We boarded our train at 7am at Penn Station and began the 4-hour Amtrak ride to the Back Bay Station in Boston, where our Pathfinder was waiting on us.  We checked into a Courtyard and then dropped my bride off at a nail salon in Cambridge, so she could see her mom, little sister, and big sister (the bride-to-be).  I took the 2 older children for a walk.

Naturally, we had to stop by a diner across from Harvard, so I could get my boy to say, “Well I got ‘er numba.  Howdya like them apples?” because that stuff matters.

Then I took the children to a really cool pipe and tobacco shop, as one does in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and shortly after that, the ladies were finished getting manicured, so we went to the future groom’s parents’ house for a rehearsal dinner and party, which allowed us the chance to meet our future uncle and brother-in-law (plus a bunch of other people from New England).  This was fun, until it was time to get the children to leave (way past their bed time), and we had to drive like 45 minutes to our hotel.  But the next morning, we got to board a trolley and see Lexington and Concord!

It was called the Liberty Ride, and it was a great way to learn some U.S. history while enjoying a beautiful day (i.e., not 95+ degrees like Atlanta) with 3 children and a mother-in-law. It had several stops and a tour guide to give information about everything we passed or stopped to see.  My boy got a minuteman hat from the Lexington Visitors Center that he wore the rest of the day (including during his aunt’s wedding).  After lunch, we stopped by the Minuteman Trail Visitors Center to see a pretty cool interactive movie about the “shot heard ’round the world” and about how Longfellow screwed William Dawes and Samuel Prescott out of a good bit of fame.

After that, we went to the woods, because we wished to live deliberately.

We saw a pond and discussed not living lives of quiet desperation.

Then, we spent some time at our hotel’s pool before heading to the Wright-Locke farm for the wedding!  My bride got to read, and the children got to meet new friends and cousins.

And there was a food truck!

The next day was father’s day, and I really wanted to see some of the actual city of Boston before we left, and given my status as #1 dad, I was granted my wish.  My friend Ben treated us to a wonderful brunch (and beers) at Cambridge Brewing Company!

We had about an hour before our flight home, so we hit the Museum of Science long enough to see some dinosaur bones and other exhibits (and get out of the rain).

We dropped off the rental and got to the airport with maybe 10 minutes to spare!  Another outstanding family trip had concluded.  Hopefully, the children gained some knowledge and appreciation of their country’s history along with their new knowledge and appreciation of their additional family members, and, thanks to Delta miles, Marriott points, and some very kind friends I’ve made over the years from blogging, it was one of the least expensive family trips we’ve ever taken (around $500 total)!  I can’t wait for the next one.