Saturday, June 7. Slept in a bit later than wed planned, but it was okay. A quick stop at Dunkin Donuts for a latte turned into a nice phone call with Allisons father, my uncle Whitey. It was good to talk to him; its been a while. Then we went across the street to Boston Common and underground to the subway, the T. We decided that with all the trips back and forth that wed planned for the day, a one-day pass was a good deal. Our first stop was Harvard University . Although the weather was pleasant before we got on the T, the heat and humidity were skyrocketing now. However, it was still nice enough to go in and walk around the campus. I was a bit surprised to find out that it was smaller than Id expected. And the graduation tents were still set up. Our first stop while here was the University bookstore, then another store where Alli found what she wanted, a Harvard polo shirt for Uncle Whitey for Fathers Day.
Approaching lunchtime, we headed back to the T and Kendall Square/MIT. Our first real adventure was trying to find the Cambridge Brewing Co., where wed planned to have lunch. We could NOT find it! We did find MIT purely by accident, however. But our hunger/thirst/sweat won out, and we began asking directions. Even the locals, in giving us directions, proved that they had no idea where it was either. Since nasty blisters were starting to form on our feet, we tried to find a cab. The first 3 said no, they had no idea or never heard of the place. Finally, the fourth cabbie took pity on us and drove us there. He said the other three declined because they wanted longer rides/longer fares. Well
our driver earned himself a 75% tip! At the restaurant, it was good to sit in the cool air and enjoy a Cuban sandwich and the sampler of 4 house beers.
Recharged with lots of moleskin applied to our fresh blisters we went back to the T station (which was quite close!) and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. To get from the station to the museum, there was a free shuttle bus, of which Alli was skeptical. No worries we made it without incident! This was the first time either of us had visited a presidential library and we found it beautiful. It is located right on Boston Harbor and was designed by the architect I.M. Pei. I especially enjoyed how one section was a recreation of a White House corridor, with the red carpet and chandeliers. The most moving exhibit was probably the emptiest one. Entering a dark hallway marked November 22, 1963, there is nothing there but five or six TV screens set at varying levels down the hall, all playing the same breaking news broadcast, by Walter Cronkite, of the presidents assassination. Really, there was nothing else needed in that exhibit. At the very end, it was quite impressive to see an entire section of the Berlin Wall placed in a corner, complete with bullet holes and graffiti. After leaving the building, we had a few minutes before the return bus, so we went down to the water for more pictures, and saw the first of four weddings that afternoon!
So
back to the bus, back to the T, and back to our hotel for a rest. While walking through Boston Common, I had an unbearable craving for something cold and non-alcoholic. That streetcorner watermelon slushie was the best thing Id ever had and I still wish Id bought a large one! While resting in our hotel room, we decided we didnt want a lot for dinner, as the Cambridge Brewing Co. had filled us up, but we were still a bit hungry. A consultation of the
AAA tour book showed us that the Cheers on Beacon Street was very close, and just across from the Public Garden , which we still had yet to explore. So Cheers it was. This is the inspiration for the TV show, the former Bull and Finch Pub, now renamed (the exterior is the one shown on TV). Since we were headed that way, we detoured through the Public Garden , where we saw weddings 2 and 3. Then across to Cheers, passing Bride #4 and her entourage. I was nice; I congratulated her instead of offering my condolences, as I typically do. Anyway, the entrance to the bar is exactly what youd imagine; downstairs and through 2 doors. We expected to be greeted with a cry of Norm! as we entered, but unfortunately
Anyway, since we wanted food, we were directed upstairs (which is the Hampshire House, and not Melvilles). Our waiter was very nice and very cute; he looked exactly like Anthony from the movie Sweeney Todd (with a goatee). I wasnt planning to have yet another drink and I first settled for Rebeccas Ruby Red (with the obligatory souvenir glass), but then I noticed a Wachusett Blueberry Ale, brewed in Westminster . Sounded quite odd, but interesting, and it proved to be quite delicious! After dinner, we walked back through the Public Garden , then returned to Beacon Street . We were both quite taken with the homes on this street, but after a while, I was hot, sweaty, and achy. Nobody told me it was uphill! My feet and knees did not want to cooperate at this point, but obviously I made it. And I was able to take a short detour back to the Granary Burying Ground. Although it was closed, I tried taking some photos from the street, in the hope of catching something odd. The photos came out too dark, though, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Not even an orb.
So we returned to the hotel for a shower and to crash for the night! We had to get up early Sunday morning, to return to CT.