4WDED to Boston, MA

My work sent me on a trip to do a training in Boston last week and I was pretty excited considering that I had never been to Boston before. I wasn't sure what there was to see and I had very little time to prepare.. So I just winged it for the most part and here is what I came up with.

PLACES TO SEE IN BOSTON // 

The Freedom Trail

Boston was founded in 1636 which makes this one of the oldest cities in the U.S. Which also means there is a lot of history in this place that I wanted to check out. I started off with The Freedom Trail which is actually a 2.5 mile trail that has about 16 official sites to see. 

Unfortunately I didn't have enough time to explore the whole trail but I was able to pass by the Paul Revere House and get a glimpse of the historic site. I didn't get to go into the Paul Revere house so I can't tell you exactly what's in there but it was cool just to be in the area. It really feels like you're stepping into a time machine centuries back as the land looks to be untouched. 

If I were to identify what place was the most recommended spot to go in Boston, it's Mike's Pastry. Located near the Freedom Trail, I sought this place out. I didn't get to take a photo inside because the ordering was so hectic. The staff wasn't welcoming at all and I don't think they would have appreciated me taking a photo. There were several flavors to choose from, I ended up getting Nutella but to be honest, I wasn't that impressed. Maybe because the service left a bad taste in my mouth, or maybe it was hyped up.. Either way, it was just OK.

Harvard Square

Another highly suggested spot but in a neighboring city named Cambridge, MA. I was told it was a tourist attraction and worth seeing. This place reminded me so much of Berkeley so it felt a little like home. They had an Urban Outfitters, a bunch of cute little shops and restaurants, exactly what you would expect to find next to a well-known university.

Tasty Burger

I was told by the locals that their Tasty Burger is kind of like our In-n-Out here in Cali. Those who live or have been to Cali know how much of a staple In-n-Out is so anything comparable to that, I'm more than willing to try. This place had a cool vibe to it, even had a full-on bar with a pool table downstairs. They should totally open one up in Berkeley, I think it would do well. They had a unique selection of sauces and the burger was pretty good. 

Beat Brasserie was a restaurant/gastropub/music venue I wanted to check out since it was pretty well rated on Yelp but it was closed to a private event that night.. Bummer I really wanted to check it out too.

I stumbled upon this ghost town of a mall, I don't even know what it was called but it had an interesting selection of shops like this Ben n Jerry's as well as a bar and a few different Anime shops.

I forgot where Boston Chowda was located but I searched for a highly rated chowder spot since Boston is in fact part of "New England." When I was little, my mom always bought New England Clam Chowder and I loved it. I opted for Boston Chowda because this too was highly rated on Yelp and I always go for places with the names. Because if it has Boston in it, I assume it's the best. Again I must say, this was only OK to be honest. New England Lobster Market in Burlingame, CA to me has better Chowder than New England itself..

As you can probably tell by now, I haven't been quite impressed with the food choices I partook in but there was a place that surprised me. One local told me that a nearby city, Lowell, MA has the best Thai/Cambodian food due to it having the second largest Cambodian population in the U.S. I learned that Lowell had took in a lot of refugees during the Cambodian Genocide which explains the huge population. I chose Viet-Thai and I must say, this was the highlight of my trip. I may have been super hungry when I came but it was extremely satisfying and beyond my expectations. It smelled so good, I dug in before I could even take a photo. So here is my half eaten Pad Thai and Tom Yum..

And that is my Boston trip in a nutshell! I was only there for a 3 days so again, I didn't get to see much but I'm content with what I got to see. I don't know if I'd go out of my way to visit there again, so I'm glad I was able to explore even for just a little bit during my work trip.