Well, I'll start off by saying our Boston trip was definitely no photographic journey. With gorgeous photo ops around every single corner it was SOOOOO hard for me not to morph into my behind-the-lens mode.
But, it was Max's trip too, and well, how should I put it? Max dislikes cameras very much. Well, maybe it's just the stop-everything-to-pull-out-the-camera-every-other-minute thing he dislikes, and I don't blame him. He put up with a few shots, but for the most part I just walked around with my little point and shoot and snapped away as we walked along so as not to get quite as much eye-rolling from him.
And even that way I got WAY too many pictures. What is wrong with me? Anyway, here are a few.
Man we had a great time.
We went into the city a few days when Lucy and Charlie were napping.
I have to say, it was completely invigorating to take the "T" and find myself in the middle of Boston with NO stroller, NO babies, and NO big camera. Wow now that's some serious freedom. While I've been to Boston many times since my Boston University days, I've never been back without all the above. And I loved the freedom we had in this trip. Nothing but me and my boy (and occasionally Hazel, my niece), and one amazing city.
Here are the highlights in pictures:
This is my favorite spot. The John Hancock Tower in Copley Square. I had to write a paper about this building in one of my classes at B.U. and I've loved it ever since. I LOVE how the old Trinity Church reflects the old in the new. Love it.
We walked through the Public Gardens:
...and down Newberry Street:
We walked through Beacon Hill. SO gorgeous:
It gets dark at 4:30 there. Weird, but I love to see stuff all lit up.
We met up with a random tour group and listened for a while by Paul Revere's house...
...and followed them over to the Old North Church.
Max loved following that red line through the city. Seriously, who thought that up? I love how it changes from bricks to red paint and back again. 
After our Freedom Trail tour, we had to stop at Faneuil Hall for hot chocolate and some Red Sox paraphernalia.
The Hallocaust Memorial.
One day Saydi (my sister) drove with us into Cambridge to check out Harvard. Dave and I are thick as thieves trying to brainwash Max that this is his future college. We have a big Harvard flag up in his room and talk to him about it a lot. So far...not working. He still wants to go to BYU. But, we're not giving up.
Harvard Yard.
Seriously, shouldn't you choose a school based on how beautiful the trees are on campus? 
...and on the brick architecture? I wish I had a picture of the lovely yellow brick at BYU to compare it to! Don't get me wrong, I love my alma mater, BYU, but if you have a chance to go to Harvard???
We also drove past my old school, B.U. Seriously, so pretty too, right? Ha.
One day we drove out to Wellesley College. Not that it's a school Max can aspire to (all girls), but he had to see the namesake of his sister Wellesley (Elle). Man oh man was that ever an adventure to get there. We borrowed my sister's navigation thing in her car and I found a new found serious dislike for those things. We got SO lost and went around in circles over and over.
We went over this bridge three times...and spent a bunch of time circling around to it each time.
And finally got to Wellesely at dusk. But at least we saw it. Check.
Max wouldn't have wanted to spend a whole day there walking around the lake, soaking in the beauty like Elle did last year. He was content to get a couple measly pictures out the window and I cajoled him into taking one by "my" dorm where my sister lived when I went to B.U. I think it's my dorm just as much as hers because I was there ALL the time (below). 
(...on self timer...nice angle)
It was so fun to take Max to so many of the same places I took Elle last year.
It was so interesting to see how different his reaction was to everything.
To be quite honest, Max was more interested in how many Dunkin' Donuts we could see en route to different places, and he was even more interested in actually eating the donuts...
...and the hot chocolate at Starbucks. Mmmm. I have to agree with him there.
While I, on the other hand, COULD NOT get enough of how beautiful the wet leaves look on the pavement (one of my favorite things about Fall)...I know, I'm a little crazy about this but we don't get this stuff here at home. We were a little past prime tree color...lots of bare trees, but I soaked in what we could get.
Max mastered the "T" just like he mastered the subway in Shanghai.
To be continued...
Labels: max, vacation
We walked through the Public Gardens:
...and down Newberry Street:
We walked through Beacon Hill. SO gorgeous:
It gets dark at 4:30 there. Weird, but I love to see stuff all lit up.
We met up with a random tour group and listened for a while by Paul Revere's house...
...and followed them over to the Old North Church.
Max loved following that red line through the city. Seriously, who thought that up? I love how it changes from bricks to red paint and back again. 
After our Freedom Trail tour, we had to stop at Faneuil Hall for hot chocolate and some Red Sox paraphernalia.
The Hallocaust Memorial.
One day Saydi (my sister) drove with us into Cambridge to check out Harvard. Dave and I are thick as thieves trying to brainwash Max that this is his future college. We have a big Harvard flag up in his room and talk to him about it a lot. So far...not working. He still wants to go to BYU. But, we're not giving up.
Harvard Yard.
Seriously, shouldn't you choose a school based on how beautiful the trees are on campus? 
...and on the brick architecture? I wish I had a picture of the lovely yellow brick at BYU to compare it to! Don't get me wrong, I love my alma mater, BYU, but if you have a chance to go to Harvard???
We also drove past my old school, B.U. Seriously, so pretty too, right? Ha.
One day we drove out to Wellesley College. Not that it's a school Max can aspire to (all girls), but he had to see the namesake of his sister Wellesley (Elle). Man oh man was that ever an adventure to get there. We borrowed my sister's navigation thing in her car and I found a new found serious dislike for those things. We got SO lost and went around in circles over and over.
We went over this bridge three times...and spent a bunch of time circling around to it each time.
And finally got to Wellesely at dusk. But at least we saw it. Check.
(...on self timer...nice angle)
To be quite honest, Max was more interested in how many Dunkin' Donuts we could see en route to different places, and he was even more interested in actually eating the donuts...
...and the hot chocolate at Starbucks. Mmmm. I have to agree with him there.
While I, on the other hand, COULD NOT get enough of how beautiful the wet leaves look on the pavement (one of my favorite things about Fall)...I know, I'm a little crazy about this but we don't get this stuff here at home. We were a little past prime tree color...lots of bare trees, but I soaked in what we could get.
Max mastered the "T" just like he mastered the subway in Shanghai.