There was a lot of street noise overnight so didn't sleep well. I stayed in bed until about 0600 and then read and relaxed in my room until about 0845. Next, I went down to breakfast at the Fin Point and tried their chocolate pancakes (very good). I was done eating by 0915 and then left The Dagney for a stroll around Boston. First, I crossed Atlantic Avenue and located the Boston Harbor Walk (just north of the Harbor Towers). From there, I started a counterclockwise circuit of Boston Harbor. I was able to stay close to the water and get views of Hull, East Boston and Charlestown. Also watched departing Logan air traffic as it climbed into the overcast. The temps were in the 40s and it was a little cloudy. Still, I wasn't cold without my coat and never felt any raindrops. I made my way through the Battery Wharf area of the North End and got views of the USS Constitution. From there, I walked over towards TD Garden and arrived at the north end of the Big Dig zone (near the Zakim Bridge). I had not spent much time in this area since the massive city project and wanted to see how they had converted the old I-93 corridor (above ground) green space. Along the way, I walked a bit on the Freedom Trail. I next checked out the inside of the TD Garden, looked around in North Station, walked through part of The Hub on Causeway and then started walking south in The Rose Kennedy Greenway. There were a lot of street crossings so the going was slow. I found lots of pretty gardens, got good views of Boston Landmarks up and down the west side of the Atlantic Avenue. Passing by the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park Visitor Center (closed for the season), I noticed some brochures about upcoming events - the one for New Year's Day looked interesting... Eventually, I reached what looked like the end of the Greenway but then figured out there were parks all the way to Chinatown. Since I wasn't yet ready to return to the hotel, I walked over there and saw a large number of Republic of China flags and a huge memorial to Tiananmen Square. I next walked a bit further south to see the Big Dig "outflow" and then tracked east towards the water. Along the way, I stopped at South Station and found the Dartmouth Coach boarding and unloading gates. I then walked further (through a massive construction area) until I found the Amtrak section of South Station. Crossing the bridge that has a historical reenactor building for the Boston Tea Party, I made my way into South Boston. I picked up the Harbor Walk again but didn't follow it east. Instead, I crossed back to the west side of the Bass River and resumed my walk to the north. Coming full circle to the Harbor Towers, I realized I'd never checked my map all day for orientation or directions (thanks to the teacher from my High School Architectural Drafting class). Near the hotel again, I ordered a sandwich from Panera and picked it up a few minutes later (1210). I didn't eat immediately eat, though. Instead, I explored the area around The Dagney (coffee shops, pubs, etc.). Once I got back to my room, I rested my feet, ate lunch, did some more reading and got ready for an team building excursion that was planned for later in the afternoon. At 1345, I headed down to the lobby to meet up with my colleagues. Our boss (Chris D) had contracted one of the Old Town Trolleys to give us a two hour tour of Boston and Charlestown! The weather was great! As our guide, 25-year-old Ginger, took us to landmarks famous and obscure, we played a sort of Bingo / Road Rally game. For most of my co-workers, this was their first visit to Beantown and they didn’t know what they were looking for - it was almost too easy to win... We ended up seeing most of the things I'd seen in the morning but also drove over to get a closer view of "Old Ironsides" and the Bunker Hill Monument. We also drove deep into Back Bay and saw prominent landmarks on/near Beacon Hill, Fenway and Copley Plaza. Our driver was definitely very knowledgeable about Boston and also had impressive driving skills. Before getting back to our hotel, we drove through part of South Boston and, at the end, got our group photo taken at Harbor Place. After we were out of the bus (1605), I walked about a block from our hotel to get a photo of my own at the Coogan's Pub. Back in my room at The Dagney, I did some reading and prepped for our Company Holiday Party. Once I was ready, I went down to meet everyone at around 1725. Just then, Eileen called (as a result of the timing, we couldn't talk long). Rejoining the group, I then followed Chris D on a walk across the Bass River to South Boston (to reach our restaurant). The company party was held in a private room in the Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse and (starting at 1800) we were were wined, dined and absolutely spoiled. What a meal! I had the rigatoni, Caesar salad and filet mignon - mmm. Wine flowed freely and the conversations were great. Dessert was a sampler of chocolate treats. At about 2200, things wrapped up and the walk back (via the Harborwalk again) was quite picturesque. Bed was at around 2300. Wonderful experience!
