Somerville, Mass – The grandparents didn’t winter in Florida this year, which meant we could not go visit them during the twins’ February break, like we usually do. We made the best of it with a staycation right here in New England — and mostly in Boston.
PKL Boston
When we go to Florida, our favorite family activity is playing pickleball. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of public pickleball courts in the Boston area. But I have been meaning to check out PKL Boston, a “pickleball parlor” in South Boston, plus bar, restaurant, and music and games venue. I’m sure this is a fun place to drink (and play games), but we brought the twins in the morning to take advantage of early-bird pricing ($35 per hour) for court rental. We had a blast. At this point in our lives, there are few activities that engage everyone in the family equally. But this is one of them. Plus, the place is just fun. The walls are covered with funky murals, the music is blasting, everyone is having a good time. Including us. Perfect staycation outing.
For the record: the twin team has yet to beat their parents.
Urban Wild
I am still updating the Lonely Planet guide to Boston, so I invited the guys to come with me to check out the lanes at Urban Wild, a new bowling alley and entertainment complex in Charlestown. Aaaaand they invited six of their friends. This is another one of these places that turns into a bar at night; but during the day it’s open for all ages, and this crew loved it. It lacks the old-school charm of Sacco Bowl, but makes up for it with big screens and lights and music, which is probably more appealing for the younger set anyway. The kids all crowded into one lane, so Daddio and I got to bowl in our own lane. Wins all around. (Drawing our attention to a major advantage of a staycation: friends!)
Rebirth Brass Band
For Daddio’s birthday, we got him tickets to see the Rebirth Brass Band at the Crystal Ballroom. This funky, energetic ensemble cooks! I wasn’t sure about including the next generation, but they said they were interested. Unfortunately, I came down with a stomach bug and I couldn’t go. So Daddio took the kiddos and their friend. Much to my surprise, they stayed for the whole concert. And they enjoyed it–the band puts on a great show. And they ran into the kids’ band instructor, who was delighted his students got to hear the brass at its best.
No pics available because the photographer was on the DL.
Mount Sunapee
We are running out of time to use our Epic pass, so we took a day to drive up to New Hampshire for skiing. The Epic pass does include a handful of resorts in New Hampshire, but so far we have only gone to Mount Sunapee, which is close enough to go for a day-trip and big enough to keep the troops entertained. It is vacation week in Massachusetts, so the mountain was pretty crowded and some of the more popular slopes were extremely icy. This has been a tough winter for skiing, with mild temperatures and little natural snow. It makes one wonder about the future of skiing in New England… enjoy it while it lasts!
