The Weekend in Boston: A Chronology

Thursday (4/15/10)

• Suzanne drops Helen off at Lexington High School at 4 AM for her band trip to Chicago
• Tom picks up Jim and Pascale at the airport (4 PM).
• Return home for a Chicken Marbella dinner.
• T, S, J, and P weigh various options – given the Friday work, airport pickup, and other constraints – for how to get the (very large) ham cooked for Friday night dinner

Friday

• T, J, and P drop off Nina at school
• T, J, and P go to the Concord Cheese Shop to buy a sampling of cheeses, including a stinky French cheese (that people liked, by the way). From Concord Center, walked to the Old North Bridge.
• T, J, and P leave for the airport to pick up George and Karen (noon). Tom thinks he is early so they stop at Harvard on the way and drive past J’s old lab. G calls from the airport –the flight is early. T rushes to the airport.
• Pick up G and K at the airport
• Drive to Hynes Convention Center to pick up G’s marathon bib.
• In the runner’s expo center, T tries a truly disgusting energy drink. Almost gets sick.
• Arrive home in time to put the ham in the oven.
• Nancy and Dennis arrive at Logan Airport. N successfully navigates the Boston interstate system to arrive at their hotel.
• N and D come to T and S’s house and are told to eat lots of ham.
• T, S, J, P, N, D, K, and G discuss various options for sightseeing on Saturday, given the forecast for lousy weather.

Saturday

• Weather is the pits. Decide to stay local (Lexington and Concord), rather than go into Boston.
• Look around the Lexington Battle Green. Some of us admired the back side of Captain Parker, who uttered those famous words at the battle. We see evidence of the smallpox epidemics in 18th century Lexington at the Old Burying Ground.
• Went to the Minute Man National Historical Park Visitors Center. Saw a compelling video on the events of April 19, 1775.
• In the cold rain, we watched a reenactment of the British retreat from Concord.
• Back to T and S’s house for ham sandwiches.
• Drive to Concord to see the Old North Bridge, Old Manse, and Walden Pond. N is surprised at the size, expecting it to be a “pond”, prompting a lengthy discussion on the difference between a pond and a lake.
• Have dinner in Arlington at Tom Yum Koong #2 Restaurant.

Sunday

• Weather is slightly better than on Saturday. Proceed into Boston, via the Red Line from Alewife to Park St. station.
• Walked past the State House, took a peek at Beacon Hill, and then proceeded on the Freedom Trail. Walked past old burying grounds, the super ugly Boston City Hall, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, and then across the Rose Kennedy Greenway and into the North End. Pondered the vast array of lunch options, before settling on a restaurant.
• Toured the Old North Church (one if by land …).
• Split up: S, D, G, K, and Nina returned to Lexington; N, J, P, and T continuing to the USS Constitution, getting soaked on the way across a bridge over Boston Harbor. Unfortunately, the ship was undergoing substantial renovations.
• Walked to Bunker Hill (actually, Breed’s Hill). J and P walk up to the top of the monument; T and N wisely decide not to.
• Walk back across the bridge into Boston, stopping at the Holocaust Memorial, with its powerful words at the entrance.
• Took the Red Line to Harvard Square. Walked around Harvard Yard.
• Returned to T and S’s house.
• S prepared an amazing linguini and mussels dish (with a shallot, garlic, and leek sauce). This also met G’s need to have a pasta dinner the night before the marathon.
• Decide we’ve seen enough Regulars and Minuteman and so will skip the 6 AM Battle of Lexington reenactment the next morning.
• T picks up Helen at Logan Airport, back from her trip to Chicago (10 PM)

Monday (Patriot’s Day)

• T drops off Helen at the High School (6:30 AM), so she can march with the band in the Lexington sunrise Patriot’s Day parade.
• T picks up G, K, and N (6:35 AM) to drive to Hopkinton State Park. Wish G good luck, as he boards the shuttle bus for the starting line.
• T, K, and N drive to the 10-mile mark in Natick. Find excellent parking space. Have breakfast at a diner and then search for the 10-mile mark.
• Got a front row space just past the town center.
• Watched the wheelchair men and women, local favorite Dick Hoyt and his son, the elite women, and then the elite men pass by us. Ryan Hall runs past us, 3 feet away.
• Holly, tracking G on the Internet, keeps in phone contact with K, to let us know when G will pass us. K successfully gives G a water bottle.
• T, K, and N leave Natick, trying to get to mile 25 or 26 in time to see G.
• S, D, J, P, and Nina drive to the 16 mile mark in Wellesley. With help from Holly and K, they successfully give G a water bottle. S, D, J, P, and Nina return home to catch the afternoon Patriot’s Day parade, with Helen marching with the Parade Band.
• Before reaching S, D, J, P, and Nina, G passes Wellesley College. He claims to have by-passed all the shenanigans.
• T, K, and N, after stopping at the house for a pit stop and a ham sandwich, drive to Alewife Station, where they get one of the last 6 spots in the 2,733 car parking lot (lucky break #1).
• On the Red Line, a man tells T, K, and N that the place to watch near the finish line is at Boylston and Hereford (lucky break # 2). We manage to get on a Green Line train in the super-packed Park St. Station (lucky break # 3). We confirm with a rider that Boylston and Hereford is the place to watch. A gentleman, overhearing our conversation, offers to direct us there (lucky break # 4). Once there, it’s a total carnival atmosphere – cowbells, yelling, cheering. K connects with Holly, who gives us G’s updated position. We manage to get in place (only 2 rows of people in front of us – lucky break # 5), and see G five minutes later (lucky break # 6). With the help of a half dozen young women in front of us (lucky break # 7), G hears our screams and turns to see us. Success!
• T, K, and N move thru the mass of people in the area to finally meet G in the Family Reunification area, under the letter R. Walk around a bit, and then take a cab back to Alewife, and then drive home.
• All of us, including Helen, go to Bugaboo Creek steakhouse, with its silly talking buffalo.

Tuesday

• Mill around the house. N and D leave for the airport. N once again successfully navigates the Boston interstates.
• Do some low-key sightseeing. S, T, J, P, G, K, and Nina visit a nearby outdoor sculpture park, with its funky exhibits.
• Have lunch in lovely Concord center, at Helen’s Restaurant.
• Visit a Gropius house, next to Nina’s school in Lincoln.
• T and P drive K and G to the airport.
• S makes split pea soup (with ham) for dinner.
• J, P, T, and Nina go to Lexington’s famous ice cream spot for dessert.

Wednesday

• J and P take a cab to the airport at 4:45 AM, on their way to Salt Lake. Return to Boston on May 7th.