Attractions & Entertainment Restaurants/Dining Travel

Highlights of the Greater Boston Area and Where to Eat in Boston: Fall Foliage Driving Tour

Highlights of the Greater Boston Area and Boston Dining

I should probably warn you now that this is likely to be a long post. Boston is a fantastic city that should probably be covered in multiple posts, but I’m going to try to squeeze it into just two. My fall foliage driving tour began and ended in Boston, and I still don’t feel like I had enough time there. You can read about the beginning of my trip here, as this post concludes our tour. If you missed some highlights, never fear as I will do a recap post of all of the stops. In a little over a day, here is what I captured as some of the highlights of the greater Boston area, and where to eat in Boston. While I was provided complimentary meals, I will always give my honest opinions. 

Battle at Concord

Heading down from Londonderry, New Hampshire, where we last slept, we aimed for Concord and Lexington. I wish we had time to make both stops, but alas we merely walked around the battlefields of Concord, and drove through Lexington on our way to Salem. Concord was heavenly. The weather was spectacular, cool and clear and crisp on this fall morn’, and the grounds were nothing but peaceful. We seemed to be the only people in site when we arrived, so we got to leisurely walk, read the monuments, and take it all in. I’m told there is a fantastic video that portrays the battle that day in 1776, in one of the sites. A few hours are needed to truly see everything these locations have to offer.

House of Seven Gables in Salem, MA

Salem is a cute little town that has a certain charm to it. We meandered over to The House of Seven Gables, where you can find the home of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion. The stories there are interesting, and definitely worth a stop if you are in the area. 

Salem Witch Trials Memorial

We then headed over to the Salem Witch Trials Memorial. The cemetery and memorial itself was very cool. Stop and read some of the headstones, as they are very interesting and different from what we see today. While traveling to Salem, we studied up on the Salem Witch Trials and discovered that Keith’s (my husband) 9th great grandmother was one of the 19 who was hanged during the trials. Her memorial is there – Elizabeth Howe. Such a fascinating and tragic story really. If you are going to take the time to stop over here, I highly recommend reading up on the trials. I will say that I was very disappointed with all of the “witch” and Halloween commercialism around the memorial. I really wish there was a museum or video you could watch to actually educate yourself while there. Just my two cents.

Boston Buildings

Now onto Boston itself. What a beautiful city. I found the city to be similar to NYC, in demeanor, but cleaner and less crowded. We walked much of the city, but you could also take the T (train) if you need to get across town.

Here are the places we ate, and my thoughts on each one:

Fire+Ice Restaurant in Boston

Fire+Ice is a unique experience with a fun atmosphere. I think this would be a fantastic restaurant to take a family to. The prices are quite reasonable, and it’s all-you-can-eat. Think buffet with endless fresh options, and you get to watch them cook your food right in front of you. You pick your meats, veggies, carbs, seasonings and sauces and off you go. 

Terramia Ristorante in Boston

Terramia Ristorante was hands down my favorite eatery in the city, from what I got to try. This is a small and intimate restaurant in Little Italy, with an attendant wait staff, and dishes that will make you want for more. After looking the menu over, I knew there were several things I NEEDED to try, that I wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere. They gave us samplings of a variety of dishes and it was all superb. The lobster fritters and fig stuffed ravioli were amazing!

Cannolis from Mike's Pastry in Boston

Mike’s Pastry is a well-known stop for many, for cannolis. There are other pastries to buy here, but the cannolis are pretty darn great. Best cannolis I’ve had! I got a caramel nut and a chocolate chip cannoli, to share with hubby of course. 

Dining in Faneuil Hall

Faneuil Hall Marketplace kind of like a cafeteria. So many options for foods, that you can find something for everyone. Just walk on up, order, grab your food and find a place to sit in the open eating area. Fun and lively atmosphere, and the food was adequate. I’d recommend staying away from the clam chowder, but definitely going for the Pizzeria and the bakeries. This is a great stop if you are in a hurry or passing through.

Dining at Elephant Walk in Boston

Elephant Walk was our last restaurant to try in the city. I was a little nervous as I wasn’t familiar with any of the menu items, but wow! The food presentation and flavors were spectacular. I’d say they have a bit of an Asian fusion thing going on. They had dishes I never would have dreamed of, but we loved every bite!

So many great restaurants in Boston, and so little time. In just a bit I will finish up our tour with the activities we covered in Boston. Stay tuned.

 

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Emily Buys

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