~Boston Getaway~

There’s so much to see in the city of Boston in terms of history and the arts.

But for this trip, we had a narrower focus. We were in “40th anniversary celebration” mode, so our goal was to relax and enjoy our accommodations, have a couple of great meals, and shop at some of our favorite places.

We spent one whole day walking/browsing through “downtown” – one of Boston’s oldest shopping areas. It’s a bright and bustling place with stores of every kind.

~A Store for Crystal~

I had to visit the Windsor Button Shop.

It’s been in business since 1936. I’m not THAT old 😉 but when I was a kid, my girlfriends and I would take the train (subway) into Boston and stop at Windsor Button to purchase yards of grosgrain ribbon for our hair. It was very “in” at the time to pull your hair back in sort of a low pony tail, and then tie it with a soft bow to match your outfit. Our finances were meager then – mainly babysitting money – but we felt rich as Midas when we stepped up to the counter and announced: “I’ll take a yard of the royal blue please!”.

The shop is most famous for it’s vast collection of buttons.

A picture can’t really capture the magnitude of the display. There are buttons of every description and material – some plain, some a little fancy, and some so intricate and exquisite – they’d take your breath away. In recent years, they’ve added a beautiful selection of fine yarns and other sewing supplies. I bought some pretty yarn, and a crochet hook in a small size that I didn’t have.

~Sir Beads’ Favorite Stop~

For Sir Beads, no trip to Boston is complete without a browse of The Brattle Book Shop

Known as one of America’s oldest and largest purveyors of used books, there are 3 floors inside the building.

And an outside bargain lot.

But, it’s the third floor of rare and antiquarian books that really make Sir Beads’ heart pound.

He could easily spend an entire afternoon there but most of the time – it’s just a couple of hours.

So, by the end of the day our feet were telling us it was time to return to the hotel. We literally flopped on the sofa with a pre-dinner snack and then took the elevator to the 26th floor to watch the sun set over Boston! 😀

~Bird’s-eye View~

The Custom House observation deck is an outside walkway (located above the clock!) which wraps all the way around the building.

The sun was just beginning to wane and the view was magnificient. It’s amazing to see the city from so many angles.

I loved the sailboats…..

And the water view…

Here’s another angle on the harbor…

And some of Boston’s lovely architecture at sunset. Notice how Sir Beads captured the reflection of the Custom House on the building in the center of the photo.

By now, the sun was almost gone but the fresh air was delightfully balmy up there! Suddenly, we realized we were getting quite hungry…

Dinner would once again be in The Italian North End. This time at Lucca. Believe it or not, we enjoyed this meal even more than the one we had the night before.

And regardless of the calories, we did return to the pastry shop one more time. (We decided we could be on saltines and water when the mini vacation was over!) 😉

Before hopping into bed – one final look out the window. Boston doesn’t sleep.

~Short But Sweet~

In the morning, we headed home. We felt incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to make such a special memory together. Thanks for sharing it with us! 🙂

Hugs,

Crystal & Sir Beads