Previously

Lizi’s 2024 Christmas Trip: Part 1, LAX–DCA

Lizi’s 2024 Christmas Trip: Part 2, DC Museums

Lizi’s 2024 Christmas Trip: Part 3, Amtrak Acela Express on the Northeast Corridor

Nearly two years late, the fourth installment of this series is finally here.

Hotel Indigo Boston Garden

Picking up where Part 3 left off, after getting off the Amtrak Acela Express at Back Bay Station, we took the subway to Boston North Station, then popped up to check in at Hotel Indigo Boston Garden. The hotel is right across from the subway exit, which is very convenient. As for the redemption, we went with the simple, no-nonsense approach: pulled out two Chase FN certificates and redeemed them for two nights! The room was pretty small. Then again, we didn’t expect much from a place in downtown Boston. Here’s what the key card looked like: an ordinary IHG key card. After resting for a bit, we went out for a walk and realized TD Garden was right across the street. We stopped by the entrance to check it out and snap a photo, then looked for a restaurant for dinner. After dinner, it was about time to head back and get some rest.

2024.12.26. Harvard, MIT & USS Constitution Museum

Early the next morning, we headed downstairs to the restaurant for breakfast. Some of you might be wondering, “How did this crafty, never-spends-money-on-the-game Chestnut get IHG Diamond status?” Remember that Diamond status trial a while back? You could click a link and get it free for a few months. And back then, buying an IHG Ambassador membership could reset the expiration date and extend your current status for another year. You get the idea! The menu. After breakfast, we went to Boston North station and took the Orange Line to Downtown Crossing, where we transferred to the Red Line for Harvard University. Memorial Church. John Harvard Statue. The Bixi stone stele. We apparently didn't have the best luck with our timing; it was covered up when we visited. Memorial Hall. After making a big loop around campus, it was about time to head to MIT by subway. We emerged from Kendall/MIT station. Great Dome. We took a leisurely walk back along the river. Back at Kendall/MIT station, we took the subway to Downtown. The Red Line runs above ground as it crosses the river. In Downtown, we transferred to bus 93 to get to Charlestown Navy Yard. We made a mistake here: we should have visited USS Constitution first, rather than the museum next to it. You’ll see why later... When we finally went to board USS Constitution, we realized it was closing in just 15 minutes, while the museum would stay open an hour later. Sigh—we hadn't done our homework, so all we could do was hurry aboard and snap a few photos. USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship in the U.S. Navy. Cannons below deck. Before leaving, we took a photo of USS CASSIN YOUNG, which wasn't open to visitors, along with the two deck guns. Getting a bus back to the city turned out to be difficult, so we went straight for the big guns and took an Uber back. Next stop: Boston Public Library. The dome in the stairwell. The reading room ceiling—pretty spectacular from this angle! After our visit, we walked to Copley Place for dinner at Legal Sea Foods. We spotted this along the way... What a sneaky entrance to I-90! We had a delicious feast. After dinner, we took the subway back to the hotel. The Green Line trains are really short—just four cars... Back at the hotel, we found that the room had already been tidied up!

2024.12.27. Commomwealth Ave, Fenway Park & BOS Sapphire Lounge

After a quiet night, day three arrived. After an early breakfast, we headed out by subway again. We took the T (Green Line) and came up at Arlington station, right by Arlington Street Church. George Washington Statue. We walked along Commonwealth Ave—the Alexander Hamilton Statue. A little farther on was the General John Glover statue. Boston Vendome Hotel Fire Memorial. We went back to the subway station, headed down at Coplay, and continued on the T to Fenway Park. During the open tour, we had the chance to visit the Green Monster Seats. The view from here was incredible. After the tour, we headed back and took a quick photo of the ticket office along the way. On the way back, we got a text alert: our scheduled afternoon AA flight had been canceled and rebooked for the evening. We didn’t have anything planned for the afternoon, so we took the subway back to find somewhere to eat. That’s when we realized we hadn’t used the $50 Resy credit on the AMEX Gold yet. A quick look at the map showed Saltie Girl as an option, so that was where we went! After relaxing for a while in the afternoon, we called an Uber straight to the airport… When we got there, we realized there was no traffic at all. LAX must be an unusual airport—after getting used to traffic and the misery of being stuck in it, no traffic felt downright strange. After checking in, we saw their sign… What a throwback. By the time this post was published, Spirit was already gone. We joined the line for the Sapphire Lounge at BOS. Since our flight was delayed a bit, we figured we’d have time to get in! After waiting about half an hour, we got a text on our phones saying it was our turn to go in! Time to find some food… The coffee machine. There was plenty of good food—very impressive. You had to scan a QR code and place your burger order manually. It turned out pretty good! After eating and drinking our fill, we headed to the gate to wait for boarding. It looked like they had canceled the afternoon flight and consolidated it with the evening flight. They also switched the aircraft from a CRJ to a 737. The one on the left is a rabbit (:3 The rest of the trip was uneventful, and we arrived in Cincinnati (CVG). That brought the journey to an end.

Summary

And with that, Chestnut’s 2024 Christmas trip came to an end. Stay tuned for the next adventure…