10 Things to do In Massachusetts on Vacation

A flower from my garden- not the State Flower

10 Things to do in Massachusetts on vacation; We live in the area and there are so many great things to do in Massachusetts. There is so much history in Boston and the surrounding areas. You can sky and swim within miles of the city of Boston. Maybe not on the same day, but they are that close to each other!

No visit to the city would be complete without some of these things!

1. Duck boat tour; travel down Boston's narrow and winding streets while being entertained by a tour conductor. You will have fun and learn a lot about Boston while you are on the tour.

2. Freedom Trail - 2.5 mile route with 16 historically authentic sites. Learn the History of the American Revolution.

3. Faneuil Hall Marketplace: 1742 was the year that Boston's wealthiest merchant built this incredible marketplace, it's said it was a gift to the city. So many Historic peoples were here in the Market place.

4. A whale watching boat ride: There are several places to get a boat to go Whale watching. Portsmouth is my favorite place. They guarantee you will see whales and the ride on the boat is awesome. There is lots to do around town after you go.

5. Take the ferry over to Nantucket and spend the day.  There is a ferry from Hyannis provided by Steamship Authority.
Steamship Authority Vehicle or Slow Ferry 508.477.8600 | Steamship High Speed 508.495.3278 | Hy-Line Hyannis 800.492.8082 | Hy-Line Nantucket 508.228.3949 | Hy-Line Cruises  | Steamship Authority

6. Red Sox, Patriots or Bruins game depending on the season. Walk down Yawkey Way and see Fenway Park. The Street is named after Tom Yawkey who owned The Red Sox from 1933-1976.

7. See a Play or other event at The Orpheum Theatre: One of the oldest theaters in The United States. It used to be known as Boston Music Hall. It was home to Boston Symphony Orchestra.

8. Swan boat ride in Boston Public Garden: These boats have been operating since 1877, they are a 12- 15 minute ride a true icon of the City.

9. Take in a Museum: there are several to choose from around Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Children's Museum, Peabody Essex Museum, Museum of Science, Harvard Museum of Natural History, Worcester Art Museum, The Discovery Museum, Eric Carl Museum of Picture Book Art, New Bedford Whaling Museum, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Plimouth Plantation. They go on and on. There is museum in Massachusetts for everyone!

10. Samuel Adams Brewery Tour: They last about an hour and you will learn the history of the Samuel Adams brand. Samples at the end.

If you would like a free travel guide to almost any city send your email address and the city you would like the travel guide to.

I would be glad to provide it. If you would like a printed guide send me an email and I can provide that as well for a small postage and handling for shipping.

For tours you can click the link:

http://www.partner.viator.com/en/5694



Have you been to Boston, Massachusetts?  Have I left out any of your Must Visit sites?  Please share them.

https://www.getyourguide.com/?partner_id=5SPGPEZ

Free Travel if you know how!

I would rather be traveling! Always!



I started out traveling when I was a small child at the age of about 5. I have the first memories of traveling alone on an airplane before the unaccompanied minor programs. My mother or father would bring me to the plane and sit me in my seat. (at least that is what I remember) The stewardesses would keep me amused through the flight. I know they are flight attendants, but back then they were not called that! They gave me cards and games and I always got a pair of wings. (sure wish I kept those wings!) At the end of the flight the other parent would collect me at the door of the plane. Boy have things changed!

I started to travel for fun when I was about 12, got to travel to other states with groups of friends during "camp" , mini bikes and Salvation Army Camp. This kind of travel was always fun and I never knew quite what to expect. Sometimes I got into trouble, started smoking at a young age because of this kind of travel! Young camp "counselors", really just teens or early twenties who were paid to bring us and were there to keep us off the streets during the school year.

Then when I could travel with my own self directed travel I set off on cross country trips, or airplane rides to great destinations. These were great camping trips, Florida vacations, travel to anywhere I could go!

Travel has always been a priority! I wanted to discover new places and see God's beautiful earth! I was not a rich young girl so I had to learn to be creative.

 I love traveling so much that when I could (after my children had grown) I became a travel agent! I continue to learn and educate myself today, planning travel for clients as well as my family.

The first days of traveling and still today, I travel for free! I have joined every club I can find and I save points from hotels as well as credit cards. It takes some time to master the points system but if you have time and you are great about not carrying a balance on your card it is a great way to travel for free. It is getting a little bit harder today as they have many more black out dates than they used to.

Hawaii on one of our trips

I have traveled to Hawaii 6 times for free, I have traveled to Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand and did not spend money on my hotels! Really NICE Hotels!

View from my room

I have over a million points on various hotel, credit card and club accounts. I join and save, so I can travel for free.

Have you traveled for free? How do you do it? It might seem crazy for a travel Consultant to tell you how to travel for free but I think you still need a travel agent today. There are tours to help with and everything is not always free- so you need help. The internet sells lots of travel, however you have a lot of sites that you pay and that is it! Thank you and good bye, if you run into a problem, your flight is cancelled or you need help.... There is noone there to help you. Travel agents care deeply about the client, want to build a strong long relationship, and have trained to know what they are doing.

Do you use a travel agent? Why or why not?

Tell me about your BEST vacation. Love to hear about your favorite places to go and if you take free trips!

Shabbat Dinner : what to expect

TRAVEL BEE VACATIONS·TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

TRAVEL BEE VACATIONS·TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 201616 Reads

A big part of the “delight” of Shabbat is the enjoyment of three Shabbat meals, mainly

the first two—Friday night dinner and Shabbat lunch—that are elegantly

prepared, preceded by the sipping of ceremonial kiddush wine and the breaking of

traditional challah bread, and lingered over with songs, inspiring thoughts and

camaraderie. (The third meal, eaten late on Shabbat afternoon, is normally lighter.)

If you are joining as a guest, the first thing for you to know is that guests are considered

an integral part of any Shabbat meal. Your hosts are very happy to have you—their

meal just would not feel right otherwise!

What to Expect? After everyone has arrived and indulged in a few minutes of chit-chat,

family and friends will move to the table and find their seats. At this point on a Friday

night, your host (often accompanied by others) will sing two hymns:

1.The “Shalom Aleichem” hymn, with which we welcome the angels who visit every

home at the start of Shabbat, request their blessing and bid them farewell.

2.The song of “Eishet Chayil,” which is a tribute to the Jewish woman, written by King

Solomon, extolling her for the wisdom and hard work with which she makes her home the lovely and nurturing place it is.

Typically everyone stands for the singing of these hymns, but if it is difficult for you

for any reason, you may certainly sit down.

At the Shabbat day meal, we begin immediately with kiddush.

Kiddush Your host will recite kiddush holding a cup of wine, and everyone will receive

a few sips of wine to drink. The recitation of this blessing over a cup of wine is a way of

fulfilling the mitzvah of sanctifying the day of rest (the word kiddush translates as “sanctification”).

On Friday night all typically stand for the recitation of kiddush, while on Shabbat day

some people sit. Take your cues from those around you.

Challah Immediately following kiddush, everyone will leave their chairs and go to the

sink for the ritual hand-washing for bread. If you are not familiar with this procedure,

your hosts will be happy to guide you through it and help you recite the blessing.

After washing hands, we don’t speak until after we’ve eaten some challah, so just return

to your chair and wait quietly. Hand motions and facial expressions are often used for

necessary communication at this point.

When everyone is seated again, your host will recite the blessing over bread and then

distribute challah, first dipping each piece in salt. After you’ve eaten a bite, feel free to talk again.

The Food The traditional Friday night Shabbat meal features a fish course (with gefilte

fish as an Eastern European classic, often nowadays accompanied by salads inspired

Israeli cuisine), followed by a soup course (most classic is chicken soup), and then a me

at or chicken course.

Shabbat day generally features a fish course and then a meat course containing a hot st

ew called tcholent. Since it is forbidden to cook food on Shabbat, the tcholent has been s

lowly cooking since Friday afternoon before sundown, either on the stovetop or in a cro

ckpot. (Tcholent is the Eastern European term; in Sephardic parlance, the equivalent, often spicier, dish is known as chameen.)

These multi-course menus are traditional but not mandatory, and it is increasingly

common to serve a one-course Shabbat meal, but be prepared . . . what seems like an

entire meal may be just the first course.

All that, of course, followed by dessert! Don’t worry, you are not obligated to eat or

even taste everything.

If your hosts have children, they may share their knowledge of the weekly Torah

portion and enjoy some positive attention. There will also likely be some singing, of

traditional Shabbat hymns as well as other Jewish songs of a joyful or spiritual nature.

You can feel comfortable discussing all the usual topics that might be discussed a

dinner party—politics, recent experiences, the weather . . . and don’t be afraid to ask

questions. If anything seems mystifying or unclear to you, don’t be shy. Your hosts or

fellow guests will be happy to explain.

If you lend a hand with clearing plates or carrying serving dishes, it will likely be appreciated.

What Not to Do

When you come, don’t ring the doorbell. Knock instead.

Don’t take pictures.

Don’t use your phone.

When using the bathroom, avail yourself of the tissues or pre-torn toilet paper, rather

than tearing toilet paper.

Important: Please don’t turn off any lights, as there will be no Shabbat-permissible

way to turn them back on. (If you have already mistakenly turned off the light in the bathroom, you can at least know that you are not the first one to have made this

mistake . . . even those who have observed Shabbat for many years may unthinkingly do this.)

Don’t worry, there is no problem at all with flushing the toilet.

Grace After Meals As the meal is winding down, someone will suggest bentching.

This Yiddish word means “blessing,” and is a reference to the Grace After Meals.

Small booklets will be brought to the table containing the text of the Grace After Meals. There are sure to be some booklets with an English translation, so you can read it

comfortably yourself.

Israel

Welcome to Israel 

belinda@travelbeevactions.com

I have just recently returned from a whirlwind trip to Israel. . A must travel to for most that I have spoken with. It was unlike any destination I have ever traveled to for  many different reasons. To name a few:

1. I was fearful !

I was afraid to travel to Israel.  I wanted to blend in with the people and not look like an American. For the most part, I brought all black clothes. Even bought a black umbrella in NYC instead of bringing the pretty red one I had from home.

My fear was unwarranted, I felt and was very safe. We walked  freely around all areas that we visited. I journeyed there as part of a travel agent tour group to get to know the country  come home and  talk about it with knowledge. It was easy to walk around,and stay out late at night . Our tour company assured us they all knew the areas we were traveling to. They knew what was going on and where to take us and not to take us. We were probably more safer in Israel  than we had been in NYC. There were Israeli soldiers in plain view who  were armed and patrolling as part of the everyday  traffic. Not intimidating but we knew they were keeping us safe.

2. Three main faiths one place.

It was  evident that Israel is a country with 3 distinct faiths;  Islamic Temples, Christian Churches, and Jewish Synagogues  With their bells or music or calls to prayer, they were competing to be heard.

The Wailing Wall

The Wailing Wall

The Sea of Galilee

The Dome of The Rock

1st Place you can be baptised in Jordan River

1st Place you can be baptised in Jordan River

3. This is the biggest reason to visit; the History.

Where Jesus was baptised in the Jordan River

You can see Jordan from Israel right at the Jordan edge

It is everywhere. Under every footprint that you may make there is history.Israel is full of stories of when time began. We started our journey in Nazareth, the tiny town where a young woman would hear she would give birth to the Hebrew King. We then set out to Capernaum where the disciples would meet Jesus and where we can still see what is believed to be Peter's home. We drove through Jericho and on to the River of Jordan where Jesus was baptized. We walked through markets  trading and bargaining for spices and goods just like  the old times.

We went to the Western Wall a/k/a The Wailing wall and The Temple Mount. Where Solomon's Temple once stood.


Jerusalem was exceptional, the old city with all of the old stone and passageways.

Jaffa- The oldest port city in the world.

Jonah was in Jaffa trying to hide from God

Beautiful Port City of Jaffa

So much to cover....., I don't want to overwhelm.  So I will stop there for now.

Until next time