Trip Report Day 3 June 7th

When we awoke on Saturday we had a little trouble crawling out of bed. Our full day the day before left us a little “sluggish”, but I was on a mission so we managed to get out and about around 10:00 am. After getting instructions from the friendly front desk staff of The Charlesmark we headed out on the Green Line and switched to the Orange for our ultimate destination of the USS Constitution and The Bunker Hill Monument. The day before had been a little cool and breezy at times, but that certainly wasn’t the case on Saturday. The weather was as hot and steamy as any Texas day might be. We arrived at The Bunker Hill Community College on the Orange Line and headed down the hill. We were hot and thirsty and I was feeling a little “lame” that day so we stopped at a shopping center for something to drink. We peeked into a Gina (or was it Gino’s) Pizza and discovered they sold Dr. Pepper! OMG, we had to have one. (Our first since our arrival and I’m a Dr. Pepper-a-holic!) While in there we decided on a little snack since we had skipped breakfast and ordered a hot dog with grilled onions. Boston has the best hot dog buns ever. Now those of you who’ve always eaten your hot dogs in the Boston area probably don’t have a clue what I’m talking about because you probably take them for granted, but they are superb! Our hot dog buns are basically “crusty brown (but soft) outside” with a “white” or “wheat” inside. This was more like a piece of bread or a roll. There was just a thin crust around the perimeter and the rest was all buttery softness. I love onions on my hotdogs, but these grilled ones really added to the flavor. I will never eat another hot dog @ home without first grilling the onions. YUMMY!! Anyway, after we thoroughly enjoyed this hot dog we headed into the CVS next door and made a small purchase so we could get some more cash back on our debit card. (It saves the transaction fee since there were no ATMS from my bank in the area.) From there we began the trek up toward Bunker Hill Monument. I loved the quaint street and the row of condos. Each front was a little different from its neighbor yet attached. There was one for sale at the end of the street. There was a flyer posted on the door with pictures of the interior. While the outside might be old and historic the insides was all sleek and modern. What amazed me was the price tag. It was under 1200 square feet and was listed @ $595,000!!! When the people sell it tell them to bring the proceeds to my area. They will be able to buy a huge home with acreage and a pool and still have money left for furniture! LOL! WoW! I couldn’t help but wonder, “Where do the teachers live?” Anyway, I digress. We crossed the street and I took tons of snaps of the BHM and we read the inscriptions on the plagues below and then started the trek to the actual monument. After browsing the side where the Ranger’s sat we decided to climb the monument. I think I mentioned I was feeling a little “lame” (old ankle injury flaring up) that morning when we started out, right? So, what in the Sam Hill possessed me to think I could walk the stairs??? Well, guess what?? I couldn’t! So, being the gentlemen he is the Mr. accompanied me down the stairs (we made it to step number 183) and we went into the Ranger’s room and totally collapsed on the benches. (My husband asked me not to tell anyone this part. He’s embarrassed.) After catching our breath we stumbled out of the monument area and climbed down the stairs and practically crawled across the street where we sat down on a ledge along the sidewalk. I kid you not every muscle I had was quivering and quaking in my thighs and calves. I was hot and sweaty and my husband was tempted to go back to the room, but I informed him that we were going to the USS Constitution or I’d go without him. We eventually made it back on our feet and walked very slowly following the red line all the way to the Navy Yard. Once we got there he was thrilled that he hadn’t given up and we really enjoyed the tour. After going through the security check point, we had to wait about 30 minutes for our turn @ the 30 minute below deck presentation so it gave us a chance to sit on a bench and rest. The tour was fabulous and well worth the long walk. I highly recommend it. I don’t know if I highly recommend the trudge up the BHM stairs. LOL!! Later I discovered a couple of “short cuts” to getting to that area that I’ll detail in tomorrow’s account. Anyway after the USS Constitution tour we visited the museum and found it very educational and interesting. By then we were hungry and ready for a late lunch, so after getting directions, we again followed the red trail to the North End. By this time we were literally barely moving. It was hot, my ankle was killing me, and I was probably a little dehydrated. Yet the pull of pasta kept me moving on. :D We just moved along verrrry slowly. It’s sad when the “old people” and people with kids and strollers in tow lap you. (It’s obvious the Mr. and I have got to get back to the gym!) Anyway, around the corner, and across the bridge we walked right into the North End. I was hungry for something with a red sauce so we stopped in @ the first place we found with a familiar name. LaFamiglia Giorgio was an excellent place to rest our weary bones, eat, and regroup. We must have drunk a gallon of water. Finally the sweet waiter just brought a big icy pitcher of water and left it at our table. Bless him! I ordered a pasta dish with onions, mushrooms, peppers, jalapenos, and marinara over linguine. My husband had spotted an antipasto dish at a nearby table and decided on that. The portions were absolutely huge and despite our best efforts of eating and eating and eating (and snagging bites off the other ones plate) we never did find the bottom of our dishes. I hated to waste so much delicious food, but we had no choice but to leave it. At that point we decided to head back to the hotel and watch Big Brown run the Belmont so we headed out of the North End toward the T at Government Center. Along the way I spotted Maria’s Pastry and HAD to stop. I ordered a canolli for each of us. I wanted chocolate with a vanilla custard center but the young man at the counter talked me into getting the “traditional” ricotta cheese filling. Truthfully a “cheese filling” didn’t sound too good, but I deferred to his expert advice and am I ever glad I did. I guess I had no clue what ricotta cheese was. For those who are as ignorant as me, the filling was more “cream cheese-like” and since I’d eat cream cheese off of an old brown boot, well it was right up my alley. I’m sorry I just ordered two!! Once we got back to the Charlesmark we lay across our bed, ate our canolli’s and watched the race. Sometime after that we fell asleep and DIDN’T wake up!! Well I did eventually wake up around mid-night when I washed my face and put on my pj’s, but I don’t think the Mr. ever did. (Again, we missed our intended dinner @ Legal Seafood.) Anyway, at that point there was nothing to do, but fall back asleep, which I did and slept like a dead woman until 8:00 the next morning!! I’m STILL kicking myself over the lost evening. Too be continued…..

Trip Report Day 3 June 7th

Enjoying every installment!

Trip Report Day 3 June 7th

thanks, you are a great writer, and funny, too :). looking forward to more! hopefully this info will be quite helpful to future tourists. sorry to hear that Saturday%26#39;s weather is typical in TX, some of us New Englanders just about shrivelled up over the weekend :(. y%26#39;all come back soon!

I am enjoying your trip reports.

I walked up the steps at the Bunker Hill Monument about two weeks ago but it was probably about 30 degrees cooler. My 4 and 6 year old kids made it look so easy. I just made an excuse to enjoy the view, for a longer time, out of the little windows on the way up. I was huffing and puffing and finally made it. Once we got back down my kids begged to go back up the stairs again. I know I would not have been able to walk up those stairs during this past weekend%26#39;s heat-wave. Maybe it was too hot for a Texan?

Thanks for the report. It%26#39;s such a bummer that you had to visit the city during a heatwave. I don%26#39;t care where your from, that kind of weather will take ALOT out of you! I hope the ankle is feeling better.

Hi Teacher...I%26#39;ve been swamped at work and I almost MISSED this...the horror. I have to dig through and find your other installments. Love it. love it, love it! Funny...when you said the price of the condo I was thinking...WOW..that%26#39;s a steal! Glad to hear you experianced Riccota. Mmmmmm.....Mmmmmmmm.

Lot%26#39;s of kudos to you for even ATTEMPTING the monument stairs on a hot day!! I really am impressed with all you packed into a day. ;)

Yes, Boston real estate is very pricey, but anything on ';monument square'; is even worse. It%26#39;s a highly desirable address ...

Glad you tried the traditional canolli ... many people think of ricotta as ';italian cottage cheese'; but it has a creamier consistency and when you add sugar and others goodies like for canolli filling --- YUM!!

Oh ... by the way, I believe you got your Dr Pepper at ';Papa Ginos';. But they sell hotdogs? I never knew that .... occassionally my office orders take out pizza from there ... but I can%26#39;t remember the last time I was in one!

Very interesting report. I can%26#39;t imagine bothering to go see the Bunker Hill Monument, especially during a heat wave (but at all really). I love the fact that the guy disuaded you from getting a canolli with chocolate and custard.

Hello Teach,

Thanks for taking the time to write up your great trip report, can%26#39;t wait to read more! So you didn%26#39;t make it to the ';top'; huh? Not too many do.

Remember how many stairs there were? 294 steps to the top and it%26#39;s 221 feet tall...

You know that was where I used to ';hang'; out when I was a teenager (back in the late 60%26#39;s, early 70%26#39;s) right on the steps leading down toward Chestnut Street %26amp; probably the street you walked down to get yourselves down to the USS Constitution %26amp; the Marina, when you were here!

Those were the days, back when there property prices were just starting to go through the roof throughout the town! My friends and I knew %26amp; remember well the very first yuppie that moved in to the town! He renovated his brick town home %26amp; then he invited all of us %26amp; I mean all of us that hung on that corner on those steps right in to see the work that he had done. He even waited for when every one of us were on the steps that night, to invite us in; I%26#39;ll never forget it! The work that he did? It was, without a doubt incredibly stunning, we had a field day checking it all out with him! This wonderful man is living in the town in this same brick ';stunner'; to this day! So we always say that he%26#39;s a ';townie';, not a ';toonie';, like the rest of %26#39;em that move there!

I%26#39;m glad that they talked you into trying the traditional ricotta filled cannoli. Although there are numerous recipes for the filling, nothing comapres to the ricotta or marscapone fillings with either citron or pistachios mixed in. Just thinking about it is making want to stop off in the North End on my way home and pick up a few.