Marina Davalos Freelance Writer
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A Sign of Spring: Flower Festivals

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Nearby celebrations of springtime that can’t be missed, and a few worth traveling farther to see.

AAA Northeast, March 2, 2020

Spring is springing and flower festivals are in bloom around the country. Here are six that we love.

The New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show

Bronx, N.Y.

February 15-April 19

Known as the country’s premiere exhibition of one of the world’s most exotic flowers, NYBG’s historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory comes to life in bursts of color from almost every variety of orchid. This year’s 18th Annual Orchid Show highlights the masterful creations of famed floral designer Jeff Leatham. Each gallery provides a different experience of orchids against backdrops of sculpture, overhead arches, dramatic lighting and color – like walking through a living kaleidoscope. On weekends, visitors can participate in orchid Q&As or watch orchid care demos.

A Million Daffodils at the New York Botanical Garden

March through May

At the beginning of spring, Daffodil Hill at NYBG comes to life with hundreds of thousands of yellow and white daffodils. A commemorative project for NYBG’s 125th anniversary in 2016, the mission of Daffodil Hill has been to naturalize one million heirloom varieties, including cultivars dating back to the original 1920s plantings on this very site. Keep up to date with NYBG’s Daffodil Tracker.

Save on NYBG garden passes with AAA member discount.

National Cherry Blossom Festival

Washington, D.C.

March 20-April 12

Taking a stroll under the blooming cherry trees in our nation’s capital feels like a dream. Spanning three different National Park locations, around the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park, East Potomac Park (Hains Point) and the Washington Monument Grounds, you’ll be captivated by the stunning pink and white canopies of blossoms of more than ten species of cherry trees. The festival commemorates the gift of 3,000 cherry trees to the nation’s capital by Japan in 1912. Festival events include the National Cherry Blossom Parade, a kite festival and the Pink Tie Party to welcome spring.

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Muskogee Azalea Festival

Muskogee, Okla. 

April 1-30

With fire bursts of vibrant pinks and reds everywhere you look, this is perhaps one of the most beautiful displays of flowering shrubs in the world. Some 30,000 azaleas (with over 600 varieties) bloom each spring, adorning Honor Heights Park in over 40 acres of manicured gardens, high on a hill overlooking the town of Muskogee. This month-long festival features numerous events throughout town, including arts and crafts, live entertainment, a film festival and a wine and food tasting. In addition to amazing azaleas, the stunning, 132-acre Honor Heights Park boasts five lakes, picturesque ponds, a butterfly sanctuary and an arboretum.

flower festivals

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

Orlando, Fla. 

March 4-June 1

Perhaps the most beloved attractions at Epcot’s famed flower festival are the larger-than-life topiaries of favorite Disney characters: Mickey and Minnie, Anna and Elsa – they are all here, in full, colorful bloom. During the flower festival, visitors will see rainbows of flora carpeting the landscape around Future World and World Showcase. Mini gardens decorate the east and west lakes and selfie opportunities abound with dozens of Disney-crafted flower towers. As always in Epcot, great food from around the world and musicaccompany the impressive floral displays.

Plan your next Disney vacation with AAA.

BOOK A NEARBY HOTEL.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Mount Vernon, Wash.

April 1-30

Tiptoe through a million tulips in Washington’s Skagit Valley. The county-wide spring flower festival features events and attractions including children’s activities, arts and crafts and a photography bus tour. Two principal farms share the spotlight for this festival. The gardens at Roozengaarde boast more than 1,000 acres of tulip and daffodil fields, with over 90 varieties of tulips, interspersed with bursting colors of daffodils, hyacinths, crocus and other spring favorites. Take the short drive over to Tuliptown for more family fun, and when you tire of tiptoeing, hop on board a trolley for a ride through the tulips.

BOOK A NEARBY HOTEL.

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Travel

Bog Down: Visit Cranberry Bogs in Massachusetts

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Cranberry season is September through October. Take a cranberry bog tour to learn about the uniquely-grown and harvested fruit.

AAA Northeast, September 3, 2019

It’s a hot July morning and I’m driving down a winding dirt driveway in the middle of nowhere in West Barnstable on Cape Cod, wondering if I’ve taken a wrong turn. A cranberry bog should be around the next corner, I tell myself. Finally, I end up flanked by bogs on each side of the road, filled with fields of green cranberries growing in the hot sun.

I find David Ross, the owner of Cape Cod Cranberry Bog Tours, who waves me down, and I pull up next to his truck. Casually dressed in jeans and a Cape Cod Beer T-shirt, he tells me there are five bogs here that comprise some 80 acres and several varieties of cranberries. This is just one of his Cape Cod Cranberry Bog Tours properties.

Bog Life 

On the sunny summer day that I visited, he tells me that the bloom season has just ended; the white cranberry flowers have turned to berries. They are small and green and some of them are beginning to show a slight tinge of red. Ross says that while visitors are usually focused on the one-day harvest in October – that seemingly magical day when the robust red berries float to the top of the water-lined bog before being rounded up – cranberry growing is a 365-day a year process.

Ross purchased the bogs in the 1980s and spent his entire first year under the tutelage of the former owner whom he affectionately refers to as the old-timer. “When I first bought this place, the old-timer would call me at five o’clock every morning and ask, ‘You ready?’,” Ross reminisces. “He was testing me, seeing if I was worthy of bog life. Every morning I’d tell him, ‘Sure am.’”

Just over the bridge, Middleboro, Mass., is known as the “Cranberry Capital.” Dawn Gates-Allen, director of member and financial services for the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association grew up in Middleboro, and cranberries are in her blood. Gates-Allen is a fourth-generation cranberry grower. “I was born into this industry and I dragged my husband into it,” she laughs. Her great-grandmother started growing bogs in Rochester and Freetown, Mass., nearly 100 years ago.

Middleboro is also home to the headquarters of Ocean Spray, which is not just a company that manufactures cranberry juice and other cranberry-related products, but is a grower-owned cooperative which the majority of Massachusetts growers belong to.

What is a Bog? 

Simply put, a bog is a wetland that has one continuous dyke around it, according to Glen Reid, assistant manager of cranberry operations at AD Makepeace Company in Wareham, Mass. The company was started by Abel Denison Makepeace in 1854 and now has the distinction of being the world’s largest grower of cranberries, with some 2,000 acres of operations and 14,000 acres of properties in Massachusetts.

On cranberry bog tours, here and at other farms, visitors can learn the history of cranberry bogs in Massachusetts, as well as the fruit’s unique growing and harvesting process.

Growing and Harvesting 

The cranberry vine, which is related to a rhododendron, goes dormant in the winter, and periodically the entire bog is put underwater for about two weeks so that a layer of ice will protect the developing flower buds from the elements.

Sometimes, every three years or so, a layer of sand will be spread across the bog to help the plants re-root themselves and ward off pests. As the plant will produce berries for two or three seasons, this isn’t necessary every year; in fact, some vines have been continuously producing for 100 years.

In the spring, the water is pumped out and the plants will begin to flower. “Then we bring in the bees,” says Reid. It takes two bee hives per acre (at about 40,000 bees per hive) to pollinate the flowers. Flowering continues into July, when most or all flowers have become berries.

It takes until mid-September, early October for the berries to fully develop their signature red color. Then, it’s harvest time! The bog is flooded, and a picking machine – a contraption that looks like a big lawnmower – shakes up and dislodges the cranberries from the vine, causing them to float up to the top to be gathered. It’s the quintessential cranberry bog photo op.

Cranberry Bogs in Massachusetts

Following is a list of  bogs in Massachusetts that offer cranberry bog tours. Be sure to check their websites for specific cranberry-related events.

For more information and an interactive map, visit the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association.

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Hospitality

Hotels are differentiating through in-room wellness offerings

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In-room wellness offerings are a booming opportunity for hoteliers. The rapidly emerging wellness sector grew 6.5 per cent annually from 2015 to 2017 globally — more than double the growth rate for tourism in general — according to the Florida-based Global Wellness Institute’s (GWI) Global Wellness Tourism Economy Executive Summary, published in November 2018. According to the report, in 2017 travellers spent $639 billion globally on wellness travel — defined by GWI as travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s personal wellbeing. READ MORE: http://www.hoteliermagazine.com/hotels-are-differentiating-through-in-room-wellness-offerings/

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Eat / Drink

15 Cape Cod Restaurants You Have to Try

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A local shares her top picks for the Cape Cod restaurants you don’t want to miss.

AAA Northeast, June 7, 2019

When traveling, the best restaurant recommendations can often be gleaned from the locals. So when it comes to the top Cape Cod restaurants, you can take my word for it: I’m from the seaside village of Cotuit.

From casual fried seafood at Arnold’s in Eastham to upscale dining at the Naked Oyster in Hyannis – plus a couple of newer additions well on their way to making their mark – if it’s a good meal you’re after, these are the Cape Cod institutions that can’t be missed.

ABBA, Orleans

In an intimate cottage setting, this AAA Three Diamond Rated Cape Cod restaurant introduces a unique blend of Thai, Israeli and Mediterranean-inspired cuisines to local ingredients with tantalizing results. Menu standouts include poached lobster in a curry sauce and Thai seafood stew. Featuring an elegant yet relaxed vibe, ABBA is frequently touted as a place for special occasions.

Arnold’s Lobster & Clam Bar, Eastham

For over 40 years, this has been a go-to spot for the classic Cape seafood experience: fried clams, lobster rolls and ice cream in a family-friendly, casual atmosphere. An 18-hole mini-golf course is a perfect addition. The restaurant is located near the Cape Cod Rail Trailbike path and National Seashore.

Blackfish, Truro

The site of a former blacksmith shop, Blackfish cooks up New American cuisine in a low-key, rustic setting. Locals and tourists alike flock here for unique menu items and a lively bar scene. Panko-crusted sole and seared longfin tuna are examples of menu selections, which change daily. For dessert, try the cinnamon sugar beignets.

Brax Landing, Harwich Port

An institution for generations, this Cape Cod restaurant’s location right on picturesque Saquatucket Harbor makes it even more appealing. Sit out on the harborfront deck and enjoy classics such as steamed lobster, broiled scallops or baked stuffed shrimp. The fried clams, scallops, or fish and chips are done right. Non-seafood lovers can choose from a variety of burgers, including a veggie option.

The Brewster Fish House, Brewster

Set inside an old cottage with an inviting atmosphere, The Brewster has long been a Lower Cape staple. First-course items at this AAA Three Diamond Rated establishment include famous lobster bisque and dayboat scallop sashimi. Main courses include paella of locally sourced mussels, prawns and fluke or poached lobster. Duck or sirloin are excellent seafood alternatives.

Captain Parker’s Pub, West Yarmouth

On scenic Parker’s River, Captain Parker’s is a must-visit, especially if you love clam chowder – the chowder here has won countless awards. Here you’ll find a casual atmosphere and an extensive menu featuring house specials like shrimp scampi and surf and turf.

Ceraldi, Wellfleet

The farm-to-table, seven-course prix fixe menu here changes nightly depending on what’s available from local farmers, fishermen and foragers. Always starting with local oysters, the menu could feature striped bass or skate, Provincetown lobster ravioli or dessert made with local lavender or rhubarb. The menu includes wine, beer or soft flight pairings.

Ciro & Sal’s, Provincetown

This institution, serving traditional northern Italian cuisine, is located downstairs in an old brick wine cellar, its wooden beams adorned with Chianti bottles. A place where artists and fishermen mingle, it’s famous for its pasta dishes including fettucine alla romano, seafood fra diavlo and calamari piccanti.

Fishermen’s View, Sandwich

One of the latest Cape Cod restaurants to hit the scene, the newly constructed Fishermen’s View sits on the Cape Cod Canal and boasts a waterfront view and an upscale vibe. For starters, try the steamers, sliders or raw bar. Then choose from an extensive menu of seafood and land lover specialties.

Mac’s Shack, Wellfleet

You can’t miss this place – set in a 19th century house, the rooftop is adorned with an effigy of a huge fisherman hauling in a gigantic lobster. Mac’s serves classic clam shack fare such as fried clams and fish and chips, plus raw bar selections, sushi and ceviche.

The Mews Restaurant & Cafe, Provincetown

Here, two levels offer two options – go upstairs for a relaxed, cafe vibe, or try downstairs for upscale dining. Menu favorites at this AAA Three Diamond Rated restaurant include the pan-seared sole, shellfish fettuccine and filet mignon. Sip a cucumber lemon drop martini at the bar, which is known for its huge martini list.

The Naked Oyster Bistro & Raw Bar, Hyannis

This upscale setting features brick walls with local artwork for a modern vibe – a perfect place for a naked cantaloupe martini or a barrel-aged Manhattan. The restaurant serves  classic raw bar specialties as well as dishes with a worldly flair, like harissa mahi mahi, romesco scallops and Caribbean tuna.

Ocean House Restaurant, Dennis Port

Situated along Nantucket Sound with panoramic views, the Ocean House Restaurant offers dine-in casual elegance for lunch or dinner. The kitchen serves up local favorites such as Cape Cod beer-steamed mussels or New England lobster ravioli. Try the cedar-roasted black cod for a nontraditional take on a classic fish dish. Or try a porterhouse for two.

Old Yarmouth Inn, Yarmouth Port

Consistently recognized as one of the best Cape Cod restaurants for fine dining, the Old Yarmouth Inn exudes a cozy, welcoming ambiance, with a roaring fireplace in the winter. Menu selections include bacon-wrapped filet mignon, orange lavender sole or roasted duck. The inn itself, established in 1696, has a colorful history.

Rock Harbor Grill, Orleans

Central to the overall experience here is the wood-fired pizza, which comes in an array of options, ranging from traditional cheese to specialties like the stark crimson pear or the lamb merguez sausage pizza. The menu also boasts fried seafood favorites plus items like Korean barbecue beef short ribs and a Portuguese chouriço sub.

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Travel

Save & Splurge: Maui

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As the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands, there are so many awesome things to do in Maui. For our short overview, we focused on some the most popular Maui destinations – the west side, including Lahaina and Ka’anapali; and the south side, including Kihei and Wailea. But we encourage you to venture out and experience as much of the Valley Isle’s beauty and magic as you can, because, as it is said in Hawaiian, “Maui no ka’ oi” or “Maui is the best.” READ MORE: https://magazine.northeast.aaa.com/daily/travel/air-travel/save-splurge-maui/

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Hospitality

DESIGNING PUBLIC SPACES WITH RICH NARRATIVES

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Hotelier Magazine, January 24, 2019

Lobbies and other hotel public spaces have become more than their generic counterparts of decades past, often with spaces deliberately designed for guests to be able to hang out and work on their devices. Today’s trends revolve around technology and mobility, says Matt Davis, founding partner of DesignAgency, designers of Toronto’s Broadview Hotel. “It’s also about community, creating socially engaging spaces,” he adds.

Hotelier highlights how trends in the design of hotel public spaces are being implemented across the country — from historic properties to the latest new builds.

THE WALPER HOTEL, KITCHENER, ONT.
The Walper Hotel, built in 1893, completed a full renovation in 2016, updated with an aesthetically pleasing, ultra-modern flair.

Bennett Lo, principal at Dialogue 38 — one of the design firms that worked on the project — points out just a couple of decades ago, when people wanted a workspace away from home or the office, they’d go to a library. Now, people gravitate to coffee shops, lounging with laptops and other devices. Lo says, regionally, many new projects are being designed to accommodate tech-savvy, Internet-age clientele, as Kitchener and the surrounding area is home to tech giants such as Blackberry and Google’s new R&D office.

Instead of providing guests with straight-up lobby space, hotel spaces are being designed with a “coffee-shop” feel, with plenty of places to sit and plug in. “The overall trend is people working with technology and they seem to be working in a lot of different spaces,” he says.

The 92-room boutique hotel is outfitted with not just a first-floor lobby, but a second-floor one as well and both are striking, airy white spaces brightened with splashes of colour and modernist, abstract artwork on the walls. Thoughtfully designed lighting highlights elements of the decor and lends an energy to the space — creating an intriguing, inviting atmosphere for guests.

The second-floor lobby features a bar and a variety of seating areas — tables, the bar, couches — offering a range of spaces where guests can sit with their devices. “We wanted to activate the [second-floor] lobby. We kept the similar look and feel of the first-floor lobby, but it has a different function, with separate but interconnected spaces,” says Lo.

JW MARRIOTT ICE DISTRICT, EDMONTON
In the spring of 2019, the brand-new JW Marriott Ice District will open its doors within Canada’s largest mixed-use sports-and-entertainment district. Located on the first 22 floors of a mixed-use project that has become Edmonton’s tallest building, floors 23 to 56 will house high-end residential condos. The front of the building features a glass façade for an entirely modern vibe. The lobby is huge and features a bar and plenty of options for those on the go with their devices.

The project’s coordinating design architect, Michael Sugarman, says trends are changing the way in which business people use lobbies. “There is a general trend toward the expectation of being able to use the space — ‘this-should-work-for-me’ attitude,” he says.

Sugarman also notes table and desk sizes are becoming smaller, the focus being on immediate resources, ripping away from formality and deference. “A meeting in a JW lobby will be face-to-face with a drink — you don’t need a big table, for example,” he says.

The design of hotel public spaces also needs to transition from daytime to nighttime, says Sugarman, and not become an empty space at night. “We’re trying to activate the space,” he says, “The lobby becomes the place to be. We like to think of the lobby at the JW Marriott as the living room of the district.”

THE BROADVIEW HOTEL, TORONTO
Prior to becoming The Broadview Hotel,this historic building in Toronto’s east end went through several incarnations. Built as a retail space in 1891, it was intermittently used as a hotel, but its most well-known stint was as a boarding house and the notorious Jilly’s Strip Club, which closed in 2014. The Romanesque building was in such rough shape, it almost fell down due to structural damage. When Streetcar Developments and Dream Unlimited purchased the property in 2014, they opted to turn the property into a 58-room boutique hotel.

DesignAgency’s Matt Davis wanted the project’s design to reflect the narrative of the building, which is layered with many experiences. “It’s not about appearances alone — it has a story. The design ties back to the narrative,” he says, adding hotels are embracing the older paradigm of guests being in the community at large. “Classically, it used to be this way,” says Davis. “The post office would be in the hotel, for example, and then that all went away. Today, there’s been a resurgence in community.”

In the Broadview Café & Bar, pink neon rods, curved to abstractly resemble the curve of a woman’s face, hang overhead at the horseshoe-shaped bar, harkening back to a more notorious time in the hotel’s history. The bar itself is, by its nature, more socially engaging than a traditional bar. “It puts the mixologist on display. It activates a social experience,” notes Davis.

Among the property’s notable new features is its Rooftop Restaurant — from the street, it’s a modern, giant glass box placed on top of the roof, contrasting with the hotel’s 1800s architecture. From inside, the glass walls give striking 360° views of the city and hanging plants create a greenhouse vibe. Tables are also positioned close

FAIRMONT EMPRESS, VICTORIA
Originally opened in 1908, the elegant Fairmont Empress sits on Victoria’s Inner Harbour and is recognized as one of the world’s most iconic buildings. In 2017, the property underwent a major redesign, featuring a curated art program by Eaton Fine Art.

“When it comes to curating art for a property, what’s important is that it represents the locale, without being too literal,” says Terry Eaton, who co-owns the company along with partner Robert Williams. “In the lobby mezzanine, for example, the artwork mimics the interior design’s elegance with motifs of brocade patterns and floral bouquets,” he notes, adding pieces of art here show paint spilling over the canvas — a dramatic expression meant to mimic the grand staircase spilling out into the lobby.

Several framed pieces in the lobby — a combination of abstract photography and paintings in both warm and cool tones — celebrate the gardens surrounding the property and the manicured landscapes of Victoria. “Golds and greys are reminiscent of a foggy morning,” says Eaton, adding he prefers to curate art that captures a vibe on an abstract level, rather than a literal one.

Eaton Fine Art also curated 10 framed pieces in the fitness area and 21 in the Willow Stream Spa, which reflect the harbour the property sits on.

–Marina Davalos

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Top 4 Locales for a Boston Staycation

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In the mood for a quick getaway? Head to nearby Boston!

AAA Northeast, August 10, 2018

Though Boston is small, heading into the city can feel overwhelming. We’ve created itineraries that break down four of Boston’s most popular locations to make your stay as easy as possible. Fortunately, Boston is quick and easy to navigate, so these suggestions are interchangeable.

Happy stay-cay!

Back Bay 

Start the day with coffee and breakfast at independent bookstore Trident Booksellers and Cafe. You’ll need the energy for a stroll down Newbury Street, which is home to upscale restaurants, shops and galleries.

For art lovers, Vose Galleries is one of the oldest fine art galleries in the country, and the Copley Society of Art features all manner of artworks by local artists. Along the way, you’ll find plenty of shopping. And don’t miss the Boston Public Library, renowned for its historical significance and architecture.

For lunch, choose from one of the many restaurants and counters within Eataly in the Prudential Center. Then head up (literally), to the Prudential Skywalk Tour for a 360 view of the city.

Book a Hilton Staycation!

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Did you know you can take a tour of Fenway Park? Even if you’re not a sports enthusiast, historical Fenway is one of the country’s most beloved ballparks and worth getting to know better. Tours are offered year-round; see website for details.

If you’re a lover of the symphony, you can take a tour of Boston Symphony Hall, home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops. While you’re at it, see what’s happening at Berklee Performance Center at Berklee College of Music. Other can’t-miss cultural stops include the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

Where to stay: The Hilton Boston Back Bay is a AAA Three Diamond Rated hotel right in the middle of all the action, making it simple to hit the town.

Faneuil Hall

Waste no time and walk right over to Faneuil Hall Marketplace in the historic Quincy Market building for a bite to eat, something to drink or some shopping. Boasting 18 restaurants and 35 colonnade eateries, you can find pretty much anything here, from local clam chowder to sushi to enchiladas. Shop for gifts such as local art, unique jewelry or fun Boston souvenirs for family and friends at the numerous outdoor canopy shops.

From Faneuil Hall, you can book a tour of Boston’s famous Freedom Trail, or take your own. You can’t miss it – the 2.5-mile trail through the city is marked with painted red lines along the sidewalks. Either way, you are going to work up an appetite for some good New England eating. Luckily, Boston’s seafood institution the Union Oyster House is located right along the Freedom Trail, where you can eat oysters to your heart’s content. While you wait for a table, cross the street and check out the New England Holocaust Memorial, a modern installment of six 54-foot glass towers dedicated to Holocaust victims.

Check out the nearby Boston Waterfront, where you can tour the world-famous New England Aquarium. At the aquarium you can book a whale watching excursion through Boston Harbor Cruises, weather permitting, that takes you to Cape Cod Bay’s marine sanctuary Stellwagen Bank. For a more historic cruise, hop aboard “Old Ironsides,” the 1797 navy ship USS Constitution.

As you head back to the present, be sure to visit the Seaport District, Boston’s hottest new neighborhood, with plenty of options for dinner.

Where to stay: For style and convenience, stay at the Hilton Downtown Boston Faneuil Hall. This AAA Four Diamond Rated hotel, built in 1928, is pet-friendly and was Boston’s first art deco style skyscraper.

boston staycation

North End

The North End is world-renowned for its authentic Italian restaurants. The first (or last!) thing you have to do is stop for coffee and cannoli. Touted as Boston’s first Italian café, Caffe Vittoria serves up top-notch cappuccino and pastries in a sublimely Italian ambiance.

For lunch, the choice is yours – authentic Italian sub or pizza? For a huge slice of old world-style pizza, Ernesto’s can’t be beat. If a good sandwich is what you are after, check out Monica’s Mercato & Salumeria, a North End institution serving up what some say are the best subs in the city.

You’ll probably need to walk it off afterwards, so take a stroll down the North End’s many quirky and winding streets. Take in some history at Paul Revere’s House and the Old North Church, from where Revere began his famous midnight ride.

For an elegant North End dinner, Lucca features locally-sourced seafood, pasta and a 500-selection wine list. If you prefer something more casual, try Al Dente or Panza; both serve up classic pasta dishes with a laid back and bustling vibe.

Where to stay: Within close proximity to the delicious foods of Boston’s North End, Ames Boston Hotel Curio Collection by Hilton is a contemporary chic luxury boutique hotel set in Boston’s first sky scraper, built from 1893-1915.

Theater District 

For those who love theater, Boston doesn’t disappoint. Boston’s Theater District boasts at least ten world-famous theaters, including the Wang, the Shubert, and Boston Opera House, home to the Boston Ballet’s Nutcracker Suite. Check out the Blue Man Group at Charles Playhouse!

While you’re exploring, grab a coffee (or a glass of wine, or a beer) at the trendy Jaho Coffee Roasters. Options abound for dinner, either before or after a show. For seafood, Legal Crossing, a branch of Legal Seafoods, is situated close to the Opera House and Emerson College’s Paramount Theater. Craving some sushi? Check out Fin’s, situated near Emerson’s other two theaters, the Colonial and the Cutler Majestic.

Where to stay: Check in at the AAA Three Diamond Rated DoubleTree by Hilton Boston Downtown, which boasts a modern feng shui vibe and an Olympic-size pool.

What’s your ideal Boston staycation? Tell us in the comments.

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