I had barely unpacked from my Mexico City vacation when I was packing up again and going to Boston. I took Amtrak's new Acela train. The Acela is advertised as if it's America's answer to Japan's Bullet Train or the Eurostar. But, it's not. The Acela is just a newer, somewhat clearner Amtrak train. The trip from Penn Station to Boston's South Station is just four hours, but, the same trip with the same limited stops was 4.5 hours, so just how much faster is it? Plus, the Acela only runs twice a day. So far, I am underwhelmed.
I decided to go crazy and buy a business class ticket. For some reason, Amtrak gives people discounts if they have AAA memberships, so I saved 10% and had a guaranteed seat. The seats didn't seem much different from the older Amtrak train seats. My business class ticket also guaranteed me a free beverage. However, it's a smaller free beverage. I got a 12-ounce Pepsi rather than a 20-ounce can. I mean, really!
My train got to the Back Bay Station on time, and my hotel, the Chandler Inn (at the corner of Berkeley and Chandler) was just three blocks away. I wound up being able to check in early, so I flopped down for a nap and I watched my beloved soap operas. I was up half the night before, cleaning and packing, as is my horrifying custom. I procrastinate and wind up doing everything in the wee hours.
Tony had recommended the Chandler Inn from his winter visit to Boston. I knew this going in, but the Chandler was more expensive in Summer. It cost $155 a night, but I so rarely actually pay that much for lodging, much less ever pay. The Chandler is also a gay hotel. You can tell from the staff, immediately, it's a gay hotel. It is also attached to a gay bar, Fritz, and there's a huge rainbow flag on the corner of the building. Turns out the South End is a big gay area. There are a few bars in the area, and a gay bookstore called We Think the World of You.
The T (Boston's mass transit system) is rather cheap. Just 85 cents per token. I got 11 tokens and change for $10, and never even used all my tokens. I met my friends, L and A (a pair of sisters) for dinner. L is a shopping fanatic, and after visiting a kate spade handbag she's been eyeing for a while, we went for dinner. Then we shopped more. Boston seems as full of shops as New York City.
The Back Bay area is chock full of shopping areas interconnected by aerial walkways. Unfortunately, the three of us were wandering the sides of major arterial roadways instead of walking above them. Boston is renowned for being full of bad roads and bad drivers.
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