Girls' Trip Staycation

So a few weeks ago my mom and sister came to visit Boston for our highly anticipated girl's trip (much of which Nate tagged along for). It was the perfect balance of city life and exploring the rest of Mass for a very New England Fall. We started the trip out with dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Boston, which happens to be a couple blocks away from us. The next day Laura and my mom explored the freedom trail, while Nate and I sadly had to work.  But it worked out well because I'm not sure how many times I can do the freedom trail.  We met up in Brookline for some pizza at Otto's and to go to a super high end baby store and look at cute baby stuff.  My spoils included an adorable hedgehog stuffed animal and hedgehog onesie. (yes, I'm obsessed with hedgehog things, and hedgehog themed baby stuff is the CUTEST!) 

The night they arrived at the Mexican Restaurant, Sea Breeze

The next day we spent exploring Lexington and Concord, Nate and I haven't been there yet, and so it was fun to see that history and the beautiful towns that I've heard so much about.  We also saw Walden pond and did a tour through Louisa May Alcott's home which was really interesting because we are big Little Women fans. (Well, Nate didn't love that tour) We had some delicious lunch at a delicious bakery out there, Nashoba Brook Bakery, which was in an odd location in an industrial looking building, but the sandwiches were incredible. That night we drove back into Boston, searched for a place to eat dinner, ended up making an awful choice and going to a Thai restaurant that was disgusting (not just because I don't like Thai) then going to Shear Madness, a cool comedy show that is a murder mystery but involves improv and audience participation.  It was really good!

At the Lexington Green

We stopped by the temple on our way.  Laura is really good at getting bumpies
of me because she is STOKED to finally be an aunt on our side of the family

Me and Nate in Concord, MA at the Minute Men park

Me and Mom at the Boston temple

Saturday we went to the Cranberry Harvest Festival in Wareham, MA on the Cape.  I had heard about this but never been, and it was super interesting to see how cranberries are harvested. Basically they grow all year in a field that they water occasionally, but isn't a bog until they want to harvest the berries, then they fill it with water, use an egg beater type machine to agitate the vines so the berries come off, then they float up to the top of the water, and they coral them all in to one section of the bog, where they suck them up and they go into the washer contraption conveyor belt and into a giant truck.  It was pretty impressive.  They also had all sorts of cranberry food to try and other fun crafts and food. That night we went to a FANTASTIC North End Restaurant, Trattoria II, where we all had delicious food ( I got the Gnocchi, like I always do whenever we go to the North End) and followed it up at Modern Pastry for some cannolis (and cheesecake, and boston cream pie cupcakes, and cookies).  

We got to a ride a school bus to the festival grounds

A truck full of cranberries, apparently one bog gets 5 of these!

Corralling and sucking up the cranberries in the bog

Of Course we needed some fried oreos

Me and my sis at Modern Pastry

The next day we went apple picking in Stow, MA, about an hour away, at Honey Pot Hill Orchards. THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE THERE, ~2000.  We got TONS of apples, cider, apple cider donuts, and pumpkins.  It was the quintessential fall Boston activity. 

Once again, Laura taking Bumpies

Shocking, Nate climbed the tree

With our pumpkins

With mama Eve and her apple

all our apple spoils

On Monday, before they flew out we went to the Museum of Science.  I hadn't been here yet either to explore and was very impressed.  It is a great museum and was super interesting.  The special exhibit was Behind the scenes of Pixar, where we learned all about everything that goes into an animated Pixar film.  There was SO MUCH that you would never think of.  The Hall of Human Life was also super cool.  We ended the trip going to Quincy Market for some lunch before we drove them to the airport.  It was so sad to see them leave and the time flew by, but it was so fun to have them, and Laura's first time to Boston. Since I will be too pregnant to fly for Christmas it was really good to be able to see family before the baby comes and my life is consumed by our little one. So now everyone knows we are amazing hosts and they need to come visit!