Hear Ye! Hear Ye! A Day at King Richard’s Faire

In September, I had the pleasure of visiting King Richard’s Faire or as I like to call it, the Massachusetts Renaissance Festival. As you drive up to park, you can tell that this is definitely a staple event for people around the state in the Fall. Plus, it’s ridiculous and fun. Of course, every staff member (outside of the police) were dressed in medieval garb and spoke as if they were in a terrible period piece. What is great about the Faire is that you are immersed in this goofy environment: somewhat modern (cause did they really have salad in the olden days of y’ore) and kind of Medieval Times like.

Parade during the Faire

There are an fair amount of performances during the day including comedians (watch out, they’ll pull you on stage), jousters, rat tamers and even a busty wench competition. While I personally enjoyed eating a huge turkey leg and having my fortune told, I was a bit conflicted with my experience. On the one hand, it was a great place to let loose and just have fun. On the other, it is pretty expensive if you pay for admission and everything else.

The price tag doesn’t just stop with the tickets (which are around $30, unless you can find a free connection like I did). Everything costs money – even the performers ask for tips after every show. Oh, and watch out for the wenches. Some of them are out to steal your beer. That a pretty penny down the drain.

Did I mention that the Faire is way out in the boons (i.e. middle of nowhere)? Technically, it’s located in Carver, Mass.

Overall, it was definitely a fun occasion but it wasn’t something I left feeling like I needed to participate in every year. Every five might just do. Maybe that will teach King Richard to treat his subjects a little kinder (he was not as jolly in person as his billboards made him out to be).

Have you ever been to King Richard’s Faire? Am I being too harsh?

King Richard Welcomes You

Rewind Activity Time: Museum of Fine Arts

Earlier in the summer, I was able to check a key activity off of my Boston to-do list: visit the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA). Especially on some of the hottest days around the City, it seemed like a logical activity. Beat the heat and take in some art. Overall, the experience ended up being only so-so. Here’s why.

MFA

1.  The line on the weekends is insane.

I waited outside in the heat for an hour an a half just to get into the actual ticket line. Granted, I probably could have been a jerk and just jumped into the inside line by faking my membership status. However, I don’t approved of that. So I waited.

2.  The air conditioning inside the museum was not on full blast.

I guess it was just an assumption on my part to think that the MFA would have the air on the coolest setting. It wasn’t hot but it wasn’t cold. Some of that may have had to do with the crowds. I’m sure that part of that was just my previous experience in museums in Texas, where the air has to be on high.

Part of the Chihuly Exhibit

3.  The special exhibit was a zoo.

The biggest selling point for a visit to the MFA on the weekend was the special Chihuly exhibit. I had heard great things, and the exhibit was about to end. Now, this particular exhibit was so popular that the guests were given times to enter it, to reduce crowds. Managing the crowds is especially important for an exhibit that is all handblown glass sculptures. Unfortunately, people did not move the through the exhibit as expected – and bottlenecks in the exhibit area were incredibly uncomfortable. I would love to see this exhibit again if it’s at another museum. Maybe I’ll have more time to take it in because what I saw was incredible.

Overall, I thought it was an interesting museum and I didn’t get through even half of the exhibits. Although my best advice after this experience is to either get a membership OR visit on a weekday and get there when the museum opens. I’ll be sure to note how my next visit goes….

How I Re-Met My State: Minnesota State Fair

A few weeks ago, I headed back to my homeland Minnesota to visit family and friends. While I was there, the State Fair was just finishing up it’s 12-day tour. Every year since the 1940s, Minnesotans gather at the Fair Grounds to eat the best food, see some exciting shows and ride the ferris wheel. It’s a prime event to try some insanely weird food as well. While I’ve heard the East Coast has something called the Big E, I couldn’t miss my chance to really connect with my roots (and eat some greasy fair food).

And eat I did!

The official list of the items I sampled or ate in whole include: pork chop on a stick, sweet martha’s cookies, bacon on a stick, deep fried gator, turkey jerky, homemade lemonade, pickle dog, fire dog, cheese curds, birch beer, funnel cake, popcorn, deep fried oreo, carmel apple sundae, fajita burrito and roasted corn.

It was an epic taste fest – and out of everything I was able to try, I would say that my favorite food was the fried alligator. It tasted very similar to Burger King chicken nuggets. Or at least it had the same seasoning and batter.

The one item that I was surprised about was the fried oreo. I think oreos are ok; they are much better with milk. However, my family and I got a batch straight out of the fryer and it was warm, soft and sweet. I could only handle one but it was delicious.

Besides the food, the Midway is fun for kids but definitely not as magical as an adult. I have a very different memory of the rides from when I was a kid. The horse show area was fun with a group, mostly because we played betting games on the different competitions. Big winner got a whole bunch of quarters!

Honestly, there was so much to do and so much food to try, there was no way I could do it all in one day. It was a great chance for me to really get back to feel at home and remember why I like Minnesota.

If you ask me in the winter, though, I might have a different story. When else can you get hot dish on a stick besides the summer?

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Tourist Boston: Duck Tours and the Freedom Trail

As mentioned in my previous post, my family came into Boston for a visit last month. What’s the best part of visitors in Boston? A chance to do all the touristy sites your friends are embarrassed to do. Honestly, as a Boston transplant, I do touristy-destination and sight-seeing activities all the time (I know it’s hard to tell with my blog and all). However, it’s especially difficult to get a partner in crime (or two) to visit these places after a while – and sometimes you just feel bad asking.

So, what are some of the touristy things that my family and I did?

Boston Duck Tours - Image Credit: Kim LaFleur

Boston Duck Tour

The tour I took with my family was the first time I had taken the full tour – as I had only taken an abbreviated version before this. I often recommend Duck Tours to people from out of town, as a way to get an overview of the history of the City, get a sampling of the historical sites and be have a bit of fun. If you don’t already know, the Duck Tour drivers are a hoot. Each has a “persona” and I was lucky enough to be on Disco Dan’s boat (he had fish in his platform shoes). The tour also takes you on land and through the Charles River. It’s just a cool way to see Boston. If you want a more engaging experience, download the new iPhone app that goes with the tour. You can follow along with the tour, and get facts of the different areas you drive by. All in all, my family really enjoyed the tour – and because of it my family requested that we make a visit to the U.S.S. Constitution. Quack, quack.

Freedom Trail - Image Credit: Kim LaFleur

Freedom Trail

I really don’t know how the Freedom Trail was created but it’s a really interesting concept. The top 10 or so historical sites in and around downtown Boston are mapped out and connected by a red line that runs between them. Literally, there is a red line running through the streets and on the sidewalk. For a City where the streets don’t run on grids, the Freedom Trail is insanely helpful. I have lived here over a year, and I don’t think that even with my smartphone, I would have been able to direct my family to the different sites without the line. On top of that, the sites on the Trail have a very rich history. Ben Franklin’s family is buried at one location. You can see where Paul Revere lived. Or how about a visit to Old Iron Sides? Done. The Freedom Trail gives you a chance to follow history and get a real taste of the founding of America. If you’re feeling really lively, you can take a walking tour with a guide that dresses in full colonial garb. Yes, I said garb.

If you’re a visitor, or a resident that hasn’t experience either of these things, I’d definitely recommend it! Duck Tours take about 90 minutes, and the Freedom Trail can take up a full day. Just don’t forget your walking shoes.

Extra shout out to my friend Kim for letting me use her photos in my post!

Chowderfest…Need I Say More?

It’s been a couple weeks since my last posting but man, has the time flown by! I should have some fantastic posts coming up, as I had a chance to visit some classic Boston tourist destinations recently. More of that later.

Back to the chowder. Every Fourth of July weekend, Boston holds a series of events lovingly called Harborfest. Reenactment activities are coordinated around the City, while tours, sailing, runs and more all keep locals and tourists bustling all over town. Of course, these events lead up to Boston’s nationally recognized fireworks celebration. The one event that particularly caught my attention during this slew of fun activities was Chowderfest.

Clam chowder, the infamous Boston seafood stew, is best served in the summer when seafood season is at it’s peak. So why wouldn’t you want to spend a warm, gloriously humid summer day sampling some piping hot chowder? I actually thought the idea of this whole event was so funny that I had to attend last year. It was one of my first Boston activities. And it will live in infamy.

I have to say, last year, I wasn’t thrilled that there were only seven or eight restaurants that lined up to dish out their very best chowder. However, I appreciated that the event provides you with all-you-can-eat samplings, and an opportunity to place a vote for your favorite chowder. After such a great experience last year (despite my disappointment at the selection of the 2010 winner), I absolutely made it a point to attend the 2011 event.

Unfortunately, there were only four to five vendors at this year’s event. The line to enter the event was absolutely crazy which meant that people were displaying disappointing chowder decorum. There was a dedicated kids activity area, and a bunch of free samples from other vendors (Nantucket Nectars was my personal favorite).

If you’ve never experienced Chowderfest, I would recommend a visit. But be ready to fork over at least 12 bucks for a ticket – and get pushed around a bit. Me, I’ll need to reassess my attendance next year as I did not leave with a satisfied feeling. Either for the chowders sampled or the event itself.

Activity Time: Phantom Gourmet’s BBQ Beach Party

Phantom Gourmet's BBQ Beach Party!

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the annual Phantom Gourmet BBQ Beach party. Who is the Phantom Gourmet and why is he holding such a tasty party? The Phantom Gourmet is a local TV and radio show out of Boston, where a secret team of reviewers judge restaurants around the New England area and three hosts report on how the latest culinary cuisines stack up. The BBQ Beach Party is one of several local events the show holds where top BBQ contenders are asked to showcase their finest ribs, brisket and pulled pork for the city. Of course, there is also live music, beer/wine and appearances from the Phantom Gourmet hosts.

Since I’m from the South and am a BBQ lover (yes, the stereotype is correct on that one), the event had been recommended to me since I moved last year. The seven featured BBQ joints were all winners of a slew of national prizes and represented various areas of the country. Of course, nothing will beat Saltlick in Driftwood, Texas for me but it doesn’t hurt to get some good BBQ now and again.

Out of the seven stations, I was able to sample ribs from five stands. Honestly, my favorite was Jack’s Down Home BBQ out of Philadelphia, PA. It had the best cooked ribs of the five both in flavor and texture. The best bang for the buck was Johnson’s BBQ out of Chesapeake, VA. They had the most meat on the ribs, which were HUGE! I was probably most disappointed in Big Show BBQ out of Kansas City. I will however say that these ribs were probably cooked the most traditional, as they were the only ones where the meat was so tender that it fell off the bone. However, taste-wise, they didn’t really do it for me. The Texas Thunder BBQ stand was also good but not great. I hold Texas BBQ in high regard – so I probably judged it fairly harshly though it just wasn’t the best of the lot.

All in all, it was a delicious event and I left with what I like to refer to as the “meat sweats.” I thought all of the BBQ was good and I would definitely attend again next year. It was also nice to have a little taste of home right in my own backyard.

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Battle of the (Boy) Bands

NKOTBSB Concert

A phenomenon of mass proportions hit Fenway Park a few weeks ago. No, I’m not referring to the Bruins strutting out the Stanley Cup during a Sox game. I’m talking about the NKOTBSB concert. If you don’t know about NKOTBSB, it is a joint concert tour by 80s boy band New Kids on the Block and 90s boy band Backstreet Boys. (Apologies in advance to any mega-fans, as I am in no way capable of doing the concert or these bands justice.)

The concert was quite the event! New Kids are originally from Boston (which I did not know until a week prior), so the audience freaked out every time one of the guys made reference to the their roots. It was also fitting that Mayor Menino declared the day NKOTBSB Day in Boston and introduced surprise guest Mark Wahlberg who then introduced the bands. They entered Fenway in true Red Sox fashion, as each was individually introduced by the Sox announcer and ran across home plate before making their way onto the stage.

Mark Wahlberg - NKOTBSB Concert

The other huge effect for the concert, beyond the fireworks and thrusting (yes, I said thrusting), was the NKOTBSB banner that was hung off of the Green Monster. Of course, there was a ton of concert merchandise that looked like Sox gear.

The audience was mostly comprised of women that had followed the bands in various stages of their careers, and who knew the words to the more obscure songs. I was definitely taken back by surprise when the crowd not only screamed at the start of every song, but also sang along!

NKOTBSB did not disappoint in the dance moves or singing. As someone who never really got into boy bands, I was absolutely impressed with how they could still belt at the top of their lungs and manage to make thousands of women weak at the knees.

And of course, it wouldn’t be an outdoor concert without some kind of crazy weather crisis! About an hour into NKOTBSB’s act, it started POURING!! I have immense respect for all the women who stayed and powered through it (which were almost all of them in attendance). Even more props to the bands who turned the stage catwalk into an adult slip and slide for several of the songs.

The Boys

My biggest regret is not having more excitement for boy bands. I definitely left before the end – and I know a lot of other people who would have jumped through a ring of fire to go!

However, it was epic concert and I’m glad that I stuck it out as long as I did!

Boston hearts NKOTBSB!

Keno and Candlepin: The Makings of a New England Weekend

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a themed bar crawl (it was jorts related – also known as jean shorts for those not from the area). Besides the silliness of the theme, the crawl included some essential New England activities such as Keno and Candlepin bowling. Let me address each individually!

Keno

The Massachusetts state lottery has a very popular game called Keno. What’s great about the game is that it is similar to the lottery – not scratch offs. Players choose from 1 to 12 numbers in a series of 80 and select the number of games they are playing in. Getting 2 to 10 numbers correct within your designated game can award you money. Obviously, the more numbers you match to those randomly selected will win more money. Based on my observations, Keno is everywhere in Boston. From gas stations to convenience stores to grocery stores to bars. Playing in bars seems especially fun as you can watch your favorite sports while gambling with relative ease.

I do find this concept interesting because Massachusetts has very adamantly opposed casinos within the state but when it comes to the lottery system, it’s all good. It seems like an interesting dynamic to me as a somewhat outsider. Don’t get me wrong though; I had a blast playing and won $2.00. Jealous?

Candlepin Bowling

Candlepin Bowling

So, disclaimer first. I have a family that has very strong roots in bowling and it was something I grew up with. So when I got to Boston and people started discussing candlepin versus “big ball” bowling, I almost lost it. For those that haven’t played, since it is truly a New England sport, the pins are much smaller and resemble candle sticks. The ball that is thrown down the aisle is also much smaller, and is about the same size as a bocce or skeeball. It also seemed that the lanes were longer and more narrow than what I will always refer to as “normal” bowling. Oh, and another important distinction, you get three throws per frame.

Candlepin was also pretty fun. However, I was not able to use most of my bowling poses or techniques on candlepin. Since it’s not the same, it took me a while to get the hang of how to throw. I would definitely recommend playing this for any out of towner or new resident – it will certainly make you feel like a native!

I will give New England a lot of credit – indoor activities are at a premium and things like candlepin or keno wouldn’t be around still if they weren’t enjoyable.

Don't forget your candlepin technique!

Bruins Fever

The Boston Bruins

It’s hard to avoid major sporting events in a city like Boston. Especially when a team advances to a huge finals tournament – and hasn’t been to said tournament for about 30 years.

Hello Bruins and the Stanley Cup.

Boston is already a sports powerhouse of a city; with the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots. It’s a trifecta of teams that were underdogs and rose to a very prestigious sports status. What was most interesting to me, as a resident, was how residents in the city of Boston have come down with Bruins fever. From what I understand, there are a huge contingent of fans but the Bruins are not necessarily the favorite of the teams (sorry to offend any crazy Bruins fans out there – that’s just what I’ve heard). With the advancement into the Stanley Cup finals, Boston fans flocked to local bars to be a part of an epic event.

I don’t want to say that everyone is a fair-weather fan but it naturally happens that they come out of the woodwork for these sorts of occasions. However, there is something to seeing so many people in black and yellow. It’s the same feeling I get when I go to Sox games and see so much blue and red; and a sea of burnt orange throughout a 100,000 person stadium (hook ‘em!).

It’s hard not to feel pride when something so huge happens within a city. Despite not being a Bruins or hockey fan at all, that I’m proud of my city. It’s a nice reminder of how great it is to be able to call yourself a Bostonian.

Say Hello to Your Mother’s…Day

If you’ve read this blog, you’re probably aware that most of my family is in Texas and Minnesota. While I personally am not able to take my mother out today, I hear Boston is a wonderful place to celebrate all the mama’s out there. Even though Mother’s Day is basically over, here are a few fun events or restaurants that I would recommend keeping in mind for next year, or investigate for other upcoming holidays (Father’s Day isn’t that far away).

Top of the Hub

This restaurant at the top of the Prudential Building is renowned for its few of downtown Boston. I’ve not been there yet, and I’ve heard mixed reviews about the food but its the view that makes this location unique. What I did notice is that they were hosting a special Mother’s Day menu today that looks especially delicious: http://www.topofthehub.net/restaurant_one_event.php?event_id=621. Just be sure to make a reservation!

Stir Boston

Instead of going out to eat, why not take a cooking class? Stir describes itself as a “demonstration kitchen and cookbook library” in Boston lead by Chef Barbara Lynch and Wine Director Cat Silirie. Classes range in topic from basic stills to food flavors to themed events. It’s a really fantastic concept, and I’ve heard only incredible things. For more info, check out Stir Boston: http://stirboston.com/.

Winedays at the MFA

It might not be on Mother’s Day but Winedays is a wine tasting event at the Museum of Fine Arts held on the last Wednesday of every month. It’s a chance to try wineries in the area and $25 gets you wine tastings and hor d’oeurves. Plus, you learn about every wine – which includes the flavors, notes and suggested food pairings. If you like wine or want to know more about wine, this is a fun way to sample new flavors and take in some art. More details can be found on the MFA’s site: http://www.mfa.org/programs/special-event/winesdays.

The Great Urban Race

Want to spend some quality time with mom or just have a blast deciphering clues around the city? Check out the Great Urban Race Boston. This Amazing Race style event sends teams around greater Boston, solving clues and tackling challenges. While the Boston event just finished this weekend, the race is hosted in big cities all around the U.S. Mark your calendar now so you remember to check this out for next year: http://greaturbanrace.com/index.php.

With so many great restaurants and exciting events, it can be hard to keep up with Boston – especially when planning celebratory activities for someone as special as Mom. There is no way I’ll be able to do the city justice in one post, but I will leave you with my favorite new character on SNL who has his own suggestions for Mother’s Day activities:

Happy Mother’s Day!!