We finally landed at Logan International to begin our search for the Warren Tavern, the oldest tavern in Massachusetts. However, since it was Christmas Day, the Warren, as well as almost every other drinking hole and restaurant, was closed for the holiday. So, in true Christmas Story tradition we went looking for some Chinese, settling in at the Red 8 restaurant in the Encore Boston Harbor Casino. There, we met our friends, Steve and Penny, who were having an early dinner before heading off to see the Celtics take on the Bucks at the TD Garden arena. We had a tasty dinner, developed a bar hopping game plan, then headed to our hotel to check in. After checking in we rebounded (see what I did there) back to the casino to meet back up with our friends after the Celtics big win. We spent the rest of the evening having a great time bar hopping around the casino and watching football on the big screens (Buccaneers vs Cardinals). P.S. It was obvious that Bostonians still love their Tom Brady even though he wears a different uniform.
The next day we met up again at noon for some serious Boston bar hopping. We kicked things off by heading to our prime objective, the Warren Tavern, located in the Charlestown area of Boston. The Warren has been around since 1780, and Massachusetts became our 29th state in our quest to visit the oldest tavern in every state. We were happy to see the Warren has kept a lot of the charm that a good colonial bar should have. After a nice lunch and some Bloody Mary’s we went downtown. There, we had stops in the Bell in Hand Tavern, the Green Dragon Tavern, and Durty (yes, that is the correct spelling) Nelly’s. Some folks may claim that the Bell in Hand and the Green Dragon are the Warren’s senior, so naturally we had to have drinks there, too, just to be sure our #29 was undisputed . After the Green Dragon we bid Steve and Penny adieu and headed back to our hotel. It was just getting dark, so we weren’t done for the day. On the walk back we stopped at the Tiki Rock for a fancy schmancy tiki cocktail, and then closed things out at The Black Rose right across the street from our hotel. The Black Rose was lots of fun, the locals were great to hang out with, and I was so glad it was just across the street and we had elected to dispense with the rental car on this trip .
Hey, a couple of tips for your trip to Boston. Like us, don’t rent a car. It’s easy to get around on foot and an Uber is always available, plus there is good public transportation. Second, take the hop on hop off tour bus. We always like doing that, and in Boston it will help orient you to the city and will give you a chance to check out the many touristy and historical spots. Lastly, go when the weather is nice. It was COLD while we were there, and we had wished the weather was warmer to make all the walking more enjoyable. Rest assured, we’ll be back again…but in the summer next time! We’ll, that’s Part 2 of our trip to Boston, but every good saga comes as a trilogy. Just wait, there’s more… James
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