Boston in July - a Recap
- Lily Collard
- Sep 15
- 5 min read
This is long overdue, but here we go — my Boston trip recap (July 14–17). It was part vacation, part work trip for my dad, which meant my mom, sisters, and I got to spend four-ish days exploring one of the dreamiest cities. Boston has everything I love: energy, architecture, and food (lots of food).
Day 1: Travel + First Taste of the City
We left bright and early — first flight at 10:30 am to Baltimore, Maryland (had to double-check what state that even is), landed at 2:00 pm, then a quick connection to Boston, where we arrived around 4:30 pm. From the moment we landed, I adored the city. People were out running, yoga classes were being held in the park, and everyone was being active. We Ubered to our hotel, Copley Place (our home for the week — 32 floors up with a gorgeous city view!), dropped our bags, and headed straight out for food. Almost three miles later, we settled into Brewer’s Fork Pizza. The walk itself was stunning — Boston’s architecture had me swooning. Narrow brick roads, little aligned houses with colorful front doors… so nostalgic and cozy. We even passed the Boston Harbor.
Brewer’s Fork Pizza — fun atmosphere + phenomenal crust (light, fluffy, perfect). We split three: clam, nduja (spicy spreadable pork sausage from Calabria), and classic pepperoni. Highly recommend if you’re a pizza person! 8/10 first meal.
The first night, we walked around the area of our hotel to see what we could find. The city was so gorgeous in the dark.
Day 2: Cafés, Books, & 8 Miles of Walking
We started the day at Tatte’s Bakery & Café (highly recommend). I had a hazelnut hot matcha and a chocolate croissant — both divine. The bright, airy atmosphere made it the perfect breakfast spot. Pro tip: don't skip Tatte's when you're in Boston - it's iconic.
Next, we stopped at Jonquils Café, where my dad had one of the best cappuccinos in Boston, plus we shared a Spanish latte. Three stories, crisp vibes, and we snagged a cozy nook on the top stairwell corner. It wasn’t too busy, so I journaled and let our thoughts wander — loved it.
Somewhere in between coffee breaks, we:
Shopped at Nordstrom Rack, where I scored the perfect Levi’s jeans + a cute sweater (always buy the jeans if they fit right).
Wandered through Brattle Book Shop, the oldest bookstore in Boston. It smelled like old paper + history, and we found postcards with handwriting from the 1800s (!!). My mom grabbed a Martin Lloyd-Jones book.
Boston is very much a walking city (bring good shoes and patience for the July heat!).
Lunch was a legendary Italian sub from Monica’s Mercato. The place is pure Italian vibes — deli meats hanging, tomatoes in the window, Italian ladies slicing meats. The sandwich was to die for!
Later: gelato break at Dolce (mint chocolate chip for me), juices from Mother Juice inside Boston Public Market, and lots of people-watching in the Public Garden. There are so many people, but I truly don't mind. Hundreds of seagulls flying abroad and above the city, they're fun when they squeak! The pigeons are so chubby, cute, and so social. They don't get out of your way when you walk. I love everyone with dogs! They're all so cute. That night, my feet were done (we walked 8 miles!), but my heart was full.
More Eats + Whale Watching
At some point (I lost track of days ), we had lobster rolls from Lobstah Roll and browsed the quaint DeLucca’s Market.
The tour was unforgettable — we left the harbor, headed an hour and a half into the ocean, and spotted two Minke whales, plus a humpback shooting water as it surfaced. We even saw a seal! The sunburn was brutal (sunscreen + hats next time, trust me), but watching whales in their national park sanctuary was a fun experience. Went whale watching with a tour! Started the day off at Jaho Coffee, which was a little disappointing, but we still got our coffee fix (we're coffee snobs, hehe), and we saw many parts of whales - haha. The boat ride was a bit rough. My ears were popping, and the wind was unbearably sharp to your skin, but most of the time, it felt so nice. The rough part was on the way away from the city, to the middle of the ocean. We drove out of the harbor area about an hour and a half to the middle of the ocean, where the whales were. It was a national park in the ocean for whales, which I thought was neat. That's where they breed and are protected. We saw two Minky whales and barely saw a Humpback. The humpback was coming up for breaths and shooting out water! Cool sight. Whales are such interesting creatures, and it always makes me curious how God created such vast creatures that people know little about and that live in the ocean! We also saw a super cute seal! But... I got soooo sunburnt. Definitely wear sunscreen if you're going to go whale watching, and bring a hat to guard you from the blinding sun, haha.
Dinner that night was at The Daily Catch, where I finally got to try squid ink pasta. It was phenomenal — so flavorful. Their homemade root beer was amazing, too. We went back to the Boston Public Market (we love it there!) for some homemade ice cream. Soooo delicious and creamy. I got there, black raspberry chocolate chip flavor. We tried to stop by Mike’s Pastry afterward, but the crowds + cash-only policy made us skip. Instead, we DoorDashed another Monica’s Mercato sandwich. Zero regrets.
Travel Tips + Takeaways
Walk everywhere. Boston is a walking city — it’s the best way to soak in the details (but bring good shoes).
Eat the subs + pizza. Monica’s and Brewer’s Fork were highlights.
Book a whale-watching tour. It’s humbling + magical, but prepare for wind, sun, and a long ride.
Always buy the jeans. If you find a pair that fits perfectly (looking at you, Nordstrom Rack Levi’s), get them.
Don’t forget sunscreen. Learned the hard way.
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