Walking shoes required in Boston

Many who know the Boston area will not recommend traveling in and out of the city by plane in the winter months because you’re likely to encounter a weather delay. While that’s often true, I’m quite glad I didn’t listen and still went to Boston in December 2011. My mom and I were lucky to experience decent temperatures, which allowed us to adequately explore the historic city.

In addition to what I mention in this story we also visited the graveyards, Paul Revere house, Boston Common, The Old North Church, the Cheers bar, the Museum of Fine Arts, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and the USS Constitution as well as some other places, which were also great. But here’s some advice that goes beyond those favorites.

If you want to see a lot, don’t leave your sneakers at home. Take your most comfortable shoes and if you go in the winter, make sure you take warm and comfortable boots. Take multiple pairs of shoes, too, in case one gets wet.


It seems it’s cold there more than anything else, so at least take a light jacket. It was pretty cold when we were there but we heard people commenting that they were experiencing a warm week, so I was glad not to have to experience the city at its coldest.

Three travel tips for the trip

Stay in the heart of the city: You’ll want to be able to walk to a lot of the sites and not have to rent a car or take public transportation everywhere. I recommend making sure your hotel or hostel is in close proximity to what you want to see before you book it.

Plan what you want to do ahead of time: Since it was winter, we only had about eight hours to cram in everything that was wanted to do since things closed early. If there are things you have to see in the city, make a list and plan them out ahead of time after checking the hours it’s open.

Take a trolley ride: When we were there, we bought a ticket for the trolley and it was good for a week. It’s a nice way to make sure you see some memorable sites and a great way to get around the city. Most of the drivers let you get on and off as you please. I’ve heard good things about duck tours, but they weren’t in operation when I was there.

While many may just think to go to a game if it’s baseball season, I suggest you go further. I’m not even a baseball fan but I really enjoyed touring the park. We went during their 100th anniversary celebration, which was neat. The park has a lot of history and it’s really interesting to hear all about it. Plus, you get to sit in the green monster seats, which are difficult to get if you are looking to go to a game.

Visit the New England Aquarium: We received discount tickets through the trolley company so we went, and I’m glad we did. It was really fun to see and there were a lot of interactive displays. It’s a great way to get inside, which can be helpful in the cold weather. We were able to touch stingrays, hermit crabs and starfish. I was excited to see a giant sea turtle in the central tank.

Go to the Prudential Tower Skywalk Observatory on a clear day: It’s nice to see the city from up high on a very nice day. As you walk around the skywalk, you can punch different numbers into your personal audio tour and you’ll learn a ton of interesting things about the city.