My first travel nurse assignment was in Boston. There are endless things to do and see in New England, and after 7 months, I barely scratched the surface! Here is the first instalment of my guide to travel nursing in Boston, 7 things you should do when you visit!
1. Enjoy Boston Sport’s Scene
Boston has a very competitive and lively sports scene. I am a big sports fan and love attending games while on assignment. Especially when Toronto is in town!
Baseball
Fenway Park opened in 1912 and is an iconic baseball stadium that is a must-visit. They do daily ballpark tours for $25 per person. You can book tickets here on the official MLB website. The tour takes 60 minutes with a guide sharing the history, touring the park, and even sitting in the Green Monster!
Going to a game is just as fun! Make sure to try a Fenway Frank!
Basketball and Hockey
TD Garden is home to the Celtics and Bruins. During my first week, the Celtics were playing Milwaukee in 2022 during the playoffs and I snagged tickets 10 minutes before the game and had the best time!
2. Walk the Freedom Trail
Boston is a historical city; being Canadian, I knew little about American History. My husband and I booked a tour to walk the freedom trail, and we loved hearing about the history surrounding the American Civil War. Here is a place to book tours and a resource about the Freedom Trail. You can walk the trail yourself, and many maps and guides are available online.
3. Visit Cape Cod
Visiting Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard is a must-do in the spring and summer! I loved exploring lighthouses and lounging on the beach eating lobster rolls!
4. Eat in the North End
A big part of why I stayed so long in Boston was because I lived in the North End. The North End is Boston’s Little Italy, with many historical marks, such as The Old North Church and Paul Revere House.
However, the star of the North End is the food. I indulged in many delicious restaurants, deli markets, pastries, and coffee during my time. Here’s a list of some of my favourite places, and stay tuned for an article about these places and more delicious eats in the North End!
Policari’s Coffee
Mama Maria
Monica’s Mercanto
Bricco
Mike’s Pastry
Neptune Oyster
5. Whale Watching in Plymouth
Plymouth is about an hour’s drive from the downtown center of Boston. Plymouth Rock is where the historic Mayflower Pilgrims disembarked in 1620. They have a replica of the ship you can visit. You can also book a variety of different boat cruises and whale-watching excursions. I also went on a classic paddlewheel boat cruise at sunset and enjoyed a whale-watching tour. I booked both tours with Captain John Boats!
6. Visit the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum
If you love Museums or all things mystery, I recommend visiting the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum. It is a beautiful place to visit, with a gorgeous courtyard and tons of historical art. Featured in the Netflix documentary, This is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist, many empty frames from the missing art are still in the museum. The art stolen is still missing to this day. It is a great place to visit for art lovers and people who love a good mystery!
7. Boston Common and the Public Garden
Boston Common is the oldest park in America. It is a beautiful park where you can sit, enjoy a picnic, and read a book. The Public Garden is adjacent to the Boston Common. It has a lagoon where you can ride in their historic swan boats. The swan boat ride costs $4.50 per person, and you can learn all about the fascinating history here.
Boston is a great city to pick up a travel nurse assignment; there is so much to do and see in New England!
My name is Marta, I’m a pediatric emergency room nurse from Toronto travelling in the US. I have taken assignments most recently in Boston and Denver. I travel with my husband who is a travel points enthusiast and manages to find amazing deals using points to fulfill all of our travel bucket-list goals. Join us on our next adventure after 13 weeks!