Boston

Our other stop on the tour of New England was the beautiful city of Boston. It has such a European feel (probably because it was built without a plan) and I adore it.

We stepped right off the plane and into Legal Seafood to avoid the downpour that descended. I noshed on a lobster roll and we walked along the harbor just as the rain ended and the sun started setting.

Our second venture back was met with much friendlier weather. We decided to follow the Freedom Trail through town, which is basically a pre-marked trail you can follow on the sidewalk that takes you from the Boston Commons to the Beacon Hill monument and through a bunch of neighborhoods and historical spots in between. They offer guided tours, but I liked doing it at our own pace and without a huge crowd. It was a great way to work our way through the city and see some sights-I definitely recommend it for an afternoon of slow-paced sightseeing.

Little Italy was visited several times for pizza and cannolis. We braved the crowds at Mike's Pastry for cappuccinos and dessert and the chaos was so worth it--my amaretto cannoli was killer.

The Freedom Trail took us all the way into Charlestown and to the Beacon Hill Monument. As if I hadn't found enough city-soul mates on this trip, I fell in love with Charlestown too. What can I say, I'm a sucker for small crooked streets and gorgeous brownstones.

We had so much fun exploring Boston. It was hard coming back to the south after several days in such gorgeous cities--here's hoping we make it up north sometime soon!

Whale Watching

One of the highlights of our New England excursion was Whale Watching off the coast of Maine. We headed out on a boat bright and early and cruised for almost 2 hours until we reached Jeffrey's Ledge, a plankton rich area that acts as a prime whale hang out spot.

On our way, we spotted a pod of about 30 dolphins that let us get really close looks at them as they jumped and played in the wake of our boat. We also spotted a blue shark, but he was a bit more elusive, only poking out a dorsal fin here or there.

After our long journey on the water, we finally saw what we came for--a humpback whale. This particular whale was identified by his unique tail pattern and goes by the name of Patches. Its estimated that he's about 38 years old and gave us some spectacular tail shots and blowhole puffs.

I'm notorious with my motion sickness--I get nauseous walking down the street--and 4 hours on a boat did me in. Despite the sea sickness, I loved getting to see the animals up close and feeling the wind whip my hair around as we cruised through that beautiful ocean. I can't think of a better way to start my day than out at sea surrounded by whales and dolphins.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Small quirky towns are one of my favorite things (as evidenced in my love for Athens)--I love the cracked sidewalks and odd looking storefronts, the coffee shops full of people reading and chatting, and of course, the restaurants that define the local food culture. When you pair any of those things with the coast, however, it all becomes exponentially better.

I swooned over Portsmouth--it is literally my city soul mate. The colorful houses and proximity to the ocean would be enough, but with the most adorable specialty shops and seafood restaurants lining its streets, I couldn't stop gushing over it. I even spotted a few legal offices in town (and a courthouse!) which is enough to convince me that it needs to be added to my list of future employment destinations after graduation. And as if I needed more reasons to love Portsmouth, I was also informed that Samantha Brown resides there. Be still my heart.

We went to Breaking New Grounds Bakery & Cafe a few times for gelato, cake, and coffee. Between us all we sampled the Creme Brulee Cheesecake, the Turtle Cheesecake, German Chocolate Cake (holy heavens was this one good), and a Marbled Raspberry cake. My sister and I also tried their gelato--chocolate chip and donatella. The donatella was essentially nutella gelato and it was amazing. We only saw it there once which was tragic. As if I didn't eat enough dessert though.

Although I could eat seafood all day every day, my sister isn't too fond of it, so we had to compromise on some restaurants that everyone could be happy with. We settled on BG's Boathouse which was a little kitschy, but it was on the water and gave us a lovely sunset view.

I feasted on oysters and lobster bisque and we left stuffed, sunburned, and completely blissed out.