We spent two nights in Massachusetts sometime in late September, before heading off to our next stop, New Jersey. I’ve been to Boston before (the same year JK Rowling gave her commencement speech at Harvard; I was there about 2 days earlier) but never on this side.

It was a lovely side trip, even though we didn’t do a lot of things and called it a “night” when there was still light out. Still, we saw a lot of beautiful things.

Some highlights of Boston:

Best salsa at Olé, Ragnar Kjartansson’s The Visitors at the ICA, beer-infused pretzels and shandy (haha) at Harpoon Brewery, the sweetest fresh oysters I’ve ever had (served at the roof bar as cocktails—not with the seafood appetizer platter we got), CLAM CHOWDER OMG?, the best view—I love this type of moody lighting by the bay.

HARPOON BREWERY

Beautiful beer-infused pretzels with the best dips from Harpoon Brewery. They use beer instead of water in their recipe.

ICA

Accidental family photo.

Ragnar Kjartansson’s The Visitors:

LUNCH AT LEGAL SEA FOODS

On the drive back to New Jersey, we passed by Stockbridge, MA to see the Norman Rockwell Museum, which was a favorite of the Ortegas. Norman Rockwell is inspiring and the view was beautiful.

There was a special exhibit for Hooper’s illustrations at the Norman Rockwell museum.

They uprooted Rockwell’s studio and replaced it closer to the site of the new museum (it was closer to Main Street, I think?) so that’s what the red house is.

Sister. I forgot what she was eating, but I got myself a bowl of clam chowder again, heh. It was not as good as the first one I got, but it’s okay.

New England’s a place I’d love to explore more in the future, though it isn’t always on top my list—the world is so big after all.