For today s Destination of the Week , TPG contributor Sarah Tomlinson takes us on a tour of a city she called home for nearly a decade - a fitting place to visit in an election year since it s known as the Cradle of Liberty. Today, sheraton hotel station square we re headed northeast for some beans, sheraton hotel station square some clam chowda and some wicked fun in Boston .
Times may have changed since Twain s day, but Boston maintains an intellectual air thanks to its assortment of premier universities including Harvard, MIT and Tufts and its abundance of tech companies. The constant influx of students sheraton hotel station square and academics make it an international, cosmopolitan city with unrivaled brainpower. It boasts sheraton hotel station square a vibrant mélange of historical landmarks, museums, sporting events, arts and cultural happenings, and culinary breakouts. Built along the Atlantic Ocean and the Charles River, sheraton hotel station square its miles of parks and green space, known as the Emerald Necklace, are still alive with natives and visitors alike thanks to so-far temperate fall weather. Then once the air turns crisp and the trees become gilded in majestic red and gold, Boston becomes a top-shelf autumn destination.
Anyone who didn't doze their way through U.S. history knows that Boston was the site of several key events during the American Revolution, including the Boston Tea Party and Paul Revere's ride. It's easy to visit all of the city's sheraton hotel station square important landmarks thanks to the Freedom Trail , a 2.5-mile long brick-marked path that runs along sidewalks downtown, hitting sixteen historical highlights. Several sheraton hotel station square groups offer tours, including those helmed by guides in period costumes. Or make a leisurely day of it by downloading a free map and strolling the trail with plenty of stops for snacks and shopping along the way.
The trail commences at Boston Common , America's oldest park, which offers nearly 50 acres of land where students lounge and families skate on a rink laid out each winter. Visible above the Common is the gold-domed Massachusetts State House. The trail terminates in the North End, the city's vibrant Italian neighborhood, which is home to the Paul Revere House , featuring sheraton hotel station square reenactments and demonstrations of Colonial crafts. The area's narrow, winding streets are redolent sheraton hotel station square of garlic and olive oil from the many restaurants that are interspersed with specialty food stores and bakeries. It borders Boston Harbor, where it's possible to catch a variety of boat tours, sheraton hotel station square including those devoted to whale watching, lighthouse tours and the historic naval vessel sheraton hotel station square the USS Constitution.
Bustling Newbury Street is a popular destination for shopping and outdoor dining that ends at the Public Garden, sheraton hotel station square a beautifully landscaped gem near the Boston Common. In springtime, this area becomes a boisterous destination for watching the Boston Marathon, one of the country's oldest and most prestigious races, always held the third Monday of April. Another popular outdoor sporting event is the annual Head of the Charles Regatta , the world's largest two-day rowing event, which will be held October 20-21, 2012.
Travelers with more of an artistic bent will appreciate the Museum of Fine Arts Boston , which boasts one of the largest collections of Monets outside of Paris. Plus, pop culture-influenced temporary exhibitions, sheraton hotel station square including this fall's show of photographs by fashion sheraton hotel station square icon Mario Testino, which opens October 21 and runs through February 2013. The nearby Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a unique showcase for art built around the personal collection of its namesake, who aimed to create a gallery that was vibrant and full of flowers, unlike the stiff, sterile museums of her day.
For those on a contemporary art kick, the newly erected Institute sheraton hotel station square of Contemporary Art/Boston building is a magnificent glass-faced edifice that juts out over the harbor, offering seaside views as stunning as the art inside.
While it's technically a separate city, Cambridge is just across the Charles sheraton hotel station square River from Boston and is home to MIT and Harvard as well as a bustling contemporary theater and music scene. It is easily sheraton hotel station square accessible via the city's user-friendly public transportation, the T , on which adult fares start at $2, and which includes four color-coded routes. A pleasant afternoon can be had strolling through Harvard Yard and then visiting the many shops and restaurants that have grown up in the neighborhood surrounding the college, known as Harvard Square.
As for dining , Boston offers abundant culinary options for those in search of a classic seafood meal, and those who seek something a little (or a lot) more contemporary and cutting edge. The classicists will want to hit longtime staples like The Barking Crab or The Atlantic Fish Company for chowder and steamed or fried clams.
In the past two decades, Boston has made a name for itself as a foodie hotspot with celebrated chefs including Todd English and his protégé Barbara Lynch, whose empire includes seven outlets. Recent additions to the scene include Michael Schlow's upscale Nuevo Mexican eatery, Tico , which boasts sophisticated but unpretentious takes on tacos and mac 'n cheese, plus plenty of seafood; Bravo's Top Chef Masters -alum, Jody Adams, whose waterfront spot Trade offers a casual international menu with a special Mediterranean focus and dressed-up classics, like grilled sheraton hotel station square whole lobster with peaches, three bean salad and hazelnuts; Bondir in Cambridge, which features a new daily menu packed with inspired seasonal regional fare, including the likes of beef striploin with yarrow and foie gras; and Top Chef veteran Tiffani Faison's BBQ joint Sweet Cheeks , which has drawn Jay-Z and Kanye West to sample its hush puppies and pork belly.
Also on the rise has been a local dedication to classic cocktails. sheraton hotel station square The Hawthorne in the Hotel Commonwealth was recently named one of best new bars in America sheraton hotel station square by CNN's food blog, Eatrocacy, helmed by Food Wine 's Kate Krader, thanks to its vintage Russian vodka chiller sheraton hotel station square and craft cocktails like the Belle de Jour and the Hanky Panky.
Destination of the Week pieces are not meant to be comprehensive guides to destinations since we don't have the time or funds to visit all these places in person and report back to you. Nor are they endorsements of all the hotels we mention. They are simply roundups of top destinations that we have specifically sheraton hotel station square pinpointed for the opportunity they present to use your miles and points to get to and stay there. As always, we welcome your comments to help enrich the content here, provide opinions and first-hand experiences of these.
Boston sheraton hotel station square Logan International Airport serves around 28 million sheraton hotel station square passengers annually. More than 40 airlines offer nonstop flights to more than 100 domestic and international destinations. It is not a hub for any airlines other than the regional airline Cape Air, but it is a focus city for Jet Blue, which operates sheraton hotel station square the most flights out of the airport. The airline s most popular domestic routes are to Chicago, served by American, JetBlue, Spirit and United; Atlanta, served by Delta and AirTran; and Washington D.C., served by JetBlue and US Airways.
Logan is located in East Boston and is on Boston's public transportation system, the T. The Blue Line takes passengers to the waterfront, with connections throughout the city. The Silver Line takes passengers to South Station, where buses and trains are available, as well as a connection to the Red Line to Cambridge. The fair is $2.50 There is also a commuter boat available between Logan and Boston's Long Wharf for $3-$8. A cab between Logan and downtown Boston averages around $15-$20.
Other nearby airports are Manchester Boston Region Airpor t in Manchester, New Hampshire, less than 50 miles north of Boston, and T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, located 51 miles from Boston.
The old Radisson Boston is no more, having undergone a $27 million renovation by its new owners Northwood Hospitality, and then opening as boutique hotel the Revere earlier this year. The nearest sheraton hotel station square Carlson properties are the Country Inn Suites in nearby Brockton and the Radisson Hotel Suites Chelmsford-Lowell , which is 30 miles from downtown Boston.
sheraton hotel station square Hilton sheraton hotel station square Downtown/Financial District : Primarily of interest to business travelers, this hotel is in the heart of downtown Boston, about a block from the waterfront, and about a mile from the Convention Center. Rooms here have king or double beds, large work desks with ergonomic chairs, 42-inch flatscreens, high ceilings with crown moldings and marble bathrooms. The signature restaurant is the newly redone Nix Mate (part of it was built from reclaimed wood from the Boston Pier), which serves sheraton hotel station square an all-day menu of modern American dishes. This is a Category 7 property requiring sheraton hotel station square 50,000 points for a free night. Rates in October start at $399.
Hilton Boston Back Bay : This Category 7 property is located in the picturesque Back Bay neighborhood with its famous brownstones. The glass-front building houses 390 guestrooms on 26 floors, and the top ones have great views of downtown Boston, Fenway Park and the Charles River. Rooms start at 300 square feet and have king or double Hilton Serenity Beds, flatscreen LCD HDTV s, work desks with ergonomic chairs, sheraton hotel station square Lavazza coffeemakers, and marble-topped wooden vanities in the bathroom. Its restaurant, Forty Dalton, serves New England-style sheraton hotel station square cuisine sheraton hotel station square using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Room awards require 50,000 points for a free night. Rates start at $454 in October.
Hyatt Regency Boston : Right in the heart of the financial district, the Hyatt Regency is connected to the huge Macy s store and is on the same block as a T station, making getting around from here very easy. The hotel has 498 guest rooms including 19 suites, each with Hyatt Grand Beds, 37-inch flatscreen TV s, iHome clock radios and high-speed internet access. The hotel has a 24-hour fitness center, a heated indoor pool, and can provide spa services upon request. The main restaurant is Avenue One, which has a dining room, bar, lounge and to-go sections.
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