Busy Bee

This weekend my parents were in town to visit me. They flew in from Buffalo on Friday morning and stayed until Tuesday afternoon. We had such a great time but were very busy. I wanted to show them some parts of the city they hadn't seen before during other visits and to share some local hot spots with them. Since the weather was so great this weekend we did tons of walking.

On Friday I took them to Harvard Square since its such a great spot to walk around and people watch. We also walked through Harvard Yard and went to The Harvard Museum of Natural History. I wanted to show them the glass flower exhibit they have there, which is comprised of over 4000 hand made glass plants and flowers which are exact replicas. If you've never been you should check it out, the exhibit it amazing and it seems impossible that the specimens are actually glass because they appear so life-like. We also went to the Border Cafe, a great spot for amazing Tex-Mex food in Harvard Square.

Saturday I took them to the Barking Crab for lunch because it was a beautiful; sunny fall day, great for lunch on the patio. They have the best seafood there and the best part is you can eat with your hands. When you order crabs or lobster, they bring you a rock to crack the shells instead of a claw cracker. They even have live music all summer and on weekends in the fall.

After a filling lunch we headed over to the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art) which is only a few steps from the Barking Crab. The building is a piece of art and an architectural feet. If you haven't seen it, you should go now!! On Thursdays they have free admission so take advantage.
There is a new exhibit that just opened on October 10 which is absolutely amazing. Tara Donovan uses conventional manufactured materials like plastic cups, straws and scotch tape and uses them in unconventional and unexpected ways. You have to see the exhibit to really understand how amazing her work is.

If you're looking for a trendy new spot for dinner drinks and live music, check out The Beehive int he South End. We went there for dinner on Saturday and it was very fun. The entertainment that night was Deva Mahal, whose voice is a powerful cross between Aretha Franklin's and Ella Fitzgerald's...An amazing combination.

We spent Sunday night in the South End too, having dinner at Masa, the best south of border food around. The restaurant itself is really nice inside and the food was soooo good.

On we took the T to Coolidge Corner for breakfast at an amazing Jewish style deli, Zaftigs that has the best breakfast and sandwichs. They even have homemade pickles that are out of this world.

Monday, which was Columbus Day we took the water ferry to the Boston Harbor Islands to explore what they had to offer. Only two of the many islands were open because it was so late in the season, but we went to Spectacle Island which had hiking and walking trails, a beach and a visitor center. We also went to Georges Island which is home to an old war fort, Fort Warren which you can wander and explore on your own. It's really cool because you're allowed to go in any part of the fort and there are no rangers telling you what to do or where to go. The fort is a little eerie, but cool. I took some great photos which I'm planning on using in my print making class. If you're looking to visit Georges Island, they are having a haunted Halloween party at Fort Warren on October 25th and 26th. Boats leave from the Long Wharf so check the website for more details.

Needless to say, I had an amazing, delicious food and fun filled weekend with my parents and saw so many great sites around town. I feel like I need a nap just to catch up from this busy weekend.

Gotta run- Blog ya later!
-j