by Jess
My 4-year old daughter and I had been planning our trip to Boston for months (check out our kid-friendly Boston guide here!). We were going to see dear old friends, stay in our old neighborhood, eat at our old restaurants . . . I could taste the cool mayonnaisy heaven that is a New England lobster roll, and the sugary, nutty twice-baked almond brioche from flour bakery.
And then, on our first night there, we got food poisoning. I never discovered the culprit-- it was definitely something from at some point on our travels or directly preceding them-- we had literally been in the city for about two hours when things went downhill: suddenly, forcefully, and miserably.
Welcome back to Boston.
My 4-year old daughter and I had been planning our trip to Boston for months (check out our kid-friendly Boston guide here!). We were going to see dear old friends, stay in our old neighborhood, eat at our old restaurants . . . I could taste the cool mayonnaisy heaven that is a New England lobster roll, and the sugary, nutty twice-baked almond brioche from flour bakery.
And then, on our first night there, we got food poisoning. I never discovered the culprit-- it was definitely something from at some point on our travels or directly preceding them-- we had literally been in the city for about two hours when things went downhill: suddenly, forcefully, and miserably.
Welcome back to Boston.
Luckily my husband and the baby were spared our miserable fate (thank you, Lord), but my daughter and I bunked up together in the master bedroom of our beautiful vacation rental apartment and spent the entire first night tossing, turning, and taking turns hurling (there’s just no pretty way to put that).
But you know the funny thing? You know how when you are sick, all you want is to be home? In your own house, with your own room and own bed and own comfort level? Especially when your kiddos are sick, too?
I didn’t feel that there.
I’m not sure why. Everything was so clean, and so nice, and so comfortable, that I didn’t even mind that I wasn’t at home. It felt, in a way, like home. Albeit a gorgeous home in an incredible neighborhood that I could never actually afford in my current reality.
But you know the funny thing? You know how when you are sick, all you want is to be home? In your own house, with your own room and own bed and own comfort level? Especially when your kiddos are sick, too?
I didn’t feel that there.
I’m not sure why. Everything was so clean, and so nice, and so comfortable, that I didn’t even mind that I wasn’t at home. It felt, in a way, like home. Albeit a gorgeous home in an incredible neighborhood that I could never actually afford in my current reality.
Luckily I can tell you that we were absolutely wiped out the next day (I remember seeing her sitting at our old favorite playground just staring into space instead of playing with her good friend, poor baby, although a trip to our beloved South End toy shop Tadpole perked her right up) but it didn’t last forever, and we were still able to do the fun touristy things like the Swan Boats and my fave, the Make Way for Duckling statue. My appetite took a while to kick back in, but it finally did on our last day before we left the city for the beach, so I got that almond brioche and that lobster roll, and some hilarious memories as well. I always say that the worst travel moments often turn into the best memories as well, and this was no exception. We left our mark on Boston, as Boston always leaves its mark on us.
Quiet and Charm in Boston’s South End: think blocks upon blocks of picturesque brick rowhouses; incredible pocket parks and playgrounds and fountains around every corner (wonderful host Lisa provided a map); the top two floors of an absolutely beautiful, clean, and stylishly updated historic home; a kid-friendly welcome basket (Cheerios, Goldfish, and more!); two official bedrooms and another small one that is perfect for air mattress or pack & play (Lisa provides both); steep stairs in standard South End fashion (this is completely typical for the area; just ask Lisa for baby gates); washer and dryer; views of the city, and more. Lisa also allows you to leave your stroller in the ground floor foyer which is HUGE-- no lugging up and down several flights of stairs which is common in neighborhoods like this.
Spent the rest of the trip in beautiful coastal Newburyport, ate at our favorite lobster shack (Bob Lobster) and spent a blissful day at Wingaersheek Beach on Cape Ann where the baby ate his weight in sand and sister hunted for sea life in the tidal pools (beware the green head flies in July).
Thank you to Quiet and Charm host Lisa for seeing WanderLittles’ potential before we even had a real website! She tacked on one free night to our stay in exchange for getting the word out about her property. But now we regret agreeing to that, because we don’t want the place to be too booked for us to stay again! Preferably without food poisoning next time.
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