Boston Fam Trip 1999

This was a Familiarisation trip hosted by United and Scandinavian Airlines. We flew from Heathrow on 9th April for a 3 night stay with United Airlines. There were 9 of us and we were told that we were being upgraded to Business and First Class. As there only a few seats in First Class, it was decided that it would be a lottery which ever boarding card we got is where we would be seated. I was lucky enough to be given seat 1C which was in the first Class Cabin. The flights were great and the crew really friendly.

There was an endless supply of food and drink and our group were invited by Pilot and Co Pilot to sit in the cockpit (It would never be allowed now since 9/11, so we were very lucky!!!!). We had booked into the Omni Parker House Hotel in Downtown Boston. The hotel is a luxury hotel and we all had our own rooms which were huge!!. The Hotel was central for shops, restaurants and is on the Freedom Trail. The first night we got there, we went to the Cheers Bar for a meal. The exterior was used in Cheers, but the first thing I noticed was how small it is inside. There is a downstairs which is used as the restaurant and that is bigger. The proper name for the Cheers bar is the Bull and Finch pub. The food was nice and they had quite a large menu of snacks and meals.

Boston is very Irish and there are flags everywhere, and lots of Irish bars and carts on streets selling scarves, flags and lots of other Irish Memorabilia. Boston is the most Irish of all the American Cities. The shopping in Boston is great and you can pick up some real bargains. Filenes Basement is the place to pick up designer bargains!!!! It has up to 70% off designer labels, but be warned you have to be prepared root!!!!!, (as it can look like a jumble sale!!!!)

When we were there, it must have been near prom night as there were hundreds of prom dresses and they were strewn everywhere. They also do Bridal wear. Copley Place is home to Gucci, Tiffany &Co, Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton and much more. There is also high street shopping with stores such as H & M and Saks of Fifth Avenue. Boston was also home to F.A.O Schwartz which was one of the Worlds largest Toy Stores. Apparently the shop is no longer there and the only memory is the 12 foot bronze teddy bear.

Boston is famous for Harvard and law so we took a trip to Harvard Square and had a look round. Harvard is huge, it is like a small town or village and the houses in the area are New England style and are used mostly as Student Accomodation. The student accomodation in the UK is nowhere are nice as these. The transport is good in Boston, there is the subway and plenty of buses and taxis. There are lots of restaurants in Boston and a lot of them are seafood restaurants where you can eat the catch of the day!!!!. Not being big on seafood or fish myself, I struggled a bit as it seemed to be everywhere we went.

One thing you must do on a trip to Boston is the Duck Tour!!!! The duck tours are mad, but great fun!!!! The tour is taken on a duckbus/boat and you are greeted by a Conducktour!!!!. The Tour is 80 minutes long, 60 minutes on the bus seeing the sights by road and then 20 minutes when it becomes a boat and onto the Charles River. The Conducktours tell you to shout Quack Quack everytime you see another duck on the road or on the river. It really is good fun and I would recommend it. It is approx $29 for adults and $19 for children.

If the Duck Tour does not tickle your fancy, you could try the Boston Trolley Tour. The Trolley Tour is a 1 hour tour but you han hop on and off as you please, as the pass is valid all day and is approx $28 for adults and free for children under 11. These are the approx prices if booked online.

We went to Dicks Last Resort for Brunch, which is in the Quincy Market Building. Dicks last resort is a restaurant/bar which offers Barbecue/buffets/appetizers, drinks and much more. They have live bands on and gospel choirs. The staff are funny and come out with wise crack remarks. I think the theory behind it is the more rude they are, the more you are supposed to tip. I have also been to Dicks in San Diego and Chicago and it is good fun and the food is delicious!!!!

There were about 11 of us in total, and one of the guys in our group was trying to be clever, so the waitress made a Dunce Cap for him and made him wear it all afternoon!!!!! The portions are big as well, so if you decide to visit, go hungry!!!! I believe that one has just opened inside the Excalibur Hotel in Las Vegas.

There is lots to do and see in Boston including the Freedom Trail which is a 2.5 mile red brick walking trail which takes you to 16 Nationally Historic Sights. We went on a Whale Watching trip with Boston Harbour Cruises. The trip is 3 hrs and is approx USD36 plus tax. The sea was quite choppy and a couple of us were sea sick, but we did see quite a few Whales and Dolphins.

There is a famous Pub Crawl for those who like to try different bars and drinks. It can be pre booked on the Party Bus. As I mentioned before, Boston is very Irish and there are loads of Irish Bars and pubs. There is even an Irish pub Directory so you can find out where they all are!!!!!!

There are lots of Museums on Boston for the young and old including The Childrens Museum, Computer Museum, Museum of Science and the Museum of Fine Arts which is home to paintings by Van Gogh, Picasso and owns the largest Monet Collection outside Paris!!!!! If you are visiting Boston for a few days, it may be worthwhile to purchase a Go Card. It can be bought for 2,3 5 or 7 days and can be used for discount in Museums, Tours and restaurants among other attractions.

They are very big on sports in Boston and threre are the Red Sox baseball team, The Boston Celtics basketball and The New England Patriots Football team (American Football!!!!). Whichever bar you go in, you can be assured that there will a sports game on should it be football, basketball or baseball.

We were supposed to go on a trip to Cape Cod and take in Martha's vineyard and surrounding areas, but we ran out of time whcih was quite disappointing, so I will just have to go back and explore next time!!!!!!!! It was nice weather when we were there in April, but I have been told the best time to go is in the Fall (September/October) when the leaves all change colour.

I really enjoyed Boston, but felt that I did not have enough time to explore properly and see it as its best. I will definetly go back. There are quite a few airlines that offer flights such as American Airlines, Virgin Airlines. and British Airways. There is also KLM and Air France via Europe among others!!!!!

There are lots of hotels in Boston from budget to luxury hotels, such as Holiday Inn, Marriott, and Hilton. At the time of writing this, the exchange rate is just under 2 Dollars to the Pound so it is the best time to get value for money, and I am sure you will enjoy Boston!!!!!!