Just back from a terrific week in Boston!

I drove there with my daughter, helped her get settled into her first apartment as she starts a summer internship there. Then left the car with her (do not try to drive in Boston proper!) for several more days on my own for Lipstick Getaways research.

I’m just about to dig in to writing some detailed Boston content (so keep checking back in the Plan A Trip section), but thought I’d post a few quick notes here first.

In no particular order:

• Excuse me while I gush: I discovered San Miguel shoes on Beacon Hill!

  These are the most amazing shoes I’ve ever worn! Incredibly comfortable (I wore mine right away, and every day the rest of the trip!) … genuinely stylish (I had several women ask me about them) … AND affordable (under $100).I had never heard of San Miguel shoes, but apparently they have a cult following, and … wait, you know what? I just realized I have way too much to say about these shoes. I’ll need to write a separate post about ‘em asap.
  
  For now, let me just say I found my San Miguel shoes at Core de Vie, a wellness movement studio at 40 Charles Street in Beacon Hill, which had just opened up a retail shop, selling a variety of “things we are passionate about” (said the owner): favorite yoga-type apparel, lovely body care products, candles, etc., as well as the glass art work of the owner’s husband.

  You can also order a wide range of San Miguel shoes online from Outersoul.com (I just ordered three more pairs!).

• The South End, just a few blocks south of the Back Bay, is my new favorite neighborhood.

  For a stroll, cobblestone streets (see “San Miguel shoes” below), beautiful, well-tended brownstones, excellent dining, a little fun shopping, great people-watching. Fun, hip area which is still very friendly and “neighborhood-y,” and way less crowded and hectic than Newbury Street (which I still like too!)

• The North End

  A lively, genuine Italian neighborhood, is definitely worth a visit at least for dinner, the bakeries, and gelato; plus a few cute shops.

• Boston Duck Tour

  You see ‘em all over, so I finally checked out this narrated historical tour of the city in WWII amphibious vehicles. I can report that yeah, it’s touristy, but still well worth doing! Not a must-do, but you won’t regret it either. (However, if the weather is fine and you are able to walk, I’d go for a guided Freedom Trail tour instead. A little more history, a little less show-biz.

• Faneuil Hall: Don’t bother.

  Mentioned in a recent MSN Travel article on “The World’s Worst Tourist Traps”, so I thought I should see for myself. (Times Square was listed in the same article, and I do think it’s fun to go there at least once at night, just to gawk.) Gotta say, they were right. It was awful. Faneuil Hall may be where the American Revolution was plotted, but now it’s just a crowded outdoor mall, food court, and tacky souvenir shop. I have no idea why everyone goes there.

• Harvard Square in Cambridge

  Spent a few hours there with my daughter on a Sunday afternoon. Easy to get to by subway, definitely worth a visit (but not a must-do) for some interesting shops and restaurants, or if you want to do a walking tour of Harvard.

• Beacon Hill

  Another great neighborhood for a stroll, a little shopping (that’s where I found those shoes!), and dining. Liked it last trip, still liked it this trip.

• Newbury Street

  Folks say it’s getting too crowded and expensive … and yes, I suppose it is … but still worth checking out, especially if you haven’t been.

More details on all the above, and more, coming soon. I will write them up and post them for you in the Plan A Trip section.

In fact, going to get started on that right away, after lunch!

Carol

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Wow, we are all thinking about gas prices now, aren’t we?

I hear more and more folks talking about consolidating our errands, carpooling, riding their bikes — and more than ever, I grit my teeth when I smugly park my Prius next to a Hummer (or just yesterday — two Hummers next to each other! What are these people thinking?)

So it looks like I was ahead of my time here at Lipstick Getaways!

As many of you know, I am all the public transportation on our Big City getaways.
Of course I was mostly coming at it from a stress-reduction point of view. Who needs the stress and buzzkill of trying to drive, and navigate around an unfamiliar city, while dealing with traffic and parking? I don’t know about you, but I do enough of that in my everyday suburban life!

That’s why you’ll see that pretty much every destination covered in Lipstick Getaways will be a city with decent mass transit.
And for each city, I’ll do my best to give you the info you need to use the subways, trains, and buses.

A confession: I am now pretty confident with subways, but still a little reluctant to ride the buses. For some reason, bus route maps seem a little more confusing; plus the bus goes so slow. But I’m getting over it — a bus ride came in real handy in Chicago and in Atlanta — and determined to do better. Just last night at dinner, my college daughter told me she rides the bus all the time in Boston – so I will check that out when I’m there next week.

Do you use public transportation when you visit a big city?

If not, tell me why not — do you feel subways and buses are unsafe? Is it just too confusing? Do you drive, or mostly take cabs?

I’d love to hear your comments and feedback — and any helpful tips and info you have on mass transit in your favorite city! Just use the Leave A Reply box below, or email me, carol@lipstickgetaways.com.

Thanks, and go have fun!
Carol

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