Swan boats are back! Boston’s favorite springtime excursion for families is traveling by swan boat through the pond in the Public Garden. Flowering trees are in bloom, tulips and daffodils grow beside the water, and the gardens are enveloped in spring loveliness.
Kids will want to stop to admire the row of ducklings and their mother mallard; these bronze sculptures by artist Nancy Schön have charmed passersby since 1987. Before visiting, look for a copy of Robert McCloskey’s book Make Way for the Ducklings, a story set right here in Boston’s Public Garden. If you’re traveling in May, you might be there for the Duckling Day Parade.
Swan boats, which opened for the season last week, are not just for kids, but also for parents, and they are not the only reason to choose late April or early May for a trip to Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. In spring, magnolias bloom all along Commonwealth Avenue and in the dooryards of adjacent Beacon Street amid bright patches of flowering bulbs and shrubs.
For the best views of the Public Garden and downtown skyline, choose a front-facing room on the top floor of The Newbury. From the wide windows, above the foreground of treetops and bright flower beds, Beacon Hill rises to the golden dome of the State House, backed by a skyline of modern buildings.
The Newbury is the latest of a distinguished roster of luxury hotels gracing this enviable location above the Public Garden. Amenities go well beyond the ordinary, and include a private lounge where hotel guests can enjoy a light breakfast, daytime snacks, coffee, tea and comfortable seating in a quiet, club-like atmosphere.
Boutiques and specialty shops on Newbury and Charles streets are a few steps from the Public Garden, and Charles Street is a good place to find restaurants, making this a good neighborhood for a parents’ getaway weekend. And for kids, Boston’s several family attractions — Duck Tours, the Children’s Museum, Tea Party Ship and Science Museum — are just a subway ride away.
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