Boston, MA

After one night at home following my drive home from Kentucky, I was off again; this time with Kathleen to Boston for Danielle’s graduate school graduation.

Friday, May 15: We were up early and off to Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport’s Terminal 2 for our 7:00 AM flight on Sun Country Airlines. At the TSA security check, which was not at all busy, Kathleen and her carry-on luggage were pulled for further scrutiny. She got a full-body pat-down by a female TSA officer and her bag underwent testing that neither of us had ever seen before. It’s typical that our superfood/flax/psyllium/protein powder supplement mix (known in the family as “swamp scum”) gets flagged by the x-ray screener and is wipe-tested to check for illegal substances. When that was inconclusive, an agent retrieved a special briefcase, with three different reagents, to further analyze the compounds. The TSA agent had never used this kit before, and had a supervisor on speaker phone to walk him through it. They were friendly and professional and the whole experience was rather interesting—thank goodness that we had the extra time to spare before our flight.

That was the only excitement on our direct flight to Boston, and Danielle and Jay picked us up at Logan Airport’s Terminal E, which was noisy outside due to construction. We went straight to their apartment in Brighton, a western suburb of Boston named after the English city, and home to the New Balance shoe corporation and part of Boston College. We had lunch, relaxed, took a nap, went to the YMCA, ate dinner, watched television and read until bedtime. Map link: Brighton, MA

Saturday, May 16: Danielle’s graduation from the Boston University School of Public Health was at 9:30 AM, so we got ourselves ready and went to the BU Track and Tennis Center on campus. Danielle earned her Masters in Public Health after a two-year program, along with hundreds of other graduate students who earned advanced degrees. Following the ceremony, we enjoyed a light lunch and socialized at the outdoor tent reception on a beautiful sunny day. Map link: Boston University

After lunch and a change of clothes, we took a boat ride on the Charles River, then strolled along the beautiful riverfront Esplanade, stopping at a historical plaque on the Harvard Bridge honoring legendary escape artist Harry Houdini. On April 30, 1908, a handcuffed and chained Houdini plunged 30 feet into the frigid Charles in front of an estimated 20,000 onlookers to promote his upcoming performance at a local theater. He emerged, unbound and unscathed, after about 40 seconds. 

We walked back through the BU campus, then met Kathleen’s sister Scarlett, who lives in Somerville, for a celebratory dinner at Bar ‘Cino in Watertown, next door to the Armenian Museum of America, which was closed. After an amazing dinner we went back to Brighton, where I watched NHL playoff hockey until late in the evening. 

Harvard Bridge and Houdini plaque

Harry Houdini in 1908. Source: Bostonmagazine.com

Sunday, May 17: While I ran some morning errands, the others went to the YMCA, then we all went to brunch with Scarlett at Veggie Galaxy in Cambridge for a late Mother’s Day celebration. Kathleen, Danielle and I went sightseeing in Boston, first visiting the Massachusetts Statehouse. Completed in 1798 on land once owned by John Hancock, the attractive gold-domed structure on Beacon Hill fronts Boston Common. Across the street is the 1897 Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, a bronze relief sculpture of the Union Colonel leading the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the second of more than 150 African-American regiments formed in the north. The son of wealthy Boston abolitionists and a tested combat veteran, Shaw was handpicked by Massachusetts Governor John Andrew to lead the regiment, which included two sons of civil rights leader Frederick Douglass. The 54th saw extensive action during the war, including the July 1863 assault on Fort Wagner overlooking Charleston Harbor, where Colonel Shaw was killed while leading the charge. The story was depicted in the 1989 Academy Award-winning film Glory, starring Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman and Andre Braugher. A reenactment group affiliated with the Massachusetts National Guard still marches in parades and celebrations, and I chatted with one of them at the memorial.

The 50-acre Boston Common is the oldest city park in the country and part of Boston’s “Emerald Necklace” of public green spaces and connecting waterways designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Used as a cow pasture, military camp, public execution grounds, gathering space and finally parkland, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The adjacent Boston Garden was the first public botanical garden in America, built on filled-in mudflats in the early 1800s. Fun fact: In the early 20th century, baby alligators were kept in a small basin near the Commonwealth Avenue entrance, and were fed rats and mice by residents. The tulips were in bloom, and the paths, gardens and historic swan boats, operating since 1877, were busy with folks enjoying the warm Sunday weather. In the northeast corner is a set of small bronze sculptures honoring Robert McCloskey’s classic children’s book Make Way for Ducklings, which was set in the park. The duck statues are typically dressed in seasonal costumes by locals. Map link: Boston Public Garden

“The Embrace” pubic art in Boston Common

Make Way for Ducklings sculptures in costume

Some guy named Washington—I guess he’s famous

Our last sightseeing stop was Cheers, the Boston bar whose exterior was seen in the NBC sitcom for 11 seasons between 1982 and 1993. Opened in 1969 as the Bull & Finch Pub, the basement establishment was named Boston’s best bar by Boston magazine in 1982 and soon after, the show’s creators considered it the perfect image for the opening sequence. By 1990, the bar was one of the top three tourist destinations in the city. In 2002, the owners struck a deal with the network and officially changed the name to Cheers. Today, it’s open for business, complete with a kitschy gift shop upstairs, which we perused. 

It was a hot afternoon (88F) and we were done sightseeing but not quite ready to return home. Across the street from Boston Commons was a multiplex movie theater, where we saw Devil Wears Prada 2 in air conditioned comfort, before heading back to Brighton, where Jay made us dinner.

Bonus Questions: Cheers trivia—Test your knowledge of the hit TV show (answers at end of post):

1. Which three actors appeared in all 275 episodes?

2. What was Sam’s profession prior to owning the bar? What was his nickname?

3. What was the name of Norm’s wife? 

4. What was the name of the seafood restaurant above the bar?

5. True or False: Nobody ever left the bar drunk.

Bonus Question Answers: 

1. Ted Danson (Sam), Rhea Perlman (Carla) and George Wendt (Norm) appeared in every episode of the show.

2. In the show, Sam “Mayday” Malone was a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox baseball team. 

3. Norm’s wife was named Vera.

4. The restaurant above the bar was Melville’s.

5. True. The producers and writers made it a point to never show anyone leaving the bar too drunk to drive home. The series was recognized by groups against drinking and driving for helping to promote designated drivers and responsible alcohol consumption.