Enjoying the Park - Boston Common and Public Gardens

Sitting in the shadows of Park St. Church, the Massachusetts State Capital, Cheers and a number of other well-known buildings lies the Boston Common and the Public Garden - two historical areas that are home to (among other things) the Frog Pond, the Swan Boats and the Make Way For Ducklings statues.    Too frequently I find myself walking swiftly passed them as I hurry to my final destination - well maybe not my FINAL destination, but at least to the T.  This weekend I decided to spend some time in the parks and actually enjoy the area.  I have done this a few other times and have always been greeted with some pretty interesting sights.    

The Boston Common, originally used to provide entertainment in the form of hangings and maybe some cow tipping (since it was used as a community pasture in the 1800s), is a great place to relax and take in the sites.  While I was there on Saturday I saw people cutting hair as a fundraiser, two individuals performing as living statues, a tour group and Fulan Gong practicioners (who were practically statues themselves).  On other visits to the Common I have seen people running in togas and what appeared to be a mini circus performances - turned out they were Alice and Wonderland enthusiasts (it was around the same time the movie was released).

The Public Garden is also a great place to take a stroll through or relax on a bench - of which there seem to be more in the Garden than the Common (but I wasn't actually counting).  One of the many attractions in the Garden is the Make Way For Duckling statue.  I was not read the book growing up (I recently yelled at my parents for that oversight), so the few other times I walked passed the statues I just thought - "oh how cute" - and moved on.  This time I decided to spend some time by the statues and enjoyed watching people interact with them.  Yes, I said interact - the kids sat on the ducks and people of all ages were fixing the ducklings' spring hats (even the adults were doing this).  It was nice seeing everyone take pride in and caring for the statues.  

I must say that if you haven't wondered through these areas recently, go do so.  And as you are wondering around make sure to look behind you - sometimes it is a better view than what is in front.  It is a great way to spend an afternoon and I gained a better appreciation for these two areas - and really enjoyed the unusual sites (really the guys were in togas!)  And if you have been to the Boston Common or the Public Garden recently, I would love to hear what you saw - I just know that togas and circuses are just the tip of the iceberg.

Skating In The Park

From the moment I heard that you could ice skate at the Frog Pond I wanted to go.  Everyone I spoke to about it encouraged me to do it, saying it was a lot of fun.  But they also suggested going when it was warm.   Since I was unable to go last year, I made a point to strap on ice skates and take a few laps around the rink this year.  For the record, I would suggest wearing heavy socks when skating to avoid blisters ouch!

I managed to make it out to the pond during the gorgeous weather last weekend.  I knew I wanted to go during the day, one so I could get these pictures and two to give myself some time to recover if I fell.  I am not an ice skater by any stretch of the imagination - I have to run into a wall to stop - and figured I would plan for the worst.  Luckily I didn't fall.  By the way, if you are like me and need walls to stop, the Frog Pond walls are about 4 ft. high so be careful when you stop so you don't fall out of the rink yikes! (Alas, this is something I could see myself doing, hence the warning.)

Anyway, skating on the Frog Pond was amazing!  Just being outside, knowing I was skating in the middle of Boston, Boston Common was really cool.  It was also great people watching.  One of my friends joined me, but did not skate.  She had a blast watching the little kids, they were really cute - especially when they would fall (don't worry no one was hurt), struggle to get back up, and then skate away with a smile.  

I was pleased that I followed the advice I was given - go when it is warm.  It was fun being on the ice, but not freezing my butt off.  However, I think it might have been a little too warm when I went.  The ice was melting and rink employees were shoveling the water into the middle.  It was interesting to watch and skate through the water, but the ice was a little slick because of it.  The water also made me even wearier about falling - I didn't want to leave the rink soaked!

The ice rink closed for the season today, but I would definitely recommend you go skating when it reopens - it is a blast!.  The Frog Pond is located in Boston Common, just a short walk from the Park Street T station.  Check out the Frog Pond's website for more information about skating.

P.S. if you like skating outside you should know that there are other rinks in the area.  The rinks at Charles Hotel in Harvard Square in Cambridge and Larz Anderson Skating Rink in Brookline are two that I learned about this year.  While I didn't get a chance to visit them this year, they are definitely on my list for next year, along with a return visit to the Frog Pond