Monday June, 29
After we had packed up our things from our Airbnb, we headed off for our last morning in Boston. I definitely want to come back to this city—in the fall, with fewer tourists—and experience more of what it has to offer.
On the way in, we stopped by the famous cobblestone Acorn Street in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. It’s the most photographed street in America, dating back to the 1820s. I don’t think any of my family cared about this except me, but I wanted my picture on it.
Our first stop of the day was the Massachusetts State House. Let me just tell you, this is one of the nicest state houses I’ve ever seen. Although, the main one I’ve seen is Alabama’s, and it’s nice, but there’s a reason it’s getting a remodel… You could opt in for a tour, but we just decided to walk through and see a few of the major points. It was so elegant and elaborate all the way through. The hallways reminded me of the U.S. Capitol Building.
My favorite part was definitely getting to visit the House and Senate galleries. The House was reading some bills, but the Senate wasn’t in session. They, of course, didn’t allow pictures, but I did sneak one of the House gallery anyway. It’s always so fascinating to me getting to see the legislative branches—whether it’s at the federal or state level—shaping our policies.
We continued through the State House, seeing some beautiful mosaics and a lobby area, all adding to the elegance of the building.
Once our visit to the Massachusetts State House had concluded, we walked over to a coffee shop called Bon. I got the tiramisu latte, and I think it was the best coffee I had all trip!
Our final stop of our Boston stint was the Old South Meeting House. We had come by yesterday and didn’t have tickets, but we ended up buying one that gave us admission to both this and the Old State House.
While it was simple, it was still impressive. It was a large meeting space—and a church, obviously—used throughout the Revolutionary period and into the 1800s. This was the place that spurred some incredibly important movements during the Revolution, such as the Boston Tea Party.
One of the most interesting features was the pews. They were designed in a box-like shape with a door. This was done for a few reasons: so families could worship facing each other (that’s weird), they could contain the kids, and to preserve body heat during the cold months.
Upper-class families could purchase or rent a numbered pew as a sign of wealth. Those who could not afford to purchase a pew would sit in the upper balconies.
I thought that was funny. Like… “Sorry, can’t go to the theater, my pew rent is due tomorrow.” Though, the families who could afford to rent one probably didn’t have that problem.
We left the church and walked back up to the car. It was time to head off to our next destination. After a couple of days in the city, it was time to decompress on the East Coast.
After driving about two hours, we reached Hyannis, Cape Cod. It was time for the quintessential East Coast evening in Cape Cod. We checked into our hotel and got ready for dinner.
It was a short, scenic walk to Spanky’s Clam Shack. It was the perfect restaurant for our dinner in Cape Cod. There was outdoor seating overlooking the countless boats coming in and out of the harbor. No telling what type of seafood was coming in on those boats! In fact, I think we all ate some form of seafood—I had a delicious hot lobster roll. We sat and ate while we enjoyed the seaside air after being in the big city. What a way to relax!
While my mom and I finished up and paid the check, Anna and my dad went to get the car. It was time for a sunset walk on the beach. The town was so quiet, and the beach was even quieter. There’s just something good for the soul about walking on the beach. During sunset is the cherry on top! For our first time sticking our feet in the Atlantic Ocean, it was pretty amazing. We watched a few boats pass by and some fishermen cast their lines before heading back to the car. I could’ve sat there for hours.
Before heading to the downtown area of Hyannis, we continued further along the coastline through the small neighborhoods. Let me just tell you, if I were rich, there’d be signs… a vacation home in Cape Cod. That’s the dream right there. These houses were perfect. BEAUTIFUL yards, perfectly white siding, glowing lamps, big bay windows, and white picket fences. Just think East Coast, and these houses are exactly as you imagine. The hydrangeas might just be my favorite part. Each house seemed so inviting as it got darker outside.
Our final stop of the night was downtown Hyannis. There’s one Main Street full of restaurants, stores, and ice cream shops… just what we were looking for. My dad opted out of the ice cream run this time, but my mom, Anna, and I stopped in a few cute stores along the way before getting an after-dinner treat. The stores were small but really cute.
For ice cream, we stopped at Katie’s Ice Cream, a locally loved spot recommended by our waitress at dinner. It was delicious—I got the lemon meringue pie flavor with sprinkles.
It was time to head back to our home for the night and get some much-needed rest. Anna and I ended up sitting out on the balcony and watching the full moon while I worked on the blog.
We also spent about twenty minutes trying execute Anna’s photo idea…
It’s safe to say we had the PERFECT evening in Cape Cod.
Also this is how Anna feels when we go look at another historic building… I’m joking… partly.
I think an Anna blog would be VERY entertaining.
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