Last weekend was the first time I ever spent a significant amount of time in Cambridge, Massachusetts….and I absolutely loved it. If you’re ever looking to visit one of Boston’s surrounding towns, this is the one to go to.
Jake and I visited my best friend Caley (www.caleynoble.com) and her boyfriend, Cian, at their apartment. Caley and I have birthdays a few days apart, so we decided to spend the day together in Boston/Cambridge to celebrate our s
pecial days. We started by exploring Quincy Market, where I had the best veggie mac and cheese from Mmmac N’ Cheese. It had peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and was delicious. It was a gorgeous Fall day, so we all ate together at a table outside of Faneuil Hall.
After lunch, we made our way into the Ghirardelli Chocolate Store. We made a candy bag, and Jake and I split a Mint Chocolate Chip sundae (because MINT.) I especially loved it because the fudge on top was more of a soft chocolate shell rather than hot fudge, so the ice cream didn’t melt as fast. Caley had a coffee because she’s honestly the only person I know who can refrain from eating dessert on a daily basis…..
After dessert, we explored Granary Burial Ground, which I LOVED. I am a huge history nerd, and it was honestly amazing being able to see where John Hancock, Paul Revere and Benjamin Franklin’s parents were buried. Boston is filled with so much history, it makes me want to go back soon and see more.
Speaking of history, Caley and I explored some quirky antique shops on Charles Street, along with some cute boutiques. Caley bought an adorable red and green Whitney and Winston bandana for her new rescue dog, Petey. It was perfect for him, he looked so handsome!
After shopping, we headed back to Cambridge and took Petey to the dog park. It only made Jake and I want to get a dog even more (Not happening for longgggg while.) There were so many dogs, young and old, l-o-v-i-n-g how big that park was. I particularly loved this dog park because it was just a huge fenced in field with a lot of grass, making it great for playing fetch and running around with your pet. I usually take my dogs to ones laid out with mulch, which makes it hard for Gracie (my portuguese water dog), because she always gets the mulch caught in her curly hair from rolling around.
For Caley’s birthday, I gave her a hand painted 4 x 6 portrait of Petey, her dog. I attached a photo of the final product below. She loved it, and I just want to seriously recommend the artist. She doesn’t just do pets, she does people too. Her name is Emily and her store is The Paper Woodland, which you can find on Etsy. Even the packaging was adorable, adding fall themed stickers that she designed herself, making sure to top it off with a personalized note. This was one of the best purchases I have ever made on Etsy, and Emily was super communicative, sending me sketch’s along the way. She got every spot on Petey perfectly! It was the perfect gift, and I am so happy Caley loved it as much as she did.
When we got back to the apartment, we walked over to Harvard Square and ate dinner at Tory Row. Cambridge is particularly great, because you get to experience areas like Harvard Square, live in a town that almost feels like a city, and you’re 15 minutes by train to Beacon Hill. Jake, Cian, and Caley all got burgers at dinner, but I opted for the chicken sandwich. I totally recommend this place because they give out roasted potatoes instead of fries, sided with a spicy ketchup. It made for a different experience, and a lot tastier! Plus, it just had a great atmosphere, both artsy and dark enough to feel private but not so dark that you couldn’t see. It wasn’t too crowded for a Friday night, so it was easy to catch up and have a personal conversation.
We drove back to Connecticut after dinner, which was a pretty easy ride. Overall, it was the perfect day, and great way to celebrate my birthday a little early! 🙂