Half priced points and $25 per day food and beverage credit made this a deal I couldn't pass up, especially considering that IAD to BOS is one of the few affordable flights still around. I chose the $10 F & B credit since I was going to the Waterline restaurant to cash my credit, and on top of that I earned 1,000 points since they don't offer weekend breakfasts for elites (which is worth 4,000 nights in badge currency) and guess what, I was leaving early on Saturday for a flight anyway. Whee doggies, the stars were aligned for a great time!
I've been to Boston many times (including Long Wharf in the early eighties, my buddy was the F & B Director - talk about your elite benefits![]()
), yet I never took the water taxi ($10 per person, Taxi about $35, Subway $2.65). We had the good fortune of having a retired Cape Cod boating executive as our captain and were the only ones on the boat. He provided an excellent tour (and a very leisurely one as well, pointing out several landmarks, even stopping awhile for photos).
![20141030_101725.jpg]()
![]()
Great view of the city from the harbor - beautiful blue sky
We checked in early (10:30 am) and the front desk was kind enough to provide us with two attractive options;
A very nice corner suite that would be ready in a few hours or
A standard room (with an excellent harbor/city view) ready now
Wanting to set up and then head out, we chose the latter and were quite pleased with the accommodations.
We walked straight down State St., caught the State St. Orange line station to the Stony Brook stop and yes, headed to the Sam Adams brewery tour.
![20141030_115956.jpg]()
One of my (and America's) favorite craft beers Samuel Adams, a great patriot
As you might imagine, I've been to scores of brewery tours for almost four decades now, and I must say, Samuel Adams was one of the best. A free tour (you can donate to worthy causes that Sam supports), lead by a talented guide who not only entertained us during the tour, but more impressively, really knew his stuff, teaching this beerhead several new things. The tour itself focused on tasting the various barley malts (ranging in taste from a yeasty bread type to grapenuts to expresso/bitter tasting roasted malt) and smelling the hops and a discussion of the brewing process. On top of that, they provided three generous sample tastings - their signature Lager, Oktoberfest, and an experimental beer (tasty) not yet distributed, New Zealand Wheat.
![20141030_124923.jpg]()
As an added benefit, I sat at the head of the table and the pitchers with extra beer returned to my position (use your imagination). Wow!
As you can see, good size samplers (note the pitchers)
![20141030_132242.jpg]()
Most Insiders know the concierges, yours truly hangs with the beer guides; My main man Stu
As Stu said, "well, it's noon on Thursday; you're either on vacation, retired, unemployed, or all of the above; let's toss back a few"
Caught the subway back to the Marriott Custom House, where we just missed the Observation Deck tour, but the front desk associate kindly provided a key and up we went - if this was Vegas, we'd be up a couple of Franklins by now, given the good fortune we had already experienced.
![20141030_143403.jpg]()
View of Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall from Custom House Observation Deck
![20141030_180136.jpg]()
Marriott Custom House at dusk
We then took a nostalgic walk to the area known as the Seaport District (just south of Long Wharf, near the Renaissance). I say nostalgic because I had several meals, back in the day, at Anthony's Pier 4, Jimmy's (both closed) and the No Name Restaurant (still opened and highly regarded). Seaport is undergoing extensive upscale development and will look quite different in another year. We stopped in at Legal Seafood's flagship operation (their Corp HQ is just a few blocks away) Legal Harborside and enjoyed a nice harbor view watching the planes at Logan take off with some reasonably priced and tasty appetizers.
![20141030_170447.jpg]()
A three story operation. First floor is a raw bar type atmosphere, second floor their top line seafood restaurant, and on the top floor their Roof Deck lounge.
We wrapped up the evening with a nice meal across from our Marriott, at City Landing, and then a lovely 55 degree, clear night walk around the harbor (scouting good spots for people watching the next evening - Halloween). Our, luck continued as I passed on buying dessert at City Landing in hopes the Concierge Lounge would provide treats and they came through with good looking/tasting pastries, cookies, and mini-cupcakes and a great nighttime view of the harbor. As I finished my red velvet cupcake, I made a point to walk by the fitness center, man it looked like a nice one![]()
. A fine ending to a top notch day.
Friday - another excellent set up by the Concierge Lounge for breakfast (absent meats tho). The lounge opens at 6:30 am and was made even nicer by the fact that we were the only two folks in there from opening until 7 am. This is often the key to my travels, I go when Marriott offers deals, Marriott only offers deals when no one goes, thus, I'm there when few others are making me a happy camper. Yeah, yeah, I like people, but I dislike crowds.
![20141031_072231.jpg]()
A lovely sunrise is another benefit of the CL at the end of the hotel facing due east.
We headed out charged up by our breakfast and our read of the local papers (R.I.P. Mayor Menino) and off to The Freedom Trail. They have many tours lead by skilled tour guides (we heard several of them yesterday as we eavesdropped at several stops that crossed our path), but we opted to venture out on our own (see note above about crowds). The trail is easy to follow and is well marked with double file bricks with each historical spot marked with informative markers. The walk not only shares a lot of interesting historical tidbits, but also covers a lot of the city from Boston Common and the Public Gardens all the way to Bunker Hill.
![20141031_091310.jpg]()
The Meeting Hall at Faneuil
![20141031_091951.jpg]()
Green Dragon Tavern - hot bed for revolutionaries (somewhat like Insiders). This is where the Patriots overheard British plans for capturing Sam Adams and John Hancock. The Patriots planned Paul Revere's ride in response.
![20141031_112604.jpg]()
Green Dragon - lobstah roll - dee licious
![20141031_094857.jpg]()
North Church - Oldest standing church, built in 1723. Lanterns were hung in the steeple to warn of the advancing 'King's Men or Red Coats' (since most all colonialists considered themselves British, Paul probably didn't yell, "The British are coming"
![20141031_121947.jpg]()
Lagoon at Public Gardens
Enjoyed an excellent meal (again across from our Marriott) at Legal Seafoods and spent a couple of hours people watching on Halloween at the wharfs and downtown. An early Saturday, catching the T right out the hotel door (unlike our own DC Metro, it opens at 5:30 am on Sat./6 on Sun) arriving two stops later at Logan. Breakfast in the very nice/new United club in the new section of Terminal B, returning home in time for College Football Saturday - another great Marriott trip in the book.
I've been to Boston many times (including Long Wharf in the early eighties, my buddy was the F & B Director - talk about your elite benefits
), yet I never took the water taxi ($10 per person, Taxi about $35, Subway $2.65). We had the good fortune of having a retired Cape Cod boating executive as our captain and were the only ones on the boat. He provided an excellent tour (and a very leisurely one as well, pointing out several landmarks, even stopping awhile for photos).
Great view of the city from the harbor - beautiful blue sky
We checked in early (10:30 am) and the front desk was kind enough to provide us with two attractive options;
A very nice corner suite that would be ready in a few hours or
A standard room (with an excellent harbor/city view) ready now
Wanting to set up and then head out, we chose the latter and were quite pleased with the accommodations.
We walked straight down State St., caught the State St. Orange line station to the Stony Brook stop and yes, headed to the Sam Adams brewery tour.
One of my (and America's) favorite craft beers Samuel Adams, a great patriot
As you might imagine, I've been to scores of brewery tours for almost four decades now, and I must say, Samuel Adams was one of the best. A free tour (you can donate to worthy causes that Sam supports), lead by a talented guide who not only entertained us during the tour, but more impressively, really knew his stuff, teaching this beerhead several new things. The tour itself focused on tasting the various barley malts (ranging in taste from a yeasty bread type to grapenuts to expresso/bitter tasting roasted malt) and smelling the hops and a discussion of the brewing process. On top of that, they provided three generous sample tastings - their signature Lager, Oktoberfest, and an experimental beer (tasty) not yet distributed, New Zealand Wheat.
As an added benefit, I sat at the head of the table and the pitchers with extra beer returned to my position (use your imagination). Wow!
As you can see, good size samplers (note the pitchers)
Most Insiders know the concierges, yours truly hangs with the beer guides; My main man Stu
As Stu said, "well, it's noon on Thursday; you're either on vacation, retired, unemployed, or all of the above; let's toss back a few"
Caught the subway back to the Marriott Custom House, where we just missed the Observation Deck tour, but the front desk associate kindly provided a key and up we went - if this was Vegas, we'd be up a couple of Franklins by now, given the good fortune we had already experienced.
View of Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall from Custom House Observation Deck
Marriott Custom House at dusk
We then took a nostalgic walk to the area known as the Seaport District (just south of Long Wharf, near the Renaissance). I say nostalgic because I had several meals, back in the day, at Anthony's Pier 4, Jimmy's (both closed) and the No Name Restaurant (still opened and highly regarded). Seaport is undergoing extensive upscale development and will look quite different in another year. We stopped in at Legal Seafood's flagship operation (their Corp HQ is just a few blocks away) Legal Harborside and enjoyed a nice harbor view watching the planes at Logan take off with some reasonably priced and tasty appetizers.
A three story operation. First floor is a raw bar type atmosphere, second floor their top line seafood restaurant, and on the top floor their Roof Deck lounge.
We wrapped up the evening with a nice meal across from our Marriott, at City Landing, and then a lovely 55 degree, clear night walk around the harbor (scouting good spots for people watching the next evening - Halloween). Our, luck continued as I passed on buying dessert at City Landing in hopes the Concierge Lounge would provide treats and they came through with good looking/tasting pastries, cookies, and mini-cupcakes and a great nighttime view of the harbor. As I finished my red velvet cupcake, I made a point to walk by the fitness center, man it looked like a nice one
. A fine ending to a top notch day.Friday - another excellent set up by the Concierge Lounge for breakfast (absent meats tho). The lounge opens at 6:30 am and was made even nicer by the fact that we were the only two folks in there from opening until 7 am. This is often the key to my travels, I go when Marriott offers deals, Marriott only offers deals when no one goes, thus, I'm there when few others are making me a happy camper. Yeah, yeah, I like people, but I dislike crowds.
A lovely sunrise is another benefit of the CL at the end of the hotel facing due east.
We headed out charged up by our breakfast and our read of the local papers (R.I.P. Mayor Menino) and off to The Freedom Trail. They have many tours lead by skilled tour guides (we heard several of them yesterday as we eavesdropped at several stops that crossed our path), but we opted to venture out on our own (see note above about crowds). The trail is easy to follow and is well marked with double file bricks with each historical spot marked with informative markers. The walk not only shares a lot of interesting historical tidbits, but also covers a lot of the city from Boston Common and the Public Gardens all the way to Bunker Hill.
The Meeting Hall at Faneuil
Green Dragon Tavern - hot bed for revolutionaries (somewhat like Insiders). This is where the Patriots overheard British plans for capturing Sam Adams and John Hancock. The Patriots planned Paul Revere's ride in response.
Green Dragon - lobstah roll - dee licious
North Church - Oldest standing church, built in 1723. Lanterns were hung in the steeple to warn of the advancing 'King's Men or Red Coats' (since most all colonialists considered themselves British, Paul probably didn't yell, "The British are coming"
Lagoon at Public Gardens
Enjoyed an excellent meal (again across from our Marriott) at Legal Seafoods and spent a couple of hours people watching on Halloween at the wharfs and downtown. An early Saturday, catching the T right out the hotel door (unlike our own DC Metro, it opens at 5:30 am on Sat./6 on Sun) arriving two stops later at Logan. Breakfast in the very nice/new United club in the new section of Terminal B, returning home in time for College Football Saturday - another great Marriott trip in the book.