Out of this Town

Last weekend, I went on an impromptu road trip with friends and family up to Boston and Cape Cod. We didn't really hash out a plan beforehand, only knowing that we wanted to visit someplace we'd never been to, see a lighthouse and go to Harvard! Luckily, we ended up having one of the best weekends ever, so the spontaneity and easygoing attitude were worth it.

We (Macky, Rachel, Mel, Joel & myself) got an early start on Saturday morning, grabbing Mcdonald's for breakfast along the way. After a couple of hours in the car, admiring the pretty green scenery that flew by our windows, we finally arrived in Boston. I immediately fell in love with how pretty the city looks, as we drove past some lovely buildings on our mini-tour in the car. We finally arrived at Masa, the brunch place Macky had chosen - and it was delicious! We all availed of their Brunch Fiesta special, and I personally picked out the (fantastic) Sante Fe style Eggs Benedict and fresh fruit, with a mimosa to drink. The restaurant not only serves great food, but has a fantastic ambiance to it too. I'd definitely go back!

After brunch, we met up with our friends Jaymee and Ephy to visit the New England Aquarium. I don't know if I've ever mentioned it before, but I'm obsessed with aquariums! I love oceans, seas, lakes, rivers - pretty much all bodies of water. And I love learning about the wildlife that calls those places home. During our visit, we saw various types of fish, seals and sea lions, penguins, sea turtles (!!!), rays (!!!) and jellyfish (!!!). (Jellyfish, sea turtles and rays are my favorite sea creatures, in case you were wondering about the exclamation points.)

After the aquarium, we went off in search of the The Cookie Monstah truck -- and found it! We were all extremely excited to have some cookie + ice cream sandwiches, and I'm pleased to report that they were delicious. Rachel and I shared The Classic, and it was amazing. I really, really, really wish I could have convinced them to road trip with us back to New York City. It's that good.

We piled back into the cars after and drove to Harvard. We walked around Harvard Yard for a little while, stumbling across the library and a free concert by an a capella singing group. The campus is beautiful, with all the architecture and greenery, and it reminded me just a bit of my own alma mater, Ateneo de Manila University. We popped into a store to buy some Harvard souvenirs, and then paid a visit to Harvard Book Store where I picked up postcards and a book before we had to go.

We then drove down to Cape Cod, and straight to Nobska Lighthouse, determined to make it there by sunset. And we did! The lighthouse was smaller than I expected, but it was beautifully situated and perfectly framed by the setting sun. I fell in love with the view then and there, and I'm pretty sure the others felt exactly the same way. We spent a little time just enjoying the place, and taking loads of photos before the cold drove us into our cars and off to Seafood Sam's for dinner. They have divine clam chowder, and I liked the popcorn shrimp too! After dinner, we went to Macky's aunt's house and settled in for the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight (which was slightly underwhelming).

The next morning, we ate breakfast at the house and visited the private beach across the street before we bid Macky's aunt goodbye. We were planning to go to Martha's Vineyard, but the schedule just wound up not working in our best interests. Instead, we randomly decided to rent bikes -- and this turned out to be the best decision we'd make for the entire trip. We biked along the Shining Sea Bikeway, enjoying the beautiful day, lovely breeze and the incredible forest/sea views along the path. It was seriously the best bike ride I've ever been on! 

At the end of four miles, we ended up in Woods Hole and stopped to eat at Landfall. I had their fish and chips and their clam chowder, both of which left me stuffed completely! But not too stuffed for ice cream from Jimmy's -- and the ice cream I had was s'mores and totally worth it. After resting for a while, we got back on the bikes and made our way back to the start. We grabbed drinks from Coffee Expression before we set out for home.

On a whim, we decided to stop by Brown University since it was on our way back. And the rest of the way home, as the sun set, was filled with fun riddles, silly games and just a whole lot of laughs - which was pretty memorable in and of itself. Just writing up this post makes me miss the weekend already, because it was so much fun. I'm so glad we were able to make this road trip happen, and that it turned out so, so well!