Final moments in Boston: Whale-watching and yet another Lobster Sandwich

On our last (half) day in Boston, our plans was simple - Whale Watching and Lobster Sandwich.

Let's start with our lovely whale-watching trip. The trip itself started pretty early in the morning (8+ a.m if I can recall), took us out into the Atlantic Ocean where they guaranteed we will be able to spot whales. We were skeptical at first (the price was around S$60), given the fact that none of us had been to anything similar.

Whale-spotters

The journey to the whale-spotting site was around 1 - 1 1/2 hours and unfortunately for me, it was a bumpy ride there. I got hit by a huge bout of sea-sickness and was basically incapacitated for the remaining journey (Credits to Dawn for the photographs). After a chat with the rest of the group, I found out that the ride was indeed worse than usual (we were riding against the wave and going at a really fast speed). So anyone who wants to go through this, remember to take your seasickness pills before embarkment.

An opportunity to catch the city line of Boston

The journey into the sea wasn't really exciting (except having to entertain my sea sickness). It was a straight journey without any incidents or sightings. From a conversation that I overheard from one of the staff, the way they are able to ensure 100% sightings is that they have a network of ships (be it fishermen or whale-watching crew) and boats that will give live updates on where the school of whales is spotted. So the moment any activities are reported, the boat would rush there and hopefully get there in time before the activities ceases or the whales have moved on.

Approaching the whale watching site

Read on to check out more pictures of our Whale-watching experience and the excellent lobster sandwich that followed.



Once the Captain has decided that the boat was closed enough to the whales (without scarring them), the boat stopped and the commentator did her job in guiding our vision to where the whales were. I managed to get up from my seat for a few moments (the boat was pretty much stable at that time) and caught a few glimpses of these magnificent creatures. Here are some shots:

One of the first few sightings

Two of them

Though we didn't catch any breath-taking shots of the ENTIRE whale, I would say that being able to get close to these beautiful creatures was an experience worth every penny and minute of travel. These majestic whales are really the beautiful works of Mother Nature and is definitely an experience I would recommend to anyone in Boston. Here are some closer shots Dawn took when some whales went by our boat.

School of Whales

Close-up

The entire whale watching experience took up almost 4 hours (so plan ahead when you do whale watching) and we only had time for lunch before having to catch our flight to Los Angeles. So what was for lunch? Obviously, more Lobster Sandwich before we leave this place for good.

James Hook Lobster Sandwich

We ended up (after failing to get a table at Neptune Oyster Bar) at the James Hook + Co for our lunch. Kudos to Andre for finding this place as the meal proved to be more than satisfying. The place itself wasn't much - a simple makeshift container with the simplest of decor, perfect for take-outs. Dawn and I took our pick and decided to share a large Lobster Sandwich and a portion of their Stuffed Clams.

Selection of sandwiches...

...and stuffed clam

I'll start with the Stuffed Clams. The clams itself was really huge and the stuffing made it look enormous. Naturally I would say the portions pretty generous and it was a wise choice to share. There was nothing really special about both the stuffing and the clams, just that both went really well and they were both baked perfectly. Nicely done!

Lovely stuffed clams

The Lobster Sandwich was definitely better than what we had at Quincy Market. The lobster was equally fresh but the portions of lobsters were so much more generous. I came out so much more satisfied then both my trips from the Quincy Market.

Hot sandwich with chunks of cold lobster fillings

Overall it was a good mistake that we ended up here. The sandwich is really fulfilling and the stuffed clams was the icing on the cake. Lovely place and I would recommend anyone to check it out if you are in Boston.

Check them out at 15-17 Northern Avenue Boston MA 02210 or visit their website here.


That's marks the end of our East Coast Travels as we head to West Coast to join up with the rest of our group. Stay tuned to see the Best of West Coast, which includes Los Angeles, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, the Pacific Costal Drive and San Francisco.

Visit my Facebook photo albums to check out more photos of the whales:
Boston 2012 Whale-Sighting Album

Freedom Trail II & Lobster Galore

We started the day with the continuation of the freedom trail, this time going backwards, starting from the end of the trail.

The official last stop for the freedom trail is the USS Constitution (the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world). However, due to time constraints, we had to skip that one and went straight to the last inland site instead. The Bunker Monument was built between 1827 and 1843 to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Bunker Monument

New Hampshire Gate

Col. William Prescott

After the Bunker Hill Monument, we got a little "lost" with the lines (some of the lines seemed to go missing after certain roads) and went into several sites. At this point in time, I had no idea what they were leading to. Therefore, I'll just leave you with some of the photos of the sites that we went on our way back to Boston Central.

The signal lanterns Paul Revere displayed

At the end of a hectic day, we all felt that we needed a well-deserved meal. What else can be more deserving for us than the famous Boston Lobster! So we headed down to the historic Union Oyster House for our fill of oysters and lobsters.

Old signboard

The place itself was bigger than it seemed from the outside. We entered the oyster house through what we thought was the front door, but ended up right in front of their pub. With oysters and beer in hand, the patrons all gave us a weird look which prompted us to head out again to find the right entrance.

Oyster Bar

Going around the building saw us entering the Oyster Bar area -- A quick and easy way of enjoying your oysters. With plenty of attentive "oyster shuckers" around, I wonder how many oysters are shucked daily!

After we were seated and ordered our share, we were given the famous lobster bib. Cute way to start a meal!

Neat, tidy and ready

First up - the Fresh Oysters. This is as simple as a review can get - a lovely fresh piece of work. It tempted Dawn and myself to order more but a gentle reminder of the price (on a tight budget) and my awaiting lobster stopped me.

Next up was my order of Union Special Lobster - baked medium lobster with New England Seafood Stuffing, topped with its claw Lazyman style. This was awesomeness on a plate. The stuffing itself was average but the lobster was succulent, fresh and well worth getting dirty for. The meat came right of the shell easily and the serving was big enough to satisfy a hungry man like myself.

Union Special Lobster

The others ordered the Lazyman Lobster (Basically lobster peeled off the shell) and the Lobster Scampi (medium lobster sautéed in garlic butter, tomatoes, fresh herbs and white wine served on a bed of linguine). The lazyman lobster itself was equally good (without the stuffing), just that there wasn't the "kick" of having to peel it off the shell yourself. The Lobster Scampi provides a little less meat to the dish but gives more in terms of accompanying flavors.  It was a good mix but I would rather dive straight into the lobster.

Lobster Scampi

Lazyman Lobster

Overall, it was the perfect meal to end the day. The lobsters were all fresh and huge enough to whet our huge appetites and it was wonderful experience to dine in such a historic place. Lovely food and terrific ambience, just that it might be a little pricey. Then again, its definitely worth a trip (if not two) even if you are on a tight budget.

Visit them at 41 Union Street or at their website here.

More pictures can be found on my facebook page: Marcus Facebook

The Price of Freedom: Boston Freedom Trail & Havard University

Boston, Massachusetts - where the heart of America history lies. One of the oldest city in the United States, this city-by-the-bay is famed not just for its historic roots, but also for its splendid seafood selection. The New England Clam Chowder has now become synonymous with Boston and its lobsters-one of the best in the world. Food and history, the perfect combination for a historic foodie like me!

First up - Quincy Market. This is the Number one place anyone would recommend for any newcomers to Boston. Although critics might say that this place is over-touristy, over-priced and you can probably find better chowder elsewhere, Quincy Market is still one those locations that you have to see for yourself.

Quincy Market

For those who have no idea what Quincy Market is - it is basically a historic marketplace near Faneuil Hall with two rows of food stalls on each side of the market. You can get a huge selection of food, ranging from burgers to sushi and Mac 'n' Cheese to Rice 'n' Vegetables. Obviously, the main fare people always go for is the New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Roll, which can be found throughout the entire market.

Long aisle of food

We started with the one that was recommended to us by our friends - the award winning Boston Chowda Co. No prizes to guess what we ordered.

Boston Chowda

So how what was the verdict of our first-ever Native New England's Clam Chowder - Read on to find out...

As we settled in, there was a buzz of excitement (for those first-timers) on how New England's Clam Chowder would actually taste like (as compared to those we had elsewhere in the world). The verdict: No one does it better than the New England people. The chowder was rich and creamy with huge chunks of clams inside. The only thing was that I finished it so fast that I was craving for another bowl minutes after I'm done (What was I thinking, ordering the medium portion).

I'll definitely be back for another bowl. Lovely stuff 8.5/10

New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Bisque

The Lobster Bisque was actually pretty awesome too. If its not for the authentic feel of the clam chowder in Boston, the Lobster Bisque would definitely give it a run for its money.

Our seating area

Beside the two soups, the others ordered the Mac 'N' Cheese too. I forgot as to which type of Mac 'N' Cheese they ordered but I can remember that it was pretty decent. Something that I would order on my own.

Mac 'n' Cheese

Next up, we went on the famous Boston Freedom trail (lead by Andre). The Freedom Trail is a pathway designed to give us a greater understanding of the sights and history of Boston and the United States. It is usually marked by a red bricked pathway and would bring the "trailers" through to historic sites like the Boston Commons, Paul Revere House, Bunker Hill, etc. Most of these sites are free but some (including the Old State House, Paul Revere House & Old South Meeting House) needs a small admission fee.

First Stop -Visitor Information

The first stop for the Freedom Trail is the Visitor Information Center located within Boston Common. Go in there to grab any information you can find and start your tour from the official first stop - Boston Common. 

Boston Common - since 1634

I won't be giving you the tour right here within my blog (I'll leave it up to you to explore it by yourself). Instead, here are some of the highlights.

Massachusetts State Hall

Located up on Beacon hill near Boston Common, the 2nd stop for the Freedom Trail offered a view of the Massachusetts State Hall (or better known as the "new State Hall"). Entrance to the State Hall is free and they offer a free walking tour periodically. Unfortunately, we were pressed for time, so we took the option of a quick walk by ourselves instead. 

Interior of the State Hall

Hall of Flags

Stop 3 for our trail - the Granary Burying Grounds. Home to notable historic personnel like John Hancock (NOT the Will Smith character), Paul Revere (the guy who sounded the bell), Peter Faneuil (of the Faneuil Hall), this age-old burial grounds is one of the oldest burial grounds in Boston. A monument dedicated to Benjamin Franklin can also be found here.

Granary Burying Grounds

For Franklin

King's Chapel, formerly known as "Stone Chapel", was built in the 1600s and is still an active Ecumenical Church affiliated with the UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association). The interior of the church is characterized by the "wooden columns with Corinthian columns" (wikipedia) and lavish velveted seatings.

King's Chapel

Interior design

Exclusive seating for some

After the King's Chapel, we skipped a few stops and ended up at the Old City Hall. Nothing much there, except a Donkey Statue - representing the Democratic Party. The footprints opposite the Donkey are obviously for the Republican's Elephant.

Name says it all...

The Democratic donkey

Last stop before lunch saw us going to the Old State House. The oldest administrative building in Boston, the Old State House now serve as a history museum of Boston operated by the Bostonian Society and would require a small fee $7.50. 

Old State House

Unfortunately, due to a lack of time (I would love to take the walking tour of the museum), we were unable to go for the museum and the museum tour. 

Nearby (viewable from the windows of the Old State House), we chanced upon the cobbled streets where the Boston Massacre took place. For the non-history buffs, it would be just another cobbled street with traffic lights on them. But for the history lovers, this place was where 11 Americans were killed or injured and was widely considered to be one of the prelude to the American Revolution War.

At this point, it was a perfect time for lunch. The timing was good and we were actually pretty near the Quincy Market, so we took the opportunity to try out the next famous Bostonian dish - Lobster Sandwich.

Having fun before lunch

We chose to go for the same stall to have our lobster sandwich. No particular criteria or reason for chat choice.

Lobster Sandwich galore

We took the Sandwich and Soup set, which came with the Lobster Sandwich and a side of Lobster Bisque Soup. 

Lunch for the day

Verdict for the lobster sandwich: A decently good choice. The part I liked best was the chunkiness (like the chowder) of the lobster bits. It makes it feel like you're eating a whole lobster with sauce and sandwich. Also, did I mention--the lobster tasted really fresh, so a mega plus-point for them.

After lunch, we took a break from our tour and headed down to Harvard University to take a look around the world-renown Ivy league university. We had to rush down in time for their scheduled tour, which took us around the campus on foot. At this point, I can't really remember the where's where, so I'll leave you with some photos of my tour.

Stay tuned for the remaining sites of our Freedom Trail and our visit to the famous Union Oyster House.