them, and we’ve texted during the series.  It was all in good fun.  They left and went for seafood and had their own encounter and met Kris Bryant that night.  All cool for there for them.  I stayed for one more beer and talked to a couple there from NOLA that were LSU fans along with Cubs fans.  We chatted Hawks/Tigers and the Capital One Bowl.  They love Ferentz and the Hawks program with the loyalty.  Interesting to get their SEC perspective on the Hawks.  Talked life, kids and beer with them too.  Awesome people.

I ended the night heading to Harvard, and John Harvard Brewing Company, supper and more beer there and wandering around that campus.  In front of the non-John Harvard statue statue was a stage they had set up.  Life lesson, if there is a stage out there DANCE ON IT AND OWN IT!  So I did.  Out in the yard were some light up teeter totters for the students during final week.  They had music blaring and every time the teeter totter would hit the ground they would light up.  I sat there and watched kids spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on their education just sit there and act like 7 & 8 yr. old kids.  It was fun and refreshing.  Ended the night with another Mike’s Cannoli and then went home to crash.

Day 2

Woke up a lil hungover, nothing a donut and coffee (I thought) would cure.  Started out walking the town in the morning in a hoodie and jeans (and to foreshadow – maybe didn’t help me later in the trip).  I walked through the campus of Northeastern University, small little place that is just placed there right in the city between Fenway and the financial district.  At the financial district, I got to walk down the final meters of the Boston Marathon.  Looking at it, thinking of all the things that happened there 4 years ago with the bombing, and then the Mark Wahlburg movie kind of gives you chills.  The Finish Line was still painted and I got the picture of it.  It would have been cool to have myself running thru it but you know traffic was involved.

After that I went after more history on the Freedom Trail and hit the Granary Burial Ground.  Resting place of Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Paul Revere.  This place is really cool and the resting place of so many prominent individuals.  It didn’t give the chills as the Washington grave site but still really cool.  This moment was also the time I saw a preview of what I would see at Fenway with all the Cubs fans there.  Next then was lunch at Sam Lagasse’s, for a pastrami sandwich.  This place was on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives and was a decent and HUGE sandwich.  I only ate half of it, which may have been a good thing.

One place I didn’t get to in 2015 that I watned to see was the USS Constitution, old Iron Sides.  On the way there I did walk right by the Garden and see the Bobby Orr statue.  I didn’t check if there was a Larry Bird one but there has to be right?  I got over walking to the bridge and ended up meeting a pilot from Delta as we were walking the same place.  We talked for about 30 mins, discussing the issues going on with United, North Korea, stuff in Boston and the ship and his upcoming trip to London.  Really cool guy, and hope to be on one of his flights, hopefully on the way home from DC in June.  Iron Sides had a bunch of scaffolding in dry dock to get it all fixed up so that was kind of a bummer but still it’s an amazing ship to view and think that it was in the navy for George Washington and named by him.  Really cool and sent that picture to dad.

At the USS Constitution I met up with Steph and we wandered down to a bar, had a beverage and talked a bit, and caught up with life about all aspects.  Always good to catch up with her.  We then walked our way to Regina’s pizza, the spot she showed us in 2015.  Good lil historic pizza place.  About this time I wasn’t drinking or eating on pace as I usually am, and well the ride back to the AirBNB to get the tickets showed that, got sick.  It was really quick but all over I-93.  Thankfully, hanging out of the Lyft, I didn’t get hit and ended up pushing through through the night, but didn’t drink up as much and it kind of took a bit out of me.

Next stop was Fenway, and I wasn’t letting getting sick keep me from there and the Cubs-Red Sox.  Again CUBS FANS EVERYWHERE.  Had a drink at the Cask n Flagon and got my 2 extra tickets sold.  SWEET!  And then wandered over to the Bleacher Bar.  At the Bleacher Bar had some water…aka Bud Light…and some gravey fries for the first time ever.  Steph ordered those, and I had a couple and went easy on my stomach all night.  Hence the Bud light.  Getting into the stadium, and walking up the ramp to see the green grass, sun light always give me chills.  Add in that it was a perfect day and the green monster looming over in left field.  It was awesome.

The tickets were in the old wooden seats in left field, and had some great people around us.  The gals from Maine were funny to interact with and the guy infront of me was hilarious.  And add on that had the Boston accent that I just wanted to hear him talk more history.  The Cubs had a bad first inning, made it a really fun close game but lose 5-4.  Kris Bryant crushed one over the green monstah in the 1st inning, but the rest was just blah.  I was pretty tame during the game due to my gut but it was still a good time.

Day 3

Didn’t sleep that well with the gut and heat, but Day 3 was all about Sam Adams.  Saturdays at the brewery, the trolley driver to Doyle’s is LEGENDARY!  I walked my way up through the town to the brewery and got on the first tour.  The tour was nothing really new from 2015.  The beer making process hasn’t changed at all and the hops still smell when you crush them in your hands.  I got the few samples at the brewery and then wandered out to the gift shop, where I ran into the trolley driver, Jason.  It was awesome.  Talked to him and got a picture with him before the trip to Double fist pump, DOYLES!

In 2015 at Doyle’s they had a beer called Black and Gold, that they only sold at Doyle’s and the Garden for Bruins games.  Great beer but didn’t have it.  The list was pretty limited this time but they had Cherry Wheat from the source!  Grabbed a couple of those and talked to a couple from New Hampshire that were Sox and Cubs fans.  Mentioning that I was from Iowa, a couple overheard me to the right who were Iowa grads.  Small world, and we had great conversation.  Nice young couple.  Even though I wanted to go easy on my gut, I had to get the Rueben.  The trolley driver raves about them and it was one of the best ones I’ve had.

With the Cubs losing the night before part of me wanted to hit the game Saturday to see a W, bought a ticket behind homeplat in the stands and walked toward Fenway again, and small world happened again.  Sat next to a gal from Sioux City most the game.  The Cubs ended up hitting 3 homers (Rizzo, Miggy, Zobrist) and won the game 7-4!  I got my W out there.

I spent the rest of the night just walking around Boston.  Getting sick had kinda been a damper, and I was missing a P.I.C. to carry me along the way and keep me going.  Walked around till about 9 and decided with the flight home early the next day to call it a night.

Overall Boston was a great trip!  Got to see 2 games at Fenway in a great series that should be a preview of October.  I hit Sam Adams, didn’t get a few other breweries hit that I wanted to but maybe again I’ll be out there.  I ran into the Trolley driver and Liam Nesson at the Quicny Market.  The worst part of the trip was not eating the seafood I wanted to get.  I missed out on that.  Luckily I’ll be in Baltimore later this summer and be able to get some there.  Don’t know when I’ll go back to Boston, but also next time I’m going to have some friends along there.