My Favorite Places in New England: The New Hampshire Edition (plus a touch of Vermont and Rhode Island)

Originally published June 26, 2020.  Updated August 26, 2022.

This is definitely going to be my final post on places to go in New England, because I'm running out of things on my list (for now).

New Hampshire

1. White Mountains - there is so much to do in the White Mountains!  We camped in Jefferson and visited Santa's Village and Storyland, both amusement parks for the younger kids.  Santa's Village is newer and cleaner, while Storyland is like Disneyland but based on the traditional fairy tales.  Santa's Village also has a brand new water park called HoHoH2O.  😆Both offer an extra free day's ticket is you come in after 3 on a certain day.  So we did this one summer, but after spending a day and a half at Santa's Village and a half day at Storyland, we were theme parked-out, so we saved the extra day for a road trip back in the fall.  There's another water park called Whale's Tale, but we haven't tried that one yet.  Do the drive up Mount Washington with the audio guide.  We also took the Mount Washington Cog Railway up to the summit on a separate trip.  We chose to take the original coal-powered steam engine train.  It takes about an hour to go up the 3 miles, you get an hour at the top, and then it takes about 45 minutes to get back down.  Be sure to sit on the left side of the train and at the front of the train if possible (row 1).  The seats flip around so that you will be in the back on the way down.  Pack a light jacket because it's cold up top, even in the summer.  Drive the Kankamangus Highway, especially in the fall to see the leaves change colors.  We've hiked The Basin (a really easy flat trail along a babbling brook) and Artist's Bluff (which provides a magnificent view of Echo Lake).  The Flume Gorge is worth a visit, but it has a pretty steep fee.  Biking along the Pemi River is such a great ride!  The hike to Lonesome Lake was a great moderate hike with amazing views once you reach the lake at the top (the trail can be started at the Lafayette Place Campground); there's a hut managed by the Appalachian Mountain Club at the top where you can get a hot meal.  We attended church service at the top of Loon Mountain, which was spectacular, and then enjoyed the walk up in the trees afterwards!  In the winter, we like to ski at Cranmore in North Conway.  A great place to stay in North Conway is the Hampton Inn - it's a lot more affordable than the Red Jacket but it has a small indoor waterpark which is great after a day of skiing.  One last shout out is to check out the sushi at Delaney's Hole in the Wall.  We were pleasantly surprised considering we were in the middle of New Hampshire.  There are so many trails here and I just can't wait to go back!  2022 Update: We did 8 waterfalls in 2 days!  Sabbaday Falls, Upper Falls (Rocky Gorge), Lower Falls on the Kancamagus Highway; Jackson Falls and Diana's Bath near North Conway; and Bemis Brook Falls, Coliseum Falls, and Arethusa Falls.
2. Weir's Beach (Laconia) - this is a beautiful boardwalk on the edge of Lake Winnipesaukee that has old school arcades, ice cream shops, train ride, mini golf, and a drive in theater.  You can also board the Mount Washington Cruise ship to get onto the water.  Finally, there is a mail boat that you can take around the lake that actually delivers the mail.  
3. Canobie Lake (Salem) - another amusement park for slightly older kids.  We went when my kids were 8 and 9 and I thought it was perfect.  Take the little boat cruise out onto the lake, especially towards sunset.
4. Ragged Mountain - a small, but absolutely wonderful ski resort, "affordable" and family friendly.  Kids can't get lost and the lodge is a great place to relax.  We get the kids rentals for the season and it comes with a $99 season pass to Ragged.
5. Pat's Peak - we came here once when the kids were young and they just stayed on the bunny slopes.  I think the bunny slopes were free for everyone so it's a great place to learn and practice!

Vermont

1. Stowe - we spent a whole day on the ropes course at Smugglers' Notch, well, at least one kid in the family did.  If you like tennis, take some lessons at Top Notch - absolutely worth it.  We also drove to the Trapp Family Lodge - the Von Trapp family from Sound of Music settled here because it reminded them of their home in Austria.  You will feel like you were transported to another place and the green mountains are alive with singing here!  They craft their own beers, and you can sit outside and enjoy it with a pretzel and some brats.  Pick up some Heady Topper at The Alchemist - go early since they do run out.  A little bit outside of Stowe, you can visit the Ben & Jerry's factory (go early in the day because they do shut down and you won't see any ice cream being made) and the Cabot Store next door where you can sample their whole array of cheese.  On the way to or from Stowe, stop by the King Arthur Company Store and enjoy the bread.  You can even take some classes if you have time.  Finally, we took a tour of the Rock of Ages granite quarry, where the majority of gravestones in America come from, and a tour of the Vermont State House in Montpelier.
2. Killington - this is in the Green Mountains, but I just remember it being really white.  😉  It's another large ski resort.
3. Burlington

Rhode Island

1. Newport - I love the snack bar at Easton Beach, for a quick lobster roll without breaking the bank.  Also, definitely do the Cliff Walk and look into the backyards of all these mansions.  You can tour many of these ginormous mansions, but we haven't.  Downtown is a great place for shopping and eating.
2. Providence - the Waterfire show is still on the bucket list.

Connecticut - this is just a place you have to drive through to get to NYC.  just kidding.  We haven't really explored CT yet, but I see there's supposed to be dinosaur tracks and I'm sure there's a lot more to discover.

My favorite places in New England: The Maine Edition

Originally published June 25, 2020.  Updated August 26, 2022.

I started this post thinking this would be the third and last of the series of posts about things to do in New England.  But after I finished the first state, I realized Maine also deserved a post all to itself!

Maine

Maine was the first state that road tripped to.  We packed the car with no itinerary and just took off.  Well, we did have the first destination picked out, which was the Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier in Kittery.  It's on a creek, surprise surprise, and you just order fresh seafood by the pound.  Given it was our first stop in Maine, we had a little bit of everything, and I highly recommend a little bit of everything!  We were fans of Maine already.

Kittery - I've already mentioned the Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier.  On a separate trip, we went to the Fort McClary State Historic Site because my husband enjoys that type of stuff.  There's also an outlet there, but it's not really worth stopping.

York - York has a large sandy beach with a playground on it.  The Nubble Light House is also in York and is very picturesque.  Definitely worth checking out.  I take visitors here if I have a chance, just because it's so close to Boston.

Ogunquit - for our first road trip, we ended here and just happened to be in time for the 4th of July fireworks show.  So we staked out a place on the Marginal Way (a walk along the cliffs overlooking the ocean) to catch the show.  What we didn't realize is that we'd see all the fireworks up along the Maine coastline, through Kennebunkport all the way to Portland.  It was really cool.  Ogunquit has great restaurants, a great Maine vibe, and a beautiful beach.

Kennebunk - I admit, this is such a charming seaside town, and we didn't get to stay long to enjoy it.  We hopped out of the car and got the infamous lobster rolls at The Clam Shack.  This roll is unique since it's not a traditional hot dog bun, but on a round brioche.  I highly recommend this!  Then we had amazing ice cream right behind the Clam Shack.  It's the perfect Maine experience.  We stopped in a souvenir shop just to check out some of the tongue-in-cheek political humor.  Kennebunkport is home of the Bush family compound.  I am just learning that there's another lobster roll place that's only 500 feet away from The Clam Shack in Kennebunkport that also claims to be the best lobster roll.  I will have to go check this out - Allison's Restaurant.

Portland - Portland Head Lighthouse in the Fort Williams Park is my absolute favorite place in all of Maine.  This lighthouse is one of a couple of lighthouses that claims to be the most photographed lighthouse in Maine.  The best thing to do here is to get a lobster roll from the food truck Bite Into Maine, which is parked here.  The ocean air here just makes this the real deal!  There's a military bunker and the remnants of an old mansion that's pretty cool to check out.  From Portland, we took a ferry to Peaks Island and walked around the island where we were first introduced to rock stacking.  I highly recommend taking the ferry and exploring the islands off the coast.  Finally, back in Portland, there's just a lot of good shopping and good dining.  We ate at Flatbreads which is great.  We also had the turkey dinner at Becky's Diner because it was featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives - I actually think they made a special plate just for Guy because we didn't get the same meal.  We had potato donuts from The Holy Donut, which you just have to try.  One final place we ate at while passing through Portland was Duckfat.  It was a long wait, but was totally worth it!  Finally, the last place I always try to stop in at is Vervacious, where I pick up a bottle of balsamic vinegar (like espresso balsamic or chocolate balsamic) and any other unique spices that catch my eye.  This is always a great souvenir for me.  We definitely need to spend more time in Portland and try more restaurants.  2022 Update: We got lobster rolls at Highroller Lobster Co., poutine at Duckfat Frites Shack, and the best Texas BBQ at Terlingua.  The TX BBQ is legit!  We also had Vietnamese rice plates at Cong Tu Bot, which was on the 2021 NY Times' 50 Restaurants We're Most Excited About.  TBH, I was a little disappointed, but then again, they had a later opening time and a very limited lunch menu, so I would be willing to give it another try.

Freeport - most people only know Freeport as home of LL Bean and its outlets.  We camped on the oceanfront at Winslow Memorial Park; if you can get one of the spots near site #20, those are the best.  There was live music on Thursday nights, and the sunset and sunrise was just incredible.

Rockland - home of the Maine Lobster Festival!  This would be a great place to start your Maine lobster experience.  Definitely check out downtown Rockland.  After the festival, we drove to Red's Eats in Wiscasset to check out what everyone's talking about.  We had the worst experience, since we waited in line for 2 hours (yes, 2 hours, I've never done that before!) and then the rain poured down on us as soon as we got our food!  Even drenched, huddling in our car, eating the roll, it was pretty good, so I know I will have to try this again, but I hope not to have to wait 2 hours next time.  Just a tip, there's a pretty great place across the street at Sprague's that's pretty good too and apparently it never has a line.

Boothbay Harbor - We made the detour onto one of the fingers of Maine to visit the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.  They had 5 ginormous trolls, and the boys had a wonderful scavenger hunt hiking through the garden to find all of them.  They completed the challenge and won the grand prize - a package of bee balm seeds.  The town of Boothbay is also so quintessential Maine.  We got lobsters and ate on a working wharf and watched as boats come in.  We lucked out and were there on a Friday night when they had buck-o-shuck and live music!

Acadia - Acadia is located on Mount Desert Island, and Bar Harbor is the main town that is on the island.  The eastern half of the island is where most people spend their time, and the western is much less developed.  Acadia will always hold a special place in my heart.  For my first mother-son solo trip to celebrate his 8th birthday, we road tripped to Acadia with no campground reservation and not much else other than a pop up 2 person tent and a bike strapped to the back of the car.  I had read about a no-reservation campground near Bar Harbor.  When we showed up, the lady told me that she thought the site overlooking the ocean had just checked out, and that we could have that spot.  We just absolutely fell in love with this spot, it overlooked the ocean and had a nice field in front.  Now, everytime we go back, that's the spot we look for.  On a different trip, all of those sites were taken, so we had to take a different spot, but the next morning, we were able to move over as soon as one of the people checked out.  It doesn't have electricity or running water but the view is so worth it!  I'm sure I could write a whole 'nother blog post about Acadia, but here's the highlights.  The best part of Acadia is the Beehive Trail!!!  My kids have been doing this since they were 7 and 8, and I see many young kids on this trail, but it is not for the faint of heart.  The Park Ranger also basically told me I couldn't take my 8 year old, but he says "well my classmate just did it."  And my neighbor says "well Martha Stewart just did it."  So, I think it's pretty safe.  You basically are scaling up the side of a mountain using iron ladder rungs and there's nothing to catch you should you fall.  It's about a mile vertical ascent and a one way trail - only up - because it's that narrow.  The view out into the ocean though is amazing though!!!  There's a second iron rung trail - Precipice - but I think it's much more scrambling and harder, so we haven't tried that one yet.  After the Beehive Trail, take the hike down by the Bowl, it's a beautiful lake that is worth stopping at.  Across the street from the Beehive trailhead is the parking lot for Sand Beach.  We did a Junior Ranger program here and learned so much about this beach and Acadia by digging in the sand and studying the ocean water.  We also came back for a star presentation at night.  You must do this to really appreciate the dark sky here.  Ok, other highlights, which you'll see in every tour guide is popovers at the Jordan Pond House Restaurant.  We also hiked around Jordan Pond, which has a nice boardwalk, is full of frogs, boulders, loons nesting.  It takes longer than it looks.  The other stopping point is Thunder Hole and Bass Harbor Lighthouse (another one that claims to be the most photographed lighthouse) which is on the other side of the island.  And if you go, you must bring your bikes because they have a great network of trails that wind throughout the park on old carriage roads built by John D. Rockefeller.  In Bar Harbor, my kids love Geddy's because their meals come on frisbees and it's just a fun atmosphere.  We also had amazing Maine blueberry pancakes at Jordan's.  My favorite place to get lobster on the island is The Travelin' Lobster, which I go to every time.   However, this past time, we decided to go to C-Ray because it was closer to our campsite, and it definitely right up there!  The guy in front of me told me it was his third time there in 3 days.  Lol!  It had a nice firepit and there's a vineyard next door that we'll have to check next time we're there.  Finally, there's a Pirates Cove mini golf that the kids love.  If you lose at mini golf, you can take your scorecard across the street for a discount on your ice cream at Udder Heaven.  Next door to Udder Heaven is Mainely Meat, which is some legit BBQ.  We've had breakfast AND dinner there!  Go to Long Pond and rent some kayaks and stand up paddleboards!

Shawnee Peak - this is the one ski resort we went to in Maine.  It is great, small, and very family friendly.  We went with some friends who were great ski instructors for our kids and helped us figure out how to get our kids up ski lifts for the first time.

I didn't intend to write so much, but summers in Maine are absolutely wonderful.  I hope this helps anyone planning a trip to Maine.  And it's so true, lobster rolls are better in Maine!

My favorite places in Massachusetts outside of Boston

Originally published June 24, 2020.  Updated August 26, 2022.

The thing about Mass that still amazes me is that I can drive about 60-90 minutes and be in 5 different states!  So, we have had a blast exploring this little corner of the country, and I want to share all of our amazing road trips.  Most of these are day trips, though you can probably spend a whole weekend or a week exploring any of these areas.  I started this blog thinking I could cover all 6 states in New England but quickly realized that Massachusetts deserves its own post.

Massachusetts

Farms

1. Drumlin Farm (Lincoln) - this is a part of the Mass Audobon, so we had gotten a membership.  I remember the kids really liking the digging part and seeing all the animals on a live working farm!
2. Tougas Family Farm (Northborough) - we've picked white peaches, blackberries, and cherries here.  It is one of my favorites and never disappoints!  (UPDATE: August 2022, we stopped in for pick your own peaches at 2:30 but they had shut down at 2 pm for the day.  Sad.)
3. Russell Orchards (Ipswich) - get the apple cider donuts here - the best, especially if it's fresh from the fryer!  This is a really nice orchard.  They also have a vineyard and their own wine tasting on certain days.
4. Honey Pot Hill (Stow) - this is a favorite for school field trips, since it's pretty close to town.  So it's often overrun with school groups.  Avoid it on holidays and weekends.  Otherwise, it's a fantastic place to go apple picking, with so many different varieties!  Oh and the apple cider donuts!
5. Parlee Farms (Tyngsborough) - Near the NH border.  Other than the usual seasonal fruits, Parlee offers pick your own flowers - gladiolas, dahlias, sunflowers, and zinnias.  They are beautiful fields and definitely worth going.  There is a hayride to fields that the kids really enjoy.  We've picked blueberries and peaches here.
6. Connors Farm (Danvers) - we went here for all the children's activities and Mass's largest corn maze!  It definitely lived up to its billing.  There's actually QR codes in the maze to help you get it, and sometimes you really do need it.  I think it took us like an hour to go through this one!
7. Belkin Family Lookout Farm (Natick) - This was a very pretty farm with walkways covered with grapevines growing on trellises.  We picked Asian pears and and peaches here.  Overall, it was a little pricier.  We also grabbed some craft beer from the farm store that was delicious.
8. Ward's Berry Farm (Sharon) - We picked raspberries and tomatoes and dug for carrots here!  The boys loved digging for carrots.  They also have pick your own flowers, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, grapes, edamame (I'd never seen this before!), and so much more!  There is a fun playground for the kids, goats and pigs to feed, and a great farmstand and coffee shop.  OH, and you HAVE TO get the apple cider donuts here that are fresh straight out of the fryer!  We visited here in 2021 and this is now my favorite farm.
9. Kimball Farm (Westford) - This isn't really a farm, but more like a small fair or a huge activity center - there's no real words to describe it.  It has 2 fabulous mini golf courses, bumper boats, bumper cars (the ones that spin like crazy when you run into each other), batting cages, a weird animal petting center, arcade, a driving range, zipline, and the best par 3 pitch and putt golf course!  Oh, and we love getting the twin lobsters here and finishing off the day with a big scoop of the best homemade ice cream - so many different flavors!  We make it a point to go at least once a year!  Get the Pick 5 because you're going to want to do all the activities, and the hardest thing is to choose which 5.
10. Davis Farmland (Sterling)

North Shore

1. Rockport - one of our first road trips and still one of the most memorable.  We stopped by The Lobster Pool for our first ever lobster roll and ate it out back with the perfect beautiful scenic view.  We then visited Halibut Point State Park, which we've gone back to once or twice, and is also another favorite.  We ended the day at Roy Moore Lobster in Rockport's Bearskin Neck, a strip of land that is filled with art galleries and ice cream parlors.  We always get the twin lobsters here, best value anywhere and oh so fresh!
2. Ipswich - our three favorite things in Ipswich are lobster rolls at The Clam Box, the sand at Crane Beach, and the apples at Russell Orchards!  Isn't that enough reason to go here?  But everytime we go, we see other things we want to stop at and we never have time!
3. Topsfield - Go to the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary.  Bring bird seeds and you can hold them in your hands and the wild birds will come and eat them straight out of your hands!  The hike on the boardwalk over the water is also beautiful, and you will see evidence of beaver activity.  We also got to see a loon and its nest!
4. Gloucester - Gloucester probably has the most popular beaches - Good Harbor and Wingaersheek.  They also have Fort Stage Park and Half Moon Beach, which always looks a little like a secluded paradise island to me.  My first time finding any sea glass was at Half Moon.  We've biked the boardwalk along the ocean from downtown to Fort Stage.  Another one of our favorite places for lobster is here at Blue Collar Lobster.  It's got a great outdoor dining area, with cornhole and the smell of the salty ocean air wafting all around you.
5. Marblehead - we came here for Christmas.  There were groups of children and adults caroling in many of the different businesses and churches in town.  It's just so festive.  We ate at Atomic Cafe and The Muffin Shop and Haley's, and I just remember everything being so delicious.  It's a great place to do some holiday shopping.
6. Salem - this is home to the Peabody Essex Museum, which is another huge art museum.  I think we didn't allow ourselves enough time to explore it's all, but it's definitely worth the drive.  Don't miss the chance to earn a Junior Ranger Badge at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site!  Another amazing place for lobster rolls is at the Clam Shack is out by the waters.  We got poured on and were drenching wet, but that was some of the best lobster I've had.  Instead of being able to go to the beach, we went to the arcade, which is really like a blast from the past!
7. Salisbury Beach State Reservation - A great campground by the beach
8. Lawrence - this was a great girls' trip to go antiquing.

Central & Western Mass

1. Wachusett - this might be our favorite ski resort in Mass.
2. Fitchburg - We went here and stayed at Great Wolf Lodge for a weekend for Caleb's birthday.  It was fun.  Some people ski at nearby Wachusett or Nashoba.
3. Amherst - home of the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.  Try to go when there's an author reading!
4. Worcester - Ecotarium is an awesome indoor/outdoor science museum with live animals like eagles, the red fox, and otters and wonderful trail through the woods.  I really recommend this museum - I think it's more age appropriate for the younger kids than the Museum of Science, but kids of all ages can learn something here.  Worcester Art Museum is another awesome art museum.  It also inherited the armory, so it has a lot of artillery and armor to check out.
5. Springfield - we've been here multiple times and actually got to spend a weekend in town.  The highlights are the Springfield Museums, including the Dr. Seuss Museum (Springfield is Seuss's birthplace) and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  We went to the Northeast Hot Air Balloon Festival in nearby Northampton.  It was awesome to be so close to a hot air balloon and see them launch.  Just be sure to stay for the balloon glow at night.  Six Flags New England is also located nearby, but we haven't had a chance to visit it yet.
6. de Cordova Sculpture Garden (Lincoln) - this park is another one of The Trustees of Reservations property.  It has outdoor sculptures, some of them are a bit unusual.  It's a nice place to stop and wander.  Since we visited during COVID, we didn't get a chance to check out the museum.
7. Fruitlands (Harvard, MA) - again, this is another park run by The Trustees.  We did a 2 mile hike around the property, walked past some ruins of a house and a brick factory and spied some brick remnants.  There is a farm and other art galleries on the property, but we couldn't enter them due to COVID.  The property has a beautiful view out across the valley.
8. Old Sturbridge Village (Sturbridge, MA) - This is a recreation of an 1830s New England town.  We watched some basket making presentations and talked to several other characters, like the blacksmith.  It is a worth a few hours visit. 
9. New England Botanical Garden (Boylston, MA) - This garden is very well done, with some nice manicured spaces and some more natural hiking paths.  We went for a Thursday night summer evenings when they had a biergarten, lawn games, and live music.  It was just very relaxing.  We did get a membership, so I am excited to go back next month when they'll have fairy villages, and later this year (2022), they'll have gnomes take over the garden! 
10. Mendon Drive In Theater
11. The Berkshires
12. Tanglewood - the summer home of the Boston Symphony

Cape Cod & South Shore

1. Nantasket Beach (Hull) - this is the first beach we ever went to in New England.  I remember Suny's co-worker taking us at the beginning of May, because winter is finally over.  Well, it was in the high 50s and we saw both people in shorts and people in down jackets.  You can tell who the locals are.  😂
2. World's End (Hingham) - right before you get to Hull, you can turn off and go to the World's End.  Be careful you don't miss the turn, because World's End is not at the end, Hull is.  It is a wonderful park that is part of the The Trustees of Reservations with bike trials, birdwatching, a beach, and views of the Boston skyline across the harbor.  Bring a picnic and a kite to fly.
3. Plimouth - this is where the you can find Plimouth Rock (don't have high expectations, I was expecting a whole cliff - it's more like a pebble) and a reproduction of the Mayflower ship.  You can also tour Plimouth Plantation, which my older son did on a class field trip, but my younger one did not, due to COVID.
4. Carver - this is where you can find Edaville, an amusement park for the youngest Thomas the Train lovers!  I loved the real train ride around the cranberry bogs.
5. Sandwich - we went to the Sandwich Glass Museum, which is absolutely fascinating about something that's so "boring" - this is where my fascination with glass and the history of Mass was stoked.  We ate at Seafood Sam's on the Canal, I believe, and there's a wonderful bike path along the canal there!  Another place that we didn't get a chance to visit but is on the bucket list is the Heritage Museums & Gardens.
6. Falmouth - There is a tiny aquarium Woods Hole Science Aquarium and the Nobska Point Light House in Woods Hole, and the most awesome bike path along the ocean is in Falmouth (Shining Sea Bikeway).
7. Nickerson State Park - We have camped here several times now.  It is very woodsy.  Be careful, because we did find a tick on Suny one time.  In the park, there are several lakes that are great for swimming and fishing.  The Cape Cod Rail Trail goes right by here and you can bike to the beach.  We got to the beach during low tide and walked out at least half a mile onto the ocean floor!  The sunset from the beach was just beautiful!
8. Provincetown - or Ptown for short.  We got to spend a whole week here.  Note to self, things aren't open up for the season yet in April, so no lobsters and lots of restaurants were still closed.  We saw maybe half a dozen right whales (yes, right whales) right from the seashore.  They're pretty endangered, so this was a great surprise!  We hiked the dunes at the Cape Cod National Seashore and played on the beach at Race Point.  Make sure you go out during low tide - I've never seen so many interesting sea creatures before!  Also, be sure to stop by the NPS office to become a Junior Ranger.
9. Blackstone River Valley Bike Trail - this isn't Cape Cod nor South Shore, but close to the Rhode Island border, and I had nowhere else to group it, so here it is.  This is just a great paved bike path along the river.  Definitely need to do this again now that the other half of our family has finally learned to ride a bike!

My favorite places in Boston

I never knew New England existed.  I didn't think there was much more past NYC, just a lot of green space, which is not altogether entirely untrue.  But I have come to fall in love with this region of the country so much, the longer I live here.  I want to record some of my favorite places in NE, so that I can remember to share with my friends, especially those who have just arrived and didn't really know all that NE had to offer either.  I realize that list is going to get very long, so I'm going to start off with just Boston.  This list will include places I have been, and places that are on my bucket list.  I provide some highlights and tips for the places I have actually been.

Local Parks and Playgrounds

1. Hynes Playground - this park has a playground, splash pad, and nice loop for bike riding.  It has basketball courts and a baseball field.  We usually run into someone we know here.
2. Soule Park & Playground - This park also has a splash pad and tennis courts.  We have great memories here, since Caleb went to pre-school here and had soccer practice on the lawn here.
3. Skyline Park - this is up on a hill and has plenty of parking and is just super nice and clean with a beautiful view.
4. Larz Anderson - this is beautiful park with fully shaded playground and a short walking trail over a pond with a beautiful stone gazebo.  We have had many a soccer games here.  This is also a popular place to picnic, watch the fireworks downtown, on the top of the hill, or fly a kite.  Venture a little further from the main area, and the crowds thin out and you'll be surprised by some unique art sculptures and installations.  This also has a nice outdoor skating rink - even Tom Brady's kids took lessons here.  The old carriage house is home to the Museum of Transportation, with vintage cars on display.  
5. Millenium Park - we just recently discovered this park in West Roxbury.  It is located on the Charles River, so there's a boat launch.  We like it for the paved bike paths.  You can start at the top of the hill and coast down, or try to wind your way back up.  There's multiple different paths and is quite scenic in some parts.
6. Arnold Arboretum - I didn't realize that I had visited this place on one of our visits to Boston, when the flowers were blooming and it was very festive.  The boys like to ride their bikes here and it is just a nice sanctuary so close to the city.
7. Boston Harbor Islands - there is usually a free ferry day, once a year, where we take the ferry to the many different Boston Harbor Islands.  Spectacle Island is fun to hike and hunt for sea glass.  We love the fort at Peddocks Island, but Fort Warren on Georges Island may be our favorite!
8. Christopher Columbus Park - everytime I am near Fanueil Hall, the North End, the ferry dock or the aquarium, I always stop at the Christopher Columbus Park.  The playground there has a sand surface and is pretty fun.  If I had time, I'd walk through the North End and grab a cannoli from Mike's Pastry (limencello is the way to go!).  
9. Rose Kennedy Greenway - There is also a nice carousel right across the street from the Christopher Columbus Park.  Walk the greenway for some interesting and always changing art installation.
10. Boston Common and Public Gardens - I almost forgot to include the most famous playground and park of them all.  The boys love this playground and there's also a carousel when the weather warms up.  But one of my favorite all-time memories is of our boys "swimming" in the wading pool - I can't even remember if you're supposed to be in the water.  But they had so much fun!  In the winter, ice skating on the Frog Pond is a must, to truly be Bostonian.  Try to catch an ice skating competition or show.  I prefer watching the swan boats and picnicking in the Gardens.  Also, don't forget our "annual" visits to the Make Way for Ducklings statue.  It's amazing to see how much the boys have grown from their first visit to this statue.
11. Charles River Esplanade - Another one I almost forget - my kids' favorite playground of them all!  This one might be for a little bit older kids.  It has a ginormous rope climbing structure, a climbing rock, a wooden climbing structure, and a zipline, all on the edge of the Charles River, with one of the best views in the city!  I always dream of bringing my bike here and biking the Charles River.  The Hatch Shell is also here (it's beautiful!), and we've been able to catch the Boston Symphony play outdoors and attend some festivals here.
12. Castle Island - this is best of all worlds!  It's reachable by car, has a great playground, a small rocky beach, a hill to fly kites and watch the planes land at Logan, Sullivan's for snacks, and a fort to explore!  Don't forget to take a walk out onto the path that loops out into the water.  There's free parking, which may seem busy but turns over pretty quickly.
13. Franklin Park Zoo - I include this here, because the playground at the zoo is one of the best ones in all of Boston!
14. Beaver Brook Spray Deck - we went here with some friends from Arlington, because it is a little bit of a hike from my house.  It's a super nice splash pad! 
15. Blue Hills - the boys have been here, but I have not had a chance.  Houghton's Pond is located here and definitely at the top of one of the next places I want to visit.
16. Minuteman National Park - come here to learn the history of the American Revolution.  There's a great biking trail.  We also got to visit the Old Manse, the home of many great writers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau.  This is near the Old North Bridge where the shot heard around the world was shot.
17. Bunker Hill Monument - every great city has an obelisk monument, and this is Boston's.  This is actually ran by the National Park Service.  This is the hill where the Patriots were greatly outnumbered by the British and thus they commanded the soldiers to "don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes."  It has a pretty cool view of the Zakim Bridge and Boston.

Museums and Aquariums

1. Museum of Science - this might be the best museum in Boston, sitting on the Charles River.  My kids love the "Science in the Park" which is really just a playground that teaches about different forces of physics and nature.  I think the electricity show is worth a visit every time.  I also enjoy a show in the IMAX theater - we've seen the show on the Terracotta Warriors, the pandas, and the rainforest.  While you're in that part of the museum, stop and just awe at how big our galaxy is, and small we are, in the planetarium.  And don't forget to check out the Discovery Center, especially for those with younger kids.  I think getting a Premium membership here is worth it because it comes with 2 hours of free parking!
2. Children's Museum - the very first room with the marbles and rolling balls is the boys' favorite room.  They also love the climbing structure and water play room.  My favorite exhibit is the Japanese house that was gifted by Boston's sister city, Kyoto.  We go on Fridays after 5 pm for $1.
3. Museum of Fine Arts - this is an amazing museum!  My kids love doing the scavenger hunt and the mini-art workshops.  Double check with the info desk for the cards to do the scavenger hunt.  We have also enjoyed the tours and have learned so much about the arts.  Wednesdays after 5 is free for all, plus some holidays, and first Saturdays every month for people with a Bank of America card.
4. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum - this is a unique art museum with a fascinating history, home of the most famous unsolved art heist.  It's worth spending a few hours wandering through the rooms, all curated by Isabella herself, thinking about how it's possible for one person to own this much wealth!  I like going on my birthday, when it's free.  :)
5. New England Aquarium - The penguins absolutely steal the show at this aquarium.  The seals and sea lions are also cute to watch for a while.  The entire aquarium circles around a 200,000 gallon ocean tank.  It is so much fun to circle around and check out all the different sea life at all different levels.  I always reserve a museum pass at the Boston library before going to the aquarium.
6. Boston Tea Party Museum - I admit, this felt like a tourist trap, so I didn't actually go until my 3rd grader had a field trip here.  I was actually blown away.  For a tourist trap, it's actually quite fun, interactive, and informative.  We took our best friends when they were in town and everyone had a blast.
7. MIT Museum - this was offered during one of the Fun Free Fridays in the summer, so I took the kids on the subway and walked across the bridge into Cambridge.  It was a fun and neat "nerdy" musuem.
8. ICA
9. State House
10. Harvard Art Museum
11. Paul Revere House

Other Places Worth Visiting

1. Legoland - this is technically in Somerville, but that's just a stone's throw away, so I include it here.  We got a family membership here because we thought it was a great value.  I liked going during the weekdays when no one else was there, and the kids can have the run of the place.  There is a Lego build of the city of Boston, which fascinates the kids every time!  There are two rides, both of which the kids love (one's a shooting game and the other is a flying contraption).  There's a little cafe from which you can keep an eye on your child.
2. Boston Library - the children's room was completely remodeled after the Marathon Bombing.  It's quite spacious but can also be a bit packed on weekends.  You can sit and enjoy a nice cup of coffee and watch the news being broadcasted live here!
3. Wheelock Theater - we got to see Willy Wonka here, and it is a great production!  The theater is small, so this is great with the kids.
4. Boston Children's Theater
5. Community Boating - for sailing and canoeing
6. Charles River Canoe & Kayak (www.paddleboston.com)

My journey to Boston

Hi, it's me again!  It's been a long 10 years since I've updated this blog, but I think I might try to pick this up again.

In the 10 years, we've had a second child, picked up and moved cross country, and started a second (or is it third?) career as an administrative officer/accounting/finance/HR.

We have had a blast exploring this region of the country that I never really knew existed.  I thought there wasn't much past NYC.  Boy, was I wrong!

My first trip to Boston was on a 1-week consulting assignment, which turned into 2, in February of 2009.  There was a lot of snow on the ground and freezing cold, as you would expect.  However, I was about 3 months pregnant (really?  I remember being quite large for being only 3 months!), and didn't want to take any risks by flying more than I absolutely had to.  So, when I found out my assignment was extended by a week, I decided to stay in Boston for the weekend and explore.  I booked a room at the Westin downtown and literally walked down Newbury through the Gardens to the North End and back!  After a day, I was convinced this is where I would want to live, if ever I had to choose another city to move to.

My second trip to Boston was in October 2011.  By this time, #2 had come along.  My husband had an AAP conference in Boston, which he thought would be boring for us to tag along to.  So, I stayed home to hold down the fort and host house church.  As soon as he got to the conference, he realized that the AAP conference might be the most family-friendly conference ever, especially with all the newborn and toddler samples, everything from diaper rash cream and sunblock to snacks and formula, NoseFreidas and sunblock galore!  So he booked us all tickets to fly out to Boston the next morning!  Thankfully, I had lots of points stored up and could pack a suitcase in 20 minutes.  So, armed with a suitcase and a diaper bag, one child in the stroller and the other one strapped to my chest, I boarded the plane and took off!  Kids were champs!  I needed a little help getting through Boston subways - thankfully, there were people who stopped to help me carry my stroller up all those stairs - but we eventually made it to the hotel and conference center!  After that, every other travel was a piece of cake!

Fast forward to May 2013, we were vacationing in Australia.  We were celebrating our 10 year anniversary and Caleb's 2nd birthday (his last trip as a free lap child).  We were having a blast and living life "off the grid."  The last few days of the trip was in Tasmania, where there was very poor cell reception.  We finally arrive back in town and Suny started checking his email.  Lo and behold, he had an email from a pioneer in the field of palliative care who asked him if he might consider coming to Boston and joining the team here!  My mind drifted back to the days of aimlessly wandering the cobblestone streets of Boston, discovering nooks and crannies of things of old.  Oh, we were filled with so much excitement!  We left Australia dreaming about what life would look like in Boston.

We came back home, Suny flew to Boston to interview, and I started researching where we might live.  Long story short, it didn't seem to make much financial sense to move.  We would leave family, church, a place that we called home and started our family.  So, we initially thought to turn down the offer.  However, we prayed about it, and we felt that God was calling us out of our comfort zone so that we can learn what it means to depend on him and to be a salt and light in this part of the country.  This was confirmed by our pastor, much to our surprise.  "Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life." (Matthew 19:29) So, out of obedience to what we felt like God had put in our hearts, and to fulfill my dream of leaving Houston and living in a walking, urban city (God knew the desires of my heart), we moved to Boston in March of 2014.

Here in Boston, God really stripped us of all the things that we kept ourselves occupied with, things that were mostly distractions from truly getting to know Him!  We were left by ourselves, or so we thought.  But we are never alone, because He is always with us.  I never thought we'd be able to own a home here - and yet, God provided us with one by the end of the year.  We never thought we'd find a church here, but God led us to the perfect church for us.  I can't believe we've been here for 6 years already, and yet it still feels like we just got here.

Through the 6 years, we've made some really good friends, and we've also had to say good-bye to many of these friends.  I have some thoughts about this, but for now, I'm going to end this post by saying, I am going to cherish the people who come in and out of my life, and wish them well on their journey.  I hope our paths may cross again, but each one of them has taught me so much about life, about myself, about my faith.  I never would have had this chance had I stayed in my "safe" and comfortable bubble.  Some days, I do want to give us and just move back home to TX, but when I seek God and ask him why we're here, he reminds me of the reason that he brought us to Boston.  And then I become so thankful all over again.  It is still hard, but nothing about a life pursuing Jesus was supposed to be easy.  It is supposed to be joyful, in the midst of the struggles.  And I can truly say that I am joyful, even if I'm not happy all the time.  :D

Day 1 - Isaac is finally here! This is the day George told me I'd go to bed one person and wake up a completely different person.

Day 11 - We took Isaac to see Dr. Jung. He had gone from from 7 lbs 3.5 oz at birth to 6 lbs 12 oz at discharge to a whopping 8 lbs 11 days after birth! Just look at that double chin! I decided Isaac needed to go on the 3 hour diet, as suggested by Dr. Jung. That has been hard to maintain, as I am trying not to give him a pacifier in this first month.

Day 13 - Engorgement hits, I start pumping to relieve the pain.

Day 15 - Lynette came to visit. And we got to get out of the house a second time, this time to go visit Joe and Mia and little Joey!

Day 18 - I caved at 3 am when he was crying his head off - I gave him a pacifier mainly because I was too tired to offer myself as a human pacifier. Since then, I don't think a pacifier is all that evil, even though he still sniffles as he's sucking on the pacifier - I feel like I might as well have put duct tape over his mouth to keep him quiet. Somehow, it makes me feel like a failure as a new mom.

Day 19 - We get out of the house a third time. This trip was to the baby boutique to try out baby slings/carriers for Isaac. I wanted to look at the Beco but ended up deciding to wait before purchasing that carrier. I tried out the Java, Hotsling, Moby, and Zolo slings. Isaac picked the Moby over the other slings. It doesn't look great (i.e. it makes me feel like a whale) but it was comfortable and Isaac was soothed and that's what's important.

Day 20 - Isaac slept for 3 or 4 hours straight last night, once we got him to fall asleep. I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Suny goes back to work today. But fortunately, all the aches and pains are starting to go away as well. Grandpa comes into town tonight. He is so excited to see Isaac. I hope Isaac behaves for grandpa.

My hubby rides the bus to work

French pear cake, just like Laura taught me in Paris. Made with French butter pears (keeping with the theme) cooked in a little bit of butter, flour, corn flour, eggs, sugar, baking powder, and creme fraiche, sprinkled with powdered sugar on top, served warm. Suyearn, Sandra, Grace, and Christina all helped us eat it! It was yummy, moist, and refreshing - and not too unhealthy.

Family Vacation in the Yucatan Peninsula

December 23
We arrive in Playa del Carmen without any problems - as soon as we could get past all the time-share hawkers. The villa was perfect! Once we got inside, all the grumbling and worries seemed to melt away. Mom looked like she was floating on a cloud, she was so content. We decided to walk down Fifth Avenue in search of food and eventually found our way to a Wal-Mart (of all places). We stocked up on groceries, went home and had a nice simple dinner at home, Cao-style, i.e. each man for himself.

December 24

In the morning, we woke up and walked to the nearby beach to check it out. The waters were a spectacular blue. I watched as mom and dad cautiously dipped their feet in the ocean. It was such a joy to see them finally start to relax. The Liaw parents arrive in the afternoon. We all went out for a late lunch. I ordered the Drunken Fish which was cooked tableside by Adrian, a wonderful chef. We sat on the balcony with the ocean in the background (yes, that blue above Suny's head is really the ocean!)

We then took another trip to the real supermarket where the mexicanos shopped. We came home and Mom Liaw made an incredible red snapper out of essentially nothing! This was our first Christmas dinner together as 1 family.

December 25
The Liaws took to the Reef Club, pool aerobics, tennis, beach, snorkeling, kayaking, and all-you-can-eat food. We were glad we didn't stay at an all-inclusive, because that food gets pretty old pretty fast. Meanwhile, the Caos took to the town and enjoyed their own walks along the beach.

December 26

There wasn't much more to do in Playa, so we decided to venture across the waters to the island of Cozumel for some real snorkeling. We went on a 2 hour excursion in a glass-bottom boat, as the parents didn't want to swim, while the kids went out and hunted some fish. We saw a barracuda and a humongous school of fish, as far as the eye could see (or as much as I dared turned my head without letting water get in my snorkel)! There were so many tourists, as there were no fewer than 5 cruise ships in the port. Our nightmare, but it made my father very happy to see all the ships. He was obsessed with the ships. He videotaped them as we came ashore, as we went out on our own excursion, as we were walking along the boardwalk, as we waited for the sun to set. He even took pictures of pictures of cruise ships! We waited for the sun to set and then boarded our ferry to go back home.

December 27
We got up early and got 2 taxis to take us to Xcaret, an ecological theme park. After 2 days of unstructured wandering, we thought it might be a good idea for the family to do something more structured. At Xcaret, you get a little taste of everything mexicano, from the butterfly house to the acquarium to the aviary, from ruins to the cenotes (underground rivers in caves where you can snorkel). In the aviary, there was one parakeet that was hilarious. My parents were laughing so hard, I've never seen them laugh so hard! Suny's parents went around teaching all the birds Chinese. Ni hao ma? One bird goes "hola hola hola" and then laughs maniacally "ha ha ha ha ha!!!" My dad now wants to buy a parakeet and train it to speak Vietnamese. We also got to swim the cenote, though it took us twice as long because we're all bad swimmers waiting on each other. But that was the highlight for me. I can't remember the last time I did something with my dad. At night, there's a spectacular show that highlights the history of the Mayans, the Spanish conquerors and then all the different parts of Mexico. In the end, Suny and I were pleasantly surprised that it wasn't so "theme-parkey" and our parents loved it (my parents thought it was the best part of the whole entire trip).

December 28

This was supposed to have been our day of rest. We ended up walking the whole entire length of Fifth Avenue, all 30 blocks. And then we took my parents to the Reef Club because they didn't go the first day. I didn't realize this but my mom had actually wanted to go swimming but hadn't because she was so self-conscious. She had spent the morning of free time searching all the shops for something to wear. Once we convinced her to get into the waters, it was almost like she was home. She was the best swimmer of us all! That moment of seeing mom and dad in the water made this vacation worth it for me...it was the most precious moment and I wish all my siblings had been there to witness it.

December 29

Armed with a car, we ventured onto the Mexican roadways, complete with topes (speed bumps or ditches in the road where you have to slow down from 80 kmh to like 5 kmh - no joke!) and everything. Mexicano drivers are not that crazy, but the tourist drivers are all bad, as were we. We were going to drive to Coba and Tulum, a short road trip; however, we missed a turn and ended up on the road to Chichen Itza with no turning back. So we changed our plans and went to Chichen Itza for the day. This was the whole reason I had chosen to visit the Yucatan (plus it was the warmest place I could find that was a 2 hour flight away). Chichen Itza has 4 sides, each side has 91 steps, plus the platform on top makes 365 steps total. There were 2 other solar calendars in Europe but it was the Mayan calendar that was most accurate so that we only had to correct for the "leap year" once every 4 years. Mayan culture also is credited with having played the earliest form of basketball where they would bounce a 4 kg rubber ball off their hip into a ring 6 meters off the ground! Overall, this was a very dark dark society with lots of human sacrifices that eventually caved in on itself.

December 30

On the road again. This time to Tulum, the beautiful ruin on the cliff overlooking the ocean. It was the most beautiful archaeological site I had ever visited. You walk through the thick settlement wall and feel like you just stepped into another world, a place frozen in time. After Tulum, we hit the road back to Cancun for our final meal together as we celebrate our first family vacation.

December 31

After we bid adieu to the Liaw parents, we took the Cao parents on a "submarine" adventure to see all the fish in the reef off Cancun. We saw a sting ray and a turtle and tons of fish of all sizes and shapes. The final "cherry topping" was being able to catch a stand-by flight so we would get home while it was still light...and being upgraded to first class, seat 1A! I was praying I would get the upgrade so that I could give it to my dad. And I didn't even have to ask for it. Whatever last bit of grumbling was left was gone by the time the plane landed in Houston...except that First Class got to eat a meal and coach didn't...but that's ok in my books. :)