Boston to NYC by MEGABUS

Josh is a great traveler. He plans ahead (which is how we've been able to see the upper levels of Monticello, the basement of Mt. Vernon, and climb to the crown of Lady Liberty), he does his research, and he never complains. Because of Josh, we were able to get to NYC and back from Boston for a total of $20. No joke.

How did we do this? We took a bus. But not a gross bus (I am a very high-maintenance traveler), a double-decker Megabus with an observation window on the top for premium building-gazing. Apparently the sooner you book your ticket, the cheaper the ticket will be, which is how Josh was able to get the tickets for such little money.

I highly recommend it as a way to travel. Even Josh, who has taken countless Greyhound trips, said that it was way better than anything Greyhound has ever had.

Unfortunately, on our way to NYC we had to leave super early. Thankfully, the bus was so empty, we were able to sit in our own rows. I celebrated by sleeping the whole way.

Salem, Mass

I have always wanted to go to Salem, probably since reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond in middle school, then reading The Scarlet Letter in high school, then again in college (neither of which take place in Salem, but both focus on witches). In my past visit to Massachussettes, we just went to Lenox, Concord, and Boston, but not Salem, so I told Josh that we absolutely had to go there. I wanted to see a witch museum!

Unfortunately, I had no idea that New England closes down from October to May (my guess is it's because of bad weather and few sightseers), so we didn't have many choices of things to see.

But we still got to go to the Witch Museum:

Interestingly, the museum was in an old church:

It also didn't have anything authentic to the period of the Salem Witch Trials (1692-1693, a surprisingly short period of time), and wasn't much of an actual museum, but it did have an interesting, 45-minute animatronic presentation about the events, including a creepy, fake devil with glowing red eyes. 

We had lunchon the waterfront. Josh ate tons of fish. I had a salad (*sigh*) and some pasta. Also, I stared at this ship:

Josh absolutely had to see this:

It's a statue of Samantha Stephens from "Bewitched." We had a hard time finding it, and an even harder time parking in order to get there (apparently people in Salem don't know how to not block intersections and/or leave parking spaces in a timely manner). It was extremely cold and wet, so I stayed in the car.

That was the sum total of our trip to Salem, aside from the dude who asked us where to buy "trinkets and knick-knacks" (we pointed him toward the waterfront and quickly walked away).

The JFK Library and Presidential Museum

On our next day (Tuesday the 23rd) we rented a car in order to visit Salem (which I was excited to see) and the temple, but then also decided to see the JFK Library and Museum on the UMass Boston campus also, since we've been to the LBJ Library in Austin. We figured we'd be fair.

The JFK Library is gorgeous and right on the Dorchester Bay. The building was designed by IM Pei and was opened to the public in 1979. I recommend it just for the view alone (though it was pretty foggy and rainy when we were there). There's an introductory film that talks about JFK's life prior to his run for senate, then the bulk of the museum focuses on his political career, specifically his short time as president.

We took way too many pictures to include them all, but here are some highlights:

The Presidential Seal in the lobby

Oregon voted for Nixon (the shame!)

The whole Kennedy family (9 kids!!!)

The main hall of the museum, which slightly resembles the White House

The cameras and other equipment from the infamous, first televised presidential debate

A letter from a kid thanking the First Lady for her televised tour of the White House

(apparently his father would have preferred "Maverick")

From Jackie Bouvier's yearbook, it reads: "Ambition: Not to be a housewife"

Interestingly, she became the ultimate housewife.

The main hall, with the Dorchester Sound through the windows

Interestingly, there was basically nothing about JFK's assassination, which was strange for us after having been to the Sixth Floor Museum (about which I am realizing now I've neglected to post). If you want to know more about the JFK Library, you can go here.

Ducks, Cheers, and the Freedom Trail

Josh and I went to Boston and NYC for spring break this year, two cities that I have already been to, but that Josh was dying to see. He's been excited about it ever since we decided we would go, and, like when we went to DC, he hoarded all the guidebooks from the library and has been excited about all the things we would get to see.

We took the Jet Blue redeye on Sunday night, so then arrived in Boston around 10am on Monday (the 22nd). I barely slept on the plane, so I was in dire need of a nap. Luckily, our hotel room was available, so I crashed. Sometime in the afternoon, we explored a bit. 

Josh kept telling me that there was a statue in the public garden that I needed to see. He refused to tell me what it was, but he said I would love it. Finally, he pointed it out:

It's called "Make Way for Ducklings" and apparently it's a "must see" in all the guidebooks. When we were taking pictures, a girl approached us to ask why we were interested in the statue. She was a journalism student at Boston University and was writing her thesis on people who traveled to see the statue. We told her about the UO Ducks, but once she found out we weren't in Boston specifically for the ducks, she didn't seem interested.

A closer look:

This is my favorite duckling, mostly because he looks like he's dancing and/or complaining, which are two things I do often:

Later, while I was sleeping in, Josh went back to the statue and did this:

Right near the Public Garden is an iconic restaurant, where we ate an early dinner:

Originally known as the Bull and Finch pub, this is the bar that was the inspiration for the tv show "Cheers." I've watched maybe one episode of "Cheers" in my life, but Josh was adamant that we go here. I had a great wedge salad, and some Boston cream pie that made me realize I hate Boston cream pie.

Josh pointing at a pointing sign

Inside the bar was not much like on the tv show. Of course, it was more crowded and more bar-like:

On the ceiling beams are patched from the local police and fire departments.

The cream pie (when in Boston...!):

It's rolled in almonds, which is apparently a no-no for Boston cream pie purists

Here's a look at the Cheers sign that was hanging inside:

Josh was able to get a mug and a pin from the gift shop, and left with a huge grin on his face.

It was too late to go on any tours, but after the Bull & Finch we walked around town following the Freedom Trail, which is just a numbered trail of all the historic sights. Josh went back to all these places the next day while I was stuck in bed with a bad back (our hotel had a bad bed, so when I woke up the next day I could barely stand), so he can blog all about them individually, but here are some highlights from what I saw.

The New Statehouse, with its gold dome:

Someone asked if we needed them to take our picture, right as we were taking the picture, which is why we both look a little distracted. I'm not sure why we didn't retake this.

The memorial of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the subject of the 1989 film Glory (which is by far the best movie I have seen about the Civil War. Ever.):

Josh thought this sign was hilarious, so he made me stand next to it and point:

We also found the cemetery where Paul Revere is buried. I am making the following face because Josh said, "If this is where Paul Revere is buried, then I wonder where the Raiders are.":

We also saw the Old Statehouse, which was constructed when Boston was still under British rule:

I've looked better, but this is my "I need more sleep" face

The Declaration of Independence is read from the balcony ever Independence Day. You can tell it's British because it had the symbols of the British Coat of Arms:

The Lion and the Unicorn

Josh had never heard of the Lion and the Unicorn, but I, being the erudite brainiac that I am, and having read Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, informed him of their symbolism. Then, of course, I had this poem stuck in my head all week:

The lion and the unicorn

Were fighting for the crown

The lion beat the unicorn

All around the town.

Some gave them white bread,

And some gave them brown;

Some gave them plum cake

and drummed them out of town.

 Finally, Faneuil Hall, which was apparently once an indoor marketplace:

Temples #31 and #32

As a reminder, Josh and I make it a point to visit temples when we travel. Or, perhaps, we travel to visit temples. Either way, we're pretty nerdy. So when we made to plans to visit Boston over Spring Break, we decided to tack on NYC as well so we could go to two temples instead of just one. Plus, Josh has always wanted to see NYC. I, the jaded overtraveller, have already been to Boston and NYC, so it was cute to see how excited Josh was when I was mostly "meh."

Temple #31: Boston

It was a cold, blustery day, so I didn't stay long for many pictures. The Boston temple has an interesting history. It was dedicated in 2000 without a spire because the neighbors filed a lawsuit that was heard by the Massachusetts Supreme Court. Previously, a judge had ruled that a steeple was not a necessary element of  a temple, but the MSC ruled that no one could dictate religious architecture necessity. On September 21, 2001, the angel Moroni was set atop the temple. 

The spire:

From the back:

Another interesting thing about this temple is that the distribution center is built underneath, which is the first I've ever seen like that:

The Distribution Center

Surprisingly, though the Boston temple is gorgeous from outside, it is relatively plain on the inside. Also, I asked a temple worker whether they were relatively busy, and she said that they sometimes had to cancel sessions during the week, though they were usually full on the weekends. So, if you're from the Boston area, you should attend the temple more often during the week.

The Celestial room was interesting because it's positioned like a long hall, with a little faux balcony that runs the perimeter of the room, with 12 little chandeliers. 

Temple #32: Manhattan 

The Manhattan temple is pretty amazing, since it sits on the crossroads of two very busy streets: 65th and Broadway, and across from Lincoln Center. It was an existing building, used as a meetinghouse, stake center, and offices, but then dedicated as a temple in 2004. It's so tiny! The temple areas are on the first (baptistry), fourth, fifth, and sixth floors. It's the first temple I've been in where you have to take an elevator. 

The angel Moroni:

I love how temples reflect the local area. In this temple, the door handles are made to look like the torch of the Statue of Liberty. Also, the elevator is carved with wooden beehives.

All of the walls are soundproof, which makes being there pretty amazing because you really can't hear anything from the outside. Also, there are stained-glass windows throughout and it looks like light is coming through them, but it has to be artificial since the windows aren't actual windows (they aren't connected to the outside). It makes you feel like you're really close to the outside when you're not.

I think that the Manhattan temple is my new favorite. 

Happy Easter to Us!

We got a package today. This is what was inside:

An appropriate amount of chocolate, sent to us for Easter by my parents, which is cool because I like shoes. And chocolate.

A closer look:

However, I was sorely disappointed to discover that it was not quite all edible:

Stay tuned for more Boston/NYC pictures. It's taken some time to get used to being back, getting over jet-lag, etc.

In Your Face, Lady Liberty!

We're still nerding it up in NYC and Boston, but we did something the other day that I think was supercool and worth sharing. Josh and I belong to the 1% of people who have visited the Statue of Liberty and have made it to her crown!

This is what it looked like:

It was a little cramped up there, and of course you can't really see anything out the window, but trust me-- we were there.

The inside of Lady Liberty's hair:

Josh took a bunch of pictures of me ascending and/or descending the stairs:

This was right as we started to descend. You can't see the staircase very well, but there was basically just enough room for an Emily-sized person. I wasn't really worried about tripping and falling because if I did, I wouldn't go anywhere. It was too narrow!

Here you can see the inverted image of her face. We were in her face! That's pretty cool.

After 9/11 tourists no longer had access to the Statue of Liberty's crown, but that changed last year (it reopened on July 4, 2009). Now they allow about 30 people each hour. The tickets only cost $3 more, but you have to reserve them online, as they always sell out in advance. No crown ticket? No go!

In order to get inside Lady Liberty, we were subjected to a rigorous, airport-style security check not once, but TWICE (they do checks before you leave NY and then again before you ever enter the statue). We got x-ray body-scanned, folks. Somewhere some poor dude had to look at my naked picture to make sure I hadn't stashed any weapons.

Here we are safely on the ground:

Josh says he can "cross that off [his] bucket list now," but to my knowledge he has never actually written any such list, sooo.....

UPDATE: We just found out that the crown will only be open for TWO YEARS, as the statue will undergo some more security upgrades. No details on how long it will take to reopen... so if you're planning on going, better do it soon!