Well, somehow October is already half over. So far, I’m enjoying October a heck of a lot more than I enjoyed September, though. Are we finally finding some sort of rhythm, perhaps? Or have the occasionally cooler temperatures simply mellowed me a bit? Hard to say.
I continue to walk daily, as part of Elisabeth’s CBWC challenge. Near daily, I suppose is more accurate. Let’s take a look at the second week of walks. Several of my walks took place out of state. Here’s a teaser photo – can you guess where I was?
October 8:
I started the day with a lovely three mile walk, accompanied by my friend and writing partner. After the previous day’s drenching rain, today was freshly scrubbed and shiny. I grabbed a photo of a wooly bear although it’s not the most flattering portrait; I find it slightly embarrassing to ask my friend to stop so I can paparazz a caterpillar. She rolled with it, though.
October 9:
A quick one-miler today. This is where Elisabeth’s walking challenge really comes in clutch; I don’t know if I would have forced myself out of whatever stupor I’d been in to go for a walk if it wasn’t for her. As usual, though, I felt much better once I got my rear in gear and enjoyed some fresh air. I also ended up moving all of my vegetable pots – my tomatoes, basil, jalapenos, and zucchini are still producing – in anticipation of some landscaping work we’re having done.
October 10:
Today, my husband and I loaded Carla into the car, drove to the airport, and flew to Boston for a long weekend! My husband and I have each been to Boston several times, but this was a first for Carla. We checked into our lovely hotel in the Back Bay and took a duck boat tour. Then we spent the rest of the day wandering around Newbury Street. Even though we walked for hours, we only got in seven miles. It felt like more.
October 11:
If you guessed from my teaser photo that we were walking the Freedom Trail, you were right! We took a ferry to the USS Constitution, which was closed to visitors due to the government shutdown, and then did the Freedom Trail in reverse, reading about each stop online as we went. My biggest surprise takeaway was that neither the battle of Bunker Hill nor the Bunker Hill monument took place on Bunker Hill. They were named for where the battle was supposed to take place, but the real battle and monument were on Breed’s Hill. Our day included 9.6 miles of walking and ended in Cambridge. At dinner, my husband ordered a lobster roll, which he deemed delicious. (I prefer my lobster unadulterated by anything but gallons of melted butter.) (I had yummy, yummy halibut.) After dinner, we found ourselves at Carla’s favorite ice cream shop for dessert. She got the same combination (chocolate and raspberry) that she’d fallen in love with during our Paris vacation. We took the subway back to our hotel and I was out like a light.
October 12:
The Nor’easter that the weather people were warning about started spitting on us on Sunday, but we took a train to Salem anyway. I would not recommend visiting Salem in October, unless you love crowds and lines. Everything had a line: coffee shops, bathrooms, kitschy tourist shops. Any attraction available had endless lines and “sold out” signs on the doors. Luckily, my husband – trip planner extraordinaire – had reserved us a walking tour weeks ago. The tour was fun and appropriately spooky, and then our tour guide told us where to eat lunch. The tavern was slightly off the beaten path, and turned out to be a perfect suggestion because not only did we get in immediately, but the food was delicious. My biggest surprise takeaway from our tour was that the Salem Witch Trials lasted a mere thirteen months. Two hundred people were accused, but only (“only”) twenty people were tried and murdered as witches, nineteen by hanging and one by pressing. That minuscule moment in history sure gets a lot of hype! We walked around Salem for 7.8 miles, admiring the creepy sites and shuddering at the crowds, then hopped back on the train to Boston. After a brief stop at Levain Bakery – where we saw the inspiration for my favorite fall cookie in the wild! – we decided we were tired of the rain and weary of walking, so we ate dinner at the Irish pub in our hotel.
October 13:
I did not do a dedicated walk on Monday, but I will count our pre-dawn hike to the bus stop in pouring rain. No, it was not more than a five-minute slosh from our hotel, but STILL. Despite the growing panic about the storm, our flight was unaffected and we got home around noon. The cat was extremely glad that we’d come home. Apparently the twice-daily visits from the cat sitter AND long daily visits with my parents weren’t enough to convince him he hadn’t been abandoned.
October 14:
Back to normal, and I got in a mid-afternoon 1.6 mile walk around the neighborhood. The leaves are finally starting to don their October finery. I found a tree that matches my nail polish!
And that’s another week of fall and another week of walks in the books.
Have you ever been to Salem? Did you, like me, go through A Witchy Phase (mine occurred in middle school, but I still enjoy witchy things)? What is the most crowded tourist attraction you’ve ever visited?
Great pictures! Matt and I went to Boston (my first time) for our – twentieth? – anniversary. We did something called the Politically Incorrect East Side Food Tour that was an absolute blast – ended with a fantastic lunch in the tour guide Anthony’s mom’s house.
I am jealous of your lovely hands. I am trying to play the piano again and my hands are ridiculous stubby things that are letting me down.
The battle naming thing sounds dumb, but then again The Battle of Breed’s Hill really does not have the same ring to it. Did they all just run into each other while they were on their way to the original site and decide to start the fighting early?
Well that tour sounds amazing. I am dying to know why it was politically incorrect.
Oh yay for playing the piano again! I want to get back to it, and I go through spurts where I practice regularly-ish, but it’s been a loooonnnnng time since I’ve practiced at all.
I’ve never been to Salem (been to Boston a few times), but it sounds like a fun trip. I’m glad Leo survived the ordeal of your absence.
Leo would like you to know that he BARELY survived.
Aaaand as usual I forgot to answer the questions. We haven’t done a lot of Big Tourist Attractions – oh! I have a funny story. When we were in Florence we went to the gallery where Michelangelo’s David was, but the line was so long we thought we’d go get something to eat then try again. Then somehow we found a little side entrance that was not monitored, walked in and saw it immediately. We are usually rule followers, so this felt scandalous.
I didn’t go through a witchy phase per se, but I like the aesthetic. I’ve watched The Craft with Eve multiple times, and tried to curse an enemy or two.
Secret side entrance!!!! Yay!
Okay, but there are SO MANY good witchy books. I am listening to Witches of Worm with my kid right now and reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond to her at night (to be fair, the latter makes her fall asleep).
Oh! You should read her The girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. Wonderful witch.
Adding it to my list!!! Thank you!
Ahhhhh you were in my state! I recognized the Freedom Trail right away, so iconic. The rain was so bad this weekend, I’m sorry you didn’t have better weather but I’m glad you had fun! And I’ve never ever been to Salem even though I’ve lived in MA my whole life – too scary for me.
Aside from Sunday, we had pretty excellent weather! And I would actually prefer intermittent rain to, like, heat and humidity.
P.S. My maiden name is Sweeney (like the pub!)
So fun!!!
Great pictures; I knew that photo was from Boston! Since I grew up in the suburbs near there, I have of course been to many of those places (I once fainted on the fourth of July while waiting for the Constitution to do its annual turn-around). I’ve been to Salem many times, starting as a school field trip; I remember being creeped out by the animatronic of Giles Corey under the rocks, groaning, “More weight!” In recent years, I’ve gone there around Christmastime, when they have a holiday house tour that is well worth seeing.
How fun to go to Salem as a school field trip! We did not go into any museums, so I have only heard the story of poor pressed Giles, but that animatronic model sounds really creepy!
I love all these pictures, Suzanne! The colours! Your nails! The food! The sights of Boston.
I’ve never been but it is on my list and I know it frequently tops lists of best cities in the US to visit. Plus, broadly speaking, it’s not thatttt far from my house.
I will be referencing this post when I finally get around to taking a trip here.
It’s so funny, Elisabeth, because I have been there a few times and this was BY FAR the most enjoyable. Not sure if it’s that I’m older and more tolerant of history? It’s also possible that the weather played a role. The other times I’ve been there have been in the heat of summer (college visits) or in the bitter winter, and neither of those is great for walking around the city.
Ooh, I have a friend who’s a Salem tour guide! I wonder if he was yours?? He loves this time of year. What a fun-sounding trip. I definitely had a Salem witchy history phase (still in it, maybe?) in middle school.
Our tour guide’s name was Dana and he is in the Air Force! He was excellent!
Haha – yes, I have not outgrown my witchy phase either.
Oh, bummer, not my guy. But glad yours was excellent!
This looks like such a fun trip. I have never been to Boston and I would love to visit that area and see some of those historical places. Your nail polish is gorgeous! Of course it should match the tree colors! The most crowded place I’ve been to is Disney World.
Oh yes, I bet Disney World is jam packed! It was a really fun trip and I hope you get to Boston one of these days!
That’s a LOT of walking! You saw so much in that amount of time. I’ve never been to Boston and would like to go but really have no reason to. Love the nail polish!
Most crowded–NYC, always. Everywhere in the tourist areas anyway.
NYC is not my favorite place, and perhaps you have pinpointed why!
I’ve never been to Boston or Salem and now I want to go ASAP. Bonus points for the trees getting with it to match your nails!
The trees were very cooperative!
I’ve been walking – but usually it’s really, really early so no chance of good pictures. 🙁
I’ve been a witchy reading phase lately – can’t remember off the top of my head the last three witchy books that I’ve read (or listened to) but am currently listening to The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner.
Yes, early morning walks aren’t particularly photogenic.
I will have to check out that book!
Ooh, Salem in October! Sounds perfect and spooky.. and that’s what everyone else thought as well. It still sounds like you had fun.
Nice job walking every day. On the day you flew home, I’m going to give you credit for walking in the airport- there’s no way you didn’t walk at LEAST ten minutes to get to your gate!
I’m sure Leo is very happy you’re home.
You are so right, Jenny! Lots of walking at the airport!
I actually was able to guess where you were based on that photo! Your trip sounds mostly great! We also visited Salem during October when we visited a friend who was doing a program at Harvard. It was so crowded with people. I did not like it at all. But I don’t like crowds! I can see the appeal of the area when it’s not mobbed with people, though!!
Poor Leo! Some cats are not loners. Ours isn’t. She always has to stay with my MIL if we were gone for more than 2 nights. She is a people cat but also hates people besides my husband? She contains multitude.
This week is our fall break so lots of families are on vacation. But we aren’t and I am glad. I had debated taking Paul to visit my sister but flights were $900 which is ridiculous. It’s nice to stay put. The kids have childcare at the after school program and I am enjoying not going anywhere (which is key right now since staying close to home feels best for my healing body/brain).
I hate crowds, too, Lisa. It makes me so uncomfortable and edgy that I focus on the crowds and not my surroundings.
Haha – your cat sounds like a very particular gal. I’m really glad your MIL has been there for her!
Sometimes a staycation is the perfect way to spend a break. How nice that your kids still have childcare. I think you have a lot on your plate right now, and being able to rest is super important.
That looks like such a perfect fall trip. 🍂
YOUR NAILS!!!!
The nail polish is SO good! 😀
The trip sounds lovely – I’ve never been to Boston (never been further north than DC, in 5th grade, eek!), but I’d like to 🙂 The history major in me has many things to see, lol
I love Boston. I’ve not been to Salem. Your nail polish color is so pretty. I love it. I would have to say the busiest tourist thing I’ve done in recent years anyway is the Vatican in Rome over spring break. (more notable though is the colosseum because Mini was double over in pain and started puking her guts out when we got back to our hotel).
I had to go to MA on a business trip once, and a few of us went to Salem for the evening. We took a ghost tour that was completely lame, but I had the best lobster I’ve ever had and it was inexpensive, especially compared to what one would pay here.
My family lived in that area for about 150 years (which surely means I have plenty of relatives still there, just not close ones…my Great Grandma’s family moved them to California in the early 1900s when she was an infant.) One of my ancestors, Sarah Osborne, was tried as a witch, though they didn’t hang her, she died in jail. She was unhealthy to begin with, and in her 60s, and the harsh conditions were too much for her. Her husband had died years before, and she remarried, and I think her sons were worried that the property wasn’t going to come to them. What a tragic, horrible time in our history. I remember hearing years ago that perhaps the people were poisoned by a bad wheat crop, which could cause hysteria. Lots of theories.
I’m glad you had a great time, and that poor Lenny survived!
Why is my brain this way? Just doing my yoga and realized my math was way off. My family was in the Salem region for almost 250 years, not 150. And yet, while I have been to MA, I’ve never been to Boston other than the airport, and only to Salem that one evening. Maybe we should take a vacation there sometime…
Amorino!!!!!!!! YESSSSS. We have one in NYC, but never been, but we first tried Amorino in Avignon, just the kids and I and then in Paris as well, with my husband.
They always want a macron (sp?) on top, so delicious.
I love everything witchy, even the witchy weather, interestingly it is now in NJ- very windy and that makes the leaves dance. Never been to Salem but the most crowded would probably be the Trocadero platform next to the Eiffel tower?… The Louvre, and the square next to it. Also, New York City subway?…
I would love to visit Salem! Note to self: do not go in October.
OMG, the freedom trail! I have the BEST family story about it but will save it for the next time I see you. 🙂 It’s one of those family stories that comes up periodically and has all of us doubled over in laughter.
I was just thinking that I need to get to Boston/New England, but need to figure out how to do so. Travel is challenging in the best of times; add in my own crap + gov’t shutdown and, well, driving is looking pretty good. (Perhaps with a stop in your neck of the woods…?)