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Whether you live in Boston, plan to visit Boston, or you are moving to Boston; we'll help you locate great food, fun events, and reliable resources.
Nova was four months old and obsessed with people and play when we met on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall last week.
We spotted this tiny French Bulldog with obvious spunk and personality heading our way. Our Westie Poppy sat down to wait for an initial meeting with this new neighbor.
Saying hello to Nova reminded us of the very first Frenchie we recall seeing up close. We were with our first Westie Sassy having breakfast at a place called Dotie's. The guys at the next table had an adorable Frenchie and told us all about this lovely breed.
Over the past decade, the breed has mushroomed in popularity and we've had the pleasure of watching quite a few Frenchies grow up and become charming neighbors.
Keep up that charm, Nova! You'll make a lot of friends around Boston.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
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For today's Friday Link, we are connecting you to Marion Nelson's discussion of Brazil's recently updated dietary guidelines. This list of suggestions for healthy eating is so far ahead of what the U.S. is offering that I think we should all forget those food pyramids and post the Brazilian version on the front of the refrigerator.
In place of a disussion of nutrients, these are a list of simple statements. Such as, "Prepare meals from staple and fresh foods."
I love the fact that the Brazilian Government talks about the importance of community as a part of healthy eating. One guideline is "Eat in company whenever possible." This summer, you could begin by gathering friends for a pot luck picnic in one of Boston's beautiful parks.
The final guideline is, "Be critical of the commercial advertisement of food products." Tell me, when was the last time you saw an ad for raw carrots? And, while they do come in different colors, these beauties don't have calorie and fat laden sauces added and you don't have to decide between 15 flavors.
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Now's the time to plan where you'll park for Marathon weekend, so your car doesn't end up on a flatbed! And, be warned, the city does tow every car left in the way of the racers. So, this weekend, when you move your car for street sweeping, think ahead.
If you normally park on the streets along the route of the weekend races, you may want to begin looking for spaces off-the-route. If you can do without your car for a few days, consider stashing it in a safe spot before everyone else has the same idea. And, remember, the bike lanes on Massachusetts Avenue have eliminated more than 70 spaces, so finding on-street parking will be more difficult than ever.
Here's a Google map that locates public parking facilities using the Boston Marathon Finish Line as the central point.
And, if you'll need your car on Monday, you should make sure it's on the side of the Marathon route where you can reach it and get to your planned destination.
Here are some transportation restrictions & parking tips for Boston Marathon volunteers from the B.A.A. Site.
Saturday, April 19, 2014 - The B.A.A. 5K, Invitational Miles, and Relay Challenge
Again, this year, there are weekend races prior to Monday's marathon.
Thousands of runners are expected to compete in the 5K (3.1 mile) race two days prior to 118th Boston Marathon. This race is scheduled to start at 8 AM by the Boston Common and cover a route through parts of the Back Bay ending back at the Common. Here's a link to the B.A.A. 5K course map.
Plus, there are the Invitational Mile races that will also be held on Saturday, April 19, 2014. For details, including streets impacted by this event, go to B.A.A. Invitational Mile 2014.
For the full press release with more details, Click Here.
Street Closures and Parking Restrictions for Marathon Monday, April 21, 2014
Parking restrictions for the Marathon often begin on Boylston Street five or six-days before the event. From this point, until the last runners are safely across the finish line, you'll see more and more "No Parking/No Stopping" signs popping-up along the marathon route and some adjacent streets.
Remember, many streets in the Copley Square area will be impacted by the marathon. The best advice is to park your vehicle and walk and/or take public transportation.
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Word on the street (and on the Swan Boat website) is that this beauty will come out of hiding and begin gliding around the Boston Public Garden lagoon this Saturday, April 19, 2014 and will continue making people smile until Sunday, September 21, 2014.
This weekend, make a point of stopping by to welcome back this lovely Boston institution and say thank you to the Paget family for taking such good care of this bit of Boston history.
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Tree burls can be like nature's Rorschach Test. If you sit and look at them long enough, you'll start to see faces or animals or ...
What do you see in this pair of burls from the Public Garden?
The top one could be a ram's head. The lower one a bulldog?
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Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
All products featured on BostonZest are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
During the next couple of weeks, we will see more of the area's public safety dogs in action. We'd like to dedicate this week's Sunday Dog feature to all of these canines and their human partners.
This beauty is one of the officers of the Massachusetts State Police Force in a photo from their Facebook Page. While at ease in this photo, these dogs are very serious when they are on the job.
Tips for Interacting with Public Safety Dogs
First and foremost, understand that this is not a pet and that the dog and the handler may have important tasks to perform. Even if it looks like they are just standing around, don’t distract them.
Should the handler acknowledge you, don’t approach without specific permission.
Never approach a K-9 team from the rear. Make a wide circle around them, stay calm and relaxed, and don’t make any quick movements. These dogs are protective of their partners.
You should not touch or offer a treat to a working K-9 without specific permission from his or her teammate.
Always follow the handler’s instructions. These teams are there to protect you and others and to keep the situation under control. They may have information that you lack, so show respect and do as the officer asks.
These teams will be on duty trying to keep Boston safe during this busy spring event season. Let's hope no one makes more work for them.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
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Details: Words: Penny Cherubino Photography: Courtesy of Massachusetts State Police
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Over on Trip Advisor, where I learn many things about my local area, a visitor inquired about obtaining a fishing license for his trip to Boston. I must admit, I haven't given that a bit of thought in years. But, as more of us join the grow it, gather it, keep it local movement, it's something we should know about.
What is required to fish along the Charles or Mystic River or another fresh water spot?
If these bass fishermen want to move their boat to salt water they will need "A MA Recreational Saltwater Fishing permit, or a recreational saltwater fishing permit from a state that has a reciprocity agreement with Massachusetts." You can find all the fine print about Salt Water Fishing Permits here.
Now that spring is officially here, you may want to get the paperwork out of the way. Then you can grab your fishing gear and get out and spend some quiet time enjoying nature.
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