Photos — Frances Rivetti
"In Boston they ask, 'How much does he know?' In New York, 'How much is he worth?' In Philadelphia, 'Who were his parents?'." — Mark Twain
Despite an ardent adoration of my adopted American West, I've long since had an enduring crush on the North East. My domestic travels in over 30 years of living in the States (Northern California) have taken me to the East Coast on seven or eight occasions, but I'm always open to excuses to up my number of visits. It's been New York mostly, though Boston and Philadelphia now, twice each. This may not amount to a whole lot of time spent on the East Coast for many, though I'm grateful for any and all time spent.
The thing about being a naturalized American is that to become one, you have to hail from somewhere other than the United States to start with. Most of my trips out of the state of California over the past three decades have been to the UK to visit my parents and family and mostly with my husband, Timo and our three boys or one or two of them sometimes, making for travel planning skills that varied in scope according to who was flying into and out of several different airports once they'd gone to college and graduated. Three times we've made it to Italy to visit Timo's extended family since we've lived in the States and there have been a few other European pit-stops in between.
My point is, carving out time in the American North East hasn't been much of a thing, especially as all three of our sons attended university in their home state of California. Fast forward all the hectic years of school and sports and kid-raising activities, followed by pandemic lock-down and here I am with a bit more opportunity to take a closer look at places I'd like to spend more time exploring.
Boston I'd fallen for when the boys were young and we'd spent a sweltering Fourth of July week traversing the city and surrounding beach communities up and down the New England coastline. I inadvertently booked our flight home during the soccer world cup that year and have still not been allowed to live that one down. I've been looking for a good reason to return to Boston for years.
My cousin, Alicia, subsequently arrived from the UK into Boston in January 2020. She found herself an apartment and was all ready to launch into her American adventure with the British-owned travel company job she'd crossed the continent for. It wasn't many weeks before she was shut into her high rise in a new city, zooming a new job in an entirely new country. Thankfully, she managed to make it out to California during that first summer of the pandemic and valiantly worked East Coast hours from my house for a few weeks. It was a sanity saver for her and for me to have her company as we wondered, like everyone else, if we'd ever see our folks back in the UK again (we did).
I promised Alicia I would visit her in Boston as soon as it was safe to do so and she could show me the city through her eyes. It was exciting to finally book my flight for September 2021, while the weather was still mild. I had extra incentive to head east since my youngest son, Dom, had driven across country with a group of friends he'd met at UC Davis, mid-summer. They'd graduated in the thick of things in 2020 and are collectively exploring various music and fashion and art opportunities in New York City. With a short term lease in Brooklyn, Dom and friends had established a base and figured their way around by September, so a mom pit-stop was timed appropriately for a couple of days of checking in and hanging out in his new hood.
My sister-in-law Francesca has her own hair salon in Philadelphia where she's lived for the past twenty plus years. As there's only one of her in Philly and five of us in California, Francesca generally flies to us for holidays and family events. Or we meet her in the UK. The last time I was in Philly was fifteen years ago, which is so so long, I just had to extend my trip to pay her a visit at home.
The more I thought about it, the clearer it became that if I was to weave my way down the North East corridor, then it would be a pity to miss out on my first ever visit to Washington, DC. The boys had been on 8th Grade trips, but I never had and Washington has been one of my top must-see cities, stateside anyway.
I'm not wild about air travel. I've covered many miles over the years, especially with the transatlantic flights and the biggest splurge I've ever made has been premium economy. There's simply no way around it, long distance air travel (at least in coach) is still akin to herding cattle. It verges on the inhumane. And so one cross-country flight (even though half the length of air travel to the UK), either end of my trip was more than enough. Amtrak, I figured, was the way to go in between.
Map — Amtrak
I've taken dozens of trains in the UK and Europe but life in Sonoma County, Northern California has not presented itself as practical or convenient for rail travel of any significant distance. It felt old-fashioned and a little bit romantic to plan a multi-city train trip here in the States, especially as I was to travel solo.
According to the website, Amtrak's North Eastern Route advertises itself as inviting seamless travel to the heart of the cities that shaped American history. The prospect of following the Freedom Trail in Boston, then boarding for NYC and afterwards, retracing the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia was exciting. What's more, the idea of standing before Washington DC’s monuments that honor the Founding Fathers as well as 20th century icons such as Martin Luther King, Jr. in person was enticing enough to jump in and book my seats.
Rail travel, I figured, would drop me in the heart of the action in each city, quickly, while consuming less of a carbon imprint than if I'd flown from city to city.
Amtrak, I learned, was originally established by a Congressional Rail Passenger Service Act in 1971, consolidating the country's existing 20 passenger railroads into one. Today, interstate passenger rail covers 46 states and with high speed trains along the busiest routes, the North East Corridor, from Boston to Washington, DC.
To me it was a little like boarding the Polar Express. These trains are huge compared to those I'm accustomed to in the UK. The front of the train is designed to look like an airplane to give passengers the feeling that this is a viable comparison. It works. High speed trains are so much more comfortable than air travel in my opinion. Train stations in the North East are large and spacious and a lot less harried than airports. Seats are bigger, there's more legroom and space to walk around. I was more than happy to look out of the window and watch the eastern seaboard from town to town.
First day in town, the Boston Tea Party ship and museum was closed for a private event the afternoon that we walked over to check it out. This happened a lot during my trip. It seems that private parties are all the rage again and I can't blame venues for accommodating them after being shuttered for so long. If there's a museum or a special place that you really wish to visit on your travels, do check ahead online or by phone to make sure that it's going to be open when you're there. I wasn't too worried about this one, but it might have been nice to have taken a spot of refreshment in Abigail's Tea Rooms.
If you're reading outside of the States and you're not familiar with the Boston Tea Party of 1773 — this was the singularly most important event that led up to the American Revolution.
The Old State House, site of the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770, stands today as an emblem of liberty in Boston. It was built to house the British colonial government and presided over the center of events that led to the American Revolution. Tensions were running high when Redcoats were sent to Boston to quash a fresh round of riots following the passage of the Townsend duties and to protect customs officials. The Townshend Acts were a series of measures, passed by the British Parliament in 1767, that taxed goods such as tea, imported to the British colonies. The British government considered this as a way that the colonists would help pay the cost of their protection. When a strike in the face of Edward Garrick by the musket of one private White led to the onset of a furious mob, troops forced their way onto an angry, hostile crowd. A 'horrid and bloody massacre' ensued, resulting in five deaths. A ring of cobblestones marks the spot.
Alicia and I walked the Freedom Trail on a sunny Friday with plenty of room to explore given that fall tourism wasn't as full-on as in summer when schools are in recess. She described to me from a printed guide I purchased how the Declaration of Independence was first read to the people from the Old State House balcony on July 18, 2025 when the building became home to the newly formed government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
It's intriguing to consider that this historic cupola was then the tallest point in the city.
Boston Public Library, established in 1848 by an act of the Great and General Court of Massachusetts, was the first large free municipal library in the United States. It's such a beautiful building that it warranted a visit all of its own.
In 1986, the National Park Service designated the McKim building a National Historic Landmark, citing it as “the first outstanding example of Renaissance Beaux-Arts Classicism in America.”
Within the McKim Building are exquisite murals series by John Singer Sargent, Edwin Austin Abbey, and Pierre Puvis de Chavannes. There's a peaceful inner courtyard and additional works of famed sculptors and painters that can be viewed via the library’s daily art and architecture tours. It was tempting to wait for a courtyard table to open up and simply while away the rest of the day. But we had lots more to see.
Bates Hall, the iconic reading room located on the second floor of the McKim building, is named in honor of Joshua Bates, a London merchant banker born in Weymouth, MA, who in 1852 donated $50,000 for the library’s establishment and another $50,000 for the purchase of books. He was the first major benefactor of the BPL and initiated that its services be “free to all.” I can't imagine a finer reading room for study.
Alicia lives close to Beacon Hill so I made myself at home in this historic neighborhood. I fell in love instantly with the steep, gaslit streets lined with red brick Federal and Georgian style homes, cobblestones and one after another of the most gorgeous and meticulously tended planter boxes. The entire neighborhood is a Designated National Historic Landmark. Boutique stores, bakeries and wine bars on bustling Charles Street welcome visitors and locals with charm and classic style.
The Black Heritage Trail begins on Beacon Street at the Monument to the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts. I learned how the first Africans in Boston arrived in February of 1638, eight years after the city's founding. They were purchased as slaves in a Puritan colony off the coast of Central America, called Providence Isle. It was a turning point of the American Revolution in which many Blacks fought alongside white people at the battles of Bunker Hill and Lexington and Concord. By the end of the conflict, free Black people outnumbered those still enslaved, thus changing the course of history.
This specific walking trail weaves through some 14 locations that are connected to a core element of Boston's heritage. Free National Park Service Ranger-led tours are available. I wish I'd been able to take the full tour, but pandemic schedule restrictions didn't work out, so I walked it myself for the most part and plan to read more about the underground railroad this winter.
One of the highlights of my visit was taking in the Rose Kennedy Greenway a lively, vibrant and adventurous modern park that curves through a mile and a half of Boston's city center heartland. Its lushly landscaped parks are made for walking and resting with a fantastic range of public seating, including the wonderful metal swings pictured below. I loved watching little kids run through the splash fountains, students tap away at laptops, friends lounging in the sun with their morning coffees. Every city needs a Greenway with its carousels, grassy fields, frisbee matches, revolving art exhibitions and events and sense of space and serenity.
Tea being the operative word in Boston, one of my top treats during this visit was the ultimate contemporary afternoon tea. None of the stuffiness of the formal tea parlors of old. Reservations are strongly recommended to score a weekend-only tea time at Trifecta, the Four Seasons Hotel at One Dalton Street's stylish new cocktail bar space that lends itself perfectly to the most picture-perfect tea-taking spot.
There are two Four Seasons in Boston. If you go and you book a tea, don't make the mistake that we did of showing up at the Hotel Four Seasons Boston by the Common and then having to leg it across town for fear of forfeiting the coveted table. We made it in time, thankfully. I've enjoyed some fabulous teas around the world over the years and I have to say, this one ranked up there as one of the most memorable and best. Each bite was delicious. We especially enjoyed a little shot of Baileys with the bubbly (included).
Alicia nailed it by booking the Trifecta tea and next time we're going to try afternoon tea at the library to see if it compares. If I could do this every Sunday afternoon, I would!
Back to the Freedom Trail and we'd veered off track a few times in the North End as it was such a lovely day and it felt like we were in Italy. We were chatted up by two old fellas who were seated outside in the sunshine at the Italian community center. It's nice to know that there are pockets of the neighborhood still inhabited by earlier generations of immigrant offspring, although they told us that most of the restaurants in the tourist zone are no longer authentic. That's okay, there's room for everyone and we found a couple of fantastic Italian delis, one old-school, one chic and modern and we were more than happy to lunch a little (well, maybe a lot) before continuing on with our history trail.
If you search best place for an Italian deli sandwich in Boston there are plenty of contenders. We stumbled on Table Mercato as we were making our way out of the North End. I didn't want anything too touristy and as if by magic, this marvelous establishment appeared before our eyes. I could've eaten just about everything on the menu. We settled for splitting the aptly named "The Italian" with homemade chips. Ten stars for this tasty spot with a lovely outdoor patio area. I appreciated all the aromatic Italian herbs planted in the dining parklet.
Boutique hotels are the way to go in Boston if you have the budget. Shop direct with hotels such at The Whitney, on Charles Street, walkable to everything. There's no such thing as a bargain stay during good weather months, but if you're open to traveling off-season, there are deals to score for sure.
If You Go:
When traveling by train, especially solo, it's important to be adventurous, but prepared. Travel as lightly as possible. Keep your valuables and documents in a backpack and your clothes in a carry-on sized roller case that's easy to lift and store close to your seat. Make sure your travel documents are easily accessible and if you're digitally inclined, copied on your phone. A good thing with Amtrak travel is that there are charger outlets by each seat. Tuck a charger into your pack and you won't run out of juice on longer journeys when you may choose to make the most of the free wifi to connect with loved ones and research your next destination.
Travel with confidence. Be aware of your surroundings. Give yourself lots of extra time to get to the station and find your platform. Talk to transport staff if you're unsure of platforms and stops. I had one fellow passenger ask me multiple times if we were arriving at New York next on my first journey from Boston. Despite announcements, she was more nervous of missing her stop and rolling on through to Philly and DC. It's okay not to be cool! I'd rather come across as a newbie traveler than suffer a panic attack that I've messed up any carefully made plans. I've found that most people are more than happy to point a person in the right direction when floundering, which happened to me a couple of times on the NY subway. I look for someone with a kindly face who appears more at home in their surrounds than me and isn't in too much of a rush!
Ride share apps are a godsend when traveling. Walking is great when feasible, but after an eight mile day, taking an occasional Lyft back to the hotel is an affordable treat for the feet and most sensible after dark if you're not sure of the safest route. The ability to call up a ride from any obscure spot you may have found yourself in at the end of a long day is super reassuring when setting out to sightsee during evening hours or eating dinner in an unfamiliar part of town.
Leave your backpack and valuables in your digs and reduce whatever you need to carry around with you when sightseeing to a fanny pack or a smaller cross-the-shoulder bag. Stock up on disposable masks. You'll be wearing masks for long periods of time if visiting museums and indoor venues for the immediate future and you shouldn't wear the same one for more than a few hours. Carry a pack of sanitizer wipes as opposed to lotion. These are handy for wiping off hands, face and suspect looking surfaces you may have to utilize while out and about.
Book ahead and book early for best prices on Amtrak. Business class is quite reasonable if booked early and worth the extra dollars.
How to ride Amtrak for the first time? Click here.
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