Boston

On a recent trip to San Francisco , my husband and I wanted to check out the final days of Richard Serra’s exhibition at SFMOMA. We popped in, took a look around the atrium and caught a glimpse high above of a flickering grid of tiny lights before a kind employee politely told us the museum wasn’t open for the day. Lucky for us, the museum’s restaurant was open, and we were starving. We decided to eat an early lunch in Caffé Museo before submerging ourselves in art. After all, one must be properly fueled to fully appreciate art.

Historic waterfronts in many cities transitioned from gritty transportation hubs to dynamic tourist attractions in the latter part of the 20th century. These destinations display their obvious appeal in the summer — gulls squawking overhead, tantalizing food smells, cooling breezes — as the perfect antidote to a sweltering day in the city. But many urban waterfronts deserve a wintertime visit. Though an invigorating bite to the breeze can turn summer’s leisurely stroll into a brisk walk, the crowds thin to congenial proportions and the crisp air makes everything seem more sharply focused.

Few people actually appreciate fruitcake. Yet each Christmas, thousands of them crisscross the country, allegedly sent as “gifts.” Encased in a festive tin, many end up stuffed into the closet along with the holiday decorations, saved for regifting next year. There’s no need to let this dubious tradition infiltrate your holiday gift list. The advent of modern shipping methods — overnight delivery, cooled packaging — means you can send gourmet foods your recipients will want to devour the moment your present arrives.

Whether you’re a loyal iPhone user or you love your Android device, smartphone apps have changed the way we travel. You no longer need to carry around a map, guidebook, bus schedule, and directions to the restaurant you want to try for lunch. You can find all of that, and more, on your phone.

Where can you see the colors of spring all year long, or the flame-like blaze of an autumn maple leaf even in the dead of winter? Visitors to the Harvard Museum of Natural History can witness the forever-blooming botanicals that make up the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants, aka The Glass Flowers, a fragile collection of flora first created over a century ago by the glass artist father and son team of Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka.

Originally posted on Bostoniano, this article explores the exhibit "A Day in Pompeii", which opens at the Museum of Science on October 2. It sounds like a fascinating exhibit, from the pieces of everyday life that were preserved, to the body casts of men and women – and even their animals – in their final poses.

Got a kid in college? No doubt you’ve already received your invitation to the gala event of the season: Parents’ Visiting Weekend. When your student goes to school in a major urban area, this trip is extra-thrilling. Not only do you get to reunite with your child (while reminiscing endlessly and annoyingly about your own days on campus), you get to do it in a big city! How fun is that?

Ahoy matey! Hop aboard the Pirates and Patriots Tour of Boston's Freedom Trail, where you'll be escorted by a pirate, and your booty will be not doubloons, but amusing, interesting and historically significant tales about the Revolutionary-era locations on Boston's waterfront. But be on your best behavior, lest you end up walking the plank...

Sure, you love your car – but maybe it deserves some R & R, just like you do. Leave it in the parking garage at the hotel, and take advantage of the futuristic, whimsical and earth-friendly touring options found in CityPASS locales.

Who says science is stodgy?

Between now and November, Boston’s Museum of Science, a Boston CityPASS featured attraction, is leading parades of Segway® riders on exhilarating, daily, freewheeling tours of local scientific sites. For $65, visitors receive a required, 30-minute Segway riding and safety lesson before buzzing off through Cambridge and along the Charles River on an hour-long guided tour. Riders are equipped with headsets to hear the guides describe local science and technology highlights, including: