I had a grand trip to Boston last weekend for an SRCD conference (Society for Research in Child Development). The conference was a great learning experience (although quite overwhelming at first), Boston gave us her best, and both ends of the trip were padded with fun road trips. The first stop along the way: Milford, PA, home of wunderkind Steph Anzman, the tasty Milford Diner, shops that tout both beer and soda (what more could a girl want?), and the ubiquitous Mr. Goldstein.



The conference began on Thursday afternoon, and there was so much to see that 4 days was hardly enough to scratch the surface. My brain got a little overloaded and confused, much like the sensation I get when I look at the picture I took of the conference escalators. I'm kind of glad that Holly Riedelbach wasn't at the conference, she never would have made it into the building.


SRCD was fun and thought provoking, but the real gem of the trip was the city itself. I took plenty of time to roam around and see what Boston had to offer, and she didn't disappoint. The State Building:

Cool afternoon shadows:

Great architecture:

A stunning melding of old and new:

But perhaps the best part of the trip was reuniting with my Texas peeps, Kate and Michael. We partied with the Penn Staters at a few bars on Boyleston, one of which served beer in buckets. You couldn't get a beer in a glass even if you wanted (we asked). Don't question the Boston bar scene.



Kate and Michael became fast friends with my Penn State friends.... I know how to pick 'em!


Steph and Michelle yuk it up. Good times, good times.

When Michelle and I were in the Keys, we heard mention of Kewpie dolls, but for the life of us couldn't find anyone who could describe them to us. Little did we know, Boston is rife with Kewpie dolls. Michael demonstrates a Kewpie dance.

Yum, slurpees!

Don't mess with the Catholics in the North End. They know their Saints!

Boston has such great history. Check out this old cemetery.

A grocery in Beacon Hill:

The town certainly is not without its quirks. For instance, what is this item of clothing? Is it a dress? A quilt? A jacket? A robe? Perhaps a bathrobe? But what's with the pearls?


Kate, Michael, and I topped off a fun day of sightseeing with a delicious dinner in the North End and yummer desserts from Modern Pastries. Those Italians sure can cook!


The food was so good in the North End that I went back for dinner the next night with some Penn State gals. We ate a sublime meal at Monika's (26/27 stars from Zagat, wowzer!) before hopping in a Petty Cab to take us out for the evening. Here Michelle and Lauren flash their winning smiles:



Did I mention that we got to drink delicious margaritas? Cause we did. And they were delicious.

Sadly, the trip had to end and we drove the 7 long hours (in the rain) back to State College. The wanderlust has been satisfied for now, but no doubt it'll flare up again soon. A few final pics from the road: