“This is Boston, a city with courage, compassion, and strength that knows no bounds.” – Thomas Menino
*Pack Up + Go sponsored our trip, but this is our personal and honest experience.
How’d we end up in Boston?
It was a very different experience for us! We took a risk on a Surprise Trip somewhere in the United States with a travel company called Pack Up + Go.
When Pack Up + Go approached us with the opportunity to try out a Surprise Trip with them, we were a little bit nervous, but we are so glad that we pushed ourselves out of our comfort zones!
To get started, Pack Up + Go had us fill out a Pre-Trip Survey that asked about our interests, travel history, and upcoming travel plans that they used to plan our personalized getaway! You can make note of any places that you definitely don’t want to go as well. The catch – we didn’t know where we were going until the day before the trip! The only information we got before opening our surprise destination envelope was the weather forecast to help us with packing.
We selected a 3-day, 2-night Plane Trip with a total budget of $2,200 ($1,100 per person), and our Surprise Destination ended up being Boston! We knew that Boston is a big city with a lot of history, but it wasn’t necessarily on the top of our travel list. We’re grateful to Pack Up + Go for introducing us to this great city and for providing fun, curated recommendations and activities for our weekend in Boston!
This is what was included in our Pack Up + Go Trip:
Round-trip airfare on Jetblue
Our hotel accommodation at the beautiful and historic Omni Parker House Hotel in downtown Boston
A gift card for dinner at Mamma Maria (a nationally acclaimed Italian restaurant) on our first night
A dinner reservation at Temazcal Tequila Cantina on our second night
Tickets to a comedy show at Laugh Boston on our second night
An Uber gift card so that we could get around the city
Access to their 24/7 Traveler Support Team
Our favorite Boston activities:
1. The Freedom Trail
The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile path in the heart of Boston that connects 16 nationally significant historic sites. There is an actual red brick path that makes it easy to follow the trail throughout the city! The trail allowed us to visit the historical sites that interested us the most and was a fun way to get acclimated to Boston on our first day. Keep in mind that some of the stops charge their own admission fees. These were some of our favorites:
Faneuil Hall – A marketplace and meeting hall that dates back to 1742. Today, this area has many great shops and restaurants and still feels like a bustling center of the city.
Old State House – We loved how this building that was built in 1713 is surrounded by modern skyscrapers. It’s such a cool contrast! The Old State House is one of the oldest public buildings in the United States.
Site of the Boston Massacre – Right outside of the Old State House, the “site of the first bloodshed of the American Revolution” that started on March 5, 1770 is marked by a large, circular plaque.
The Paul Revere House – “The British are Coming!” Of course, Paul Revere is famous for delivering that message, but his home in Boston is a beautifully preserved time-capsule from 1680. It is said that 90% of the structure is still original. Entrance cost us $6 per ticket and the visit is pretty quick, but it was a cool opportunity to step back in time!
The Old City Hall/Benjamin Franklin Statue – The Old City Hall has beautiful French architecture dating back to 1865. Right next to this building is the Benjamin Franklin statue that marks the site of the first public school in the country.
Boston Common Park – This was our favorite place to relax with beautiful surroundings in Boston! We sat by the lake and enjoyed watching the super friendly squirrels. In the warmer months, you can get into one of the picturesque swan paddle boats on the lake.
2. Cheers!
Across the street from the Boston Common Park is Cheers (Beacon Hill)! It’s a classic bar that was a great place to grab a few pints of Sam Adams with a fun atmosphere. This is the original location that inspired the famous Cheers television show. We had to snag one of these mugs for a souvenir!
3. Acorn Street
After our much-needed beer break, we wandered up the picturesque back streets of Beacon Hill to visit the “most picturesque street,” Acorn Street! It was a little bit of an “Instagram hot-spot,” but it was a lovely area to wander around that feels like you are still in the colonial-era with the cobblestone streets and gas lamps.
4. Quincy Market
We were looking for a fun place to do a little souvenir shopping on our last day and Quincy Market was perfect! It opened in 1826 and is centrally located in the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. It was a historic spot to grab some local cuisine for lunch (delicious “chowda”) and to browse the booths that sell clothing, jewelry, and creations from local artists. Since it’s indoors, we recommend a visit to escape a rainy day.
5. Eating "lobstah" rolls
We couldn’t leave Boston without indulging in some Lobster rolls! Boston Chowda Co. in the previously mentioned Quincy Market had tasty ones, and so did Luke’s Lobster which was near the Omni Parker House Hotel on Washington Street. Luke’s Lobster serves their rolls cold which was new for us!
We had such a fun, whirlwind weekend in Boston thanks to Pack Up + Go! We would highly recommend a trip to Boston for any history buffs or foodies out there. This Pack Up + Go Surprise Trip just furthers our belief that you won’t regret pushing yourself out of your comfort zone! Would you ever go on a Surprise Trip like this? Let us know in the comments!
If you want to see more of what we got up to in Beantown, check out our vlog on our new YouTube channel! We would love for you to subscribe. We greatly appreciate your support!
Thanks for reading!
Nikki + Pam
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