As basis for a two-year long experiment, Thoreau asked the owner of Walden Pond’s surrounding lands and friend, Ralph Waldo Emerson, to live on the land from 1845-1847. During this time he composed the basis of Walden, which many on first glance believe is strictly an environmentalist book; however, the environment is only a fraction of the material that is housed in the thoughts and writing of Thoreau in Walden.  In fact, it is more about a man’s attempt to find the principles by which to live a proper life.

While walking the paths around Walden Pond, the silence and beauty of Thoreau’s oasis was apparent.  In solitude and simplicity, Thoreau found what his proper life would entail and perhaps what many of us should aspire to live. He was twenty-seven years old and a former school teacher during his time at Walden.  He took $28.00 to build the cabin that you see in the above picture.  Then, he furnished the cabin with only what he thought essential: a bed, a desk, and 3 chairs.  I believe the three chairs had particular meaning: one for solitude, two for friendship, and three for society.

What I learned from Thoreau’s time at Walden, walking the Walden paths, and reading the book, is that if you want to get the most from life, you must determine what is really IMPORTANT.  Thoreau did this by removing himself somewhat from the normal life of Concord, Massachusetts and as do others by taking time away from the daily grind of life, whether chosen or by accident, traveling to new places, or similar escapes to find the needed solitude and clarity of thought.

To further inspire you, I will leave you with only three items: a quote from Thoreau, a question, and my video of Walden Pond.

1)  Thoreau stated, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life and see if I could not learn what it has to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

2) Have you experienced what life can be when you remove the norm?

3) Video to inspire your trip to Walden Pond or another escape from the norm.

With the changing colors and temperatures,  it is clear that autumn is here.  In my last post with my video, Fall Colors in New England, I shared only one of the highlights of autumn, its majestic colors.  However, I feel that fall’s special aroma must be mentioned.  Although each family or region may have a distinct definition of a fall aroma, I would like to share mine. My definition of the true autumn scent includes apples, whether apple cider warming on the stove, an apple pie cooking, or a crisp apple straight from the tree.

Having made such a mark on our culture with sayings such as, “as American as apple pie,” did you know that apples have only a small history in the United States?  In fact, apples were first brought from England in the 1600s by the Pilgrims to the Massachusetts Bay colony.  So, as to not fight what is natural, I have to default to, “when in Rome do as the Romans do,” or in my case when in New England do as the New Englanders do, PICK APPLES.

Having Drew’s Farm, a pick your own orchard in Westford, Mass., near to my family’s home, I was ready to hand select my fall prizes. Before heading into the orchard amongst the rows of trees, I asked for recommendations as to which apples were at their peak to pick. Like a homing pigeon with two peck bags in hand, I headed up the slight slope to find my favorites, who both happened to be at their peak: Cortland and McIntosh (“Mac”).

The orchard was a brilliant display of fall with rows of apple trees with sunny yellow leaves and the sweet smell of apples wafting through the crisp air.  Upon finding the Cortlands, my apple picking skills quickly came back to me from my childhood in Wisconsin.  There I lived nestled in a small valley next to an apple orchard and served the famous 10 foot apple pie each year at my town’s apple festival called the Apple Affair.

For those not familiar, picking apples is easy.  First, select an apple (typically from the outside of the tree as the outside ripens before the inside). Then, grab each apple with a cupped hand.  Next, gently twist each and the apple will release from the tree.

With two full pecks of apples,  I had plenty for apples pies with the rest for my favorite midday snack, apple slices with peanut butter (If you haven’t tried, you must. It is to die for).

I went to the orchard during off peak times and had the orchard to myself, but for those of you looking for a full day of fall activity and entertainment, most orchards have  hayrides, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and a tasting room for warm apple cider, cider donuts, and other apple sweets. If you have yet to pick your winter stash of apples this autumn, check out some recommended places for picking your own:

Massachusetts Apple Orchards

Wisconsin Pick Your Own Orchards

Washington Pick Your Own

America’s Best Apple Picking Farms

My Road to Recovery description starts in Poughkeepise, NY, which is located is in the Hudson River Valley, New York  (1.5 hours outside of NYC). Now in mid-fall, the colors are popping with greens turning to vibrant oranges, yellows, and reds.   Not unlike the thousands of other tourists in the Hudson River Valley, I too left each day to walk amongst the colors and became a “leaf peeper” (nickname for those that come to view the fall foliage and photograph).

For those considering a trip to the Hudson River Valley, here are my two favorite routes in Poughkeepsie and its neighboring town, Hyde Park for leaf peeping.

Hudson Valley recommendation #1: Walkway Over the Hudson State Park

Officially opened on October 3, 2009, the Walkway Over the Hudson State Park provides pedestrians, hikers, joggers, bikers (and even Ms Traveling Pants) access to the Hudson River’s landscape (see picture from the East side overlooking the Hudson River and fall colors).

The walkway is built upon a railroad bridge that was erected in the late 19th century. Struck by a fire in 1974,  the bridge was abandoned and sat for decades as an oprhaned relic. Now reworked, the bridge stands 212 feet above the river’s surface and is 1.28 miles long, making it the longest, elevated pedestrian bridge in the world.

On Columbus Day weekend, just one week after its grand opening, probably a thousand of locals, tourists, and I walked this bridge.  It was THE place to be with the gamant of visitors, including bikers, rollerbladers, dogs, owners, children, strollers, and more. Truly, the only way that I could describe the phenomenon was that people were coming out the of the woodwork to walk for the first time across the bridge and take in the colors. Despite all of the crowd’s energy and the beauty, I was pooped and made it to the river’s edge only.  So, I must return to walk the entire bridge when I am further along on my Road to Recovery.

Hudson Valley recommendation #2: Vanderbilt Mansion

The Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site is located in Hyde Park. Established in 1940, the grounds have been set aside as an arboretum for public enjoyment.  The park offers tours of the mansion and 211 acres of land with stunning Hudson River and Catskill Mountain views (see Mansion to the left and view of the Hudson at start of post).

Having taken the tour earlier in 2009 (roughly $8), I learned that this mansion was only a summer cottage for the Vanderbilts.   From May to September, the Vanderbilts would host social gatherings of New York City’s elite at the cottage.  So in essence, the Vanderbilts started the tradition that continues even today of New York City’s elite escaping the City to spend their summers in the Hudson River Valley.

Over the last weeks, I came numerous times to walk and take in the beautiful views. From the park’s road, you can see the Hudson River (both to the North and South) and the Catskill Mountains (to the North and West).  Having enjoyed its balance of majestic views and peaceful environment,  I have no doubt why the Vanderbilts chose such a place to entertain. Who could not be in awe of the vast grounds,  rose gardens, Hudson River, Catskill Mountains, or the worldly masterpieces inside?

So I will leave you with my two picks and share with you that I have relocated my Road to Recovery to be closer to family in Massachusetts.  I will continue to feature fall colors (now n New England) as well as daily insights.

As always remember that, “Every occasion in life can be categorized as either a good time or a good story.”

Thank you for letting me share my good times and good stories with you.

Ms Traveling Pants

In the last installment of See Beantown Like Nobody’s Business, I wanted to at least touch upon what is across the Charles River with tips on Cambridge. With a simple hop on the Red Line at Park Street, you can arrive at Harvard Square, which is of course home to Harvard University and its Harvard Yard (pronounced Ha-vad Yad). With such a prestigious reputation throughout the world, it is a nice attraction to visit, take a few pictures, and walk amongst the collegiate elite.

But, Harvard is not the only thing to do in Cambridge. There is the Harvard bookstore if you want to take home a sweatshirt or a coffee mug to inspire your studies, funky stores for window shopping or buying like Urban Outfitters, and small markets to whet your appetite before visiting the many places to eat well in Cambridge. My absolute favorite is the Border Cafe. It is a Tex Mex establishment that if you don’t get there early on weekend nights the line can be around the corner. The chips and salsa are some of the best in Beantown (believe me I have taken on the quest to fine the best everywhere I have lived) . I would recommend three items at the Border: the chicken fajita salad, carne asado, or vegetarian quesadilla, all with a large dose of Cholula. For those of you wondering, yes, I am somewhat a chilihead; everything must have a little hot sauce. However, whatever your selection, I would wash it down with a margarita (I prefer on the rocks with salt). They do them up well at the Border (another item that I have taken as a quest in each place I have hung my hat).

If you are in the mood for Hamburgers, I would recommend Bartley’s Burger Cottage located on Massachusetts Ave. You can get a plain hamburger, but sometimes it is just fun to order a burger with a cool name like the Stimulus Package with bbq sauce, grilled onions, bacon and baked beans or the Viagra (rise to the occasion), which is topped with blue cheese, bacon, tomato, and lettuce.

Right in Harvard Square there are other options from Bagels to Chinese and even croissants and coffee at Au bon Pain, which was the place of the famous seen with Matt Damon and Minnie Driver in Good Will Hunting. All are great for a bite as well as the street performers, chess matches, and just funky passerbys.

To see another trendy area of town, hop the Red Line back towards Boston to MIT’s station. Near to the station there are many interesting restaurants, but I must say that the Middle East is the top. It provides an eclectic menu with falafel, hummus, baba ghanoush, and more. In the evenings, they have live bands and a very eclectic clientele from artsy to funky to wild.

So that’s it for Seeing Boston Like Nobody’s Business. If you haven’t seen my Boston for the Fourth Video, here it is:

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be posting good times and good stories of my travels to yet another Northeastern city. Yes, Ms Traveling Pants explores the culinary and cosmopolitan sites of New York City. Keep you posted!

In this second installment of See Beantown Like Nobody’s Business, I would like to share with you a day in Boston starting once again from the Common, but with two options for those of you with a time crunch or just different styles: the Esplanade Park or strolling Newbury Street.

The Boston Common is the public gardens, park, and recreational area of downtown Boston. Denoting the historical relevance of Boston, the Common is peppered with statues of a former President, writers, and yesteryear’s influentials. The center of the Common is picturesque in the summer when the yard and flowers are beautifully maintained and in bloom. The bridge over the Swan boat pond is probably the ideal picture spot. There you can get a photo with the swan shaped paddle boats and the weeping willows. However, in winter the Common is also fun as the Frog Pond is frozen offering ice skating for the young and young at heart.

I have always thought that the Common is a picnickers paradise. I would suggest making your own picnic basket, but if you don’t have the time or a kitchen there are lemonade, sausage, and pretzel vendors outside the main entrances. I would bring a blanket or choose a park bench close to one of many musicians or the world renowned ducks. As the ducks are a tourist’s highlight in the Common, it means good people watching from parents taking pictures of their children on the ducks to groups of friends and adults taking the opportunity for a group picture all with or on a duck (Ms Traveling Pants did it!). You may wonder why statues of a family of ducks? They are there as an honor to a book written about a family of ducks that wanted to raise their family on an island in the Boston Common, called Make Way for the Ducklings. Believe it or not, the ducks have gone missing at times. Here is a news story just earlier this year of a kidnapped mallard.

After enjoying the Common, you can choose between two itineraries: Charles River and the Esplanade park or Newbury Street. For the first option, head to Arlington and take Beacon one block away from the park and cross Storrow Drive to arrive at the Esplanade Park. Bordering the Charles River and overlooking Cambridge, the Esplanade Park is great for walking, running, and roller blading. If you fancy sailing, there is also a community yacht club offering small sailboats. You will see the famous Hatch shell pavilion, which is where the Boston Pops Orchestra plays every year for the Fourth of July. Fireworks beautifully punctuate the 1812 Overture speckling the Boston and Cambridge sky.

For those that are looking for a more artsy, perhaps shopping experience, Newbury Street should be your option. Close to the Common, the stores are couture; only the finest global fashion brands line this portion of the street. Within a manner of blocks, you will begin to see along both sides of the brownstone lined street many cafes. I would have to recommend Stephanie’s on Newbury, Tapeo, Joe’s, or Charley’s. In fact, Charley’s was one of my former employers for close to two years of my time in Boston (pictured below); while, Joe’s was a former employer of both myself and my better half. For shops, Newbury comics is always a fun place to check out music, fun t-shirts, and rock posters, but there are also many second hair consignment stores that offer trendy hand-me-down fashion.

If you feet are tired and you would like to get a great view of Boston, Cambridge, and of course Fenway Park and the Green Monster. I would recommend going to the Prudential building (pictured above) and going to its top floor, called the Top of the Hub. The restaurant does serve full meals, but you can also get good seats at the bar while having an appetizer or a nightcap and dessert. If you are a jazz lover, they do have live jazz. Just think good music, good view, and good company….

And that is a wrap of my See Beantown Like Nobody’s Business – Part 2.
Take a peek at my video of Boston for the Fourth, click here.

Boston or “Beantown” has been one of my homes. I lived there for roughly five years. With its combination of history, arts, culinary scene, and the vibrancy of the population (with so many higher educational facilities), Boston is a top notch city.

I had the opportunity to visit last week over the long Fourth of July holiday. Although I do have a series of posts that will give tips and to dos in Boston, I have created a short video that explains what I did in Beantown and the surrounding area over Independence Day weekend.

As the majority of us head back to work after a weekend of getaways to campsites, cottages, beach homes, or just a coma induced weekend of lots of grilling and libations, I have just arrived back to South Florida from a very quick whirlwind tour of Boston and a traditional New England Fourth of July.

It was not planned, but yes I stumbled across one of the quintessential components of any Fourth of July, a parade. Last Saturday, I attended a hometown Fourth of July parade in Chelmsford, Massachusetts (just 24 miles outside of Boston and pronounced chums-ferd). With the local crowd waving American flags, kids running for candy thrown by fire trucks blaring their sirens, high school bands marching in step, and bag pipes playing, I certainly received my dose of people watching. However, I have to admit that my absolute favorite part of it all had to have been the Minutemen (see picture above). Just as a history refresher, Minutemen were colonial militia that fought for America’s freedom in the Revolutionary War. They were typically young, very mobile, and quick to respond (thus the name).

Although the Fourth’s festivities and parade were just one of the many good times and good stories of my trip to Beantown, I will be sharing over the next few weeks a series of posts with tips and pictures from the North End, Newbury Street, the Commons, and more.

But, before I go, I will leave you with a piece of Boston trivia.

Why is Boston nicknamed Beantown? As an influential trade town, Boston received much sugar cane from the Caribbean for making other products, including rum and molasses. In colonial days, it was very popular to serve beans that had been cooked in molasses. Today, Boston Baked Beans are not as common, but if you fancy a taste, try out this recipe from one of my favorite sites Epicurious.

It was in 2000.  I was teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) in Roslindale, Massachusetts at the Boston School of Modern Languages during the day and waiting tables on Newbury Street in Boston at night and on weekends.  I was then only 22.

As I had just came back from Spain, I thoroughly enjoyed that at my restaurant job, all of the line cooks were Spanish speaking, mostly from Colombia.  With my skills in Spanish as well as years of experience in the “biz”, I was quickly promoted from a server to an expediter, who is the person that coordinates the communication between the kitchen and the servers and managers.

It was in this capacity that I started to notice the shy, grill cook with the amazing green eyes. With a dark completion and stunning eyes, he got me.  We spoke in Spanish, but I was later told that he was from Minas Gerais, Brazil.  I had never met a Brazilian before so I was interested in Carnival, Samba, Bossa Nova, and the Rio.

It turns out that he didn’t like the restaurant, Charley’s, and the management so he quit very shortly there after.  On his last day, I took the initiative to ask him out. I wrote on one of the manager’s business cards, “Si quieres tomas unas copas, por favor llamame.” (If you would like to have a couple of drinks, please call me.”)

Well the phone never rang, but I was still determined.  I waited for the next check cycle to come.  And, I was working the night that he came to pick up his last check.  I cornered him and mentioned that there was no excuse not to go out that evening as I was getting off of work shortly and he had a check to cash to buy me drinks.

So as every workplace has there favorite watering hole, so did the Charlie’s crew. It was a Irish Pub called the Crossroads.  It was nothing short of a dive that the BU and MIT students frequented.  It had a juke box, beer, pub food, and darts.

Admilson (pronounced Aj-meal-son), had never played darts before. So with a couple of beers and a good instructor, me, we began to get to know each other. No matter whether tennis, billards, or darts, you can make the game seductive; and, that I did (thus the picture for this post).

That night, it was April 9th, 2000.  It is now April 2009.  Admilson and I eloped on April 9th, 2006. And, this Thursday it will be 9 years and counting.

Happy Anniversary Mr. Traveling Pants!