The Mission & Arnold Arboretum

After taking in the Chihuly Exhibit at the MFA on Sunday morning, we walked up the street to The Mission Bar & Grill for brunch and then took the 39 Bus to the Arnold Arboretum. The Mission offers a cozy beer bar ambiance with dark woods and black ceilings. It's a casual spot, an easy place to come as you are and relax. The Basil Bloody Mary ($8) loaded with fresh muddled basil and spicy horseradish hit the spot. Pretty sure this herb will be making it into my next homemade Bloody Mary, if I can remember to have some fresh leaves on hand!The Vegetarian Eggs Benedict ($10) with pan seared spinach and tomato got the job done even if my runny poached eggs were not served as piping hot as I would have liked. Service was spot on, the host and waitress both easy going and friendly. Oh and I finally got to make good use of a $25 gift card I've had in my wallet for quite sometime now!

We decided not to let a little rain get in the way of our plans to explore the vast outdoor Arboretum, home to 265 acres of land in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale neighborhoods of Boston. The Arboretum was endowed to Harvard University under an agreement with the city. As a trustee the University is directly responsible for the development, maintenance, and operation while the City retains responsibility for water fountains, benches and roads. The grounds are open free of charge to the public 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset. It was an exciting debut trip, even if I was being drizzled on the whole time. I heard then that it was going to be raining for the next week straight (truth, we haven't seen the sun in 5 days) so might as well get out and about regardless.The lilacs trees in bloom were a major highlight. Boasting colors from deep purple, to bright purpley-pink to lighter pastel shades, the flowers were absolutely gorgeous. All the while their sweet fragrance wafted along the trails. It was a delight for the sense of sight as well the sense of smell. Okay, one more and we're done with them....We were sure not to miss the Japanese Bonsai trees. How amazing are these little guys?! Indeed the Bonsai is a work of art. The start dates of some of these trees date back to the mid 1860s if you can believe it! Other highlights of the Arboretum included: The grape vines along a massive stone wallHot pink flowers that matched Mom's pants!A Colorado Blue SpruceThis gorgeous Wisteria TreeAnd an unphotographed deer who was spotted a mere 20 feet away! He or she stopped to stare at us for a long moment before darting back into the forest. It's amazing how the Arboretum transports you out of the city while being smack dab in the middle of it. Deer in Boston? Who knew. We boarded the Orange line train at Forest Hills Station, making it an easy straight shot home for some warm dry clothes, hot tea and cupcakes.

It was quite a day. I love that there is always something or somewhere new to explore in this city. The Chihuly Exhibit being the something and the Arboretum being the somewhere; granted Chihuly is legitimately new and the Arboretum is only new-to-me, the prospect of adventure at every turn never ceases to amaze.