Autumn in New England 2022: Boston, Halloween and Salem (Part 1)

Hazel, Minute Man National Historical Park, 2022

I got to say, I was skeptical when someone claimed that they can't travel anywhere without their noise-cancelling headphones. But after this Boston trip, I can attest to that; noise-cancelling headphones are a game-changer.

This October, my sister had invited me to Boston to catch the famous New England autumn colours. With the recent relaxation of travel rules and my gnawing wanderlust (it seems that everybody that I know has been flying recently), she didn't have to ask twice. 

My trip to California clocked in at 15 hours, which took a lot out of me. This time around, I was expecting the worst from the 25-hour flight from Singapore to Boston, but thanks to my headphones, the journey had been positively pleasant. The second the noise-cancelling function kicked in - which completely muted the growl of the plane engine and the whoosh of the AC reverberating through the cabin - it became pure bliss. There was a sense of claustrophobia in the cabin which I did not realise I felt, until I put on the headphones. I was comfortably ensconced in my seat with my headphone, my snacks and a copy of Jacques Pepin’s The Apprentice. Before I knew it, I had landed in Boston.

I have to admit, it took me a few days after I landed to get around to exploring Boston, because we had a whale of a time shopping and feasting. When you're living in a big household and Costco is but a brief car ride away, I learnt to eat really well. We ate so much of those Boston lobsters, I could crack one open with my eyes closed. But finally, I got around to exploring Boston city. 

Boston isn't a popular international tourist spot, which is a shame because much of America's founding history surrounds this city. Boston Harbor was where East India Company's shipment of tea was thrown into the waters in protest of the British Crown's tax. It was where the skirmishes between British forces and the American patriots occurred prior to the American Revolutionary War, and it was in this countryside where Paul Revere's Ride was immortalised. Many of the significant sites are well-preserved, such as Paul Revere's House and the Old North Church (the church was where the famous lanterns from "One if by land, two if by sea" tale were hung from). 

Today, Boston is known for its prestigious universities: Harvard and MIT, and that was where I started my trek towards Boston. I snapped the obligatory shot of the John Harvard Statue, and then walked east through MIT and down the Charles River.   

 

En-route from Harvard to MIT. It’s hard to take a picture while balancing a giant cannoli from Mike's Pastry (!!!) in the other hand. But still, I endure.

Crossing the Charles River brought me to the posh district of Beacon Hill and their photogenic colonial-era Acorn Street. A previous smattering of rain left the cobberstones glistening in the photographs, and the uneven ground would also trip you up real quick if you're not careful.

The great part about legging it instead of taking the train is that I get to enjoy the climate. Autumn is great! It's a little chilly especially over the Charles River, but after an hour of brisk walk, I was warm enough to take off my scarf. And then my jacket. And also my cardigan. But also, you get to see the little things that make up life in Boston: people going on their lives, businesses setting up, all sorts of political signs and (beautiful) graffiti. And because it's October, there's a fair share of Halloween decorations up.

A church, with Pride colours and a Black Life Matters banner 

Mike's Pastry's traditional ricotta cannoli was amazing, y'all. I thought that eating one by myself was going to be way too much, even as I was munching down on it. But sometime between Harvard and MIT, I demolished the entire thing. And the great thing about walking into the city was that when I reached, I was positively ravenous. My next stop was Florina, a local pizzeria and sandwich stop. Even at 2pm, the queue is almost out of the door. And boy, the people behind the counter were slinging the hugest slices of pizza that I’d seen. I did a double-take when the customer in front of me got served his single slice, because their single is probably twice the size of any regular slice I’d encountered. 

Pizza in hand, I stopped by Copley Square, where the weekly farmers' market was in full swing, selling honey, bread and fresh produce. 

I got a gorgeous loaf, and I couldn't resist snapping up several mini palm-sized pumpkins from the produce stall (below)

Just a short walk away from Copley Square is Boston Common, and within the garden is Boston Common Visitor Centre. It marks the start of the Freedom Trail, and sells guidebooks and maps regarding many of the historical sites. Walking through the public garden feels like a piece of serenity away from the city skyscrapers. I thought the overcast sky and fog would mess with photography, but as it turns out, I actually like how the mist obscures the background to focus on the subject. 

A statue of George Washington in the mid-morning mist

Granary Burying Ground is a site along the trail, and is the eventual burial ground for Paul Revere and three signers of the Declaration of Independence: John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Robert Paine. 

City tours run regularly along the Freedom Trail. I chanced upon one tour led by a Paul Revere persona, with the American Revolution told through his point of view. 

A strip of red bricks runs through the city and links each historical site along the Freedom Trail together. The bricks make it easy for gormless tourists (i.e. me) to follow along without getting lost, a fact that I'm deeply appreciative for. 

Some of the attractions, like the Paul Revere House, is a museum and requires tickets for entry. Others, like Copp's Hill Burying Ground, may have early closing time. But if you see something more interesting along your walk, feel free to break off halfway to explore. After all, Boston's a bustling metropolitan, with loads of other things to see and do. When I saw Samuel Adam’s taproom, I did not hesitate one bit before heading in to treat myself to a flight of beer. 

Barely ten minutes of leaving the taproom, I wanted to go back in for more. I gotta say, such good taprooms can be found along the freedom trail, thank god all we have to do is follow the red bricks. 

The mist finally gave way to rain around 4pm as I walked into North End, an Italian neighbourhood and home to many Italian restaurants, bakeries, delis and coffeehouses. I ducked into a deli to avoid the rain for a bit, and I came out with several packages of salami and Pancetta. It was a busy store, but in a spare moment, the grocer walked me through some of their offerings and sliced up some cured meat for me to sample. One particular salami had a spicy kick, which was just the thing I needed for the rainy afternoon. 

 

Because it was pouring, I popped around right to Carmelina just down the street for dinner. I would have thought that 4pm was too early for dinner, but the restaurant was almost full, with several more groups of people coming in after me (and they made reservations! Looks like it's not just because of the rain.)

 Mushroom rigatoni and a glass of house red.  

When the rain lightened up, I crossed the Charles River again, this time up north, following the the rest of the Freedom Trail. It was dusk by then, and I managed to snap a picture of the USS Constitution looking through the fog just like how I imagined it must have looked in the 1700s, lit up with oil lamps back and prowling through the sea.  

Along the wharf, coloured lights, diffused by the night and the fog, cast statues in an ethereal glow. 

As part of Boston's public transportation network, a ferry should be in operation from Charlestown back to the city. Should be. The pier turned out to be under renovation, as a rickety hastily-drawn sign hung on the fence informed (Thanks for the early heads-up, MBTA), and I ended up walking back to the city centre the way I came. But could I get upset with Boston? It's been a beautiful, magical day exploring the city. With over 30,000 steps taken over 10 hours, I called it a day, but not before doing what every tourist has to do before leaving the city: dropping by North End again to pick up boxes of cannolis from Mike’s Pastry and Modern Pastry. And then, with their tell-tale paper boxes clutched safely in my hands, I slowly begun to make my way back home.