How to Spend a Week in Boston

Hey there, and welcome to my first blog post! I am beyond excited to start blogging and documenting my life. To start off, this post will be dedicated to my week in Boston and how to make the most of a vacation while traveling on a tighter budget.

Also make sure to check out my YouTube video to see just how much fun we actually had

Adventures of Ashley & Codie: Boston 2016 

Step 1: Conquer the T

As a southern California native, the idea of public transportation was mind-boggling to me, but the Boston T system was easy to navigate, and quicker/ cheaper than taking an uber or a lyft.  The first day, we only got a 3-ride Charlie pass, and quickly upgraded to a week pass for only $21.25. I’d say we got our money’s worth.

Step 2: Walk the City

One thing I’ve learned from traveling on a tighter budget is that I get the most bang for my buck if I just put on a pair of walking shoes and trek through the city.  Especially in a historical American city like Boston, the real treasures aren’t just in the big monuments, but the small buildings on the way to the destination.  Walking also allowed us to see a lot more of the city than we would have if we’d been underground on the T all the time or in an uber on the highways.

We got to see buildings like Faneuil Hall (which is a free museum, by the way!), stop by Quincy Market for a quick lunch, walk in Copley Square, where we saw outdoor Zumba taking place, admire the grandeur of the Boston Public Library, and see so many other cool places I didn’t even know existed! None of that would’ve happened if we hadn’t decided to walk the city.

Also make sure to take some time to visit Newbury Street. We ate breakfast at Trident Cafe one day, a restaurant that also doubled as a bookstore, and I LOVED it. Combine breakfast and books, and I’m on cloud 9.

There are also several other cafes and coffee shops, my personal favorite being the Wired Puppy. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and settle for Starbucks, but seriously, try it.

Step 3: See Harvard

Everyone knows Harvard as one of the world’s most prestigious universities, and I’d always wanted to go and see it in person, so we decided to trek out to Cambridge and check it out, I don’t think it was any longer than 20 minutes by T to get from East Boston to Cambridge.  The town is small, but beautiful, and we had pizza at Cambridge 1. and it was some of the best pizza we’d ever had, before making our way to the university.  Everything about the university seemed large and important, I felt like I was getting smarter just by standing outside the library. It was certainly worth the trip.

Step 4: Go to a Red Sox Game at Fenway

My boyfriend is a die-hard Red Sox fan, so going to a game was a non-negotiable for us. For baseball fans, Fenway Park is a must-see baseball stadium and there was something special about being there with so many other Boston fans.  Tickets do get pricey, but the experience was beyond worth it.

Step 5: Splurge a Little

I’m a big planner, so the second we booked our tickets, I started planning out how much money I needed to save, how much I was going to spend while we were out there, and what would/ would NOT be worth splurging on.  Since we were staying with family we didn’t need to pay for a hotel or anything, which gave us a bit more spending money, so we decided that we would spend one night eating dinner at the Top of the Hub at the Prudential Center. I wouldn’t say I’m one for fancy dinners, but I knew this would be such a fun experience, and it definitely was! My biggest piece of advice would be to plan in advance how much money you’re willing to splurge- this is a vacation, after all, and it’s important to #treatyoself.

 

The most important thing to remember is to keep an open mind. As a self-proclaimed control freak, I always want to plan down to the very last detail, but I think I had as much fun as I did on this trip because I didn’t overthink everything. Finding balance is essential, you don’t want to over-plan, but you should look up some things you want to do each day so you’re not left with nothing to do. Boston is a big and beautiful city, so the last thing you want to do is waste a day because you couldn’t think of anything to do.

 

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Ashley

 

P.S. Want to SEE just how much fun I had in Boston? Check out my YouTube video My Week in Boston!!

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