A stopover in BOSTON

We grew up on the East coast (Washington, DC) and love New England but have never had enough time to explore one of the most historic cities in our fine country-- Boston.  En route to visit friends and family further afield, we decided to fly into Boston (on Virgin America, our favorite, favorite airline) and check it out.  As we had been told by our friend Kito, a native Bostonian, "Boston is not about being slick and trendy.  That doesn't stick here.  It's about the authentic, old school, appreciating our past."

Which is why we decided to spend the night at the Charles Street Inn, a historic nine room Inn on Charles Street in the heart of Beacon Hill, one of the cities most quaint and charming neighborhoods.  Granted there are more tassels and canopied beds than we normally go for, but  the fact that we felt like we were stepping back in time, married with upscale, much appreciated amenities such as Bulgari bath products and a delicious breakfast comprised of cinnamon buns, croissants, fresh fruit and quiche, delivered to your door in the morning, make this little Inn worthy of a recommendation.  The Inn's plum location on Charles Street amidst fantastic boutiques, restaurants, and gas burning lamps seals the deal. The Louisa May Alcott room, where we stayed, is smaller than some of the others, but we loved how bright and sunny it was and the amazing views of city we got from this top floor room.

We strolled out for dinner from the Inn along the tiny picturesque streets lined with townhouses and shops we would return to the next morning.  Dinner at 75 Chestnut was good, not amazing and the atmosphere is certainly unpretentious and cozy.  The fish was perfectly cooked and the peach/berry cobbler for dessert was too good.

We met up with some friends for after dinner drinks at the popular newly opened Clink, one of the two bars in the Liberty Hotel, a prison of yesteryear.  The inside of the bar is full of dimly lit nooks that would be appealing on a cold Boston night, but we loved the large outdoor patio that was hopping with the grad school, intellectual types that make up a lot of the Boston scene.

Sevens Alehouse is another little pub located at 77 Charles Street that local friends claim as a favorite watering hole.  Lucky for us and our hangover avoidance, they were closed after we left Clink....

The next bright eyed morning, after enjoying our complimentary breakfast at the Inn, we checked out some of the cute boutiques along Charles Street.  Some of our favorites are Good, a shop with unusual, gorgeous jewelry, housewares and gifts;

Moxie, a shoe store with jewelry and handbags; and Wish, at 49 Charles Street, a clothing store carrying Rebecca Taylor, Trina Turk, amongst other fun, chic brands. We happily stumbled upon French Dressing, an adorable tiny lingerie store located one block from Charles Street and stocking brands we love such as Le Mystere and Cosabella.

We walked down a few short blocks to the Boston Common -- a gorgeous park in the heart of the city lined with stunning town houses and grand hotels (the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton).  Newbury Street, the Rodeo Drive of Boston also feeds off of the Boston Common and if we'd had more time we would have made the short walk.

Until next time Boston....  so much left to explore.  We'd love your input on any Boston favorites we need to check out on future visits!