Category: what to know

Touring Boston – What to Know About Kayaking the Charles River

Brittney Leave a comment

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.  ðŸ™‚ 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.

Touring Boston - What to Know About Kayaking the Charles River

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

Fantastic, Little Known, Cambridge Parks – 4 Things to Know About Artesani Park and Wading Pool

Brittney Leave a comment
My favorite Boston park has to be Artesani Park.  This little gem is one of the few parks that seem to have all the perks; a river side view, a splash pad, a bathroom, free parking, on yeah… and a free wading pool complete with life guards.  Every time we’ve come here we’ve had a blast and left eagerly looking forward to coming again.

Fantastic, Little Known, Cambridge Parks - 4 Things to Know About Artesani Park and Wading Pool

Things to Note:

1) Price
Free.  Parking is free. The splash pad is free. The wading pool complete with life guards is free.

2) Park Features

  • Free parking and a big parking lot
  • A public bus that drops off right by the park
  • A great splash pad (newly added 2015)
  • Two different gated mini playgrounds, one for young children, one for older children
  • Bathrooms and a shower
  • A river view/ river walk
  • A free wading pool with life guards
Artesani Park and Wading Pool
He was actually really happy, but impatient about having to wait for me to take a picture

3) About the Wading Pool

  • You have to take a shower before entering.  There is often a life guard posted at the entrance to enforce that this actually happens.
  • There is a limit to how many people can enter the pool at time, again this is enforced by the door guard on busy days (if the pool is full you can always hang out at the splash pad or parks and try again in a few minutes).
  • You need a proper swimsuit and if your child is not potty trained they will need a swim diaper.
  • There is no eating or snacking by the pool.
  • The pool is fantastic for people of all ages, there is a gradient entry so babies can sit at any depth that is comfortable and the pools goes to depth just above your knees.
  • There are different sized spray features in the middle of the pool keeping it interesting for older children.
Artesani Park splash pad

4) Crowd Control
As you can imagine this is a pretty popular park, you can expect a decent crowd of people to be here any given day of the week and if you want quick entry to the wading pool I would suggest getting there when it opens.

Summary and Rating ★★★★★

Five Stars.  This park makes for a fantastic summer outing.  The wading pool is awesome and I have as much fun there as my son does.  We usually start out swimming/splashing for a while, then leave and play at the parks for a little bit while we eat our lunch and if we have any energy left we run through the splash pad on our way to the car.  Artesani Park is a great alternative to the Frog Pond on those hot summer days.

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. 

Artesani Park and Wading Pool
1255 Soldiers Field Rd.
Boston, MA 02135

Phone: 617.626.4973
Website: http://www.bostoncentral.com/activities/artesani_wading_pool/p1940.php

Hours: June 27-September 7 Open daily 9:30 a.m.- 7p.m.

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

Brittney 2 Comments
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.

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

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. 

Family Friendly Boston – What to Know About Free Cambridge City Movies in the Park

Brittney Leave a comment
While attending our weekly Book Bike excursions last summer I was fortunate enough to be handed fliers for all sorts of other kid friendly events going on around Cambridge for the summer.  One such activity was Cambridge City Parks Movies on the Green.

Family Friendly Boston – What to Know About Free Cambridge City Movies in the Park (With List of 2016 Movies & Locations)

Each week during the summer, I believe it was on a Wednesday night, Cambridge city gets a giant inflatable screen and hosts a movie night.  These movies take place at different parks every week and all the movies are kid friendly thought not all of them are animated.

We went to one such movie night, set out some lawn chairs, and waited for sun down.  There was about an hours worth of pre-show entertainment in the form of Jenny the Juggler.  We got to see the movie “The Penguins of Madagascar,” and once the movie started city workers showed up and handed out bags of popcorn and drinks to everyone who was there (for free).

In any case we had an awesome evening. These are really fun events to attend and they may be closer to you than the Hatch Shell movies on the Green (that happen every Friday during the summer) or the Prudential Center Movies (that happen every Saturday).

Family Friendly Boston – What to Know About Free Cambridge City Movies in the Park (With List of 2016 Movies & Locations)

Things to Note: 

1) Price
Free.  Just show up at one of the parks sometime after 7 and look for the big screen before throwing down your blanket.

2) Kid Friendliness
Very kid friendly.  These events are totally targeted at children and all the movies are kid/family friendly films.  Also these are at park so if your child/children at not that into the movie it’s really easy to step away and run around a little bit.

3) Stroller Friendliness 
Yup, bring your stroller if you so choose.  I would also recommend lawn chairs if you have them and if not lawn chairs at least a blanket to sit/lay on.

4) Start Time
They start at sun down… like when the sun is all the way gone and it’s starting to get dark, so during the summer this usually means some time after 8pm, which can be late for young ones.  We only went once with our two year old (as a special treat) and he loved it, but I based on the flier I had received I was expecting it to start earlier.  So, note, the event starts at 7, with about an hour of pre-show entertainment and then the movie starts once it’s dark.

5) Pre show Entertainment 
They had something going before each of the movies so you can come as early as you want to enjoy the park and fun before the movie begins.  For us there were also a couple of different people/companies from around the area with tables set up with a few crafts/treats for the kids.

6) Parking
Most of the parks don’t have dedicated parking though there is street parking in the area and sometimes metered parking.

7) Bathrooms
Eek!  A lot of these parks don’t have dedicated bathrooms.  We usually end up scoping out the nearest Dunkin Donuts on our walks there (I will happily buy a $1 donut to use the bathroom, and they seem to be on just about every other street corner) You might want to scope out some business with bathrooms in advance if you think this might be a concern.

2016 Movie Line Up and Parks:

  • THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 7:00 PM – ECBA MOVIE NIGHT

    Featuring: Cate Flaherty – “Great Cate” Acrobat
    @ East Cambridge Savings Bank Lot: 292 Cambridge St, Cambridge 

  • THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 7:00 PM – KSA MOVIE NIGHT

    @ Volpe Lawn  – 55 Broadway. Cambridge

  • TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 7:00 PM – THE PORT MOVIE NIGHT

    @ Green Rose Heritage Park – 155 Harvard St, Cambridge

  • THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 7:00 PM – ISBA MOVIE NIGHT

    @ East Cambridge Savings Bank – Inmen Branch Lot: 1310 Cambridge St, Cambridge

  • TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 7:00 PM – CSBA MOVIE NIGHT

    Featuring: Koolkidz Beatbox
    @ TBA

  • THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 7:00 PM – HSBA MOVIE NIGHT

    Featuring: Four Shadow Band
    @ Palmer St, Harvard Square

Summary and Rating ★★★★★

Five Stars.  We loved being able to get out and see a movie and it was nice to see them at different parks around Cambridge.  It made it easy for us to find one that was within walking distance.  We also loved having something going on before the movie started, though it was a little difficult to have a little one out so late.  In any case it was a fun family night out and I would highly recommend getting out and seeing one of these movies with your family/friends this summer.

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. 

Family Friendly Boston – What to Know About Free Hatch Shell Summer Movies (With List of 2016 Movies)

Brittney Leave a comment
Friday nights all summer long you can head over to the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade to check out a free movie on the green.  The first time we went we came equipped with blankets and snacks. We quickly realized that we had no need to bring our own snacks because there were vendors lining the green handing out all kinds of sample snacks.  We ended up getting some free ice cream bars, mini chocolates, popcorn, flavored water, mini salad with a fork, and more.

Family Friendly Boston – What to Know About Free Hatch Shell Summer Movies (With List of 2016 Movies)

While waiting for the movie to start there is also great pre-movie entertainment.  When we went there was an announcer standing near the Hatch Shell playing games with the crowd and giving away random things like T-shirts for prizes.

Then the movie started and we settled in to enjoy our night.

Movie Line Up 2016

June, 2016 
Friday June 24, Sunset (8:25 pm) – “Mininons”

 July, 2016 
 Friday July 15, Sunset (8:19 pm) – “Cinderella (2015)”
 Friday July 22, Sunset (8:13 pm) – “Inside Out (2015)”
 Friday July 29, Sunset (8:06 pm) – “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

 August 2016 
 Friday August 5, Sunset (7:58 pm) – “The Good Dinosaur”
 Friday August 12, Sunset (7:48 pm) -“Jurassic World”
 Friday August 19, Sunset (7:38 pm) – “UP”
 Friday August 26, Sunset (7:26 pm) -“Ant-Man”

Things to Note:

1) Prices
Free, come enjoy this awesome event every Friday night all summer long.

2) Kid Friendliness
Totally kid friendly.  Lots of space to run around and all the movies are kid friendly films, mostly animated but a few that aren’t and are just family friendly.

3) Stroller Friendliness
Yes, stroller friendly.  Bring a stroller, bring a blanket, maybe even bring lawn chairs if you can swing it.

4) Volume
We were sitting not super close to the front, probably in the first third of the field and the movie was LOUD.  Super loud for our then infant son.  When picking your sitting location check out where the speakers are and consider moving away from them, I promise you will be able to hear the movie from any place on that field.

5) Getting There
There is limited parking near the Esplanade, but you would be much better off taking the “T”.  It’s about a five minute walk from the Red Line – MGH station.

Summary and Rating ★★★★★

Five Stars.  We loved this activity, it was one we felt like we could go to with our young son to see a movie and get out without disturbing others and as he’s gotten older it’s only gotten better.  He loves it and we love it making it a really fun summer outing.  Plus, how can you complain about free? Especially when a free movie also comes with lots of free snacks.

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. 

Hatch Memorial Shell
47 David G Mugar Way
Boston, MA 02108

Phone: (617) 626-1250
Website: http://www.hatchshell.com/