Category Archives: charles river

Touring Boston – What to Know About Kayaking the Charles River

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My husband and I recently celebrated our 7 year wedding anniversary, and per my request, we headed off to the Cambridge docks so we could go kayaking as part of our anniversary date.

I have been wanting to go forever, but it’s super hard to make it happen with a toddler and I figured it would be even harder with both a toddler and a new baby.  Since I’m well into my 8th month of pregnancy I pretty much just sat in the front of the kayak, calling commands to my husband who paddled us around the river.  Perfect… and pretty good representation of where we are after 7 years.  🙂 To my surprise, my husband, who hates all things dirty and outdoors, loved the activity too.  We had so much fun being able to chat while we floated around our city.

Things to Note:

1) Price
We rented our kayaks through the Charles River Canoe and Kayak Company.  A double Kayak, like we’re riding in is $20/hour or $80/day.  They also have lots of different options including single Kayaks, Canoes & Paddle Boats.

2) Reservations
You don’t need one.  Just show up.  Chances are high that they’ll have something you can check out.  If you’re worried about it I’m sure you can call in advance to reserve one.

3) Process to Rent
I thought this would be a little more difficult than it was.  Pretty much we showed up, filled out a few forms, signed a whole bunch of wavers stating that we understood that death could be an outcome of this activity and that is just part of the sport… and took a quick mini quiz outlining the rules of the river.  The whole process took less than ten minutes, I don’t think they even looked at our waivers or checked that we actually understood the rules of the river before we were ushered off to get a life jacket and boat.  (You’ll need an ID and cash to pay for your rental)

4) Ages Allowed to Participate
I always assumed that this would have to be a couples only activity for us, but turns out you can invite the whole family.  They would have been fine having my toddler come along and we could have strapped him in to share a seat with one of us… but then you run the risk of a toddler getting bored and trying to go swimming in the nasty Charles River water…  In any case, know that young children are allowed to come.

Summary and Rating ★★★★★

Five Stars.  We had a fantastic time getting to see the city from this vantage point and it was so much fun being able to talk while be out on the water together.  We went on a fairly windy day and were still able to paddle around without a problem, and on some days you can even rent a Kayak at the top of the river and paddle down to around Harvard and drop it off there, giving you a greater chance to experience the river.   This is one my favorite activities we’ve done to date and I would highly recommend it.

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 

Charles River Canoe and Kayak Company
15 Broad Canal Way,
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142

Phone: (617) 965-5110
Website: http://www.paddleboston.com/
Hours: Vary by date and season, check the website for specifics http://www.paddleboston.com/kendall/hours.php

Touring Boston – What to Know About Celebrating the 4th of July in Boston

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Boston is an amazing place to celebrate Independence Day!  There is so much going on around the city that it’s hard to narrow down just a few of the things to do in Boston over the 4th of July to highlight in this post, but I’m going to try.

Let me just say Boston Harbor Fest. There are literally hundreds of events that take place in the city and really all throughout New England during this time, walking tours, historical reenactments, concerts, the USS Constitution sailing it’s yearly nautical mile, the Boston Pops and of course fire works.

Things to Note: 

1) Bostonians Take the 4th of July Seriously 
Honestly the whole city seems to be parting in the days leading up to the 4th of July and if you walk through the city I can guarantee you’ll find some amazing event to help you celebrate the 4th.

2) USS Constitution
This is the oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy and it only gets to keep its title by sailing at least one nautical mile every year. So each year, on the 4th of July the USS Constitution sails half a mile into the Boston harbor and half a mile back to its port.  If you want to see this awesome ship sailing just show up to the harbor.

3) Boston Pops
The Boston Pops play a free concert every year on both the 3rd and 4th of July.  They don’t do fireworks after the dress rehearsal on the 3rd, but you also have a slightly better chance of squishing into the Hatch Shell area and actually getting to enjoy the show on the 3rd.  If this is something your interested in be prepared to get there early as things fill up fast!  Their shows are amazing and during the 4th of July celebrations they end the 1812 overture with actual cannon blasts (which is apparently written into the score?) and makes for a wicked awesome finish.

4) Fireworks
On the 4th of July thousands upon thousands of people line the Charles river to see the amazing Boston fire work display.  We’ve always watched the fire works from the Cambridge side and we’ve heard it’s a lot less crazy than the Boston side. Also if you don’t care about hearing the music from the speakers that goes along with the firework display then you can get a front row view just about anywhere west of the Harvard Bridge, even if you show up as the fireworks are beginning. It’s still an amazing view and yes, you can see the fireworks glittering off the water.  Also the Boston Firework show is constantly ranked one of the best in the nation.  Boston and New York both make the top five every year… I’m just saying…

5) Transportation
This is going to be a mess just about anywhere you go.  If you can walk to the fireworks I would suggest doing that since driving and public transportation are pretty much in grid lock once the fireworks stop.  All I can say here is “Good Luck.”

Summary and Rating ★★★★★

Five Stars.  I live in Boston!  One of the key founding places of our nation, how could I rate it any less? Yes it puts the city in chaos, but it’s a fantastic celebration and the firework show is not one to miss!  I love being able to walk along the Charles and celebrate our nations birthday with so many great people every year!

What are your favorite things to do over the 4th of July in Boston? I’d love to know more about your experiences and any great places you’ve visited in the comments section below.