Seasoned With Sydney

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!