Jamaica Plain

I think today was a few things: one of our most adventurous days, one of the most exhausting days & one very big dichotomy. We decided to explore the area of South Boston known as Jamaica Plain. One of the blogs I read (on free things to do in Boston) suggested seeing the Arnold Arboretum. Now, maybe the Arboretum is cool during Boston's springtime (which is not to be confused with springtime in the South) - but right now is NOT springtime in Boston & right now is NOT a good time to go to the Arboretum. In the words of K. Sands it was "hella gay." (and it was hella cold). We decided to explore everything else Jamaica Plain had to offer - which was awesomeness. I think the best way to describe JP to Charlotteans is as follows: JP is everything NoDa hopes to be when it grows up - beautiful old restored homes that function as apartments, homes, and businesses; incredible boutiques & thrift shops; delicious resturaunts; locally owned bookstores & grocery stores and an eclectic mix of people. We finally made our way up Centre St. where we browsed a few boutiques & thrift shops and eventually made our way to a little Salvadorian resturaunt called "La Pupusa Guanaca." We ate tons of traditional Salvadorian food for about $5.oo in this incredible hole in the wall resturant. Seriously, they had the best empenadas I have ever had. So good, that I had to go back for round two.

After walking a minimum of 10 miles (according to Kendra's odometer) we found our way to the Museum of Fine Arts. On Wednesdays from 4:00-9:45 you can get into the museum for "free." MOFA asks for a voluntary donation - but the $5 donation I gave is much cheaper than the $17 ticket I would have had to buy any other day of the week. There were some really cool exhibits, but I think my most favorite ones were the Classical Greek & Roman sculptures, the Renaissance art & the Imperssionist & Neo-Impressionist paintings. I love getting as close as possible to the paintings to see the brushstrokes & then looking at them from far away and getting the whole picture.

Our final destination took us back to JP to a resturaunt called "Doyle's." There were exactly 2 reasons why Kendra & I wanted to have a meal here: 1. it is one of a few places in Boston that serves Sam Adams Boston Red Brick (which I highly recommend - too bad they only serve it in Boston) and 2. it was used in the movie The Departed (one of our all time favorite movies ever). We had one of the most delicious meals evern since being in Boston. I got clam chowder & fish cakes - absolutely incredible. The resturant was exactly as I hoped it would be - perfect end to an exhaustingly... perfect... day. (which was also the first day that we got lost & our feet got so tired that we took a taxi 4 blocks to get to Doyle's from the T).