New England Aquarium

The New England Aquarium in Boston is the perfect place to go for a family day out no matter what time of year it is. With endless attractions to do and see, you will not be disappointed and won't have to worry about wondering what else to plan into your day. 

The Exhibits include; 

The Giant Ocean Tank; 

 - The four story tank it home to hundreds of different sea animals including Sea turtles, Stingrays, Eels and a huge variety of Caribbean fish and reef animals.  

Sea Turtle Hospital; 

- The Aquarium is the global leader in saving the endangered Turtles. It allows visitors to interact with replica Sea Turtles and learn what it takes to save the endangered species. You can listen to the heartbeat of a cold-stunned Sea Turtle which was just rescued from a beach in Cape Cod.  

Yawkey Coral Reef Center; 

- At the top of the Giant Ocean Tank, a glass railing maximizes everyone’s view of many of the predators swimming high in the water column. Visitors can now easily recognize creatures resting on the tank’s bottom more than 24 feet below. 

The Trust Family Foundation Shark and Ray Touch Tank;  

- The Trust Family Foundation Shark and Ray Touch Tank features sharks and rays in a mangrove-themed tank surrounded by shallow edges and viewing windows, allowing visitors to experience a close encounter with these animals. Visitors reach out and gently stroke cownose rays, Atlantic rays and epaulette sharks as they swim gracefully through the crystal clear water.

Edge of the sea; 

- Pet a star fish, meet a lobster, cradle a hermit crab in the palm of your hand. 

Blue Planet Action Center; 

- The exhibit highlights three aspects of Aquarium expertise: the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on corals, threats facing the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale and efforts to protect seafood resources through sustainable fishing practices.

New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center; 

- Here you can watch California sea lions dart through the water and limber Northern fur seals lope in this beautiful open air exhibit space. 

Pacific Reef Community; 

- Take a look into the tropical waters of  a Pacific Coral Reef and gain an insight into what one would usually look like. You can also get a close look at many of the rainbow-colored fish that live in that habitat.  

 

Seadragons; 

- There are only two species of seadragon in the world, and this stunning exhibit displays both of them. The leafy seadragon and the weedy seadragon both use their exceptional camouflage to hide from hungry predators.

Penguins;  (Personally my favorite part of the Aquarium)

- The Aquarium is home to more than 80 penguins who live in a bustling colony found on Level 1 surrounding the Giant Ocean Tank.

Atlantic Harbor Seals;  

- The harbor seals exhibit is the only exhibit you can actually visit before you buy your Aquarium ticket. Watch the seals swim, play and sleep, and learn more about them during a free training session.

Amazon Rainforest;  

- Take an expedition to the Amazon rainforest without having to jet off in a plane away form Boston. The New England Aquarium’s six Amazon exhibits allow you to dive into the Amazon River and climb through the dense forest without getting wet or needing bug spray and being able to stay a safe comfortable distance away from what could be some of your biggest fears.

Gulf of Marine; 

- The Gulf of Maine stretches from Cape Cod to Canada and includes Boston Harbor and Stellwagen Bank. The water is cold but bursting with life. As you explore exhibits ranging from shore to deep-water boulder reefs and sandy seafloors, you will meet lobsters, cod, goosefish and giant star fish.

 The Aquarium offers a range of different entry prices;

Discounts are also available to groups of 10+, Students with a valid student card and teachers. Visitors who are using a wheel chair and people who are visually impaired are welcomed into the Aquarium free of charge. 

Aquarium members also gain free entry, discounts at the IMAX and Whale watch tickets. 

Location;

1 Central Wharf
Boston,
MA 02110

Very short walk from the Blue line Aquarium T Station

The North End - Little Italy

If you love a good pizza, pasta or pastry, Little Italy in the North End of Boston is the place to go. With over 80 restaurants, cafes and patisseries lining the narrow cobblestone streets there is plenty for you to choose from. 

As Boston’s first neighborhood, the North End evolved from an isolated village to the home of American Revolutionists to Irish haven and finally to Little Italy.

After being to Little Italy a couple of times now, I have found a few favorite places to go. The first restaurant I visited was Ristorante Fiore, here you can dine on everything from fresh, handmade breads and pastas to classic, old-world, Italian plates to inventive, locally-sourced, seafood dishes. As well as pick from three options of where you want to sit; the main dining room, the roof top deck during the cold winter months and then also outside where you can look onto the busy streets when its warm during the summer.  

This restaurant may be seen as a higher priced one as pasta dishes range from $20 to $32 but each dish is generous and always more than you think you can eat! It, however, is defiantly worth the little extra money. 

The next place I visited was Florentine Cafe further down the street from Ristorante Fiore. The Florentine Cafe is one of the oldest bars in Boston. Established just after Prohibition on the corner of Hanover and Prince Streets in Boston's historic North End, it provided a place to meet, greet and enjoy a drink in the heart of one of Boston's most famous neighborhoods. 

This restaurant is a little less pricey as dishes start from $10 and the portion size is no different to that in Ristorante Fiore. With a warm welcome from the friendly staff, this is the best place to go on a chilly day in November for some pasta or pizza to warm up. It is also perfect on a summers day as it is one of the first open air, side-walk side cafes which allows you to take in the atmosphere of the busy street while enjoying your meal. 

After you have enjoyed your dinner and drinks, the best place to go and visit to continue the Italian feeling is either the famous Mike's Pastry or The Modern Pastry shop where you can indulge in a variety of different flavored Cannoli's. 

Mike's Pastry offers a range of different flavored Cannoli's from the original fresh Ricotta cheese to Amaretto and Espresso flavored. Each Cannoli is made fresh in store that same day, the most popular flavors are; ricotta cheese, yellow and chocolate cream. Other fillings are chocolate cream, yellow cream, chocolate dipped, chocolate chip, chocolate covered, New York cheesecake and Florentine ricotta. The ultimate chocolate lovers favorite would be any of the chocolate ones with a chocolate flavored shell dipped in chocolate chips at each end. 

The Modern Pastry shop just down the street form Mike's Pastry provides similar flavors along with a selection of different cakes and cookies. The choice is yours, whatever option you choose you will not be disappointed. Both shops give you the option to sit in and eat your pastry or take them home to eat later. 

Little Italy is a couple of minutes walk away from the Haymarket T station on the orange line. 

Spectacular Views Of  Boston This Fall Season

This is one of my favorite times of the year. The city transforms itself into beautiful scenery of foliage that varies from shades of green, orange, red and yellow. It’s magnificent. This is clearly one of the unique advantages of visiting Boston during the months of October and November.

So I picked some locations to share with you.

Beacon Hill Area: 

On Beacon Hill you will be able to visit the Massachusetts State House and its Gold Dome.  It’s located at the top of Beacon Hill and overlooks the Boston Common (Train stop: the Red or Green Line at Park Street). Also at Beacon Hill you can find a beautiful residential area full of historical brick townhouses.  By the way, Beacon Hill is a prime Real Estate area in Boston. There you find streets such as the one shown in the picture above, traditional narrow streets with cobblestones that make you feel that you are going back in time. Also very close to the State House you will find on Washington Street  the Wang Theater where the Boston Ballet performs.

Boston Common and Boston Public Garden

Within walking distance of the Massachusetts State House is the Boston Common and right next to it is the Boston Public Garden. This is a place where you can walk and enjoy the views of this beautiful park. The Boston Common, almost 50 acres in size, is one of the oldest parks in the US This park was a place where numerous historical events happened prior to and after the America revolution. According to the City of Boston website, “Celebrities, including Martin Luther King Jr., Pope John Paul II, and Gloria Steinem (advocate of the feminist revolution), have given speeches on the Common.”

Both the Boston Common and the Boston Public Garden are places where people gather to have a picnic or even to play a game of Frisbee with their family or dog. Throughout the year you may find individuals and families getting professional pictures there and you may also find locals exercising at the parks. If you have children there is even a playground where children can play for a while as you appreciate the views of this beautiful park.

Additional Information about restaurants nearby: 

-       No. 9 Park is part of the Barbara Lynch Gruppo and has been one of the standards for celebrating special occasions among Bostonians and visitors. The menu includes $69 for three-course prix fixe and prices vary for a la carte. 

-       Teatro can be define as a casual and elegant restaurant in terms of the atmosphere and food.Teatro is in the heart of Boston’s Theater District. A great option before or after performances, it is also an Italian restaurant with a modern twist. Price of entries vary from $30-$61 per person.

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Head of the Charles Regatta 2015

If you are in Boston October 17 and October 18 you can’t miss the opportunity to attend this beautiful and traditional Boston Event. 

So, what is the Head of the Charles Regatta?

This year marks the epic 50th anniversary of the Head of the Charles Regatta. If you are visiting Boston or even if you are a local resident looking for ways to enjoy some of Boston’s charm. The Charles River is a must! Since the beginning in 1965, the Head of the Charles Regatta has welcomed the world’s best crew teams to the banks of the Charles River for the ultimate two-day rowing competition, one of the biggest rowing competitions in the world.  The regatta attracts over 11,000 athletes and over 400,000 spectators. This event is organized by a 15 member board of directors, a team of 115 leading volunteers and 30 different committees to make sure that the event turns out to be a success both for spectators and for the athletes competing. 

What will I see there and what are the other attractions?

There will be plenty to see on the day of the regatta. The competition starts at 8am on October 17^th.  You might want to camp there for the day and have a picnic day depending on the weather. The event is free, so the earlier you arrive on the banks of the river the better view that you will get. Also note that it will get crowded but if you are the kind of person that doesn’t like to be around a lot of people you may purchase tickets in advance at more relaxed areas for spectacular views and distinctive dining experience. 

 Some of the premium locations that visitors can purchase tickets to are:

·         Elliot Bridge Enclosure

·        Reunion Village tickets can be purchased for $10 per day for adults and $15 for the weekend pass.

·        Rowing and Fitness Expo,  is retail space where visitors and athletes can find more than 70+ vendors showcasing rowing equipment, boat manufacturers, food, and so much more.

·        Another place you can’t forget to check out is the Weld Exhibition located near Harvard’s Weld Boathouse; this is one of the liveliest sites of the regatta. This is where you can find all the sponsors for the event,  You can also find local food and free giveaways offered by sponsors. There you can also check the programs and find the latest results for the race. 

Important information for spectators:

Don’t even think about driving to this event!  Parking will be a nightmare that day because Memorial Drive will be closed between Western Ave and the Cambridge Boat Club at the Memorial Drive/Greenough Blvd intersection. So the best options are either to take a taxi or ride the train to Harvard Square Train Station and walk to the Charles.

For more information about the event please  Click here

Map of the course of The Head of the Charles Regatta.

There are many desirable locations along the Charles River from which you can view the regatta. I would say the closer you are to the starting line of the competition the closer you would be to the activities and amenities of this event. 

The Head of the Charles Course Map

The schedule for the event can be found at:

                                                    www.regattacentral.com

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