Have Food Will Travel: Boston, Massachusetts

In May, we set out on a road trip from Chattanooga, TN to New England. Our mission was threefold: reconnect with friends and family in the Boston area, attend a college reunion, and eat—specifically, Chinese food and seafood.  

Our first meal was at Mulan  in Cambridge—our longtime favorite for Taiwanese food. Big mistake! It was graduation week. Getting there was a crawl through stop-and-go traffic.

Driving through Kendall Square brought back a wave of nostalgia. I used to work there, just a stone’s throw from MIT.  But with all the new buildings, biotech offices, and ongoing construction, it’s barely recognizable. Then again, it has been almost twenty-five years. One thing that hasn’t changed is the unpredictable New England weather. This spring was unseasonably cold—classic Boston. Still, the chill didn’t faze the college kids. Bundled up, they were out on the Charles River, tacking sailboats that bobbed in the wind-chopped water.

I didn’t think to take photos of the traffic mayhem, but I did snap a couple shots of the delicious food at Mulan.

Eggplant with basil

Stir fry beef with hot peppers, our favorite dish at Mulan 

We enjoyed a leisurely walk around Boston one sunny day.

Public Garden, location of the 1970 movie "Love Story"

Swan boat in the Public Garden

Old South Church on Boylston St, Copley Square

Boston Marathon finish line, where the 2013 bombing occurred.

We spent a few days in York, Maine, devouring seafood: lobsters, steamers, and spiny crab. Everything was fresh and sweet —a feast we’re still thinking about.    

 our first time, and we were not impressed 

Steamers, one of our favorite seafood

Reunion week was filled with laughter, long-overdue catch-ups, and wandering around campus and Boston. It’s always a little surreal to see how much — and how little — everyone has changed over the years. 

Our favorite spot for dim sum and seafood dinners is Ming's Seafood in Malden, Massachusetts. It’s about a 40-minute drive north of Boston, a convenient stop if you're heading to or from Maine.

Dinner at Ming's Seafood

Gigantic Wonton in Allston

Good hand cut noodles at Kung Fu Kitchen, Coolidge Corner, Brookline

One of the things we really miss in Florida is good Chinese food. We haven’t found a place in the Tampa Bay area that we’d go back to again and again. So while we were in New England, we made it a point to eat as much of it as possible.

Here are some other restaurants we sampled on this trip:

• Noah’s Kitchen in Brookline Village – if you're into spicy Sichuan food, this place is for you.

• South Garden in Quincy – Classic Cantonese dishes. The chicken with garlic was especially good.

• Dumpling Xuan in East Cambridge – great soup dumplings and excellent scallion pancakes.

• Dynasty in Boston Chinatown - classic Cantonese cuisine and dim sum.

Every place had a wait (especially on the weekend), but totally worth it. If you’re in the Boston area and love Asian food, definitely check these places out. And if you have a favorite spot we should try next time, let us know — we’re always looking for new places to add to our list!

This post is shared on Skywatch Friday.

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Falling for New England: York and Ogunquit, Maine

Lobsters, charming seaside towns, lighthouses, wild blueberries. These are what come to mind when I think of Maine. Last August, we visited our cousin's new vacation home in York, and got the opportunity to explore both York and neighboring Ogunquit, which is only fifteen minutes' drive away. Years ago, friends had recommended Ogunquit, so we were excited to visit.

Perkins Cove

lobster and fishing boats

A unique footbridge caught our eye as we walked around the little harbor of Perkins Cove. It was fascinating to see the drawbridge opening and closing to let boats through. We later learned that the drawbridge was scheduled for demolition this year, and a new bridge will replace it.

Perkins Cove Drawbridge

We went up the drawbridge to get a bird's-eye view of the lovely little harbor. It was exciting to watch the drawbridge open for a lobster boat, as you can see in the video.

It was pure serendipity that Footbridge Lobster was having a promotion for $5 a lobster (1.25 lbs or more.) After we ordered, the employee literally walked across the street to the docks to fill our cooler with fresh off the boat lobsters. It sure can't get any fresher than that! 

ordering our lobsters at Foot Bridge Lobster

lobsterman bringing in their catch

Needless to say, we feasted on lobsters for several days. Lobsters for dinner, lobster sandwiches for lunch, and lobster with oatmeal for breakfast. We were happy campers.

We enjoyed a stroll along Marginal Way, the 1.25 mile walkway that meanders along the rocky shoreline. There are plenty of benches to sit and view the stunning ocean vista.

views along Marginal Way

A trip to York won't be complete without a visit to Nubble Light.

Nubble Light, York

People flock to New England for its stunning fall foliage. If you prefer less crowded places, the Maine coast is a good alternative. Happy Fall, Y'all!

This post is shared on Skywatch Friday, Image-in-ing and Little Things Thursday.

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Falling for New England: Cape Cod, Massachusetts

This time last year, we were spending a week on Cape Cod. Summertime traffic to the Cape is a pain, so after crossing the Sagamore Bridge, we enjoyed a brief respite at the Cape Cod Canal Visitor Center. Run by the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Cape Cod Canal Visitor Center is an excellent place to stretch our legs, learn about the history of the canal and watch boats go by.

Found the flags for Mai Thai

walking trail to watch boats entering the Cape Cod Canal

interesting info along the trail

After checking into our timeshare in the mid-Cape, we went to our favorite place - Kreme and Kone in W. Dennis - for an early dinner. Visions of fried seafood danced in our heads as we headed over. We haven't been in a few years, and were afraid the pandemic might have disrupted their business. We've never been so happy to see a full parking lot and long lines at the counter! 

Fried clams with bellies are the best in New England!

View of the Bass River at Kreme and Kone

On the way back to the timeshare, we swung over to Parker's River Beach to watch the sunset. A perfect ending to our first day of a week-long vacation.

quintessential Cape Cod scenery

Have a great rest of the summer. It's 92 degrees F (feels like 102) in Chattanooga today. Stay cool. y'all! 

This post is shared on Skywatch Friday and **Art*Journal*Journey.

 

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Falling for New England: The Berkshires

So happy to be in New England for the foliage season! Not knowing this October would be the hottest on record (just our luck). We spent our first week in the Berkshires, where fall colors were spotty, with pockets of vibrant reds and yellows here and there.

We stayed at a timeshare called The Ponds at Foxhollow. Sitting on a 223 acre estate, the grounds were impressive, with a narrow meandering entrance drive lined with towering pine trees. The original property owner was Westinghouse who later sold to Vanderbilt, and had changed hands several times since. The condos/timeshare were developed in 1977.

Entrance to The Ponds at Foxhollow, Lenox

Meandering drive

Reflection of the timeshare condo

View from our bedroom

A beautiful sunset on our last day

About the only foliage we saw at Foxhollow

Arts and culture abound in the Berkshires, with the Boston Symphony performing at Tanglewood every summer. There are museums (Norman Rockwell, Mass MoCA, to name a few), art galleries, and plenty of shops and restaurants. We had fun exploring the cute small towns of Lee, Lenox, Stockbridge and Great Barrington, and hiking to Campbell and Bash Bish Falls. We even did a day trip to Albany, New York's capital (which deserves a blog post by itself).

a reflection from a storefront on main street in nearby Stockbridge

The real McCoy, at over 1500 lbs, at the entrance of the Red Lion Inn

We trust Mother Nature will put on a show, if not now, then later this month. We wait patiently. How are the fall colors in your neck of the woods?

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