When we became parents, my husband and I quickly realized that our typical vacations, filled with long days of sightseeing followed by leisurely dinners over multiple bottles of wine would need to be adjusted, to say the least. Traveling with our 3-year-old daughter Sadie has proven to be an adventure in patience and resourcefulness.
We’ve discovered that big cities are actually great destinations for toddlers.
Case in point – last summer we embarked on a four-day trip to Boston, which proved to be the perfect choice for a family vacation. Upon arrival, we were able to ditch the car and explore the city completely on foot. Boston’s subway system, known as the “T”, is also a convenient way to get around, as the stations each have elevators so that you don’t have to lug your stroller up and down flights of stairs the way you do in some cities (I’m looking at you, New York).
We were thoroughly impressed with the number and variety of Boston’s family-oriented attractions. After squealing with delight at the acrobatic seals, posing penguins, giant sea turtles and swiftly swimming sharks and rays at the New England Aquarium, Sadie had a blast splashing around in the water tables at the Boston Children’s Museum. She then headed over to the Public Garden to experience her very first “cruise” on the graceful Swan Boats and pose for therequisite pictures on the “Make Way for Ducklings” sculpture.
During our trip, Sadie also enjoyed riding the carousel at the Rose Kennedy Greenway, slurping noodles at Wagamama restaurant, sampling the grilled cheese at Legal Sea Foods (she declared it quite scrumptious), partaking of some downright delicious Italian food at Assagio in the North End and people watching at Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Our family (and stroller) was warmly welcomed at each attraction and restaurant we visited, and we had no problem finding great places to eat that also had high chairs, changing tables and kids menus.
We were lucky enough to snag a room at Marriott’s Custom House hotel, located adjacent to Faneuil Hall and steps away from Boston’s scenic waterfront. The Custom House’s one-bedroom suites each feature a kitchenette as well as separate living, dining and sleeping areas, which proved very convenient when we put Sadie down to sleep each night in the bedroom and could watch TV in the living room without worrying about waking her up. The hotel was great with kids, making sure we had a portable crib and high chair in our room within minutes of arrival, and even packing our car for us when we departed. If you’re looking for a fun-filled family vacation, I highly recommend putting Boston at the top of your list of potential destinations!
