our boston summer 'bucket' list! — Lindsay Wilkins Art

This is our last summer in the Boston area, and we aim to squeeze it dry of every last drop of goodness. I made a Boston "bucket list" (Chris hates that term, because ' we're not dying!', so it's not really a "bucket list", but whatever) and we've been hitting most of the items on the list at a pretty good rate. I thought I'd share it here for those of you who might be visiting, or who just need a few fresh ideas for this weekend.

The Greenway Carousel

Play on the Esplanade Playspace- We pass this playground on the Charles River every week on our way to church, and we finally got a chance to explore a few weeks ago. With a zipline, several climbing structures, a two story tube slide, and other fun unexpected playground features, it was just as much fun for us as it was for Silas (uh, maybe more so?) There are lots of other playgrounds and parks along the Esplanade that we plan on hitting later this summer.

Watch a Shakespeare on the Common play- We did this a few years ago before we lived here, and it was so fun. Of course, that was pre-kids, and we haven't braved it with kids yet, but I think we're ready this summer. It just started up this week, so we may go this weekend!

Watch a Free Friday Flicks kids movie at the Hatchshell- Haven't done this yet either. None of the movies really look interesting enough for us to keep the kids out hours past bedtime, so we'll see about this one.

Splash in the Rose Kennedy Greenway splash parks- I think we've hit most of them this summer, and our favorite is Rings Fountain and North Canal. Silas jumps right in and I think it's his favorite part of the city. In fact, the whole Greenway is pretty amazing-- beautiful gardens, plenty of adirondack chairs to lounge in, food trucks galore, and even a handful of really gorgeous hammocks.

Ride the Greenway Carousel- This carousel is like none I've ever seen. It's absolutely beautiful, featuring creatures native to Massachusetts, and plays really fun music. Silas' favorite animals to ride are the bunny rabbits and the blue whale.

Take a ferry out to the Boston Harbor Islands- We've done this many times since we moved here two years ago. You can read more about our experiences in this post here. Definitely a great thing to do with kids. Our favorite island is George's Island, where there is an old Civil War era fort and lots of space to explore. There's also a decent restaurant and plenty of picnic tables for bringing your own lunch.

Take a Boston Duck Tour (again)- We did this the first summer we lived here, and it was totally worth it. So much good info about Boston, and super fun (I was SURE it was gonna be majorly cheesy, but it wasn't at all.). We hope to do it again now that Silas is older and he gets excited every time he sees a Duck boat around town.

Picnic at Copley Square Farmer's Market- We did this with some friends recently. There is a stand with awesome sandwiches (I got a prosciutto, mozzarella and pesto on ciabatta), and definitely snag a jar of the maple mint tea!

Date night at Empire- Located in the Seaport District, this is one of our very favorite restaurants in Boston, and I crave it constantly. It's a hip spot with an aaaah-mazing menu. The Thai scallop soup is to DIE for, as is pretty much everything else they offer.

Hike in the Blue Hills Reservation-- We hike here often and it's a great spot for easy, family-friendly hikes. Great views of the city and easy to get to from 93 South.

Get lunch from Dino's in the North End-- Our friends recommended this little family-owned deli to us recently and we hit them up when my sister visited recently. Amazing sandwiches, fabulous pasta-- perfect for grabbing and sitting at the North Canal splash park while your littles play!

Get breakfast from Bagelsaurus in Porter Square-- I've heard this place is amazing, but we haven't had a chance to eat there yet! I mean, they have a peanut butter and bacon sandwich, so yeah, I'm sold.

So that's our "bucket" list, or summer list, or whatever you want to call it. I realized as I typed it up that we really don't have much left to check off. We still haven't made it to many museums, but I think we'll save those for cooler weather.