Conference Excursions Offer Unique Perspectives on Boston
Four excursions are available during the 2011 ICA Conference for participants and attendees who would like a chance to explore the city of Boston. Tickets to any of these excursions can be purchased in advance of the conference at the ICA Conference Registration website. The tours will be canceled if a sufficient number of tickets are not sold before the Conference. An extremely limited number of tickets may be available at onsite registration.
EXCURSION #1: Tour of the Back Bay Fens in the Emerald Necklace Park System
The Back Bay Fens was the first park constructed in the Emerald Necklace park system, designed by preeminent landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted (New York's Central Park; Washington DC's U.S. Capitol grounds). What began as swampy marshland has been transformed into "scenery of a winding, brackish creek, within wooded banks," now home to many gardens and attractions. While strolling the park, visitors have the opportunity to enjoy the Kelleher Rose Garden, the Fenway Community Gardens, the Agassiz Bridge, and monuments commemorating World War II, Vietnam, and the Korean War. The Back Bay Fens is located amongst some of Boston's premier museums-the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum-and is only a short journey from Fenway Park, home to the Red Sox baseball franchise.
When: Thursday, 26 & 29 May, 13:00- 15:30
Transportation: Bus Transportation Provided
Price: $40 (Ticket for tour and transportation costs included in price)
Limit: 40 Persons
EXCURSION #2: North End Market Tour
Discover one of the oldest, most vibrant Italian-American communities in all of America. The North End Market Tour is an award-winning walking tour that takes visitors through the North End markets to learn the secrets of Italian cuisine. Guides will impart tips on purchasing and cooking foods, including how to discern the best olive oils and balsamic vinegars, to selecting the most delicious biscotti and cannoli. To everyone's delight, there will be tastings at almost every stop along the way! The tour also includes recommendations for the best culinary stores and restaurants in the Boston area, as well a historical insights about the neighborhood.
When: Thursday, 26 May, 12:30-15:00
Transportation: Bus Transportation Provided
Price: $60 USD (Ticket cost includes guided tour with tastings, and transportation)
Limit: 50 Persons
EXCURSION #3: Boston Chocolate Tours
During this 2-hour walking tour, participants visit the finest artisan chocolatiers and restaurants in Beacon Hill, considered one of the most fashionable communities in Boston. The area is known for its architecture and brick pathways, as well as its number of notable inhabitants, past and present. At each stop along the tour, participants will indulge in the finest chocolates and chocolate-inspired recipes-from longtime Bostonian family recipes to exotic imported treats.
When: Thursday, 26 & 29 May, 13:00-16:00
Transportation: A guide will be provided to help tour participants navigate the Boston Subway System.
Price: $75 USD (Ticket cost includes guided tour, tastings at each stop, and subway ticket)
Limit: 14 Persons
EXCURSION #4: Boston Bookaphiles Walking Tour & High Tea
As a historical seat of higher learning, Boston is rich in libraries and independent bookstores. This tour gives ICA members a chance to visit two of Boston's most spectacular libraries and one of America's oldest used and rare bookshops. We start at the Mary Baker Eddy Library's Mapparium, a must see for anyone interested in a history of ideas made tangible. From there we will take a 5-10 minute walk through Boston's Backbay neighborhood to the Boston Public Library in Copley Square, where we will visit the McKim building and see the library's famous Sargent Gallery. We will conclude our tour with high tea at the Taj Hotel (formerly the Ritz), which has been serving elegant teas overlooking the Boston Public Garden since 1927. After tea, for those who wish to extend their bookish tour to actual purchasing, the tour continues across the Boston Common to the Brattle Book Shop. Established in 1825, it features an outside sale lot, two floors of general used books, and a third floor collection of rare and antiquarian books. Meet in the Westin Lobby at 1:45. We will start our walking tour by taking public transit into Boston's Backbay neighborhood.
When: Thursday May 26 & 29, 1:45-5:00 pm
Transportation: A guide will be provided to meet tour participants navigate in the Westin Hotel Lobby.
Price: $50.00 USD
Limit: 30 persons