On a recent trip to Guadeloupe, Mike and I had about a twelve-hour layover in Boston. We wanted to make the most the short amount of time available to us. We were able to see a few highlights of Boston, and stayed in a really wonderful hotel. And I would love to return at some point to explore the city in greater depth. So without further ado, here’s how we spent twelve hours in Boston.

Intercontinental Boston

We arrived late at night in Boston, and wanted to be able to maximize the time that we had available to us the next morning. We opted to stay at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Boston. The location was fantastic, as several of the local sites were within walking distance. The hotel was beautiful, and the room spacious. And we were able to use our IHG annual free night, which ended up being an incredible redemption. The hotel room was running about $400 per night when we stayed, but we received it for essentially our $49 annual credit card fee.

 

Sorelle Bakery

We awoke early in the morning to try to make the most of our few hours in Boston. We ate breakfast at Sorelle Bakery because it was near our hotel and on the way to the Boston Common. Mike had coffee and a scone. I had a chai tea and a blueberry muffin. The food was quite good, and the drinks were hot. The atmosphere of the cafe is trendy, and it was quite busy when we were there. And it appears that Sorelle Bakeries are limited to Boston, so it’s a great option if you want to ‘eat local.’

Boston Common

Since we traveled through Boston in November, we didn’t spend much time in the Boston Common. But I could see how popular and wonderful it would be in the warm weather. And, knowing all of the incredible things that took place there, I couldn’t help but feel that the history of the area was palpable.

Freedom Trail

The concierge at our hotel gave us a map of Boston with the Freedom Trail highlighted, and with a pamphlet of the sites along the walking trail. The trail was easy to follow, as there is a red line painted on the sidewalks that you follow all the way along if you choose to do a private walking tour as we did. There are also public walking tours available for those who are interested in that. And although we didn’t know it at the time, there is also an option to download an MP3 file to a player, phone, or tablet which allows for a self-guided audio tour.

We started at the Boston Common and walked to Paul Revere’s house. It was a chilly, but wonderful morning walk. And the brochure has information about the various sites along site, so that you know what you’re seeing.

Markets

On our way back toward the waterfront and the hotel, we stopped in the market area. Only a few of the shops were open, but it appeared that many of the shops were gearing up for the Christmas shopping season. There are three separate markets, the North Market, the Quincy Market, and the South Market. This would be a great place for lingering if one had the time.

Waterfront

Beautiful views of the cityscape. And how could you dislike seeing restored 18th century ships that are a part of the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum?! We didn’t have time to go in the museum, but even from outside the ships are incredible. By the time we made it to the waterfront area, the morning had warmed up a bit, so the walk along the waterfront was sunny and beautiful. We ended out walking tour on a bench near the Intercontinental gazing at the scenery and enjoying our morning in Boston before a flight out to Guadeloupe.

It was a wonderful twelve hours in Boston, hitting the high points of the city. I can’t wait for a return trip to explore the city in greater depth.