Over the Memorial Day holiday this year, my family and I opted to take a quick road trip up to Boston for the night and the better part of the next day to check out the sights.

Now, if you’ve ever been to Boston, you know there is simply no way to see a city this vast and historical in just 24 hours, but the Merriweathers are always up for a challenge.

Here are a few things we were able to take advantage of while in the city and I’ve linked to everything we did and saw in my post, even where we stayed!

Westin Boston Waterfront Seaport District

I can’t stress enough the importance of location when it comes to your hotel, especially when traveling with small children. Because so much of downtown Boston is either walkable or accessible via the “T”, Boston’s public transportation system, we probably would have been fine at any hotel in that immediate area, but we chose the Westin for a couple of reasons. First, because we love Marriott properties, and second, because we saw that it was in walking distance to the Boston Children’s Museum and many of the restaurants along the harbor. The hotel has a beautiful lobby and a Starbucks inside (always a win for me)!

When in Boston, or honestly any seaside city, you have to try the local seafood. So we chose Legal Seafood for the views and the fresh seafood. Something I did not do is take my typical foodie appreciation photos but I can tell you that the crab cakes are delicious. My husband and I shared a dozen oysters, which were OK. I prefer an oyster with a bit more brine. But overall, we really enjoyed our meals. They have kid-friendly options as well, which always makes ordering much smoother.

Kid-Friendly Activities

Boston Children’s Museum

As I mentioned, a big part of why we chose our hotel was because it was in walking distance to this gem.

As my daughter calls it, this is definitely a “please touch” museum. All of the exhibits and activities are open for children of all ages to engage with and enjoy. From making giant bubbles to creating magnetic tile masterpieces, kids are encouraged to explore and learn as they play. They also have a cafe inside the museum for light snacks and healthy smoothies and coffees.

Also, FUN FACT, for all you American history buffs, the museum is located directly across the street from Griffin’s Warf the site where the Boston Tea Party took place. They even have a museum there to learn more about this interesting moment in our nation’s history.

Good eats!

It was serendipitous that we would find this restaurant literally on the way to the Children’s Museum, because one thing about my Chicago born and bred husband, he loves barbecue and I can always go for some pulled chicken or pork with delicious home-style sides. The Smoke Shop BBQ is one of those places that we could definitely see ourselves returning back to again and again. The food was delicious and if you try nothing else, I highly recommend the two potato salad. Not only is it seasoned to perfection, but it also features a mix of regular and sweet potatoes. The kids also enjoyed the complimentary watermelon slices we got with our meals.

Sadly, that’s all we got a chance to do in the 24 hours that we were in the city, but we’re already looking forward to our next visit.