“Listen my children and you shall hear, of the midnight ride of Paul Revere. . . . “

In Boston’s North End you’ll find the small wooden home that Paul Revere left on April 18th, 1775 when he began the ride that made him a legend.  He lived here with his wife, five children, and mother, and sold the house around 1800.

The Paul Revere House still stands today at 19 North Square, and is downtown Boston’s oldest building.  The home was opened as a museum in 1908, one of the first historic house museums in the country.  Today it is one of the few buildings remaining from the colonial era.

Although it has been renovated substantially over the years, about 90% of the building is original back to 1680.  This includes two doors, three window frames, and portions of the flooring and rafters.  The heavy beams and large fireplaces were typical interiors of colonial homes.  The upstairs chambers contain furniture believed to have belonged to the Revere family.

The Paul Revere house is located on the Freedom Trail (between the Faneuil Hall stop and the Old North Church stop), and can also be reached via the T (subway).  On the green line get off as Government Center or Haymarket, on the blue line get off at Government Center or Aquarium, and on the orange line get off at State or Haymarket.

Self-guided tours of the home take you through home.  Admission is $3 for adults, $2.50 for seniors and college students, and $1 for children 5-17.  Winter hours (November 1st – April 14th) are 9:30 am – 4:15 pm; Summer hours (April 15th – October 31st) are 9:30 am – 5:15 pm.  Closed on Mondays January – March.

Allow half an hour to an hour for a leisurely walk through of the house.  During heavy tourist times, lines can back up.

Photo credit:  wikimedia

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75 Chestnut is a small pub-style restaurant in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston.  While it was once an elegant, high end restaurant, it reinvented itself into a popular, and affordable, neighborhood establishment with a bistro-like interior.

The menu includes pub fare (burgers, soups, salads, and sandwiches) with a bit of an upscale twist, along with some additional dinner entrees.  Prices are reasonable, especially by Boston standards, and you can get a great meal in the $10-20 range.

The restaurant is located at 75 Chestnut Street, and is open Sunday – Thursday 5 pm – midnight, and Friday till 1 am.  Dinner is served until 10 pm, and a bar menu is available until 11 pm.  Brunch is served Saturday 11:30 am – 3 pm, and Sunday 10:30 am – 2:30 pm, offering great brunch specialties in addition to a full menu.

Photo credit:  personal collection

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Boston University students, both former and current, have had their share of haunting habitats, with two sites rumored to be sources of paranormal activity.  Of course, this time of year the re-telling of these stories and legends circulate a little more widely!

The Charlesgate Hotel (20 Myrtle Street, Beacon Hill area of Boston) was built in 1891, and since the beginning has been rumored to be a site for paranormal activity.  Once a Boston University dormitory, and later a dorm for Emerson college, there were many reports filed by students who claimed the building was haunted during the 1970-90’s.  Today, as the Charlesgate, an upscale residential property, the rumors seem to have died down.

Another Boston University dorm, Shelton Hall (91 Bay State Road, Boston), is also rumored to be haunted (in photo).  In an earlier life, the dorm was the Sheraton Hotel where playwright Eugene O’Neill died in suite 401.  In O’Neill’s honor, the 4th floor was called the Writer’s Corridor.  It’s believe that O’Neill is still hanging out in that corridor.

Has anyone stayed at either of these haunted locations?

Photo credit:  wikimedia

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The site was Rockwell’s home for the last 25 years of his life, and was turned into a museum housing over 700 of his paintings, drawings and studies (the largest collection in the world), along with a huge collection of personal artifacts.

Rockwell is perhaps best known for his 321 Saturday Evening Post covers, with his first in 1916, “Boy with Baby Carriage.”  His inspiring “Rosie the Riveter” and “Four Freedoms” series remain lasting visual tributes to World War II, and his holiday images take us back to a kinder, gentler era.

Although many art critics and historians do not consider Rockwell a “serious” artist, there can be no doubt of his immense public popularity, and he is one of the best-known illustrators in history.  His Americana themes, showcasing the ideas of kindness, tolerance, and freedom, resonated with the public, and viewing his collection is a retrospective of family life over the past century.

The museum is located at 9 Glendale Road, Route 183, Stockbridge, Massachusetts.  It is open daily (except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day).  Summer hours (May-October, and holidays) are weekdays 10 am – 4 pm; weekends 10 am – 5 pm.  Daily winter and holiday hours are 10 am – 5 pm.

Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for collect students (with ID), $13.50 for seniors, and youth (18 and under) free with an adult.  Tickets may be purchase onsite, or online.  An audio tour is available for an additional $5 for adults, and $4 for seniors and youth.  Parking is free.

No photography, backpacks, or large packages are permitted inside the museum galleries.

Image credit:  wikimedia (museum); Amazon (Runaway print); Amazon (Doctor & the Doll print)

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With the decline of the US dollar vs. international currencies, now is the perfect time to explore domestic destinations rather than flying overseas.

Spring is the ideal season to visit Boston, because the weather is warming up and many of Boston’s most popular attractions are getting ready for business. There’s a palpable excitement and anticipation in Boston as the Red Sox prepare for opening day at Fenway Park and the Public Gardens comes alive with spring flowers.

I have lived in or around Boston for over a decade, so here are my suggestions on Boston activities that won’t break the bank. Some are specific to spring and summer, but many are open year round.

• Plan a picnic on Boston Common or the Public Gardens. Located in the heart of downtown Boston, Boston Common and the Public Gardens offer a quiet escape from the fast pace of the city. During the summer, Boston Common hosts a number of free outdoor performances and events, so be sure to bring a blanket and some snacks (or pick up a pizza from Upper Crust, which is located nearby on Charles Street). It’s also a great place for jogging and people-watching.
• Make like a student. Word on the street is that during the school year, one in five Bostonians are actually college students. So it’s not surprising that there a ton of low budget entertainment options for the collegiate set. If you still have a college ID, then you’re in luck (I admit it, I still sometimes use my Boston University ID at the movies). If not, then it’s still worth checking the events calendars at big universities like Harvard, MIT, and BU, because many of their concerts, lectures, and other events are open to the public.
• Take a walk. If the weather is mild, then Boston is the perfect walking city. You’ll discover cute little shops and boutiques in the South End, walk past historic brownstones in the Back Bay, or soak up the local flavors in Inman Square. If it’s too chilly to walk, then you can buy a Charlie Card and ride the MBTA’s bus and subway system for a lot less than you’d spend on cabs or a car rental (in fact, I strongly discourage you from renting a car in Boston, because we have such a great public transportation system that it’s not necessary).
• Soak up some culture in a museum. Boston is home to a ton of really great art and history museums. The Institute of Contemporary Art, which just reopened on Boston’s waterfront a year ago, hosts Target Free Thursday Nights every week and free family days on the last Saturday of each month. Citizens Bank sponsors free admission on Wednesday nights from 4-9:45 at the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Boston Children’s Museum is just $1 on Friday evenings.

With a little creativity, you can have a great trip to Boston without spending a ton of money!

Susan Johnston inherited her Yankee frugality from her mother. She writes for several blogs, including the Go Boston Travel Blog.

Photo credit:  flickr

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For those of you who travel to and from the airport on a frequent basis, I’m sure that’s an all too familiar scenario.  While there may be no getting around the traffic, if you are traveling in the New England or San Francisco Bay area, there are ways to commute to the airport without polluting the environment.

Now, thanks to PlanetTran, there’s a way to get to and from the airport in a socially responsible, environmentally friendly way ““ even when there is no viable public transportation option.

What is PlanetTran?  It’s the first public auto service to exclusively utilize environmentally friendly hybrid cars (currently, the Toyota Prius) for its livery fleet.  Primarily serving airports in the greater Boston and Bay Area, they can be schedule for car service nearly anywhere.  You make a reservation by creating a profile in the online reservation system, enter your to and from locations, and schedule your pick up time and location.  Alternatively, you can call PlanetTran at 1-877-ECO-TAXI.

The Prius can seat four passengers with light luggage, three passengers with more extensive luggage, and two passengers with luggage that includes golf clubs, skis, or large bags that require folding down the back seat.

PlanetTran quotes you a flat charge for your car service, and bills waiting time at $60/hour in increments of 10 minutes, with a 10-minute grace period.  They keep on top of arriving flights (and delays), and wait time is not charged for commercial airline delays, or for the time it takes you to get from plane to car.  They’ll wait for you as long as it takes, so you won’t have to worry about the time it takes to get your check bags, clear customs, or anything like that.

Looking at some sample prices, PlanetTran is pretty comparable to taxis, and cheaper than most limo and other car services.  They accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express, but not cash (security reasons).  A receipt is emailed to you, continuing the quest for “green” technology, with a paperless operation.

Using PlanetTran looks like an efficient, reliable, and environmentally savvy way to get to the airport, proving that you can be both cost conscious and green.

Note:  I read that PlanetTran offers wifi in its vehicles, but have been unable to confirm this information.  Anyone have any first hand experience to report back?

Photo credit:  wikipedia

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Relaxing around the house and eating leftovers?  Watching football?  Listening to holiday music and putting up the holiday decorations?  Or are you one of the many, many people who will be heading out to the stores for the kick off of the holiday shopping season?

No matter how we may rebel, there’s no getting around the fact that the upcoming holiday season means shopping.  I hope to make that process a little easier for you, by showcasing a variety of products and services that would make great gifts for travelers and travel lovers.

Today’s suggestion is a city map.  While you may need a map for a variety of reasons (planning a route, figuring out how to get from Point A to Point B quickly, trying to decide which way is north), many times what you really need is a map to tell you where things are.  That’s why I’m a big fan of the Red Maps series.

For example, if you are looking at the New York City – Midtown Red Map, you would know that if you come out of the front door of Sak’s Fifth Avenue (Fifth Avenue between 49th & 50th) and turn right you will find:  St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Armani AX, H Stern, Gant, Gianni Versace, and Cartier.  If you had turned left, you would find American Girl, Benetton’s, and Sephora.  And across the street from Sak’s you will find Kenneth Cole, Cole-Haan, and the promenade to Rockefeller Center.  This is the stuff that you really need to know when you’re in a city environment.

Red Maps aren’t just about shopping either.  It lists the streets, parks, major attractions, of course, and also museums, stores, libraries, hospitals, neighborhoods, galleries, hotels, gardens, and lots more.  These maps won’t be the only ones that you need, but they are a wonderful resource for getting around the city core.  I have several.

Red Maps are available for U.S. cities:  Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City (Chelsea, Downtown, Midtown, SoHo), Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.  International cities available:  Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Florence, London, Madrid, Paris, Rome and Venice.  They retail for around $6, and are also available in multi-packs for large cities that require more than one map.

You can purchase Red Maps at Amazon (aff), and at many bookstores.  You can check here for a list of stores in your area.

If you have travel lovers on your shopping list, you’ll want to be a regular reader of Fly Away Café.  You can subscribe by email in the subscription box in the left side bar, add the RSS feed to your reader in the right side bar, or simply come back to this site every single day.

Happy shopping!

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I disagree with most of them, believing that they are things you need to do at least once in your life.

Read my reasoning here, compare with MSN writer Jon Douglas here, and then weigh in with your own opinion.

1. San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf:  C’mon, it’s free.  And on a sunny day, it’s a nice walk with a view of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate Bridge.
2. Chicago’s Sears Tower:  OK, sure, you could go to the Hancock Tower instead, but you’ve got to see the view from one of these tall buildings.
3. Washington DC’s Spy Museum:  Maybe it’s my inner James Bond, but I had a good time here.  I went through the museum with a couple of co-workers, and we found plenty to look at, giggle about, and while away a rainy afternoon.
4. Las Vegas Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef:  Agreed.  Over priced and over rated.
5. New York City’s Times Square:  You’ve seen it on the New Year’s Eve Countdown, television news broadcasts, and in countless movies, and you need to see it in person.  You don’t have to stay there, and I certainly wouldn’t eat there, but you do need to see it.
6. London’s Changing of the Guard:  True confession.  I’ve never been to London.
7. Seattle’s Experience Music Project:  It’s in my home town, and I’ve somehow managed to never make it there.
8. Boston’s Faneuil Hall Marketplace:  It’s a shopping mall and food court in a cool building.  Walk by it, take a look, and keep on walking.
9. Hollywood:  Checking out the Walk of Stars is free, and you can alway try to find the star of your favorite actor.  The rest of the neighborhood has little to offer.
10. Dublin’s Guiness Storehouse:  I’ve missed this one, too.
11. Orlando’s Animal Kingdom:  I tend to shy away from most things in Orlando.  Everything’s a little too plastic, too contrived, and too expensive.
12. Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa:  It’s one of those landmarks that you probably just have to see, even if there’s not much else in the area.
13. Chicago’s Navy Pier:  I’ve missed this on my numerous trips to Chicago.
14. Las Vegas’ Stratosphere Tower:  Pass on this one, not worth the time or money.  But if you’re playing in their casino, see if you can manage a comp.
15. London’s Madame Tussaud:  Never been to London.

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The clock is running down on time for a couple of events, so if you’re trying to decide what to do, move these to the top of the list:

The National Museum of American History in Washington DC closes for a major renovation project on September 5th, which leaves you only two days to check out its exhibits.  Get some ideas on why you should go here.  If you absolutely can’t make it to the museum before it closes, a small collection of items, Treasures of American History, will be on display at the National Air and Space Museum starting November 17th.

Seattle’s Music and Art Festival, Bumbershoot, runs through Monday on the Seattle Center grounds.  Still lots of good music scheduled.

The Red Sox start a seven day home stand, so you’ve got plenty of opportunity to stop off at El Tiante for a cuban sandwich and a beer.

Jump in the car and head off on a scenic drive.  Try the mainline, or a road less traveled, and if it’s nice weather out, considering renting a convertible.

Trying to decide what to do with kids?  Many of them will be heading back to school after the holiday, so give them a real treat by letting them pick something to do.  Here are some ideas, that have an element of education, too.

Have brunch and an Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco, check out King Tut in Chicago, or head to the beach where ever you are.

Get up.  Get out.  And enjoy the last weekend of summer!

Photo credit:  flickr

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I’m a big baseball fan, thanks to the schooling in the game that I received from my father.  Fenway Park remains one of those ballparks that I just haven’t gotten to yet.

Pal Jeffrey Whelan, who is a BIG BoSox fan, makes this suggestion for ballpark food:

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Cuban pitcher Luis Tiant endeared himself to Boston fans in the 70’s.

A recent visit to Fenway found Tiant signing autographs and greeting fans as they lined up for a genuine Cuban sandwich and a Presidente beer at his El Tiante grill, right outside Gate A at Fenway Park.

It’s worth a visit, even if you don’t have tickets to the game!

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