This week, someone placed roses on the paving stones that The Garden Club of the Back Bay members added among the plantings around the sculpture.
These stones were put in place to make it easier for people to have photos taken of themselves or their group with the statue. Ed and I often volunteer to take these photos with visitors' cameras and we're fairly sure other neighbors do the same.
This was not among my favorite sculptures when I first encountered it, but over the years I've come to associate it with the people who take time out of their few hours in Boston to stop and pay tribute, have a photo taken for the folks back home, and, in at least one instance, stand with tears in their eyes looking up at a former President of Argentina being honored in a foreign land.
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Whether you're coming to run or watch the 2015 Boston Marathon or just want to log some miles, it's an exciting time to visit the city. And, we hope this piece will help all the runners who are new to the city, here for a vacation or business trip.
Right onto Hereford Street – Less Than a Mile to Go!
I remember my first Boston Marathon as a spectator – I've yet to put in the training needed to actually compete. Penny and I booked a hotel room for the weekend and left the car parked. We took in the runners' expo, pasta supper, and other pre-race activities, then watched a spectacular Boylston Street finish.
As an out-of-state runner staying near Faneuil Hall, I still wanted to get in a run or two, but wasn't sure where to head.
Now, as a Boston resident, I can recommend a couple of my favorite routes.
Charles River Run …
If you're a visiting runner staying anywhere near the finish line, you can't beat a daytime run along the Charles River. It offers great views and a more open course without having to constantly cross roadways. This multi-use path is shared by bikes, blades, skate boards, dogs, and walkers. It can get congested as the day wears on but, who knows, you may find yourself sharing the trail with some famous, elite runners. It's easy to make any number of loops between the Boston and Cambridge sides of the river by using the many bridges along the way.
From Back Bay, you can access the Charles River Esplanade from Massachusetts Avenue, Fairfield, Dartmouth, and Arlington Streets. If you head west from the Massachusetts Avenue ramp you can also use the parcourse workout station that's located just up-river. Click here for photos and details including a map to find it.
Morning Run Along the Esplanade
Parks in the Heart of the City
For a tree-lined route, try the Commonwealth Avenue Mall – not a shopping center, but a park – that runs down the center of this residential street. At Commonwealth and Arlington, you can enter the pristine Public Garden for a slower pace. Moving through the center of the Garden will lead you across Charles Street to the Boston Common.
Inside tip: Local-isms
Mass Ave = Massachusetts Avenue Comm Ave = Commonwealth Avenue And, it's Boston Common (singular) not Boston Commons
Whether you're coming to run or watch the 2015 Boston Marathon or just want to log some miles, it's an exciting time to visit the city. And, we hope this piece will help all the runners who are new to the city, here for a vacation or business trip.
Right onto Hereford Street – Less Than a Mile to Go!
I remember my first Boston Marathon as a spectator – I've yet to put in the training needed to actually compete. Penny and I booked a hotel room for the weekend and left the car parked. We took in the runners' expo, pasta supper, and other pre-race activities, then watched a spectacular Boylston Street finish.
As an out-of-state runner staying near Faneuil Hall, I still wanted to get in a run or two, but wasn't sure where to head.
Now, as a Boston resident, I can recommend a couple of my favorite routes.
Charles River Run …
If you're a visiting runner staying anywhere near the finish line, you can't beat a daytime run along the Charles River. It offers great views and a more open course without having to constantly cross roadways. This multi-use path is shared by bikes, blades, skate boards, dogs, and walkers. It can get congested as the day wears on but, who knows, you may find yourself sharing the trail with some famous, elite runners. It's easy to make any number of loops between the Boston and Cambridge sides of the river by using the many bridges along the way.
From Back Bay, you can access the Charles River Esplanade from Massachusetts Avenue, Fairfield, Dartmouth, and Arlington Streets. If you head west from the Massachusetts Avenue ramp you can also use the parcourse workout station that's located just up-river. Click here for photos and details including a map to find it.
Morning Run Along the Esplanade
Parks in the Heart of the City
For a tree-lined route, try the Commonwealth Avenue Mall – not a shopping center, but a park – that runs down the center of this residential street. At Commonwealth and Arlington, you can enter the pristine Public Garden for a slower pace. Moving through the center of the Garden will lead you across Charles Street to the Boston Common.
Inside tip: Local-isms
Mass Ave = Massachusetts Avenue Comm Ave = Commonwealth Avenue And, it's Boston Common (singular) not Boston Commons
We ran into a friend and her dog across the street from the new Shake Shack on Newbury Street a day after the grand opening. She asked where we were going for lunch and was surprised when we pointed to the burger place. "This is going to be a terrible thing for my diet," she said.
Her whole family visit Shake Shack when they travel to see family in New York – now she has one a block from home. And, I know how she feels. I admit we went twice during opening week.
We told you about our love for Shake Shack in Harvard Square.A menu check for this location shows that they offer beer and wine in addition to a great soft drink selection. And, the Shake Shack team has created special concretes (a blended ice cream drink) for the neighborhood.
We dined-in on Newbury, but we can't wait to try out the patio (complete with a dog parking station) or to gather a bunch of dog walking pals and have a bench lunch on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. The Collins Memorial is only a quarter mile from Shake Shack and makes a great place to gather a group for lunch or snacks.
We were among the guests welcomed by Scott, the general manager, as he worked his way around the dining room on both visits. Merchants along the street have told us he has also stopped by to say hello to his neighbors.
We may have to add a few miles a week to our walking goals but it will be worth it to have regular Shake Shack lunches. And, because it will make our Back Bay neighbors Jim and Jennifer Hill so happy when they hear it, we get to tell people Shake Shack on Newbury is, "Right across from KitchenWares and Reflections!"
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
We ran into a friend and her dog across the street from the new Shake Shack on Newbury Street a day after the grand opening. She asked where we were going for lunch and was surprised when we pointed to the burger place. "This is going to be a terrible thing for my diet," she said.
Her whole family visit Shake Shack when they travel to see family in New York – now she has one a block from home. And, I know how she feels. I admit we went twice during opening week.
We told you about our love for Shake Shack in Harvard Square.A menu check for this location shows that they offer beer and wine in addition to a great soft drink selection. And, the Shake Shack team has created special concretes (a blended ice cream drink) for the neighborhood.
We dined-in on Newbury, but we can't wait to try out the patio (complete with a dog parking station) or to gather a bunch of dog walking pals and have a bench lunch on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. The Collins Memorial is only a quarter mile from Shake Shack and makes a great place to gather a group for lunch or snacks.
We were among the guests welcomed by Scott, the general manager, as he worked his way around the dining room on both visits. Merchants along the street have told us he has also stopped by to say hello to his neighbors.
We may have to add a few miles a week to our walking goals but it will be worth it to have regular Shake Shack lunches. And, because it will make our Back Bay neighbors Jim and Jennifer Hill so happy when they hear it, we get to tell people Shake Shack on Newbury is, "Right across from KitchenWares and Reflections!"
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
This geranium ground cover is confused about the season and was putting out blooms earlier this week. When I mentioned this to a garden expert, she said she's seen a lot of strange plant behavior this fall.
What have you spotted?
While elsewhere around the city the fall foliage is still putting on a show.
But, my favorite shots are of leaves as they gather in natural groups on surfaces like this granite. I enjoy the shapes and shades of individual leaves and their ever changing colors.
Or, when the family of leaves from one tree fall in profusion onto a surface like this evergreen hedge.
Are you a big picture or close up leaf lover?
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This weekend, we took a few fall foliage shots to mark the progress of the leaf peeping season in Boston.
Here's the scene along the Muddy River at Charlesgate East. The former Charlesgate Hotel (designed by artchitect J. Pickering Putnam and built in 1901) provides an exuberant background for the foliage and adds to the refections in the river.
When the sun peeks through, it makes a pretty place to walk and notice the changing scene. This one was taken on November 10th.
The canopy of trees still offers a tunnel of shade for walkers. This time of year, shades of color add to the effect.
It has been a less than spectacular foliage season in this area with some trees going from green, to brown, to bare without putting on their annual show of color.
But visitors, who thought they'd miss all color by coming to Boston in mid-November, still have a bit of a treat in store.
Last year was far more colorful as we showed you in the photos used in this earlier post:
The radiant colors of fall in Boston call us outdoors. If you are lucky enough to have a dog to walk, you can spend hours wandering the streets and parks.
Your pup will sniff the fallen leaves and you can pull out a phone or camera to record memories of your time together.
Pick a Destination
We walk the Commonwealth Avenue Mall daily and never cease to be rewarded with gorgeous sights as the seasons pass. Slow down, look around, and you can find beauty in many corners of our city. All that green that sets us apart from cities with more pavement and concrete will blaze into color in the weeks ahead.
Call a few dog walking pals and you can quickly organize a day of fun for your whole gang. Suggest that everyone bring cameras or use their phones to take and share some photos of the day.
My favorite photos of me with my Westie Maggie Mae were taken by a friend when we were out on a walk together. She caught a candid shot of me holding Maggie with big smiles on both our faces, printed it, tucked it into an album, and gave it to me for my birthday. I had it framed and it is on display on my bookshelf. Now that Maggie is gone, it’s a precious memory of a happy day with her.
Photowalks Are Fun
It’s not about who has the best camera or who knows how to choose all the manual settings. It’s about collecting views, visions, and vistas. It’s about recording happy moments, shared laughs, and memories.
If ten people walk through the Public Garden and take ten photos of people sitting enjoying the scene with their dogs, those photos will all be different and will tell ten stories from ten perspectives.
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This one settled itself under her shoe. (click on photo for a larger version)
Fortunately, while Lucy was a very strong woman, she was also a benevolent person and didn't crush the leaf or the tiny people walking away from her on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.
A wide shot of autumn foliage can be stunningly beautiful. But, as you walk, pay attention to the single leaves that fall and settle onto interesting surfaces.
This serrated, rosy leaf fell among the folds in Lucy Stone’s skirt on the Boston Women’s Memorial. The rain-soaked bronze of the statue provided a wonderful backdrop.
