There is an unbelievable number of Dunkin Donut Shops in the Boston area. Sometimes two stores are within sight of each other. Additionally, they sell Dunkin Donuts in gas stations, sub shops (are the Togos and Dunkin Donuts chains owned by the same corporate behemoth?) and supermarkets. And yet, when we went into a Dunkin Donuts on a Sunday morning about 9:30 AM, half of the donuts were sold out. No creme filled (chocolate nor vanilla nor banana). No sugar coated. How can there be so many donut eaters in one area? I didn't notice that Bostonians were especially huge waisted.

We did not see the Big Dig.

Traffic is bad, like in every major city in the world. But the area is surprising rural. 30 miles outside downtown there were trees and campgrounds and open land. 30 miles from downtown Cleveland, LA or San Diego (the cities I am most familar with) the land is covered with suburbs. But around Boston, 30 miles from downtown actually gets you out of the city proper - Lexington and Concord are separate cities, not just another suburb in the endless city sprawl. Yet there are lots of people living behind all those trees, or else the traffic wouldn't be so bad. The subways work well. I am a huge believer in public transportation - but maybe I only say that because I live in cities without it? I do wish they would extend BART north of the Golden Gate Bridge, so that I could take the train into SF (where it is impossible to park) or the airport, but the Marin county residents fear public transportation will import crime and homeless, and they always block the plans. (I live north of Marin County, but the BART would have to go through their county to get to mine.)

We had great weather. I don't know what is typical for Boston, but I am glad we did not get rained on very much, other than on the last day. Nor was it too humid. There were mosquitos at the campgrounds.

Ready for the next trip:

Yellowstone!