HIT THE ICE
So far, we’ve had all the
earmarks of an abundantly arctic Hub winter,
but that hasn’t stopped folks from indulging
their Currier & Ives side by strapping on
some skates and gliding around gracefully
(or not so gracefully) on the ice at the
Boston Common Frog Pond—where
a pleasant skating experience can be had
even on warmer days, since the Pond is
equipped with an underground refrigeration
system. If you prefer skating where there’s
slightly less hustle and bustle, try the ice
at Brookline’s Larz Anderson
Park (considered by some to be one of
the Boston area’s most romantic
destinations) or the Charles
Hotel Skating Rink in Cambridge,
which offers upscale, rink-side
refreshments. Refer to
sightseeing listings.
THE
SLEIGH’S THE WAY
If there does happen to be a ton
of snow, forget the MBTA—the best way to
travel is by sleigh. A trip roughly 45
minutes west of Boston will earn you a ride
in a horse- driven sleigh at
Old Sturbridge Village (weekends
only, refer to
excursions listing), the popular
attraction that brings an 1830s rural New
England village to life, right down to the
smallest detail. For the more adventurous,
head even further west and try a dog sled
ride at Northern Exposure
Outfitters in Brookfield
(508-867-4396). Tours are $250 for two
adults, with group tours running $800 for up
to 15 riders—and unlike T conductors, your
canine guides may even let you scratch their
bellies.
LAUGH
AWAY WINTER
Many outdoor leisure activities
become a bit unpalatable once winter hits,
but luckily it’s never too cold to laugh.
Get yourself overheated with a good guffaw
or two taking in stand-up comedy, the
perfect cure for the wintertime blues.
Boston has some of the best comedy clubs in
the country, including The
Comedy Connection in Quincy Market.
In addition to appearances by nationally
known acts like Mike Epps on January 20
and Colin Quinn on January 25 & 26,
every Thursday the Connection hosts Frank
Santos, The R-Rated Hypnotist, who might be
able to make you believe that it’s already
June. Or take a hysterical look at what
makes Bostonians tick with
Improv Asylum’s acclaimed show
Lost in Boston, or How I Learned to Love
that Dirty Water on January 16.
Refer to
comedy listings.
TOUR
SYMPHONY HALL
Sure, Boston’s got some amazing
buildings—but it’s much warmer to check them
out from the inside. Luckily, you don’t
always have to be outside to enjoy good
architecture. Visitors are invited to take
free guided tours of venerable
Symphony Hall (home of
the Boston Symphony Orchestra) on January
16 & 23 at 4:30 p.m. William
Tudor called Boston the “Athens of America,”
and the grand music venue is lined with
Greek and Roman statue replicas to prove it.
If you like what you see, you can come back
between January 24–26 to lounge in
Symphony Hall’s original leather seats from
its opening in 1900 and listen to the BSO
perform Mozart’s Symphony No. 36 and
Piano Concerto No. 23. Refer to
classical listing.
LIVE THE
LIFE AQUATIC
Mingle with those who love the
cold at the New England
Aquarium. There, the staff lets
animal lovers play with the harbor seals
behind the scenes, or even be a seal trainer
for the afternoon (call 617-973-5206 for
reservations). Or just watch those always
well-dressed centers of attention—the
penguins—march about their famous exhibit,
which holds 143,000 gallons of chilled and
filtered Boston Harbor seawater. Refer to
wildlife listing.
FIND THE
PERFECT COCOA
Nothing makes a cold day better than a
delicious cup of hot chocolate. But forget
Swiss Miss—get an exotic blend of rich
chocolate and spice at acclaimed Mexican
eatery Tu Y Yo (858
Broadway, Somerville, 617-623-5411), where
they serve authentic chocolate caliente de
Oaxaca. Popular bakery Flour
(1595 Washington St., 617-267-4300; 12
Farnsworth St., 617-338-4333) serves up hot
chocolate infused with housemade bittersweet
chocolate ganache as an accompaniment to
their full menu of delicious baked goods.
And on the off chance it’s too warm a day
for your chocolate to be hot (figure that
one out), try the oxymoronic frozen hot
chocolate (regular or white) at
L.A. Burdick’s in
Harvard Square (52-D Brattle St., Cambridge,
617-491-4340).
DINE BY
A FIRE
Ever since caveman days, sitting down to
dinner before a roaring fire has been a
can’t-miss way to shake off the cold.
Options in the Boston area include
The Fireplace (634
Beacon St., Brookline, 617-975-1900), which
serves classic New England cuisine and
Hungry i (refer to
restaurant listing), which takes it to
the next level with fireplaces on all three
floors to go with its haute French dishes.
And if you must have steak in addition to
the fire, to warm your bones, try
Smith & Wollensky’s
(refer to
restaurant listing), located in the
Castle near the Park Plaza Hotel.
FIGHT
THE CHILL WITH THE GRILL
Replace your scarf with a bib at
Redbones BBQ (55
Chester St., Davis Square, Somerville,
617-628-2200). They’ll make you forget what
it’s like outside with down-home Southern
cooking and 24 fresh microbrews on tap.
Popular Allston barbecue joint
Soul Fire (182 Harvard
Ave., 617-787-3003) conjures up memories
(real or imagined) of summers in Kansas
City, Louisiana and other BBQ hotbeds with
flavorful ribs, chicken, fried catfish,
sweet cornbread, fried macaroni and cheese
and other treats. And if you like your BBQ
rowdy, check out Boston’s famed dive bar,
Dick’s Last Resort
(refer to
restaurant listing), for raucous service
and buckets of tasty ribs.
THE LION
(AND OTHER CREATURES) IN WINTER
Winter in Boston is definitely
nothing like the Serengeti, but some zoo
animals were made to handle it, like the
reindeer at the Stone Zoo.
Others, like Christopher the lion at the
Franklin Park Zoo,
need the help of a heated rock to encourage
them to stay out and mingle with visitors.
On a guided tour of Arnold
Arboretum, you can see hardy flowers
like the winter witch hazel and white
willow. And even though the
Public Garden isn’t in bloom, it’s
still good for a winter stroll. Geese are
still in the pond, just waiting (like the
rest of us) for spring to arrive. Refer to
sightseeing listings.
TEA TIME
Tea is intrinsically linked with
Boston history in addition to being a hot
and delicious winter refreshment. At the
Boston Athenaeum
(refer to
sightseeing listing) you can take in
early Boston newspapers, George Washington’s
book collection and portraits by Boston-bred
artist John Singer Sargent—and, on
January 23 at 3 p.m., wash it
down with the tradition of Athenaeum Tea,
which was revived in 1984. Or live it up
like the high society types do, with
afternoon tea at the
Ritz-Carlton Hotel (10 Avery St.,
617-574-7184, reservations recommended),
Saturdays and Sundays at 1, 1:30, 3 and
3:30 p.m. A harpist plays while you sip
on your tea and watch the shivering masses
on Tremont Street walk by.
THE
SPORTING LIFE
We’re not trying to rub it in,
but for a sports fan, things don’t get much
better than what’s happening in Beantown
right now. Our boys of summer, the Boston
Red Sox, won the World Series in ’07, and
are on a well-deserved hiatus—but the winter
sports scene in Boston is rocking again
thanks to the resurgence of the
Boston Celtics. Led by
Paul Pierce and new acquisitions Kevin
Garnett and Ray Allen, the Celtics are off
to their best start ever and are absolutely
demolishing the competition—which this month
includes the Philadelphia 76ers (January
18) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (January
25). Also showing signs of emerging from
a long period of doldrums, the Hub’s beloved
Boston Bruins are
hitting the boards and firing in goals left,
right and center. They reignite the
Boston-New York rivalry with games against
the Rangers (January 19) and
Islanders (January 24). And, we
certainly don’t want to get ahead of
ourselves, but should the New
England Patriots—they of the 16-0
undefeated regular season—advance to the AFC
Championship Game, said game would be taking
place January 20 at Gillette Stadium,
and would, no doubt, be the hottest ticket
in town. Refer to
sports listings.
GO
CANDLEPIN BOWLING
If you don’t want to just watch
sports, but partake in a game yourself, why
not enjoy a New England tradition? The
skinny pins, small balls and the fact that
no one has ever gotten a perfect score make
candlepin bowling interesting and unique. Go
into a time warp and play at
The Milky Way Lounge & Lanes (403-405
Centre St., Jamaica Plain,
617-524-3740)—originally the JP Bowl
(founded in 1914), now a
retro/sci-fi/outer-space basement fully
equipped with a 1950s wooden ball return and
the Alley Cat Lounge. Or check out Sacco’s
Bowl Haven (45 Day St., Somerville,
617-776-0552), where the balls may be small,
but big fun is a certainty.
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