A full Day in Boston

After a late start on day one, I packed my second day in Boston, Massachusetts, to get in as much as possible and I saw—and ate—quite a bit.

I started with breakfast downstairs at Common in the Hilton Downtown. I went for the Cinnamon French Toast, and it was delicious and filling. I then took the short ride on my wheelchair to back to the stop of the Old Towne Trolley.

I was heading to the New England Aquarium first. I love aquariums and didn’t have enough time the previous day. It is a large building that starts with the biggest penguin exhibit I’ve seen. I sat and watched the little black and white birds frolicking for a while.

The aquarium has a lot on protecting the planet for the marine life and I read through all of valuable information posted. I also spent time at the Marine Mammal Center with the seals and sea lions.

 

The aquariums were filled with colorful fish and coral, as well as jellyfish. I was impressed with the accessibility too, with plenty of ramps and automatic doors.

I headed out of the aquarium to pick up the Old Towne Trolley for my next stop. My driver, Gonzo, was helpful giving me advice on what to do next. I was heading to the Boston National Historical Park at Charlestown Navy Yard.

It was not a stop I expected to make, but I’m really glad I did as I was quite impressed with everything. The complex includes USS Constitution Ship (which is not accessible, so I only saw it from the outside), the Charlestown Navy Yard Visitors Center, and the USS Constitution Museum.

I learned a lot about the U.S. Navy and this famous ship’s history. The cobblestones, which are in a lot of places in this historic city, were difficult to navigate outside, but the insides of the buildings were easily accessible.

 

I was getting hungry and decided to take Gonzo’s advice and take the trolley downtown to the Omni Parker House Hotel. There I got a croissant sandwich and my main reason for going there: the original Boston Cream Pie. 

It’s a dessert I love and don’t get often, so I had to have it here. I was incredibly surprised to find out I didn’t like it! Compared to the newer versions, it had less custard and less chocolate frosting. It also had an almond coating.

I decided not to get back on the trolley and instead explore while making my way back to the hotel. I went down Tremont Street wheeled through to Boston Commons Park. It was a beautiful day, and it was a scenic ride.

The historical park was founded in 1634 and is the oldest city park in the United States. It has walking paths, an ice-skating rink, tennis courts, ballfields, and a playground.

I took a nap before heading to Davios Northern Italian Steakhouse down the block from the hotel. I had heard good things about it, and I was not disappointed.

I sat next to the open-air kitchen and the smells were amazing. I started with a glass of pinot grigio and the restaurant’s signature popovers. I love popovers, going back to the days when I waitressed in a high school that served them. These were fresh out of the oven.

I knew I wanted pasta (made from scratch here) so I picked a light beet salad first. It took a long time for me to settle on my main course because everything sounded so wonderful. I went for the Tagliatelle Bolognese, and it was an excellent choice.

It’s a rare moment for me, who always has a sweet tooth, but I was ready to skip dessert. Then the waiter came over with a magnificent dessert cart and all my willpower went out the window.                                                                                                      

 I chose an unusual take on cannoli, thinner than what I was used to and surrounded by fruit. I was glad to have this lighter version after such a filling meal.

I was back in my room at the Hilton Downtown Boston soon after. Before bed, I decided to plan out my next day for after my doctor’s appointment. I wanted to see a lot more before my plane back home.

Revisiting Boston After Many Years

One good thing came out of my fall last year. It certainly wasn’t the broken (in two places) humerus or the nerve damage in my arm. It was finding a wonderful surgeon at Tufts University and giving me lots of opportunities to explore Boston.

I had spent a lot of time in Boston as a child. It wasn’t far from my New York home and my parents loved showing us the history of the city. I went a few more times in adulthood but had not been in many years. I decided to take advantage of my trips to the Massachusetts city by revisiting the city I had seen in the past and learning about what was new.

What was definitely new about going to Boston this time around is that I am now in a wheelchair. I would be looking at everything from a different position and my arrangements needed to be much more carefully planned.

I asked for help from the Meet Boston tourism board, and they were extremely helpful in planning what would be the first of many trips to the city, each focusing on a different area.

My first appointment with Dr. Charles Cassidy was on a Monday and I decided to fly into Boston early Saturday, so I’d have plenty of time to see the city.

Travel did not go as I would have liked, with delays in planes and longer waits than expected to get my wheelchair at the airports. Fortunately, the transportation to the hotel went well. Meet Boston had arranged for an accessible van with RMA Transportation and my driver was waiting to take me to the Hilton Downtown.

I had made arrangements with Old Towne Trolley in Boston to do their hop on, hop off tour around downtown for two days. They have buses with ramps so it would be good transportation for me between attractions. The delays had me at the starting point (by the Paul Revere statue) later than expected and I had to wait a while for an accessible bus to come.

The trolley was finishing for the day in less than two hours. I decided to go down to the harbor. My original plan was to start with the New England Aquarium, but I realized I didn’t really have enough time to do that.

I wheeled around the harbor for a while and then crossed the street and went to the Rose Kennedy Greenway. The dedication to the Kennedy matriarch is a beautifully manicured park with fountains, a carousel, and special events.

I realized I had been going all day without any food beyond the Biscoff Cookies and pretzels on the plane. I headed toward Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market to have dinner. I was thinking about a noodle bowl at Wagamama when I looked down at my power chair.

After the long day of delays, my wheelchair was running out of power. I called for an Uber WAV and there was a long wait. I was afraid to use up my power getting something to eat and knew I would have the chair charging when I get back. This is not unusual in the life of a wheelchair user.

I used the time I was waiting for my ride to peruse Grubhub. I wanted local food to have waiting for me when I returned to the hotel. Based on the reviews and menu, I went for Sal’s Pizza. I was very hungry at this point and ordered an eggplant parmesan hero and French fries. It was all good and I finished every bit.

I took a shower and unpacked and was soon out for the night. I was going to have a full day around Boston, and I needed my rest.