A weekend getaway to Boston is a breeze on Amtrak's Acela Express. New York Getaways Examiner took the train ride, which transports New Yorkers to the port city in less than four hours. During our weekend trip, we stayed at the towering, 424-room InterContinental Boston (510 Atlantic Avenue) located on Boston's Fort Port Channel. The Fort Point Channel flows into the Boston Harbor and the InterContinental Boston is a centerpiece in the historic waterfront district affectionately called "Southie" by locals. In fact, the sprawling hotel is located on the site where the Boston Tea Party took place in 1773.
To decompress during your stay, take advantage of the 6,600-square-foot SPA Intercontinental, which has a heated indoor lap pool and 24-hour health club and offers morning yoga classes overlooking the waterfront. And whether you're staying in or visiting the hotel, the InterContinental has several tantalizing dining options:
Dine in an elegant, French setting at Miel, Boston's first Provence-themed restaurant. Miel means honey in French, and the name is appropriate since the InterContinental opened Boston's first hotel rooftop apiary with 10,000 bees in summer 2010. By September 2011 more than 120,000 bees are anticipated, and the harvests in July and September were expected to produce nearly 180 lbs. of honey. On Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011 Miel will offer a three-course "Honey Harvest Dinner" for $75 per person, and each course will be infused with the hotel's own honey.
For an intimate, festive dinner try Sushi-Teq for top-notch sushi and tequila pairings. With a masterful sushi chef from Japan, salsa music blaring, and a TV screen tuned to Latin ballroom dancing, this is the only bar of its kind in the U.S. The 27-seat hot spot has more than 100 premium tequilas. For non-tequila drinkers, the bar also has an extensive wine and cocktail list. Scrumptious signature rolls include The Big Dig, an inside-out roll of tamago, asparagus, unagi, cucumber, avocado and shrimp; and The Atlantic made with torched salmon and mozzarella atop an inside-out roll of avocado, asparagus, tobiko, cucumber, kaiware, and sweet soy sauce with tequila.
And InterContinental guests and locals alike often begin or end their night with drinks and tapas at RumBa, a rum-themed bar that celebrates Boston's historic rum trade. Awash in rich reds and warm woods, the pewter bar is stocked with more than 100 rums. For a private party for up to 40 guests, Rumba's Champagne Bar is accessible through discreet, sliding mahogany wood doors.
Since we're accustomed to doing a lot of pavement pounding in New York City, we're always a bit skeptical when other Northeast cities claim to be walkable. But Boston really is easy to navigate on foot.
Here are a few highlights of nearby attractions in the booming Fort Point Channel area:
Walk from the InterContinental Boston to the Boston Children's Museum where the popular "The Wizard of Oz" exhibition is on display through September 10, 2011.
Take a water-taxi ride from the InterContinental promenade dock to explore the Fort Point Channel and South Boston Waterfront. The cost is $5 each way or you can easily walk back to the hotel from any drop-off point. Check out the Friends of the Fort Point Channel website for more info on events and activities.
Dine at Legal Harborside at Liberty Wharf on Northern Avenue. This contemporary, three-story flagship location is unlike any Legal Seafood restaurant we've ever seen. The casual first floor offers a raw bar and no-frills seafood classics; the second floor offers a fine dining setting; and the third floor is an all-weather rooftop bar perfect for after work or pre-concert drinks and light bites.
Browse local arts and crafts at the 9th annual Boston Arts Festival at Christopher Columbus Park, Sept. 10 -11.
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