While many of us are inclined to take refuge in a cozy, warm blanket and pair of fuzzy slippers when the winter weather hits, Boston is hardly a city that closes up shop when the temperature drops. Hardy souls know that from engaging in outdoor activities to watching Beantown’s beloved sports teams, fun never hibernates in the Hub. Here are a few of Panorama’s top suggestions for beating the winter blues.
Blades of Glory
Whether you’re perfecting
that double axel or just trying to stay on
your feet, ice skating is a favorite winter
pastime for young, old and all ages in
between. Lace up your skates and head over
to Boston Common Frog Pond, where
outdoor skating is guaranteed even on milder
winter days thanks to the rink’s underground
refrigeration system. For a quainter, more
old- fashioned ice-skating experience, try
the ice at Brookline’s picturesque Larz
Anderson Park, or hit the rink at the
Charles Hotel in Cambridge, where you
can skate up a storm then hit Henrietta’s
Table for hot chocolate or grab a cocktail
at Noir to warm up afterwards. Refer to
skating
listings.
Green & Gold
Boston’s Boys of
Summer—the Boston Red Sox—may be more than a
month away from spring training action, but
the Boys of Winter have kept the local
sports scene red hot. The Boston Celtics
have been annihilating the competition all
season long, with record-setting win streaks
propelling them to the top of the Eastern
Conference, and it doesn’t look like they’re
slowing down anytime soon. Cheer on Paul
Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and the
rest of the team as they take on the New
Jersey Nets (January 14), Phoenix
Suns (January 19) and their bitter
rivals, the L.A. Lakers (February 5)
at TD Banknorth Garden. And on the nights
the parquet floor is getting a rest, the ice
is down and the Garden’s other residents—the
resurgent Boston Bruins—are taking
care of business, having also spent much of
the season in first place. Watch the B’s try
to keep it up on their mission to hoist Lord
Stanley’s Cup as they take on the Montreal
Canadiens (January 13), the
Washington Capitals (January 27) and
the New York Rangers (January 31).
Refer to
sports
listings.
Fine
Food Amid Festive Flames |
It’s Lovely Weather
for a Sleigh Ride Together
When the snow falls
heavily this season, forget scraping off
your car or hailing a cab—the best way to
travel is Santa-style. Experience the joys
of an old-fashioned sleigh ride at Old
Sturbridge Village (refer to
excursion listing) during its Fire and
Ice event (January 31), which
includes sleigh rides through the commons
(weather permitting) and horse-drawn wagon
rides around the Mill Pond. Further west,
Hollow Brook Farms in Brimfield
(413-245-9325) offers sleigh rides over an
old covered bridge and through a Christmas
tree plantation. For another quaint,
relaxing experience, head over to Bobby’s
Ranch in Acton (978-263-7165) and
snuggle under a warm blanket during a
horse-drawn carriage ride. Or for something
truly off the beaten path, adventurous types
can unleash their inner Eskimos and go dog
sledding at Northern Exposure Outfitters
in Brookfield (508-867-4396).
Some Spots for Tea
This winter, have your own
Boston tea party—though we strongly suggest
refraining from tossing any tea into the
Harbor. Sip a piping hot cup of tea at
Afternoon Tea at the Boston Athenaeum
on January 28 at 3 p.m. (reservations
required; refer to
sightseeing listing), or visit The
Lounge at the Taj Boston (15 Arlington
St., 617-536-5700) for an elegant Afternoon
Tea (Wednesday–Sunday from 2–4 p.m.)
featuring a variety of international teas
paired with platters of savory finger
sandwiches and sweet treats while a harpist
plays and you watch the passersby on Newbury
Street.
Learn to Cook
If you’re looking to heat
things up this winter, there’s no better
place to do it than in a gourmet kitchen.
Put your time indoors to good (and
delicious) use by honing your culinary craft
at Sofra Bakery’s winter cooking classes.
The Mediterranean-influenced eatery offers
Sunday afternoon cooking classes led by chef
Ana Sortun and pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick.
Learn to make delicacies like brown butter
bread pudding and palace bread (January
25) or delicious Moroccan stews with
couscous (February 8). Call
617-661-0505, ext. 17 for more information.
Hit the Slopes
Can’t make it to Aspen
this season but still want to ski in a
winter wonderland? Blue Hills Ski Area
in Canton is the perfect alternative. It’s
just 20 miles from Boston, which makes it an
ideal day trip. You’ll have 60 acres of
skiable terrain, eight trails and four
lifts—and be sure to check out the Boston
city skyline from the top of the hill. Refer
to
excursion listing.
A New Pair of Shoes
The DeCordova Museum
and Sculpture Park in Lincoln (refer to
museum listing) is one of the area’s
most unique and lovely places to stroll and
view amazing artwork. The sculpture park
consists of 35 acres of green space and
woodlands, sprinkled with contemporary
American sculptures. Traversing the property
gets a bit trickier in wintertime—unless, of
course, you’re wearing snowshoes. On
January 31, the DeCordova hosts snowshoe
tours of the park at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.,
giving you a chance to exercise your body
even as you fire up your imagination.
Star Light, Star
Bright
There’s nothing so clear
and crisp as a winter sky (well, when it’s
not blizzarding down snow, that is). Every
Wednesday night (weather permitting) Boston
University hosts Public Open Nights at
the Coit Observatory (725 Commonwealth
Ave., fifth floor). Bundle up and utilize
the University telescopes to observe the
night sky, learn about astronomy and, if
you’re lucky, maybe spot a new planet that
you can name after yourself and further
contribute to Pluto’s inferiority complex.
Call 617-353-2630 for more information.
The
Lion in Winter |
Hunker Down with a
Good Book
Incidentally, is it
allowable to “hunker” in any season other
than winter? Oh well, we digress—when the
temperature is beastly out, there’s no
better time to take the opportunity to start
fulfilling that New Year’s resolution to
read more. You can find tomes of all
kinds—from today’s biggest best-sellers to
obscure ancient academic texts—in Boston and
Cambridge’s eclectic assortment of new and
used bookstores. Harvard Square is a Mecca
for bookworms, with the Globe Corner
Bookstore (90 Mt. Auburn St.,
617-497-6277), a top spot for non-fiction
books, as well as maps, globe, atlases and
everything else to help you plan your next
trip; The Grolier Poetry Book Shop (6
Plympton St., 617-547-4648), celebrating its
76th year as one of the area’s best sources
for volumes of vibrant verse; and
Schoenhof’s Foreign Books (76A Mt.
Auburn St., 617-547-8855), the nation’s
oldest foreign-language bookstore (founded
in 1856), boasting volumes in literally
hundreds of tongues. If your taste is a bit
less esoteric, check out Barnes & Noble
and Borders (refer to
shop listings)
where you can find pretty much anything for
which you’re searching. If you want a really
large selection of reading material, it’s
pretty hard to top the Boston Public
Library (refer to
sightseeing listing), home to more than
five million books and where they tend not
to care if you loiter in the name of fine
literature.
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