Fall Day Trip from Boston: King Richard’s Faire

Fall is the time of many great things in New England—from apple picking and haunted hayrides to leaf peeping and drinking at beer fests, there’s always something fun to do. This weekend my fiancé and I took part in another New England fall tradition—King Richard’s Faire.

For those unfamiliar, King Richard’s Faire is an annual Renaissance Faire held in Carver, Massachusetts. This year marked the 35th anniversary of the event that draws crowds from Boston and the surrounding areas. My fiancé and I attended the Faire last year and had a great time, so when the good ol’ King Richard himself offered us two tickets to attend this year, we jumped at the chance!

king richards faire massachusetts

A big misconception about Renaissance Faires is that you have to dress up. While dressing up is fun and plenty of people do so, it’s certainly not required. That being said, last year I purchased a bodice from one of the vendors and was excited to have an excuse to wear it again. So, on Saturday morning my fiancé helped me tie myself into the surprisingly comfortable chest-emphasizing device and we headed out to the Faire.

The ride from Boston to Carver is around an hour, depending on traffic, and an easy ride. Despite the busy day and nice weather, there was ample parking and we found a spot near the entrance. With experience from last year under our belts, we arrived with cash on hand. While there are ATMs and many vendors take cards, food and drink tickets are cash only and service in the area is limited for credit card processing—do yourself a favor and hit up the ATM before you arrive.

king richards faire massachusetts

Food and drink tickets in hand, we ate our way through the Faire—turkey legs, baked potatoes, bacon mac and cheese, friend dough, and all of the beer and mead you could ask for! After stuffing ourselves silly, we made our way to the stocks outside of the medieval torture house, which this big baby opted not to explore!

the stocks at king richards faire

We walked past jousting shows, fire-breathing women, feats of strength, pony rides, a magical unicorn, and a kilt contest full of shirtless men. Everywhere you turn, there’s something to see.

kilt contest king richards faire

Family friendly, there are activities, rides, and games for kids young and old. Last year Ronnie won an axe throwing contest so this year we tested our luck at archery. Despite the mini lesson we got from the attraction guide, neither one of us was a winner.

archery at king richards faire

My favorite part of King Richard’s Faire was the Faerie Circle. Horticulture tells us that faerie circles are naturally occurring circles of mushrooms, but certain folklore explains that within these faerie circles are buried treasure that fairies are set to guard. Those who enter the ring are at the mercy of the fairies if they seek to uncover the bounty, but if you let the treasure be and tell no one of the location of the circle, a wish will be granted to you. At the risk of my wish not being granted, suffice it to say that there may be a faerie circle at King Richard’s Faire and in it you may find a centaur playing a flute and fairies granting wishes…

faerie circle king richards faire

In addition to the attractions and shows, there are dozens of vendors at King Richard’s Faire. Nearly anything you can imagine, and some things you never knew existed, are sold at the Faire. From fairy wings and leather kilts to swords and family crests, you can get your fix of Renaissance Faire wares. We picked up an outfit for my niece and a flower crown for myself but could have easily bought more things that I never knew I always needed!

king richards faire

After much frolicking around the beautiful scenery, we headed back home to Boston where I wore my flower crown the rest of the night.

king richards faire boston

If you’re looking for something fun to do over the next couple of weekends, head to King Richard’s Faire!

Note: I received two tickets to King Richard’s Faire free of charge, but all opinions and love of fairies are my own.

June Beach Trips and Events in Boston

June is one of the best months in Boston when it comes to the weather and events. The short month bridges the gap between college graduations and the July 4th holiday and is the perfect time to experience all that Boston has to offer. Here’s a wrap up of what I did in Boston over the past month.

Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea

My boyfriend and I kicked off the month by spending Memorial Day weekend at Singing Beach. Although not technically part of June, our trip to Singing Beach set the stage for an awesome month so I’m including it in this round up. Singing Beach is a beautiful little beach named for the sound the sand makes when walked upon. The beach is long and wide enough that there’s room to spread out without having to move to accommodate the changing tides.

My boyfriend and I had the perfect day relaxing on the sand and testing the freezing waters. Giant seaweed-covered rocks sit at the end of the beach and make for the perfect tide-pooling experience or Instagram-worthy photo shoot. My boyfriend begrudgingly agreed to climb up the rocks with me amidst swarms of flies so we could sit on top of the sharp rocks and longingly gaze out on the ocean together.

singing beach manchester by the sea

people at singing beach manchester by the sea

Singing Beach is about an hour north of Boston. Admission to the beach is $5/person unless you have a season pass and there are bathrooms and a snack bar on site. Parking is limited—there’s a paid lot by the commuter rail station where you can park for $20-$30 but from there you must walk a mile to the beach. I recommend you save yourself the money and just take the commuter rail straight there—you’ll still have to walk but at least you don’t have to worry about driving home after a few beach beers.

Hyperlocal Craft Brew Fest

Beer wise, I kicked June off at Somerville’s Hyperlocal Craft Brew Fest on June 11th. Held at the Armory in Somerville, I attended the event as a vendor, helping out my good friend Allo from Pints of Portsmouth Beer Tours who was a sponsor of the event. If you’re looking for a great day trip to drinks some of Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s finest brews, hop on the Pints of Portsmouth bus. The round trip tour from Boston to Portsmouth is all-inclusive and drives drinkers to three great breweries for an all day adventure.

hyperlocal craft brew fest somerville

Bacon and Beer Festival at Fenway

On June 12th I attended the Bacon and Beer Fest at Fenway Park sponsored by Eat Boston to benefit the Red Sox Foundation, Community Servings, and Lovin’ Spoonfuls. My admission to the event was complimentary on behalf of Eat Boston but tickets to the event would have been well worth their price tag.

beer and bacon fest fenway

For two and a half hours I stuffed my face with the best bacon creations that Boston chefs had to offer and sampled eight craft beers. Sprawled throughout the concourse at Fenway Park, the Bacon and Beer Festival was the perfect event for any beer, bacon, or Red Sox loving philanthropist.

beer and bacon fest fenway

beer and bacon fest fenway

Naot Gives Back Trunk Show

A charitable weekend, I went to the Naot Gives Back Trunk Show the same day as the Beer and Bacon Fest. In partnership with Simons Shoes in Brookline, Naot Footwear hosted a trunk show at the Brookline store where, for every pair of Naot shoes tried one, they donated a pair to Rosie’s Place. For every paid purchased, two pairs of shoes were donated. I was invited to spread the word about the event in exchange for a complimentary pair of sandals and was thrilled to help spread the word about the great event.

naot sandals

Brunch at City Table

Although I’ve walked past it a million times since living in Boston, in June I ate brunch for the first time at City Table in the Lenox Hotel in Back Bay and it was delicious. I debated between the biscuits and gravy, my all-time favorite breakfast food, and the breakfast pizza. After some serious contemplation and a recommendation from our waiter, I ordered the breakfast pizza—OMG yum! It was everything I wanted and more, literally. Half of the giant dish came home with me for breakfast the next day.

city table brunch boston

Just Add Cooking

Speaking of food, June was my last month with a free trial of Just Add Cooking, Boston’s local meal prep delivery service. Included in the box were ingredients for Jambalaya, Philly cheesesteaks, and grilled veggie and feta pitas. Everything in this box was delicious!

I’d never made Jambalaya and was surprised at how easy the recipe was to make and how tasty the end result. As a Philadelphia native, I’m a bit of a cheesesteak snob and am happy to report that this cheesesteak was up to my high standards. The side of panko-crusted green beans was an interesting addition to the sandwiches and a healthy alternative to French fries.

just add cooking jambalaya

just add cooking cheesesteak

The grilled veggie and feta pitas were yummy and healthy and the perfect dinner for a warm summer night. The only downside to this recipe was that pitas that were supposed to be stuffed with the veggies failed to cooperate so I made open-faced sandwiches instead. The huge chunk of feta included in the recipe was fresh and tangy and large enough to be used in other recipes during the week. One of my favorite things about Just Add Cooking is that sometimes there’s too much food included, as was the case with this feta, which allows you to be creative for non-JAC meals with leftover ingredients.

just add cooking veggie pita

Elie Goulding Concert

Summer is concert time and this summer is no exception. My boyfriend joined me at the Elie Goulding concert at Boston’s TD Garden for an awesome concert from the British songstress. The concert was an all-out ladies fest and I give huge credit to a man who stood next to me as I sang along to her songs. We left covered in gold confetti which, in my opinion, is the perfect way to end a night.

elie goulding concert boston ma

Crane Beach in Ipswich

The last weekend in June was beautiful and on a perfect beach day my boyfriend and I headed up to Crane Beach in Ipswich. Just an hour north of Boston, Crane Beach is beautiful and the perfect place to spend the whole day. Unlike some other beaches like Singing Beach, there’s ample parking at Crane Beach. Parking is $30 but puts you right at the beach where there are huge bathrooms with showers and changing areas and a concession stand with picnic benches. The parking lot is attended by friendly teenagers who will help you find a spot on a crowded day.

crane beach ipswich ma

Crane Beach is long, providing plenty of room to find a spot on the sand surrounded either by families or no one at all. We chose to hike down a ways and set up camp in an area near the dunes where there were fewer people and spent the day relaxing in the sun.

crane beach ipswich

That’s a wrap up of June in Boston—check back soon to see what I’ve been up to so far in July!

Pints of Portsmouth Beer Tour

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of checking out the newest beer tour in New England, Pints of Portsmouth Beer Tours. Based out of Boston, Pints of Portsmouth is a Boston-to-Portsmouth, New Hampshire beer tour inspired by the San Francisco-to-Napa wine tours in California.  It’s not surprising that Allo Gilinsky, the founder of Pints of Portsmouth, hails from Northern California.

Joining the ranks of Boston transplants, Allo and his innovative craft beer tour is a perfect fit for Boston. Shuttling up to 20 beer lovers to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and back, the all-day tour includes visits, tours, and tastings at 4 breweries, lunch, water, and a Pints of Portsmouth beer koozie. Allo guides the tour, providing a itinerary and background information on the breweries.

boston to portsmouth beer tour

I was invited with my friend Jodi on the Pints of Portsmouth Beer Tour last weekend with a group of known beer lovers and bloggers. At 9:30 on Saturday morning, we met the group and luxury shuttle bus outside of the conveniently located Assembly Square T Station. Allo greeted us with a huge smile, detailed itinerary, and gift bags on our seats. I was immediately impressed with the attention to detail that went into the Pints of Portsmouth Beer Tours—koozies, social media reference guide, and name tags to boot!

pints of portsmouth beer tour

The 45 minute drive to Portsmouth flew by and before I knew it we were at our first stop: Smuttynose Brewery. The famous brewers of Finestkind IPA and Old Brown Dog, two of my favorite local beers, Smuttynose has a beautiful new brewery which they opened in 2014. All of the beer is brewed on site in the green, sustainable facility.

smuttynose brewery

Upon arrival we were greeted with Smuttlabs‘ newest beer, Smoked Cherry Short Weiss. If you’re a sour beer lover, this limited release is a must-try! The tour showed us everything from the bags of malt and fermenters to the bottling line. After the tour we got to taste 4 additional beers, all of which were delicious.

smuttynose brewery

Easily excitable when it comes to new beer, I took home a box of assorted sours, including the Smoked Cherry Short Weiss. Pints of Portsmouth has a cooler on board in case you purchase chilled beer and plenty of room for any other beer that you purchase.

smuttynose brewery

Photo by Fest Pics

The next stop on our Pints of Portsmouth Beer Tour was to a brewery unfamiliar to  this beer geek—Earth Eagle Brewings, known for their Gruit style of unhopped beers. We tasted 3 more beers over a lunch of sandwiches and nachos. I particularly enjoyed their White Light Gruit Herbed Ale.

earth eagle brewing portsmouth

Photo by Fest Pics

earth eagle brewing

Our third brewery of the day was Beara Irish Brewing Company. An unassuming brewery located amongst a cluster of stores, Beara offered us a tasting of 3 beers including a Java Stout, a Maple Wheat, and an Irish Stout.

beara irish brewing company portsmouth

The fourth and final stop on the Pints of Portsmouth Beer Tour was at Throwback Brewery. Owned and operated by two women, Throwback stole my heart with their founder story, beautiful farmhouse brewery, and collaborative efforts with local farmers in both their beer and food. I highly recommend the poutine-yum!

throwback brewery new hampshire

Owner Nicole Carrier set a private space for our group in a partitioned area. Seated between stainless steel tanks of beer, she explained the name and local ingredients behind each beer including Merry! Happy! Dreid-Ale, a ginger flavored beer, and an IPA called Donkey-Hote named in honor of the late donkey they inherited when they purchased the property.

pints of portsmouth beer tour boston

After a long day that flew by, it was time to hit the road and get back to Boston. We arrived back around 6pm safe and sound and with a newfound appreciation for the beers of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

If you’re looking for a fun beer-themed day trip from Boston, I highly recommend Pints of Portsmouth. The company offers several tours as well as custom tours which makes it the perfect gift for the beer lover in your life or a fun outing for birthday parties, reunions, bachelor/ette parties, and more.

While my trip was compliments of Pints of Portsmouth, this is a tour that I would gladly pay for. The day-long trip is priced at $110 and includes tours and tastings of 4 breweries, a designated driver to shuttle you around, water, and a koozie—a great deal for an awesome experience!

Special thanks to Allo from Pints of Portsmouth and Mike Johnson of FestPics for the tour and photos.

Weekend in Freeport, Maine

One of my favorite things about living in Boston is that it’s easy to go away for a weekend getaway. Whether it’s a preppy jaunt to Kennebunkport or a girls’ day trip to Newport, everything in New England is a short drive away.

On our last New England getaway, my boyfriend and I visited Freeport, Maine for 3 nights over the extended New Years Eve weekend. Neither of us had ever been to Freeport and to be honest, it wasn’t on our top list of places to visit in New England. But as luck would have it during my lodging search, I found an adorable place on Airbnb that was perfect for a romantic weekend away.
airbnb freeport maine

If you haven’t used Airbnb, you must check it out (here’s a link for $20 off your first trip). For those unacquainted, Airbnb is a website that facilitates lodging between homeowners with extra rooms or guest houses and travelers seeking the comforts of home-like accommodations. I love, love, LOVE Airbnb and no one paid me to say that!

We stayed in a converted barn just south of downtown Freeport. Since Freeport is close to Portland, we had originally intended on staying in the area and spending at least at day in Portland. But between the food, shopping, and outdoor activities in Freeport and the cozy fireplace and outdoor firepit at our Airbnb, we spent the entire weekend in town.

minglewood airbnb freeport maine

couple drinking coffee by the fire

airbnb freeport firepit

Dinner at Gather Maine

Just two hours north of Boston, my boyfriend and I drove up to Freeport the evening of New Years Eve with enough time to check into the Airbnb and change before our dinner reservations. Thanks to recommendations from coworkers and some Yelp reviews, we reserved a table at Gather in Yarmouth. The farm to table restaurant was perfect for a relaxing New Year’s Eve dinner, complete with a special menu, delicious cocktails, and a bluegrass jazz band. The rabbit I ordered from the special holiday menu was outstanding and my boyfriend’s salmon with fried kale was amazing!

dinner at gather maine

Gather wasn’t having a big New Year’s celebration, which worked with our low-key celebration plans of drinking bubbles in our pajamas so after dinner we drove back to our cozy weekend home to ring in 2016.

Freeport Village

Though small, the downtown area of Freeport, called Freeport Village, packs a strong punch. We spent hours casually strolling through the LL Bean stores (there’s at least 4 of them) and the various outlets.

ll bean freeport maine

We fell for the tourist trap and ate lunch at Linda Bean’s Topside Tavern, a restaurant directly across from the LL Bean flagship store. If you’re looking for food in the area, I recommend walking a block or two north on Route 1 and checking out some of the other restaurants or driving a few minutes down the road for brunch at the Muddy Rudder, lunch and beer at Gritty’s, or a hearty dinner at Buck’s Naked BBQ . Or if you’re craving something sweet, stay in town and head to Frosty’s Donuts for a glazed bite of heaven.

gritty mcduffs restaurant freeport maine

frostys donuts freeport maine

Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park

Despite a warm fall and beginning of winter, a few inches of snow fell in Freeport before we arrived. We took this opportunity to break in the new snowshoes my boyfriend bought us for the holidays at Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. Our thoughtful Airbnb host had put together a binder of information, including a trail map of the coastline park so we were well prepared for a snowy walk through the woods.

snowshoe wolfes neck state park freeport maine

wolfes neck state park

snow shoe wolfes neck state park

Maine Beer Company

Since no weekend trip is complete without a trip to a local brewery, Maine Beer Company was the last stop on our Freeport weekend getaway. My boyfriend and I split a flight of four beers (Mo, Beer III, Another One, and Pilot 9). Breweries can be hit or miss when it comes to food, as the licensing limits what they can and can’t serve, but the pretzels at Maine Beer Company were on point. Fresh and delicious and served with a side of tasty mustard, the pretzel was the perfect compliment to the beer flight.

maine beer company freeport

maine beer company freeport

If you’re looking for a relaxing weekend getaway close to Boston, I highly recommend checking out Freeport!

Beer Summit Harvest Fest: Beer Fest in Boston

Boston is no stranger to craft beer and craft beer festivals. Home to brewing legends and the closest major city to famed New England breweries, in Boston you’re never more than a stone’s throw away from great beer. Boston is also a neighborhood city with a unique community feel which, when it comes to beer, is embodied by Beer Summit.

beer fest boston

Beer Summit hosts beer fests in Boston with the mission of bringing together the best beer, hearty food, and live music to Boston beer lovers. I had the opportunity to attend Beer Summit’s 6th annual Harvest Fest in November at the Castle at Park Plaza. Curated by founders Mike Munnelly, Conor Brennan and Shawn Rich, Beer Summit’s Harvest Fest hosted some of the most celebrated and talked about breweries in the country. The event boasted three sessions on November 20th and 21st featuring 56 different breweries, and over 200 beers.

beer summit boston beer fest castle

Photo by Fest Pics

Carb-loaded and adorned with pretzel necklaces, my boyfriend and I enjoyed the Saturday evening session of Harvest Fest.  I had attended Beer Summit’s Winter Jubilee in 2014 but this was my first time at the November event. While 60 breweries in one place sounds like a lot, Harvest Fest was surprisingly easy to navigate thanks to the spacious floor plan and set up.

beer fest boston beer summit harvest fest

I enjoyed tasting the beers from some of my favorite local breweries like Backlash Beer and Two Roads, non-local favorites like Anderson Valley Brewing Company, and new-to-me brews from the craft beer curating 3 Beards Beer Company. A big supporter of drinking local, I was pleased to read 50 percent of the breweries in attendance were local breweries from Massachusetts and New England.

We stayed until the end of the night, tasting our way through the breweries, dancing to tunes from the two-man band CHOPVILLE, and snacking on the newly-launched and delicious Kalahari Biltong, a seasoned dried beef from South Africa.

boston beer fest mugs

If you’re looking for an affordable and easy to navigate beer fest in Boston, check out Beer Summit. The next event, Winter Jubilee, takes place in January so keep an eye out for tickets to go on sale at www.beersummit.com.

Note: Tickets to Harvest Fest were provided courtesy of Beer Summit, but all opinions and love of beer are my own.