Last Sunday, we were so excited to venture to Symphony Hall to see a matinee performance of the 2011 Holiday Pops featuring The Boston Pops Orchestra.  From a book reading by Jeremiah Kissel of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” to such favorites as “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “White Christmas” and “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” the orchestra also performed “A Merry Little Sing-Along,” including “Winter Wonderland,” “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” and “Jingle Bells.”  There was also a visit from St. Nicholas and a reading of “Twas the Night Before Christmas,“ narrated by WBZ-TV’s Jack Williams and with images by Jan Brett.

And so as we were watching this magical performance, I realized that I had finally become my grandmother – not my mother as the saying usually goes but my grandmother.  I remember when I was a young girl sitting in church with her, and the whole congregation was singing “Silent Night.”  (Of course the part that I loved best was that everyone got to light their own candle for the singing of “Silent Night,” and this was particularly exciting for me, but I digress….) I remember looking over at my grandmother, whom we called Mama Chuck – because she was the Mama to our Uncle Chuck, and tears were pouring down her face.  I wondered why she was crying – what could be prompting her to cry?  We were in church beautifully lit up by candles we were holding (it was a pretty amazing sight and memory), and here she was crying?!  Well, now I know…because the same thing just about happened to me on Sunday.  But it wasn’t to “Silent Night,” it started with “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” and continued off and on throughout the performance.  These songs instantly took me back to those cherished and happy times, innocence, youth, best friends, family close by – happy, peaceful, loving, warm  memories.  Enough to make one feel reminiscent and thankful for all that life has given us…and enough to make one cry….

So as I sit here pondering all of this, I think about my favorite holiday songs and those that transport me back to these happily simple, “glory” days.  The top two for me are “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” and “Silent Night.”  But what about you?  Which holiday song is your favorite? And does it take you back to the “good ole days” in the past when life seemed a bit more simple?  Or does it conjure up different happy memories?  I can’t wait to hear….

Have you had a chance to try any of the dining options at Liberty Wharf, located in the heart of Boston’s Seaport District?  Well, as it turns out, I have been there three times in the last 2+ weeks, and I figured I would share my comments and thoughts with you so you could decide whether you wanted to give it a try too.

My first dining experience was about two weeks ago, when my beau Adam, my Dad and I went there for dinner.  As you may have guessed, it was a cloudy, foggy night, but still the views of the Boston Harbor and Logan Airport were beautiful.  It was a Tuesday night, and so it wasn’t mobbed, which is always a good thing in my book.  We ultimately decided to dine at Legal Harborside (see photo above), which boasts 20,000 square feet of restaurant dining space on three levels – though at this point, just the lower level is open.  The windows were all open, the breezes flowed in, and so the night air was perfect (with my coat on that is).

Just let me admit first, that I am not the biggest Legal Sea Foods fan…. And yet, the raw bar is reputed to be fabulous (and my gentlemen companions concurred with that), and the Lobster Roll that my Dad and I shared was good.  I didn’t overly love the Gorgonzola Fig Spread Bruschetta mostly because I was expecting a yummy, bready dish but instead got a toasted slice of french bread.  The overall evening was great, however, and I will definitely dine there again; and often it seems, since I returned to the restaurant just over a week later (more on that below).  On a final note, we parked at the lot across the street, and Legal’s validates these tickets so the parking is a bargain.

My second dining experience was the following Wednesday night when we ventured to Temazcal Tequila Cantina (see photo on right).  This is up-scale, Mexican fare which is still fairly reasonably-priced.  When we got to the bar, we noticed that the menu and drink selections were displayed in front of us on a Tablet.  Wow – this was a first-ever experience for me and a further testament to the fact that we are definitely in an electronic world.  And yet Adam and I agreed that we both prefer the traditional Menu; I guess we’re Menu kind of people.  Anyway, we ordered Guacamole Langosta (a.k.a. Lobster Guacamole) with chips and Enchiladas Verdes, and in doing so, we realized that we had completely over ordered – the lobster guacamole would have been plenty.  And so we ended up bringing the the Enchiladas home.  But it was a great night – though it was cold and rainy again and the Celtics suffered their final loss to the Miami Heat ending our run in the Playoffs that night.  Well, so, let me re-phrase…everything else about the night – the food, the setting, the views, the people-watching and the prices – were all fantastic.

My third experience was just this past Saturday night.  We were going out to dinner with another couple and trying to get to Liberty Wharf at 6:30 p.m., knowing it was going to be packed and trying to beat the crowds.  But alas we got there at 7 p.m., which as we all know is probably the worst time to arrive at a restaurant on a Saturday night.  We first tried Temazcal, and the wait there was 1 3/4 – 2 hours.  Ouch.  So we tried Legal’s, and because Legal’s has much more seating, its wait was only 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hours.  We decided to wait it out at Legal’s because our chances of getting a table more quickly were much better.  Ultimately we only waited about 50 minutes, which wasn’t too bad considering we were having drinks with friends while taking in a beautiful harbor scene in front of us.  The food was better this time; I had the Scallop Linguine special.  And it was a fun evening for us all.

So this weekend my Mom and stepdad are coming into town, and guess where we’re going to dinner?  You got it…Liberty Wharf.  But this time, I think we will try Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House.  (I don’t think Mom would love the Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar and Grill.)

What about you?  Have you tried any of the Liberty Wharf restaurants?  If so, what are your thoughts?  And one of my head-scratching questions is whether Liberty Wharf will have the same kind of appeal in the winter when we are deluged with snow and ice (I still remember this past winter all too clearly).  What do you think?  I can’t wait to hear….

So two days ago, I told you about our fun excursion on the Boston Duck Tours, specifically on “Longfellow Bridget.”  Well, our escapade today knocked my socks off – or more accurately blew my hat off given today’s windy weather.  The Freedom Trail Walk was amazing, and that’s an understatement.  After buying our tickets at the Visitor Information Bureau at 148 Tremont Street, we ventured across the street to the Boston Common, where we spotted our tour guide.  How could we miss him?  He was the only human within eye-shot wearing 18th Century garb.  We learned that his name was Jeremiah Poope, and he is pictured below.  Can you imagine having that as a last name?  Which then begs the question – is that his real name or is it his stage name?  And could someone in the 18th century have had Poope for a last name?  I am still pondering that myself…..

Anyway, I digress….  According to the Freedom Trail Foundation web site, the “Walk Into History public walking tour is a great way to experience the Freedom Trail. Led by an 18th Century Costumed Guide, the 90-minute tour mixes humor, history and fun. Be transported back in time to the days of the American Revolution and have a hands-on revolutionary experience.”  I couldn’t describe our experience any better…. Jeremiah Poope was a riot (hee, hee), and he gave us a great taste of the life in Boston hundreds of years ago – not to mention a ton of historical facts, events and silly tidbits.

Some of the highlights were visiting the Granary Burial Ground, hearing tales of the Puritan way and rules (including the stocks) as well as learning about the lives of Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, John Hancock and many other notable figures.  And Jeremiah set us straight on some of the historical inaccuracies that have been passed down from generation to generation, and he taught us some new facts as well.  For example, we learned that Samuel Adams was indeed a beer maker during his time, and yet the picture of the man on the Sam Adams beer label, which we all know and love, is not of Samuel Adams (I guess he was not much of a looker) but of Paul Revere.  We also learned that the amount of tea that the Revolutionaries threw into the Boston Harbor, the event that we know as the Boston Tea Party, was worth the equivalent of $1.7 million.  We also learned that it was not Paul Revere but Samuel Prescott who ultimately rode into Concord on the fateful night of April 18, 1775.  Paul Revere had gotten pulled over by the British after leaving Lexington and therefore could not continue his journey to Concord.  And did you know that there is a gilded gold grasshopper weathervane on the top of Faneuil Hall because Peter Faneuil, who financed the building of the famous hall, was obsessed with grasshoppers?  I certainly didn’t….

The entire Freedom Trail is 2 1/2 miles, but our walk just took us from the Boston Common to Faneuil Hall (pictured above), which was probably about 3/4 of a mile.  Tickets are $13 for adults, $11 for seniors/students and $7 for children.  And the most convenient parking – but maybe not the least expensive - is the Boston Common Garage, Zero Charles Street.  We parked there for between two and three hours, and it cost us $16.  This is a tour not to be missed; it was the most fun factual tour guide of Boston that I have ever been on.  Have you ever experienced the Freedom Trail Walk?  Did you love it too?  I can’t wait to hear….

I have lived in the Boston area for almost 14 years, and in all that time here, I have never gone on the Boston Duck Tours –  until today that is.  We have family in town from Wilmington, DE and Baltimore, MD, and what a better way to show them Boston than to take them on the Boston Duck Tours, which is basically a tour of downtown Boston – and parts of Cambridge and Charlestown too – on a “DUCK,” a World War II amphibious landing vehicle that travels on land and water.  The DUCK, or more accurately the military acronym DUKW, has the following designations:

• D is for designed in 1942
• U is for utility amphibious cargo carrying vehicle
• K signifies front wheel drive
• W signifies double rear axle drive

The fleet of vehicles includes both World War II archives and modern replicas, which can hold more people and are much more currently manufactured – all good.  The Boston Duck Tour is called one of “Freedom, Fun and Firsts.”  Freedom as Boston is where our fight for freedom first began in the 1770s, Fun because you are on an amphibious vehicle traveling the streets and waters of Boston, and Firsts because Boston is the city that is famous for many firsts, including the first public school, Boston Latin (1635), and the first subway (1897).   Adult tickets are $32, and children are $22 (with some variations on rates depending on ages and quantity of adults and children), and the tours are roughly 80 minutes and leave every 30 minutes.

We boarded our DUCK, which was the “Longfellow Bridget” pictured above, at the Prudential Center, and our tour guide was Captain Mack.  Here we are just before boarding the vehicle.  I’ve also included a photo of my daughter driving the vehicle on the Charles.  My niece and nephew drove the boat as well.  We learned so many interesting and fun facts about the history of Boston and Boston in general.  I would recommend the tour to anyone who is visiting Boston – and even those, like me, who have lived here for years and never stepped foot on a DUCK.

Have you ever been on the Boston Duck Tours?  Did you love it as much as we did?  I can’t wait to hear…..