The score was tied at 2-2 at the bottom of the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Boston Red Sox fans groaned in disbelief as the Baltimore Orioles took a 3-2 lead in the tenth. And then the magic happened. With men on first and third base, a walk-off home run for Boston ended the game at 5-3. The crowd jumped to its feet, belting out “Dirty Water,” the 1966 Spandells hit. So much fun. So much singing! The voices of thirty-seven-thousand people rejoicing to Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline in the 7th inning stretch (so good! so good! so good!) and Take Me Out to the Ballgame in the 8th. It all added to the palpable feeling of camaraderie. These folks know how to have fun.
But, hold on – we were singing, “Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks.” Where were the hawkers, climbing up and down the steps yelling, “Get your peanuts here?” There was nary a peanut in sight! Turns out, Fenway has allergy-friendly protocols and seating options. You can still get your goober fix, but only at a dedicated peanut stand or one of four vending stations scattered through the park.
This September’s trip was my second Boston visit. Last year, my friend and I explored the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail. We stopped at Paul Revere’s house, Faneuil Hall, and other significant places in American History, walked to the North End for dinner in Little Italy, and strolled through Boston Common, America’s oldest public park. I also visited the JFK Presidential Library on my own (https://www.mi-reporter.com/life/presidential-libraries-offer-priceless-history-lessons-meanderings-by-mindy-stern/). This time, we rooted for the Red Sox and took a side trip to nearby Quincy, where the National Park Service has three sites dedicated to the family and legacy of John Adams, our nation’s first Vice President and second President of the United States, his formidable wife Abigail, and their son John Quincy, our sixth president.
On game night, we reserved an early dinner at Eastern Standard, just a block away from Fenway Park. This got us into the neighborhood well before traffic got all jammed up. Arriving at 5:00 pm, we were hungry and thirsty. The huge space was relatively quiet. But as we sipped our beers and enjoyed a yummy salt-cod-fritter appetizer, the space got so full and noisy that we had to shout to be heard. After dinner, we strolled around the park. A friendly guard suggested checking out Van Ness Street, where we found banners celebrating Hall of Fame players, sculptures of “Yaz”(Carl Yastrzemski) and other famous Red Sox from days gone by, plus a line of current players’ cars parked in a row beside the stadium. So many BMWs!
We didn’t spot any players, but I ran into someone who’d been on my Delta flight from Seattle. He’d been wearing a Seahawks jersey on the plane, and now sported a Mariner’s shirt. His family comes to Boston once a year when the Hawks are playing. This trip also included the Sox v Orioles game and a tour of Fenway Park, which he rated “thumbs up.” Now, why didn’t I think of that? We’ll definitely book a Fenway Park tour for our next Boston adventure.
In Quincy, it took forever to figure out where to park and to locate the Adams National Historic Park visitor center. But once we did, we were rewarded with an excellent movie and friendly and informative rangers. They held the shuttle so we could catch a ride to the birthplace of John and his son, John Quincy Adams, where you do a self-guided tour (not worth a special trip). The highlight is the other site, the “Old House at Peace field,” which requires advanced purchase of $1 timed tickets, and a National Parks pass. We were lucky to snag two tickets for the next day (www.recreation.gov), and parked close to the house on a side street, thus avoiding the shuttle and the crazy downtown Quincy parking lot.
The elegant Old House is tiny – only 8 people can fit in at a time. I was blown away by the library, which holds over 12,000 books. On the enormous table in the center of the library is a box containing the Mendi Bible, a gift to John Adams in 1841 after he successfully defended the Mendi people in the Amistad case, freeing them from slavery. This bible was used to swear in Deval Patrick, former two-term governor of Massachusetts, and its first African American governor.
With over 70 colleges and universities in the Boston metro area, you’re likely to have a family member or friend to visit. But don’t wait for graduation weekend to plan a trip to Boston – with sports, museums, and history galore, a fabulous adventure awaits.
Meanderings is a travel column by Mindy Stern, a Mercer Island resident whose essays can be found at www.mindysternauthor.com.
