I recently had the pleasure of traveling home to Boston and Connecticut for a few days. The reason? My Dad’s birthday! Unfortunately, what I didn’t expect was how snowy it would be. The snow put a bit of a crimp in my plans, but I still made the most of it.
Here are a few highlights from my trip.
The Arrival
With the threat of a snowstorm looming, I reached out to British Airways via DM on Twitter per the advice of a very savvy friend. They were kind enough to re-book me from a mid-day flight on Wednesday to a 7pm flight on Tuesday before the snow was scheduled to hit. I was very grateful for their willingness to re-book me for free, but it meant that it was a scramble on my end to pack and get ready on time. I had just returned on the Sunday from Athens, so I had 1.5 days to unpack, re-pack and deal with quite a bit of life admin.
But, of course I did it!
I arrived late on Tuesday night to a chilly, but dry Boston and proceeded to my friend’s house where we caught up for a bit before I went to sleep. When I woke up on Wednesday morning, I sheepishly saw that no snow had fallen….at all!
The Snowstorm
In fact, it wasn’t until Wednesday afternoon that it started to….rain. After dinner at around 9pm, the rain turned to snow and boy did it snow! I walked from Downtown Crossing over to one of my favorites, The Tip Tap Room in Beacon Hill and was completely covered in snow – despite using an umbrella.
On Thursday morning, I awoke to a magical winter wonderland in Beacon Hill. I was impressed by how well the city clears the neighborhood. I had no issues walking down the massive hill to Charles Street and loved taking in the beautiful scenery along the way.
Compared to London, which shut down with a few inches of snow, Boston seemed to be business as usual on Thursday – after 7 inches of snow! I enjoyed a beautiful snowy walk through the Boston Public Garden and then Commonwealth Ave en route to my hair appointment.
Getting My Blonde On
I haven’t been able to find a great colorist in London (I’ve seen many and always have an inch of roots in one month, ugh, the horror). So, when I can, I go see Elle at Cynthia K Salon. Elle has done my hair for probably close to 15 years now and she is truly the best. I could not recommend her enough!
Eating & Drinking
I wasn’t quite as adventurous food wise on this trip. Instead, I stuck to a few favorites. I went to Tatte Bakery & Café twice. Yes, twice! Because…it’s really that good. On the first visit, I walked in and saw someone eating the most beautiful dish of shakshouka and I knew that I had to have it – immediately. And have it I did! With two eggs, feta and a spicy roasted red pepper and tomato broth, it was heaven. Perfect on a cold, snowy day!
On my second visit, I went for one of my favorites – a prosciutto and pesto brioche. Decadent in the best possible way, it is hard to resisit.
I also enjoyed a lovely dinner at Silvertone. I had not been in years, but the steak tips still lived up to their reputation as the best in Boston. When paired with mac ‘n’ cheese, mussels and the most divine truffled tater tots, it was quite the meal. And wow, American portion sizes are huge. Not that I am complaining. At all!
Shopping
It’s safe to say that I splurged a bit on this trip. When coming back to the United States, the constant sales culture makes it hard not to. From a gorgeous dress at Ann Taylor, to some delightful new finds at Lord & Taylor and my cult favorite 7 For All Mankind jeans, read about my U.S. shopping haul here.
Final Thoughts
All in all, it was another wonderful trip to Boston! While a snowy visit was not what I had envisioned, it ended up creating a beautiful backdrop and adventure for enjoying a few days in my former home.
For more of my Boston adventures and recommendations, click here.
For more of my epic travels, click here.