Category Archives: boston

Ames Boston: a hotel that aims to please

a hipster hotel in historic downtown Boston

Ames Boston

i’m not sure how many people yet know about the Ames Hotel in downtown Boston. this lovely Morgans Hotel Group property is a toddler still, only 2.5 years old. i’ve had the pleasure of patronizing the property since it first opened in 2009 – for dinner & drinks on several occasions – but had never stayed as a guest until a few weeks back. saying i’m impressed would be an understatement. Ames is lola-worthy, indeed.

history is alive all around Ames in downtown Boston

actually, saying it’s a toddler is a bit misleading only in that Ames is housed in a ‘National Register of Historic Places’ building completed in 1889. the structure, one of the tallest masonry buildings in the world, was commissioned by the Ames family to act as their headquarters for their hugely successful agricultural tool business, Ames Plow. built in the Romanesque style, the building stands out for its intricate details and dramatic roofline. Truly a MUST SEE!

some of the unexpected surprises you’ll find at Ames

ok, so back to my stay. i was able to arrange a walk-through tour of the property with the Director of Sales, Paul. what a TREAT! Paul has been with the property since before they broke ground renovating the swanky boutique hotel and it was obvious that Ames is like his own child. he took such pride in the architecture and original unique details of the hotel as well as other special things the design team created to tie into the history of the property. like other Morgans hotels, Ames is designed with simple, minimalist furnishings. Paul explained, the design firm, David Rockwell, wished to have patrons focus on the architecture and special characteristics of the building. SUCCESS!

simple yet luxe furnishings

the 114 room hotel feels intimate AND of course, you can count on the universal fantastic service and comforts of any Morgans property. i especially enjoyed the juxtaposition of the minimal modern and historical. it’s definitely my style. i believe in keeping old things alive but breathing new life into them in new and unexpected ways. to me, UNEXPECTED is exactly what you get in Ames. i love that this Boston icon of a building lives on but isn’t stodgy in the least. extremely hip & cool.

SNACKS, BOOZE & GUIDE BOOKS! some of the modern comforts found in the guest rooms

some of my favorite unique features seen in my photographs are the custom souvenir plates found in guest rooms, the artist commissioned ‘Cabinets of Curiosities’ with objects dating from 1889, the year the building was completed, AND the magical-illusion of a chandelier hanging in the hallway.

i say come find your own UNEXPECTED treasure at this completely lola-approved property! located in downtown Boston at One Court Street, Ames is in a prime location for just about all things Boston.

*Ames Boston photo by Michael A. Muller – read his article for more on Ames Boston

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travel crimes ala lola & leah

partners in travel crimes

some of you may be aware that Leah & i refer to ourselves as “travel partners in crime”. funny thing is we really aren’t breaking any travel rules or laws – at least i think 😉

our travel crimes look more like this

  • packing way more than we’ll ever wear be that clothes, jewelry, shoes, even pajamas.
  • forgetting important items like my favorite eyeshadow & lip gloss.

crisis averted – leah had spare lip gloss!

  • being over-served with alcohol and being hung over a good part of the next day.
  • not eating enough during the day therefore contributing to our hangover status.

photo evidence of damage from one night

  • not having enough time to layout by the pool and wash my hair before going to dinner so pool water will have to do.
  • shooting goofy stunt videos and running out of memory therefore not really having footage.

lola fell on her ass just before this picture! no wearing wedges standing on stadium seats!!

  • trying to do funny poses for pictures and instead falling down & injuring ourselves.
  • having an uncanny knack for losing our iPhones (me more than Leah).

things we do on purpose and well: book plane tickets & make the flights! book places to stay that aren’t too shabby. find the best places to eat & what to drink (duh)! find fun things to do despite our shenanigans.

i meet up next with my partner in travel crimes in Spain. god help us that we don’t get over-served, fall down or lose our precious iPhones. one can only hope…one can only hope.

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travel: reflections and a note of gratitude

FRIENDSHIP – one of the many reasons travel is so precious to me!

i have a lot of reasons for loving to travel but i think my #1 would be making new friends. i recognize i’m fortunate to have done my fair share travel lately – especially when i reflect on my friendships. AND this summer has been a different kind of travel experience that i feel equally thankful for – having my love of travel come to my own part of the world.

when i “helped” Alex of Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler – i knew it was the right thing to do. what i didn’t consider is how much it would mean to me. by having her visit, it was like i traveled without leaving home. she told me about her travels and home country of Slovakia and it was as if my world had widened yet again. it was bittersweet when she left to go back to Europe. i was saying goodbye to a new friend – like i would to one i met while on the road.

lola & crazy sexy fun traveler

soon after Alex departed, i had an invitation to pop down to Newport, Rhode Island, to meet up with another travel blogger, Priscilla of Weekend In Paris. i was really busy catching up that week and could have easily convinced myself not to go but BOY was it ever what the doctor ordered! i’m so glad i went. not only did i have a lovely time and was treated like royalty by Priscilla but, also once again, i made some new friends that i really respect & enjoyed their company tremendously. i know we will connect over and over again. as i left the Newport city limits i wasn’t as sad as usual because Newport isn’t too far for me to return for an afternoon and catch up more with Priscilla and Co.

Newport Tweetup – Priscilla of Weekend in Paris is the beautiful brunette next to lola

plus, i was returning home to prepare for a visit i’d been looking forward to all summer long. Leah of Leah Travels was coming to visit me! we had some fun Boston plans cooked up, of course, but we also needed to plot our BIG upcoming trip of a lifetime. our one month-long tour of Europe from November to December. Leah and i had loads of fun on Friday checking out a few of the famous Boston sites and then heading to the Red Sox game. even though the Sox lost, there’s nothing quite like a game at Fenway Park. the rest of our time together was really devoted to getting “work” done. thank goodness we enjoy what we do and making our plans – really our “work” was all FUN. any time spent with Leah is always a pleasure for me. it’s like having a taste of Texas & being with an old soul of a friend. now it’s Monday and Leah has gone back to Texas and i now find myself sad again. my summer visits are over for now.

lola & leah – travelin’ BFFs

maybe i will see Priscilla again before the summer ends and i know i will be seeing Leah & Alex at TBEX in Spain in September. BUT that seems so far away. i’m glad i have my biggest adventure yet to distract me – my late August trip where i will meet a team of Australians in Cambodia for our Habitat for Humanity build. can you imagine how sad i will be when i have to say goodbye to them?

meeting new people is a very important part of my life and i’m always grateful for the new friendships. you learn so much by making new friends and inviting them into your life. while i love to learn about new places and see new things with my own eyes, it is TRULY the people from all over that i bond with and what makes it the hardest to say goodbye.

thank you for all the visits – you are some incredible ladies & you made my summer!

happy travels to you all! XO – lola

PS – if  you are heading to or near Boston – let me know fellow travelers. i’d love to meet you too!

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Capture the Color with Lola

SHOCKING i’m sure – lola loves color!!

hello my traveling friends. there’s a new contest in town called “Capture the Color” put on by TravelSupermarket.com. the idea behind it is that you publish a post with pictures that capture these five colors – blue, green, yellow, white, and red. (of course, i’m bucking the system and adding pink because…how could i not?) i was graciously tagged by Erin from The World Wanderer and even though i’m no photographer, i’m happy to play along, so thank you Erin!

oh BLUE – i’d be so true to you

nothing was more beautiful than the BLUE BLUE skies of Greece to me

hello GREEN! too much of you could make one mean

cucumber cocktail…a healthy GREEN i like to imbibe A LOT!

look at the sun! look how it shines for you – and everything you do. yeah, it was all YELLOW

this YELLOW-orange sunset in Santorini may have been the most beautiful i’ve ever seen

WHITE – you are pure like the driven snow but i prefer you as BRIGHT WHITE roses instead

the delicate beauty of this WHITE bouquet made me weak in the knees

roses are RED and so is this yummy cocktail called Negroni

RED RED RED – that’s what i said

PINK PINK you make me think…i WANT this car really BAD

deep in the heart of Art Deco Miami lives a PINK car that i must have one day

 

now for the tagging on my part…

Alex of Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler – no doubt, your photos will be Crazy, Sexy & Fun!

Elyse of Foodie International – we all expect pics of mouth-watering food! NOM NOM

Jen of Scarlett Wonderland – i expect some sassy shots my hot friend!

Will Peach of WillPeach.com & My Spanish Adventure + many more sexy sites found on my ‘links amour’ page – may i suggest for your WHITE photo your shower shot from Alone & Naked in Lisbon

looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!

peace out! XO – lola

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Boston: taking on ‘The Hub’ one cocktail at a time

Boston booze outing

as you know, if you are a regular lola fan – i just LOVE my cocktails. i have my old standbys, to be sure, but i really enjoy trying out new ones and lately this has been especially fun. hand crafted cocktails seem to be ALL THE RAGE and many establishments change their menus regularly. this means all the more for lola to sample.

my little stay-cation in Boston recently proved very successful in the cocktail tasting department. allow me to give you a tour.

second marriage

i enjoyed this lovely “lola pink” cocktail – SECOND MARRIAGE – at Woodward in the Ames Hotel. although Ames is only 2.5 years old, SECOND MARRIAGE has been on it’s cocktail list since its opening. looks like the 2nd time might be the charm! 😉 AND while this looks like a girly drink let me warn you – IT IS NOT! another Woodward cocktail institution is ONE COURT. that’ll be my next cocktail victim when i return to Ames.

  • SECOND MARRIAGE ingredients: Ketel One Citroen with Chandon Brut and raspberries
NOW onto stop number two!

peach n’ pig

  • PEACH N’ PIG ingredients: Bacon-infused House-Smoked Bulleit Bourbon, Punt E Mes, Homemade Peach Simple Syrup, Homemade Bitters, Grilled Peach Garnish

Gn’T

  • Gn’T ingredients: Beefeater, Fresh Lemongrass, Homemade Lemongrass Tonic Water, House-made Bitters

hot and dirty

  • HOT and DIRTY ingredients: Ketel One Vodka, Homemade Dry Vermouth, Olive Juice, Sriracha, Garnished with a Habanero Stuffed Olive

st. james negroni

  • ST. JAMES NEGRONI ingredients: Berkshire Greylock Gin, Camapri, Cocchi Americano, Fresh Lemon Juice, Homemade Sage Syrup

the second stop on my cocktail jaunt was Post 390. i have dined at Post 390 before but the recent cocktail tasting to-do stop was brought to my attention by Thrillist – a “what’s happening” email newsletter i receive. they had me at bacon-infused bourbon in the PEACH N’ PIG! i am not a bourbon gal but this was too intriguing not to try. while it was quite tasty, i preferred the HOT & DIRTY more. what can i say, lola likes it spicy! really all the cocktails were incredibly tasty and worth the visit to Post 390.

negroni

the final stop of my Boston cocktail trip was brunch at Kitchen – a new establishment in the South End. Kitchen’s concept is a take on historically inspired foods which is a burgeoning trend right now. with every dish on the menu, Kitchen tells you how old the recipe is. most cocktails and dishes hail from the early 1900’s. i had the NEGRONI (circa 1919) with my brunch because, well, one NEGRONI tasting wasn’t enough!

  • NEGRONI ingredients: barrel aged Bombay Gin, Campari, Vya Sweet Vermouth, Flamed Orange, Orange Bitters

and that’s all folks for this edition of lola’s boozy visit to Boston!

sante! XO – lola

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