Lilac Sunday at the Arboretum!

Okay, let me start this off by saying that I didn't actually get any pictures of the lilacs... BUT, I did get a sunburn! Yeah!

Honestly, I head out to the Arboretum every single chance I get, but this Sunday was ESPECIALLY special because in addition to it being Lilac Sunday (a celebration of some sweet smellin' floret), it was also a special edition of the New England Food Truck Festival! Where there is food truck, you will find Sydney.

The "Hub" Burger from Boston's Baddest Burgers, with provolone cheese and special garlic aioli.

Ahem...So...A couple things:

1. We waited for an hour and half for food because the lines were BEYOND anything I've ever seen. Beyond.

2. The lines were so long that the trucks actually ran out of food!

3. I saw more dogs than you can ever imagine, and it took absolutely everything I had not to burst out of line every other minute to scratch each one under the chin.

4. Next time around, a little organization will go a long way.

The entirety of Boston will crowd an area if there is even the hint of a possibility that food will be prepared then distributed from a truck. It's a fact. I know this because I am right there with everyone else throwing my money into someone's hands and telling them I'll take one of everything. When you mix a mob of hungry people pushing strollers and obsessively reapplying sunscreen with a fleet of massive mobile resturants both hogging up walking paths that are quite wide, but not wide enough, you're spelling trouble. And though my arms now bear resemblance to our little lobster friends from standing in one spot for a little too long, today and today only, I got to have my picnic at the Arnold Arboretum. And I will cherish the memory, as well as the heap of macarons I brought home.

Here are few macaroon flavors that I'd like to introduce you to:

-Rose Petal

-Honey Lavender

-Earl Grey

-Creme Brûlée.

Oh yeah.  And we got those babies first, after only waiting in a five minute line. Why couldn't they have all been like that? You rock, Cameo Macaron!

We had fun. Do I think the Arboretum maybe wasn't a good choice for this kind of event? Kind of.  But you just can't beat beautiful days like today, and what better way to celebrate a clear blue sky than with piles of food?

Exactly.

BRING ON THE SOMERVILLE FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL, JUNE 7TH.

Happy Mother's Day, my babies.

You Need to Visit: The Arnold Arboretum!

The weather is finally cooperating (for the most part) in Boston, so this weekend I got the chance to cross another place off my "To Visit" list: The Arnold Arboretum! And because I like to enjoy the beauty of nature with excellent company, I invited my best friend Anna to join me!

Here we are enjoying the sun, and also enjoying the feeling of our skin not burning. Thank you, April weather. You're pleasant at 70 degrees.

I could go into lots of details and facts about the Arboretum, but I like to keep it simple: It's a giant museum for trees and natural wildlife. With almost 300 acres of space, The Arnold Arboretum is massive. It's hard to catch everything in one day, and if I were you, I'd leave the main path every once and a while and do some hiking. The views from above are breathtaking, and you never know what you'll find.

Everywhere we turned there were gorgeous patches of flowers blooming, with such vibrant colors that I was tempted to take some home as a little souvenir. But I wouldn't. Just like you wouldn't try to pluck a Monet off the wall of an art museum, you shouldn't try to take even the tiniest flower from the Arboretum.

When you see things like giant trees and creeks that run for miles, it makes you forget that you're technically still in Boston. Just twenty or so minutes from this total serenity is the hustle and bustle of the city, and yet they feel like two totally different worlds. The only reminders are the occasional sewer grates with "The City of Boston" etched on them.

Something tells me that I won't be able to live in the city forever. The Midwesterner in me, who grew up in the country, feels the need to be back in the woods. I need the quiet, and I miss seeing animals standing inches away from that aren't pigeons and park squirrels. The Arboretum is a fantastic escape, and a terrific way to spend a beautiful spring day. The only thing that would make it better? If you were allowed to picnic!

If you're in Boston, I encourage you to take the short T ride and enjoy another side of Boston. You might just catch me there!