Pick Your Own Apples at Russell Orchards in Ipswich, MA

Taste the difference local makes when you pick your own fruit at Russell Orchards in Ipswich, MA or visit the barn shop for cider donuts and fruit wine.

Satisfy your sweet tooth while doing something good for the environment at Russell Orchards in Ipswich, MA. A working farm since the 1920s, the Russell family practices agricultural sustainability so that they will be around for another 100 years. Located at 143 Argilla Road, they are the last stop for ice cream before Crane Beach. They sell local fruits, veggies, and other curiosities in the barn shop from 9am to 6pm, May through November.

Visit Big Boy the Pig, and the other farm animals while waiting for the hayride to the PYO orchards in June through October. Spoil the kids’ dinner with Russell’s famous cider donuts while they play on the recycled toy playground. At harvest time, watch apples being pressed into cider or taste over twenty varieties of fruit wines and hard ciders before buying pumpkins and apple pie.

Russell Farm: Diverse and Sustainable

On their 120 acres of farm, the Russell family lives, grows and sells agricultural sustainability leaving as little impact on the environment as possible. Their tractors run on biodiesel fuel filtered from the oil used to fry their delicious cider donuts. Little to no synthetic chemicals are used on the fruits, vegetables, and herbs, which are picked when ripe. Their taste is incomparable with unripe treated fruit that is often sold in supermarkets.

Biodiversity is key to sustainability. Russell Orchards features many fruits and vegetables that have disappeared from shopping carts and dinner plates. Black raspberries, jostaberries, and sour cherries are just some of the more “exotic” local fruits. They grow and sell flowers that attract bees that are good for the environment and good for honey, which is for sale in the barn shop.

Buying local is what keeps them in business and is part of their business. What they do not grow themselves, they buy locally. They sell cheeses and ice cream from nearby dairy farms. The gift shop features regionally made candy, soap, and small gifts. Products vary from season to season and year to year, so there is always something new to try from the Massachusetts and New England bounty.

Pick Your Own Apples and Berries at Russell Orchards

Even though the orchards are open from 9am to 5pm seven days a week, try to get to the orchards before 11 am to beat the sun and the tourists. Hayrides leave from the farm every half hour. Take a hayride into the orchards, pick a pint or a peck, and walk the half-mile back, in about an hour. Watch out for poison ivy and mosquitoes, which infest the shady trails in late summer.

It costs $3 USD (2010 rates) for anyone ages two or older to enter the orchards. The entrance fee is deducted from the price of the fruit picked. June is strawberry season. Raspberries blueberries and blackberries are available for picking in July and August. Twenty varieties of apples are available for picking in September in October. Check the Russell Orchards website to see what fruits are currently available,

Summer Live Music & Fall Harvest Festivals

Grab a Richardson’s ice cream cone and a bag of cider donuts and stroll around Russell’s farm, where there is always something going on. Listen to local musicians who play outside the barn most Saturday afternoons in summer and fall. Feed the goats, chickens, sheep and ponies, just don’t get cornered by the geese who can be quite aggressive.

Bring the whole family to the Strawberry Festival in mid-June which features music, balloons, hayrides, face painting and of course, strawberries! Start holiday festivities off early, celebrating the Apples and Wine Festival, the first weekend in November. Fresh and frozen apple pies and crisps are available in the bakery but please pre-order for Thanksgiving.

Best Seafood Restaurants in Boston

Legal Sea Foods

As the name indicates, Legal Sea Foods is a restaurant located in Boston with all seafood like fish, prawn, etc. It is a popular place for people who want to eat seafood. Even tourists will definitely give a try on a tasting of their delicious food.

Legal Sea Food was established in the year 1904 by Harry Berkowitz. Varieties of seafood are available and even non-sea foods to serve more people. In addition, desserts, wine, bars are also available, where lots of youngsters come to travel to Boston and have a drink along with seafood.

The menu will be prepared by them and it always changes according to different seasons. And Legal Sea Food also deals with the handling of fishes from the port or sea and hence they have got their brand image as the restaurant with the freshest fish.

Legal Sea Food is a Boston basic restaurant including 34 branches with the catering and also mail order division. In order to meet their customer’s satisfaction, they have their motto says that if the food is not fresh, then they are not legal. So, people will be promised that they will be served with fresh food on all items including wine, salads, desserts etc.

A famous one in the Legal Sea is Barramundi – the saltwater fish. This type of fish can be only found in Australia’s seaside. They are rich in omega’s which is a good solution for health. The delicious taste of barramundi makes it comfortable to kids and even non-fish eaters too.

East Coast Grill and Raw Bar

East Coast Grill is a wonderful place for a meal as well as for drinks for a visitor on Boston travel. The cuisines offered by the restaurant are seafood as well as a barbeque. East coast grill was opened on August 18, in the year 1985. The restaurant’s bold flavors and wood grilling attracts the customers and the restaurant has become very popular in a short span of time.

East coast grill kitchen is handled by the experts of seafood and barbeques. Seafood such as grilled fish, varieties of fried fish and other seafood are the special foodstuffs provided. They provide barbeques in three varieties. They are Texas beef, Memphis spareribs, and North Carolina pork. So, barbeque lovers can switch into the east coast grill.

East coat grill is opened for the public on all the days but the working hours alone differ on some days. From Monday to Thursday, the working time is from 5:30 pm to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday, the working time is 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm. As Sundays are holiday, the working hours on Sundays alone are 11 am to 2:30 pm.

East Coast Grill provides some special offers to all in which everyone can participate on a first-come, first-serve basis. At regular intervals, some special events like disco, dance programs will be conducted in which reservations has to be compulsorily done through a phone call.

Even private parties can be conducted inside the east coast grill by hiring it by consulting with the higher officials of the restaurant. A nominal fee is charged for hiring this special room and minimum members are required is 22 for hiring the room. This party room is available only on Sundays to Thursdays at the stipulated time.

Summer Shack

Summer shack is one of the people’s favorite restaurants located in Boston. Summer shack provides seafood with quality and hygiene foodstuff. Lots of tourists visit this spot if they go for a tour in Boston. It is located in the following address: 50, Dalton Street, Boston, MA 02199.

Seafood is available in varieties of fishes, prawns, etc which they serve with the descent and also with a pleasing manner. Wonderful atmosphere to have the best food inside the summer shack.

Summer shack restaurant is also available with its branches located in USA places like Boston, Cambridge, and Mohegan sun, etc. In all the places, they are welcomed by people. Summer shack was established by Jasper White in the year 2000 and he first opened in Cambridge. When summer shack became popular, he decided to open its branches in many places around the USA.

They even offer with bar facility in which youngsters and other people who wanted to consume alcohol can utilize the facility inside. Seafood can be ordered inside the bar itself for alcohol lovers. Summer shack is opened for the public for all seven days a week. They provide dinner meal as the best. So, this restaurant will be always crowded during dinner.

Another specialty in summer shack is they provide all kinds of season foods during the current season and the menus are prepared according to the season and tourists. All the branches do not offer the same kinds of menus. On all branches, the seating capacities are more than 50 dinings and also with handicapped accessible.

Stephanie’s on Newbury

Stephanie’s on Newbury is yet another famous restaurant with a good location, convenient for tourists in Boston area travel. The bar facility is also available for alcohol lovers. Stephanie’s on Newbury is located in the following address: 190, Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116.

The cuisines provided by the restaurant are salads, meals, chicken, etc. Stephanie’s on Newbury is established on the year of 1994 by Stephanie Sokolove. Seasonal menus are prepared at regular seasons in order to make customer satisfaction towards the restaurant.

Stephanie’s on Newbury is opened on all seven days a week with its working hours for each meal. Before mealtime, the restaurant does not provide any foodstuffs in between. According to the rules and laws of the Boston city, smoking is not allowed inside the restaurant. Apart from it, a bar facility is available to all the visitors in which seafood can be ordered by consuming alcohol.

Stephanie’s on Newbury also offers special events like private parties and other general business meetings etc. There are some formalities to be followed in which to hire that private room. A nominal fee is collected for hiring that special room. Reservations have to be done for the special events to take place at Stephanie’s on Newbury which can be done by calling up to the owner and confirming it.

Stephanie’s on Newbury kitchen is handled by experts and menus are prepared by them with a large collection of various foods stuffs. There are more than 200 seating capacities inside the restaurant and advance reservations can be done to reserve a table. This reservation is mainly done for the tourist’s people and group members of more than 6.

The parking facility is also offered by the restaurant in which the restaurant’s parking area can be used every day with respect to their working hours.

No Name Restaurant

No Name Restaurant is one of the best seafood restaurants located in Boston. The restaurant is located in 15, fish pier street, Boston, MA 02210.

The No Name Restaurant welcomes everybody and is also opened for seven days a week. The working hours of this restaurant are Monday to Saturday: 11 am to 10 pm. In Sundays, the working hours are from 11am to 9pm.

Hundreds of people which includes locals and tourists on Boston MA travel visit this No Name Restaurant per day to occupy the wonderful dining hall. Also, the dining room contains a romantic atmosphere where it is suitable for all kinds of people like youngsters, business people, family, etc.

The cuisines that are provided in this restaurant are with its seafood, chowder and all popular American cuisines. The best specialty of this restaurant is they serve verities of fish which are almost fried and baked which gives the yummy taste to the customers. The parking facility is available with its additional place where the restaurant recommends. Nominal charges are collected for the parking of your vehicles.

As No Name Restaurant is strict with its rules and also in accordance with the law of Boston city, smoking activity is not permitted inside the restaurant where an organization can make decisions with the law if found such activity inside. The special feature of the restaurant is its low cheap price for food and also with its waterfront dining hall where customers feel a good location to have their meal.

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant seafood restaurant is one of the popular ones in Boston. The restaurant’s relaxing atmosphere and pleasant dining hall give a good quality experience to all the customers and visitors on Boston travel.

Bill McCormick and Schmick are the proud owners of this McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant. This restaurant came into existence when McCormick and Schmick purchased the famous crawfish restaurant of Jake’s who is Newport. It was then replaced by McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant in the year 1970.

Slowly, the branches have been existing in all the major cities in the United States of America. They have established more than 80 branches in and around the country. McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant prepares their menus daily as they provide verities of food.

They provide a special menu which is prepared daily for lunch menu, dinner menu and even in the bar too. Alcohol lovers can utilize the McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant’s bar facility and along with the orders of the seafood.

The restaurant also provides seasonal menus where they prepare a menu with the latest availabilities of seafood like fish and prawns and etc which attract the locals as well as the tourists who visit the branches of McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant. Some experts are appointed in their kitchens to provide a wonderful dish to all people during these seasonal times.

Even career programs are announced at regular intervals in McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant in which interested candidates can apply for it to make their life fulfill.

Reservations can be done to confirm a dining table either for a meal or even a place to the bars too. Reservations can be done online by selecting your place branch or even it can be done through phone calls too.

KingFish Hall

The King Fish Hall is a seafood dining hall located in Boston’s heart of the place, convenient for the visitor on Boston travel. The cuisines that are provided inside the King Fish Hall is mainly kinds of seafood. The working hours of the restaurant are on all days in a week.

For lunch and dinner, they provide in their time. For dinner, Monday to Thursday: 5 pm to 10 pm. Fridays and weekends: 5 pm to 11 pm. For lunch, the working hours are from Mondays to Sundays: 11:30 am to 3pm.

King Fish Hall provides many facilities that include private rooms, bars, outdoor dining etc. This restaurant is located in the following address: 188, south market building, Boston, MA 02109 which is the heart of the place in Boston. So, lot of people will be visiting the street and hence the King Fish Hall is filled with people all the time.

Since it is an important place in the city, a lot of vehicles move around. So the parking facility is not available near the restaurant and it should be done nearby the available places. The price of the food ranges and they cost from $30 and even less than that which depends upon the dishes selected.

Apart from this, the restaurant offers special events like private parties, business meetings, etc that can be conducted inside the King Fish Hall. To hire such special rooms for special meetings, the reservation has to be done well in advance. A nominal fee is collected by the restaurant to confirm the room.

There are some dress codes that are provided from the restaurant for some special occasions. It depends upon the event that takes place inside. If it is a business meeting, blazers are recommended and casual dresses if other events. Dress codes are strict and the restaurant staffs allow inside only if the mentioned dress codes are found.

Daily Catch

Daily catch was established in the year 1973. This restaurant is one of Boston’s favorite ones, located in the following address: 373, Hanover Street, Boston, MA 02113. The cuisines provided in this restaurant are Italian style food as well as seafood. Paul Feddura owns this daily catch restaurant and provides the service since 1973.

Seafood such as a variety of fishes, pawns, etc are provided also with seasonal dishes. Italian dishes also included where tourist people enjoy eating them. The daily catch is a small room with 20 seating capacity. The kitchen is handled by the respective experienced staff where they provide a wonderful dish to all the customers who travel to Boston MA.

Daily Catch is opened on all the days for day and night. The atmosphere of the restaurant will be pleasant in which serving the customers by the staff over there does a wonderful job. All popular seafood and Italian bread are the special dishes that are available all the time inside the restaurant. They do not provide alcohol but instead wine alone available if it is ordered separately.

The restaurant provides the best in lunch and dinner meals. So people choose this restaurant though it is a small room. The price for all the dishes is barely descent and group members are fulfilled and satisfied with economic wise for the meal point of view.

Since it is a small restaurant, daily catch does not provide parking facilities for the people who come by their own vehicle. There are three types of the menu provided inside the restaurant. They are summer menu, dinner menu and private menu.

The private menu is the special menu where the order has been given for special events like private parties etc. They have a separate menu for it and even deliver them to the place.

B&G Oysters

B&G Oysters is a famous restaurant with a fully equipped bar inside. The main highlight of the restaurant is its bar inside where alcohol lovers choose this bar facility along to enjoy the seafood provided by the restaurant when on Boston travel. B&G Oysters has received many applauds for their cuisines, wines as the best seafood providers in the years 2007 and 2008 by the local Boston magazine.

B&G Oysters is located in the following address: 550, Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02118. The special feature of the restaurant is its bar with verities of the wine list and romantic dining hall for the people who visit the restaurant when on Boston MASS travel. The cuisines provided here are mainly seafood, American style cuisine and more varieties of soups.

As B&G Oysters strictly follows with their rules and the law of Boston city, smoking activity is strictly prohibited inside the bar or restaurant. So, the visitors are requested not to smoke inside by the organization. The working hours of the restaurant are on all days in a week. On weekdays, the restaurant opens from 11:30 am to 11 pm. In Mondays alone, it is from 11:30 am to 10 pm. During weekends, it is from 12 pm to 11pm.

B&G Oysters also offers a special private room for special events like private parties and other business meetings. Reservations have to be done in advance to confirm the private room of the restaurant. They offer a wonderful atmosphere and setting of cocktail and cuisines. The seating capacity can accommodate up to 50 members. So, to hire the room, the target of 50 members fee is collected. Even several special events are conducted by the restaurant and they welcome everyone inside. Reservations can be done even online too.

Turner Fisheries

When you are looking for the “Best Clam Chowder”, you should know where to head for. Turner Fisheries, the “Best seafood restaurant” undoubtedly will be your choice. The executive chef prides himself in delivering classic, creative and fresh seafood delicacies every single day. Enhancing your enjoyment are the tall French Cafe windows (7 feet height) overlooking Copley Square. And, if you are in a large group, you can also choose from one of the three private dining areas with a seating capacity of up to 140 people.

The event Menus coinciding with St.Patricks Day, Lent Friday, Winter Restaurant Week and the Easter Brunch buffet are worth checking out if your itinerary matches with any one of them. And, when it does, it would be a bright idea to make advance reservations to avoid possible disappointments.

Though some of you may find this restaurant a bit pricey, there is no place better than Turner Fisheries especially when it comes to clam chowder. The taste is bound to linger for several days after you have returned home. That should be a good justification for those extra dollars which you will be shelling out. Quality comes with a price after all.

Several rave reviews vouch for the top quality of the Clam Chowder that Turner fisheries serve in their restaurant and they emphatically opine that there can be no better Clam Chowder served anywhere else in the entire Boston area. While being creamy (not watery) it does not go the overtly thick way. The chunks of clam are very fresh making the whole treatise lip-smacking.

Though we did mention the price, Turner fisheries won’t be drilling a hole in your wallet. You should, however, be paying between $40 and 50 per person when you order dinner. Let us meet at Turner fisheries sooner than later.

Great Bay Restaurant

Hotel Commonwealth has been successful in changing the restaurant scene in Boston. The Great Bay Restaurant has ushered in a new life to seafood restaurants in the area. The brilliantly creative cuisine of Great Bay Restaurant encompasses an assortment of seafood, organic vegetables, meat in tender cuts, accompaniments that are wonderfully imaginative and as a whole invitingly pleasant.

The menu at Great Bay Restaurant changes every day to provide unmatched freshness as well as variety. What remains static is the splendid culinary artistry of Boston and that special care that goes into the making of every memorable meal.

Great Bay Restaurant serves dinner and Sunday Brunch. It is equipped with two dining rooms, an island bar, a lounge that offers delectable desserts, entrees, cocktails, etc.

The Island Bar opens for guests between 5pm and 11pm Sundays through Wednesdays and Thursdays through Saturdays it is open till midnight while the opening time remains unchanged. Dinner is served between 5 and 10 pm on Sundays through Wednesdays and extends up to 11pm Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. You can also enjoy a sumptuous brunch on Sundays between 10 am and 2 pm.

Great Bay Restaurant specializes in focusing on originality in preparation and the style is sometimes delicate while at other times it is hearty.

The vegetarian appetizers are a great hit with the guests on travel to Boston who frequent the Great Bay Restaurant.

Another tempting offer from Great Bay is their Sand Dollar Menu. But, this keeps playing hide and seek and you should be lucky to be around when the Menu is on offer. When luck does favor you, you can expect calamari, spicy fish tacos, oysters, salmon sashimi, a dumpling of lobster and shrimp, each of them carrying just a one dollar tag. With no minimum drink stipulation, you can treat yourself to some of the best seafood with no significant drain on your wallet.

Play It Safe When It Comes to the Flu

If you plan to travel to Boston this winter or already live in the area, do yourself a huge favor and make sure to protect yourself against seasonal influenza, also known as simply the flu. The flu season is hitting the Bay State, in addition to ten others [PDF], particularly hard this year, resulting in a noticeable increase in the number of confirmed cases of the illness.

People who should follow extra stringent measures to avoid getting seasonal influenza belongs to one of four high-risk groups:

  • Anyone with a chronic medical condition, whether a child or adult
  • Women who are pregnant
  • Adults aged 50 years or older
  • Children between the ages of six months and five years

To help slow the spread of flu-causing germs and avoid catching the highly contagious virus, the Massachusets Department of Public Health advises everyone to:

  • Get an annual flu shot
  • Frequently wash their hands with soap and water
  • Always cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze and then wash their hands again
  • Avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth
  • Steer clear of others who are sick with the flu

If you’re in Massachusetts and notice any of several common signs of seasonal influenzas — such as intense and persistent fever and body aches lasting several days, a dry cough, and/or extreme tiredness continuing as long as weeks — see a doctor immediately. Medical intervention is especially necessary for those who belong to one of the four high-risk groups listed above because influenza can open the doorway to more serious diseases. Then if diagnosed with the flu, abstain from contact with others so that you don’t pass it on to someone else.

For more information about flu clinics throughout Massachusetts, visit the MassPRO Flu Clinics website. And, for general details about the kinds of flu, their symptoms and causes, and recommended prevention methods, visit the Influenza Website maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

As someone fortunate enough to have never caught the flu (yet), I hope everyone reading this is as lucky.

Boston to New York and Back Again for Cheap

I know — some people avoid traveling long distances by bus as if the vehicles were carriers of the bubonic plague. Yet, there’s really no reason to fear or loathe the mode of transportation, especially now that it’s gotten cheaper than ever.

Just about everyone who travels in the East has probably heard about the ridiculously low $1 fares some companies, such as Bolt Bus and Mega Bus here in Boston, charge for a one-way trip to a major destination, most often New York City. Compared to what that old standby Greyhound charges — currently $30–$57 one way — the new kids on the block might as well be letting people ride for free.

After I first starting traveling between New York City and Boston on a regular basis years ago, my original mode of transportation was the Delta Shuttle out of LaGuardia and Logan airports. When getting home from the airports became a major hassle, I moved on to Amtrak, which remains my favorite way to commute between the two cities, despite the company’s numerous ongoing problems.

Greyhound entered the picture when my trips between New York and Boston became more frequent, even as Amtrak simultaneously grew increasingly less reliable and more costly, destroying its status as a worthwhile expense. If the company ever manages to reclaim its value, however, I’ll return in an instant. But back when I first switched, Greyhound was the fastest yet least expensive game in town for travelers seeking a familiar brand name they could trust.

At the moment, those who are naturally thrifty, short on cash, willing to try something new, or born bus lovers are in luck if they need to get from Boston to New York City fairly quickly. The three companies below will not only do the job for a negligible amount of money, but each will provide a little something extra, too … at no additional charge, of course. Just keep in mind that when you opt for the convenience of purchasing a ticket via the Internet, all three charge a 50¢ online booking fee on top of the fare.

Bolt Bus

  • One-Way Fare: $1–$20
  • Route: South Station Bus Terminal, Gate 21 (Boston) to West 34th Street and 8th Avenue, across the street from Pennsylvania Station (New York)
  • Website: www.boltbus.com
  • Extra: Free WiFi and power outlets

Lucky Star Bus

  • One-Way Fare: $1–$15
  • Route: South Station Bus Terminal, Gate 13 (Boston) to 59 Chrystie Street in Chinatown (New York)
  • Website: www.luckystarbus.com
  • Extra: Rewards from a free frequent-rider program; a $25 2 am bus departing Boston

Mega Bus

  • One-Way Fare: $1–$14
  • Route: South Station Bus Terminal, Gate 12 (Boston) to West 31st Street and 8th Avenue, outside Pennsylvania Station (New York)
  • Website: www.megabus.com
  • Extra: Free WiFi (but no power outlets)

Cheap Boston Flights

Just because of travel tourism and other industries, the city of Boston has a busy airport. That is why coming and going from Boston can be a dicey affair at times in terms of expensive flight tickets. The passengers can find cheap air tickets for Boston by some basic ways.

One of the key means of getting cheap airfare for Boston is by avoiding the festival times of the city. For example, Boston International Film Festival attracts tourists from around the world, so venturing in these times might be expensive. Therefore, the trick is to avoid it, if it can be avoided or reach the city well before the festival to get the best prices.

Booking flights to Boston during the springtime is highly recommended.
Spring usually signals the ball game season, during which many airlines lets out special offers. However, the best time to book flights tickets to Boston is during the winter months because of the snow cover and bitter cold. You can also get best deals if you plan your trip ahead of the summer months. Some of the cities you can get flights from to Boston are – Toronto, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and almost 40 other cities national and international.

The tourists are advised to check Boston websites for special offers. They are also encouraged to get in touch with the Boston travel agents during the spring or the winter months for best deals. Planning and before the festival may save you valuable dollars. Try the Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau for authentic information relating to hotels and cheap airfares. Checking with the airlines is also not a bad idea.