First Time at Fenway — Boston Was a Blast

I have been wanting to get to Fenway Park for years. One of those things that sits on the list and never quite happens — until it does.

It happened.

A buddy of mine and I finally pulled the trigger, booked the trip, and made it to Boston for the first time. I am going to tell you all about it because it was genuinely one of the better trips I have taken in recent memory, and sometimes you just need to share a good weekend.

The Setup

We found a great Airbnb tucked in near the rail station by Park Street Station, which turned out to be a perfect home base. Easy access in and out of the city without the downtown Boston price tag or the downtown Boston parking nightmare. If you are planning a trip and debating where to stay — get outside the city center, get near the T, and save yourself the headache. We hopped on and off the rail all weekend without thinking twice about it.

The place itself was comfortable, well located, and had everything we needed. Sometimes the right Airbnb makes or breaks a trip and this one made it. Good hosts, clean spot, no complaints.

Fenway Park

Let me talk about Fenway for a second.

You see it in photos and you think you know what it is going to feel like walking in. You do not. That park has something in the air that you cannot get from a television broadcast or a highlight reel. It is old. It is narrow. It is loud in a way that feels personal, like everybody around you has a stake in what is happening on that field. The Green Monster is right there — massive and close and somehow more real than you expected.

I am not going to pretend I am a lifelong Red Sox devotee. But sitting in those seats, with a cold beer, hot dog in hand, and the smell of the park all around me, I completely understood why people come here. There is history soaked into every corner of that place and you feel it from the first inning.

First time at Fenway. Absolutely will not be the last.

The River Cruise

One of the highlights of the whole trip that I did not see coming — the river cruise.

We got on the water for a cruise around Boston Harbor and the surrounding waterways and it was flat-out beautiful. The city looks completely different from the water. You get the skyline, the bridges, the harbor islands out in the distance, boats everywhere. We had a great time just taking it all in. If you are going to Boston and you have not done a river or harbor cruise, put it on the list. It is worth every minute.

The Food — Let's Talk About the Food

Boston seafood is not a joke. I knew this going in but knowing it and experiencing it are two different things.

We ate fried fish and shrimp like it was our job. Crispy, fresh, straight out of the fryer — the kind of seafood that reminds you why people who grew up near the ocean do not understand how the rest of the country eats. Clam chowder too, obviously. You cannot go to Boston and skip the chowder. That would be a crime.

The beers kept pace with the food. Cold drafts, good company, no agenda. We found a couple of spots near the waterfront and just posted up and enjoyed ourselves. Nobody rushed us. Nobody had anywhere to be.

That is the kind of day that recharges something in you.

What I Took Away

Sometimes you need to just go somewhere. Close the laptop, pack a bag, get on a train, and remind yourself that the world is big and interesting and full of good food and good people and old baseball stadiums with character you cannot manufacture.

Boston delivered on every level. The city, the park, the water, the food — all of it was exactly what a good trip should be.

If you have never been to Fenway, go. Figure out the rest when you get there.

— Dr. Scott