Boston Harbor Islands

Last weekend my boyfriend and I flew to Boston to make a surprise appearance for his brother's surprise birthday clambake.  We had such a wonderful time both exploring new parts of the area and surprising his entire family.  Happy tears were shed and of course the fun-filled weekend came to an end much too quickly!

We started off our long weekend by exploring the Boston Harbor Islands.  They're just a hop and a skip away on a short ferry ride, which was perfect for a day trip.  We docked at Spectacle Island first, bought lunch, and hiked to the top of the island for a wonderful view of the Boston skyline.

There's also a beach by the Visitor's Center where you can scavenge for sea glass (though they do request that you leave what you find on the island for others to enjoy).

Then we hopped on over to Georges Island, which is home to the Civil War era Fort Warren, which is truly a magnificent structure.  It's impossible to get a photo of the entire fort, but I did take a lovely scenic photo of the harbor through some flowers and grasses.

Once back on the mainland, we caught up with a friend and tried some Spencer Trappist Ale at a local restaurant.  It's the U.S.'s only Trappist beer, which is a beer traditionally brewed by Trappist monks.  I've never had a Trappist beer before and so have nothing to compare it to, but I thought it was a very good beer and I would definitely order a draft again!  Unfortunately, distribution is limited to the New England area as it's brewed by the monks at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts.  Hopefully it'll make it's way down the east coast in good time!