New England
“Don’t just tell your children about the world, show them.”
— Penny Whitehouse
I went to college in Providence, RI so my husband and I decided to do a New England trip with our kids in April. We started in Boston, then to Rhode Island, and onto Philadelphia. We often take red-eye flights so we can “sleep” overnight and have a full day. I never sleep on the plane but my kids usually do. Having a plan and a schedule works for us. If we need to make changes we do but we like to have a solid idea of what we will actually do.
Boston, Massachusetts
We took the red eye on Thursday from Seattle and landed super early. We arrived at the hotel around 6 AM. Usually, hotels let us in if the room is available. However, at our hotel, the Boston Park Plaza, would let us in early if we paid $100. We did not pay, but I did get us access to the hotel much earlier than check-in.
After refreshing a bit we headed to breakfast at a darling spot, The Friendly Toast. After we ate everything and I had several cups of coffee we hopped on the T to Cambridge. My husband and son walked around much of the campus while I basked in the sunshine in Harvard Yard with my daughter. In every major city we go to (and some not so major) we always find a college or university to walk around in. My kids roll their eyes at the beginning but always end up enjoying it. I’m not sure where I picked up doing this but it’s a tradition that I love.
We needed a little pick me up so we had smoothies at MotherJuice to be healthy then headed over to Mike’s Pastry for lunch. Rudy had his first lobster tail (not the seafood) and saved his cannoli. Mira had a creme brûlée and saved her massive homemade PB cup for later. Hashtag healthy!
After fueling up on as much sugar as possible we took the T back over the river to Fenway Park. Fenway Park was built in 1912 and not much has changed since then! The tour is a one-hour, guided tour for $25 per person. We learned so much history about the stadium, the team, and the city of Boston. Even if you aren’t a baseball fan it’s worth it to go; you can spare an hour.
After a long nap, we had dinner at Legal Seafoods which was across the street from our hotel. I learned while finding safe spots for M to eat at that most of their menu is gluten-free; even the fryers! It was such a pleasant surprise. My son made it his mission to eat at least one cup of clam chowder a day and eat as much lobster as possible. He did well. M was able to have fried calamari for only the second time since her diagnosis!
On Day Two after 12 hours of sleep, we did the entire Freedom Trail. This is one of my favorite parts of Boston. It’s the perfect way to see most of the city on foot and it’s free. There is a red brick line that winds through the entire city. You simply have to follow it! I wish more historical cities would do something like this; it just makes the city more accessible.
Our hotel, the Boston Park Plaza, was in Back Bay right by the Public Garden and Boston Common and an easy walk to the start of the trail (and Dunkin Donuts!). There are so many landmarks from Colonial Boston. There is a downloadable PDF file so you can be your own tour guide or you can purchase a guided, private tour. With my teens, it was easier to go on our own and at our own pace. Some of the highlights we enjoyed were the State House (it’s right at the start), the cemeteries, Old North Church (our son loves the movie National Treasure), Old South Meeting House, and Bunker Hill. You will be going through Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. Sadly, it’s a lot of kitschy tourist shops but it is worth strolling through. We did not wait in line at Paul Revere’s house, it was long. Paul Revere’s house is in the North End, the Italian part of town. If you are able, get a cannoli & more pastry at Modern Pastry. We had not the best lunch at the Warren Tavern but it was fun to eat at a restaurant that started in 1780. We walked nine miles!
I booked dinner at this delightful neighborhood French restaurant in Beacon Hill called Ma Maison. It’s always been important to us to take our kids to nicer restaurants. It’s incredibly important to me that they become good, knowledgeable diners who enjoy themselves but are also gracious and thankful to be there and to the staff. Ma Maison is a husband and wife team; he’s the Chef and she runs the front. By actually using the notes I added into OpenTable they knew M was Celiac and had to eat completely gluten-free. A few minutes after fresh baguette and butter were delivered they brought out gluten-free bread and butter for her. I was so touched; not one place we’ve dined has done that for her.
R started off with escargot & beef tartare which he did share with me. M and I had salads and my husband tucked into fresh oysters. M had salmon and R ordered Beef Wellington because of course, he did.
I stopped to chat with the owner and told her we were so happy to be with them. We talked restaurants for a bit and she loves Seattle. We ordered dessert but they sent out extra dessert along with after-dinner drinks for me and Mike. We shared hugs with the owner on our way out. It was perfect!
On our last day, we had the morning and early afternoon before catching our train to Providence. We headed back out to Cambridge to see MIT. We walked around Campus then all the way back over the river to Newbury Street. We found a fantastic Thai spot for lunch before grabbing our bags at the hotel. Finally, a quick ten-minute walk to the train to head to Providence.
The Graduate Hotel Lobby
In front of my dorm
Favorite meal ever!
The Breakers, my favorite “cottage”
Providence & Newport, Rhode Island
The house I lived in. My room was upper left.
I haven’t been back to Providence in years; like 16 (I think). I love, love Rhode Island. If I had to live on the East Coast it would be in Rhode Island. I planned our trip around my favorite restaurant, East Side Pockets. I didn’t actually, but maybe I did???? Rhode Island may be tiny but it has a huge personality. The people are fantastic, the food is out of this world, and there is so much to do and see.
We stayed at The Graduate Hotel which used to be the Biltmore aka the fanciest hotel in Providence years ago. They kept the sign and retained a lot of the old charm of the hotel. Our room was huge compared to our shoebox in Boston. It’s right downtown, near the train station, and the freeways. If you’ve ever stayed a Graduate property you know those hotels have tons of personality. If you haven’t, book one next time you travel; they’re super fun hotels.
We had a bit of time to walk around my “campus” at Johnson & Wales University which is really just downtown Providence. We visited my dorm, the library, and saw my dorm room window. I did not show them the bar I used to hang out in all the time. Nor tell them I could see into said bar from my room; those parts of Mom can remain a mystery for awhile. We also drove out to the Culinary campus which has seen the most changes. New buildings and sports fields! They even have a softball and soccer team.
We had dinner on Federal Hill for Easter(haha). I didn’t know it was Easter until I started booking! Federal Hill is the Italian/Mafia part of town. Some of the best Italian food you will ever eat is found on Federal Hill. I had my first square pie here, the best ravioli at Angelo’s, and all the traditional Italians meals you can think of. We dined at Il Massimo and they had a HUGE gluten-free menu for M. They even brought her fresh, warm dinner rolls. We ate SO much. And, M had her first cannoli which she was very excited about.
The next morning we hit the road for Newport after stopping at The Bagel Gourmet for bacon, egg & cheese on a bagel. This was my breakfast many many, mornings in school. It tasted just like 1997; a perfectly toasted everything bagel, fresh eggs & bacon, and tons of cheese.
The beach in Rhode Island is a thing. Did you know that although it’s the smallest state in our union, it has over 400 miles of coastline? The beaches in Rhode Island are spectacular. We didn’t spend any time on this trip, because it was freezing but if you are in there in the summer the beaches cannot be beat. And, neither can the fried clams or steamers.
I spent a lot of time in Newport, RI while I was in college. It’s an incredible small town that happened to be where “The 400” of NYC during the Gilded Age summered. I wanted to show the kids the “summer cottages” of the Gilded Age. These homes are mansions and works of art. We went to my favorites, The Breakers and Marble House (both Vanderbilt homes). It was fun for me to be back after all these years. And, I went on a Gilded Age reading binge last year so I knew a lot more about the people who lived in them. They were, of course, as spectacular and ostentatious as I remember.
After lunch and ice cream, we drove back up to Providence. The kids saw my apartment, the restaurant I waited tables at, and finally ate at Eastside Pockets. It’s my favorite falafel ever and I was so happy to have it. Sadly, it’s no longer $5 but it was definitely worth $10. I was also happy to see there is still always a line out the door.
Philadelphia
Our last stop on Spring Break was Philadelphia. We drove from Providence to Philadelphia circumventing NYC although we could see the city skyline. We stayed at the Kimpton Hotel, across the street from Independence Hall. It was the perfect location right in the heart of downtown and close to everything we wanted to see. The rooms were spacious and the staff were lovely!
Much to our surprise it was HOT in Philly; the high 80’s. We walked around the city a bit, had dinner at a 100% gf Mexican Spot, Mission Tacqueria (churros!), and then I had to stop at Macy’s aka Wanamaker’s for shorts. Remember the movie Mannequin with Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrell; it was filmed in the Wanamaker building! I was VERY excited but I could not find Hollywood (is anyone getting my joke?).
The next day it was all Old Town. The last time I was in Philadelphia I did a walking tour with Founding Footsteps and my best friend. It’s hilarious and informative; you should do it next time you’re there. Since we weren’t able to do the tour I was the tour guide! It was a lot of fun visiting these spaces that were important in the early days of our country. We visited Independence Hall and spent quite a bit of time there. R and I had a lot of time to talk about our Founding Fathers, the “big” documents, slavery, and how it has shaped and informed our country. It was a pretty big-kid conversation and especially poignant walking the streets these men walked.
The highlight for me was my best friend coming up from New York with her family. Claire and I talk almost daily but it’s been five years since we’ve seen each other. I was SO happy to see her. Prior to their arrival, we visited the Mint and then met them for lunch at Reading Terminal Market. R was craving a cucumber and a crepe. 🤷🏻♀️ There is also a 100% gf “fair food” at Fox & Son that we enjoyed. M had funnel cake for the first time! We hopped on a bus for the Eastern State Penitentiary after lunch. What a fascinating place; there was even a synagogue inside. I learned a lot about our prison system, where the word penitentiary (penitent), and how old mass incarceration is. Oh, Al Capone was housed there! We had awesome pizza for dinner and then ate too much dessert at Max Brenner. On our last day before flying home we visited the Federal Reserve Bank, the Rocky Steps and Statue, and ate cheesesteaks and hoagies for lunch.
I recommend taking kids when they are older and can appreciate the history of Philadelphia. It would be lost on younger kids although there are some awesome spots to visit with littles!