The Great New England Road Trip: Days 33-37, Boston

Day 33: One Last Taste of Acadia

We were supposed to pack up and leave Acadia today, but Caleb and I decided we just couldn't leave without sneaking in one last Acadian experience.

So, early that morning, we ran down to Clark Point Café in Southwest Harbor. It is the sweetest little café, with things like Eggs Benedict, shakshuka, and lattes. It was such a fun way to get one last look at the island before packing up and heading out.

Meanwhile, our kids have become so well trained in all things camping that they had everything packed up and ready to go by the time we got back. They had even emptied the tanks and taken care of everything! All we had to do was hook up and drive away. It really does help to have great, helpful kids on these trips.

We got out so early that we decided to use the extra time to stop and pick up a spare tire, just in case. That turned into a surprisingly good experience at the tire shop. Caleb discovered that our tires were more worn than he had realized, so instead of just getting a spare, he ended up having several tires replaced.

The rest of us wandered around an L.L. Bean outlet nearby while that was taken care of. Which was funny, because several hours later our next stop was Freeport, Maine, the town where L.L. Bean got its start.

Naturally, we had to stop at another L.L. Bean outlet, as well as the flagship stores. The main flagship store is currently under reconstruction, so the shopping experience is spread across a bunch of smaller buildings. It was crazy, and a little overwhelming to see how L.L. Bean has essentially become a center point of the entire little town. There is SO much shopping!

From there, we only had a few more hours to go before reaching our campground south of Boston. We pulled in and got everything set up just as the sun was going down. It was definitely a travel day, but overall, not a bad one. And we were very excited because the next morning we were headed into Boston!

Day 34: Boston and the Story Behind Piper & Leaf

Boston! This city isn't just irrevocably intertwined with the history of our country. It is also intertwined with the history of Piper & Leaf.

When MaryClaire, the production director and co-owner of Piper & Leaf, was twelve years old, I, Brigette, was twenty and was sent along as a chaperone for her school trip to Boston. During that week, we became enamored with the tea shops around Cambridge. Years later, after Caleb and I were married we went to visit his sister who was living in Boston. One day I was telling Caleb about those tea shops, and he wanted to go see them. It was actually our brother-in-law Jason who said, "Well, let's go." So, we did.

That was when Caleb was sold on the tea shops. The memory stayed with him. Later that year, when Connor started talking about doing "something" at a farmers’ market, those tea shops were still on Caleb's mind. And, well…the rest is literal Piper & Leaf history.

It was pretty crazy, then, that we were visiting Boston again on this exact day, because it was also the day USA Today named Piper & Leaf the best tea subscription in the United States! What a way to celebrate. We were literally walking through the city where some of the ideas that eventually became Piper & Leaf had first taken root.

We started the day by riding the T in from Quincy and getting off at Park Street to begin the Freedom Trail in Boston Common. Of course, we'd been listening to Johnny Tremain during this part of the trip, so we'd just been hearing all about Boston Common as the place where people once rode horses and grazed cows. It was pretty fun to be standing there and picturing it all.

Before starting the Freedom Trail, which, by the way, is literally a red brick line that leads you to some of Boston's coolest historic sites, we ran over to the Public Garden. There we saw the famous Swan Boats and the Make Way for Ducklings statues. Naturally, the kids had to climb all over the ducklings. Then we followed the Freedom Trail.

We passed Park Street Church, several beautiful old cemeteries, including the one where Paul Revere is buried, Old North Church, and other famous churches and buildings that played enormous roles in the birth of our country. The trail also took us to Faneuil Hall, known as the "Cradle of Liberty," and Quincy Market.

We made a little detour for lunch at the nearby public market, where the kids also got to play on a modern playground, always a win when traveling with a bunch of kids.

Then we headed into the North End, Boston's Little Italy, and this is where we have a great weakness. The North End is packed with famous Italian restaurants and pastry shops. Mike’s is our favorite. Let me put it this way: I don't really like pastries, and MaryClaire is allergic to dairy but we will both eat Mike's. Caleb loves pastries and once rode the train all the way from Quincy just to make one last Mike's stop before leaving Boston. We love Mike's.

We grabbed pastries and ate them in a tiny little park directly in front of Paul Revere's house, which is also in the North End. Our little Mark has the middle name Revere, so this was definitely a place we wanted to spend some time. It was fascinating to walk through the house where Paul Revere lived with his family. There is something surreal about standing inside a place you've read about in history books and realizing that this was someone's actual home.

After the North End, we took the Charlestown ferry over to the Naval Yard and walked up to the Bunker Hill Monument, where we promptly flopped onto the grass and rested. Bunker Hill is apparently a great place to rest. Unfortunately, it may have given us a little too much rejuvenating energy, because somehow we decided that from there we should go back to the North End, and not only that, but WALK there across the bridge instead of taking the ferry.

Why? More Italian food, of course.

It was dinner time, and we tried to find somewhere to sit down and eat, but the restaurants in the North End are small and extremely popular. Sitting down wasn't really happening. But Caleb found an amazing sandwich shop called Monica's Mercato, and we picked up some pasta to-go and ate it in a nearby park.

As we walked around, we realized they were setting up for one of the biggest festivals of the year: St. Anthony's Feast. We happened to be there with friends, one of whom is Anthony, so that was pretty fun. Caleb had ordered a St. Anthony's pizza at lunch earlier that day, too!

By this point, everyone was exhausted. We hopped on the train at North Station, rode it back to Park Street, switched lines, and headed back to our cars in Quincy. It had been an incredible day!

Day 35: A Birthday, Cape Cod, and Plymouth Rock

Everyone was still exhausted from the day before, so we had a slower morning. It was also our darling oldest daughter's birthday, so we had to celebrate!

We had saved a few treats from Boston the day before and combined with things we already had at the camper we managed to put together a big birthday breakfast. We pulled out presents and celebrated our girl.

Then, after the kids played around the campground for a while, we loaded up our bikes and headed off toward Cape Cod. Cape Cod sounds like you're going to one particular place, but it is enormous. You can drive for hours and still be on the Cape!

We chose the closest bike trail we could find and ended up on the Shining Sea Bikeway. It was a beautiful, easy, shaded path, although, ironically, it didn't actually run alongside the sea for very much of the ride. We did, however, find a beautiful little harbor off to the side where we stopped for lunch - burgers, naturally, in honor of the birthday girl.

We sat and watched the boats on the water, and along the way we also passed a cranberry bog. It was incredible to see one up close. The cranberries were still tiny at this point, but in about a month they would be big, red, and ready to harvest.

Eventually, the trail took us to a beach on another little offshoot, where we were able to swim in the beautiful, clear water. Cape Cod really is a delightful place to spend a day.

On our way back to the cars, we passed our friends, who had gotten a later start than we did. They continued on toward the beach while we headed back.

When we got back to the car, some very helpful locals were nearby. While we were packing up the bikes, they told us that if we wanted to see an iconic little Cape Cod village, we needed to go to Sandwich, so we did.

We stopped at a little gourmet grocery shop and then headed to the Sandwich Boardwalk. The sun was beginning to set as we arrived, and it was absolutely beautiful. The boardwalk winds over salt marshes toward the ocean, and the evening light made the whole place feel almost magical.

Along the way, we met a local man who was catching crabs to use as bait for pole fishing in the ocean. He had a huge bucket already full of crabs, and you could look down into the water and see dozens more crawling around below. It was such a fun little glimpse into local life.

On the way back toward the campground, we stopped to see Plymouth Rock. So many people had recommended that we not go because it has a reputation for being underwhelming. We disagree. Everyone should make this stop! There is a sign nearby that tells the story of Plymouth Rock and all the traveling it has done over the years, including how much it has been broken and reduced to its current size.

It is a small piece of rock, but it represents an incredibly early piece of American history. The timing couldn't have been better. The sun was finishing its descent. The moon was rising. The harbor was glowing in the evening light. I think it may have been one of the prettiest harbors we'd seen the entire trip, perhaps simply because the lighting was perfect.

While we were hanging out in the park around the rock, we noticed a little electric mini touring bus. It turned out to be a free town shuttle. We started talking to the driver and discovered that, at that moment, he didn't have anyone to drive. So, he offered to shuttle us in two groups over to nearby Woods Seafood so we could pick up fish and chips.

This may have been our best seafood experience of the entire trip. The food was good, the prices were reasonable, and after all the astronomical seafood prices we'd encountered elsewhere, that was a very welcome surprise. The driver told us it was his family's favorite place to eat seafood.

We picked up our food, and he shuttled us right back to Plymouth Rock, where our friends finally caught up with us at dusk. We ate fish and chips in the park by streetlight and moonlight, right next to Plymouth Rock, while the kids played in the trees around the harbor. Something about that place worked them into an extremely hyper state, but it was a pretty great way to end another long day.

Day 36: Back to Boston, by Train and Ferry

A friend who had recently moved to the Boston area had told us that the commuter train from the town where our campground was located was doing free Summer Fridays, and this was the last one.

We had originally planned not to go into Boston again after the marathon day we'd had earlier, but the temptation was too great. So, we packed up and headed back into Boston - this time for a completely different experience.

The station was only a few minutes from our campground, but the train only runs about every seventy minutes, so we had to make sure we caught the right one or we'd be getting into town much later. We made it just in time.

Then we headed straight to the top level of the double-decker commuter train. Everyone loved it. Even though the ride was an hour long, it was much more relaxed than the subway and was a fun experience itself. We also met some wonderful people sitting near us who were great to chat with and incredibly entertaining for the kids.

The train dropped us at Boston's South Station, right in the heart of the city. From there it was only a few minutes' walk to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum. We decided not to tour the ships because tickets for our small army would have cost a small fortune, but the kids had fun going through the gift shop, and a few tricorn hats and other souvenirs were purchased.

It was fun to see the replica ship in the harbor and imagine what it must have been like to dump all that tea overboard. We briefly considered dumping some Piper & Leaf into the harbor. But then we thought… why waste a good thing?

Next, we walked back to the Charlestown ferry and rode across the harbor to the Naval Yard again. This time, though, our destination actually was the Naval Yard rather than simply passing through on our way to Bunker Hill. We had discovered that it was free to tour the USS Constitution, and many of us were very excited about it.

Unfortunately, when we arrived, streams of military personnel were coming off the ship. One of them was carrying a giant silver cup. We had no idea what was happening. At security, we learned that the ship had just gone out for a ceremony and wouldn't be open for tours for several more hours.

We decided it wasn't worth waiting around that long. One of the rangers at the National Park Service museum was doing a virtual tour of the other battleship, the USS Cassin Young, from World War II. So, we sat down in a little theater and watched, and it was excellent. The virtual representation was very well done, and the ranger was an engaging and enthusiastic storyteller. It ended up being a surprisingly good experience.

When we finished, we headed back to the Charlestown ferry. Honestly, the commuter train and the ferry were probably the highlights of the day for the kids. I think those rides alone made them want to come back.

We crossed the harbor one more time and, once we were back on land, we could not resist the temptation to return to the North End. We spent the next hour practically sprinting around Boston's Little Italy trying to find the last authentic Italian treats we wanted to buy before our Boston time was really over - Fresh-baked sourdough, more pastries, and sandwiches.

Then we really did practically sprint the mile back to catch our commuter train. If we missed the 4:40, we'd be stuck in the city until almost 6:00, but we made it just in time! Everyone settled into the train for another hour-long ride, which once again everyone enjoyed.

At the end of the day, the consensus was unanimous: The commuter train was better than the subway. And, for once, we made it back to the campground before dark. The kids even had some time to enjoy the campground before bed.

Day 37: Following Paul Revere's Road

We were up and ready for another kind of Boston adventure. We'd already visited Paul Revere's house and the church where the lanterns were hung as a signal. Now we wanted to see the road itself.

The very road Paul Revere rode with William Dawes as they sounded the alarm that the British regulars were coming. That same road became the site of the first battles of the American Revolution. Today, the Battle Road is a beautiful path that can be walked or biked, so we loaded up the bikes and headed out.

We started at the Minute Man Visitor Center. We intended to stop for just a minute, grab a map and some Junior Ranger papers, and move on, but there was a video starting. We decided we'd just peek in for a second, and we are so glad we did.

If you ever go there, stay for the whole thing! It was a multimedia presentation that was exceptionally well done. Several of our kids said it was one of the highlights of the entire trip, and they felt like they finally understood what actually happened that day more than 250 years ago. The whole thing was only about twenty-five minutes.

Then we were ready to hit the Battle Road. It was a beautiful morning and a beautiful, easy path to bike, winding past places that played integral roles in the birth of our country. There were old house sites and even some of the original buildings still standing. One of those was Hartwell Tavern.

The video had just described its role in the first day of the Revolution, so it was especially fascinating to walk into the actual building and look around. There was an interpreter there who was excellent and answered all of our questions. He told us that there would be a demonstration at the tavern a little later, so we continued down the Battle Road toward Lexington.

Along the way, we stopped at the site where Paul Revere was captured that fateful night. A lot of people don't realize that Revere never made it to Concord. He had warned John Hancock and Samuel Adams in Lexington and continued riding with William Dawes and another man, but he was captured between the two villages. The alarm continued on with the others. Standing there literally where that happened was incredible.

Then we turned around and headed back toward Hartwell Tavern for the demonstration. And once again, it was excellent. In fact, it made it onto Caleb's list of highlights from the entire trip, which is saying something. Caleb usually gravitates toward spectacular landscapes rather than historic buildings and presentations, although he certainly enjoys those too.

After finishing the Battle Road, we drove a couple of miles down the road for some literary history. We visited The Wayside, where several famous authors lived, including Louisa May Alcott and Margaret Sidney. Margaret Sidney later helped save the house and helped save Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, located almost directly next door and famous as the setting of Little Women.

We weren't sure whether we wanted to do the tour, but we did. Once again, it was a hit.

The tour began in the farm-like building behind the house, which was the school Bronson Alcott, Louisa's father, had built as a place for great minds to gather, learn, and grow. Then we went through the house itself, room by room, and this was one of the most fascinating parts.

The rooms were filled with the Alcotts' actual belongings: their china tea set, the piano, the desk where Louisa wrote Little Women, her sewing bag, household tools, beds, chairs. It was astonishing. You could stand right next to these things, and so much of the house looked as though the family could walk back through the door and start living there again. Apparently, nearly everything was original.

From there, we took a little drive past Walden Pond, but by that point everyone was extremely tired. We decided not to get out and swim today. Instead, we headed to one of my favorite places: North Bridge. This was where the first battle of the Revolution really began.

The Minutemen gathered on the hill above the bridge while the British gathered on the other side. Eventually, the clash took place, and the Minutemen chased the British all the way back toward Boston. Today, the spot is incredibly serene. The Concord River winds peacefully beneath the bridge. Wildflowers fill the landscape, and beautiful rolling fields stretch around it. There are also sunken gardens behind the bridge toward the North Bridge Visitor Center.

Apparently, these gardens were once famous for their beauty. Today, they feel like a tangled, semi-forgotten secret garden, but the kids absolutely loved playing there.

By the end of the day, we were genuinely shocked by how wonderful it had been. We knew we wanted to visit these places. We just didn't expect so many of them to make it onto our list of trip highlights. Caleb was especially surprised by how much he loved Minute Man National Historical Park.

Everyone learned an incredible amount, and more importantly, the kids weren't just hearing about history. They were walking through it, standing where it happened, touching the buildings, seeing the roads, listening to the stories. Somehow, after 37 days on the road, some of the most memorable moments of our trip came from these moments of letting history come alive.