The Early Riser: Boston

I believe that the person who coined the cliche, 'it's a lot of work to have fun' was a mom breastfeeding her three month old in a Toyota Yaris in the car port of the ferry taking her family back from Martha's Vineyard. However that age-old saying goes - the one that I remember my father saying as he went to work stuffing five suitcases into a family-sized sedan outside of our hotel in Rouen, sweat dripping down his face; and again when he was stuffing five sets of skis into a full-size rental outside the Denver airport, and again and again whenever we dealt with plane delays, ferry splash zones, long meandering car rides, detours, schleps, and 'are we there yets' - it is 100 percent true if you are traveling with children.

While nursing Mary in compact cars, bathroom stalls, and beach fronts; schleping strollers, infant carriers, diapers, binkies, blankets, and breast pumps; flying, driving, ferrying and pacifying; experiencing new beds, new bath tubs, and new people made our first family vacation challenging at times, the fun we had in Edgartown on the Vineyard, in Woods Hole, Falmouth and Bourne on the Cape, and in Boston was worth the extra coordination. And I've got to say, as we landed last night, I felt pretty proud of our summer jaunt and our brave little traveler.

In the spirit of keeping things easier though, I've cut the word count and just shared some tips, highlights, photos, and recommendations from our trip. We'll definitely be back for many June vacations to come.

1. Edgartown is one of my new favorite places in the U.S.A. - each of the 11 million dollar houses that line Water Street, High Street, School Street, Church Street, and every other generically named avenue is a dream come true. Their perfectly pruned rose gardens are equally impressive. Just don't get discouraged by how the upper .5% of the population lives.
2. The historic Harbor-View hotel in Edgartown was a wonderful place to stay with Mary. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, the pool was the perfect temperature, and the rocking chairs on the porch made Mary very happy in the evenings.
3. Happy Hour at the Atlantic complete with free bacon on the bar, followed by dinner at Water Street (thanks Mom and Dad!) makes for a great evening in Edgartown.
4. Late June, right before 'the season' starts is a wonderful time to come to the Cape and the Islands - no crowds, beautiful weather (although I'm told that typically it's not this nice), lots of striped bass, and better prices.
5. If you happen to be in the Falmouth area, try to get an invite to a McLaughlin and Daughter pizza party - hands down one of the best food-themed events I've ever been to.
6. Find ways / times / places that will give your baby down time each day. There were times when we definitely bit off more than Mary could chew.
7. In the event of a meltdown, hammocks can be a mom's best friend.
8. Apparently, I need to get a hooter hider, but I would also encourage restaurants, hotels, and airports to create nursing rooms for their guests.
9. Staying with friends, especially friends that have every infant gadget known to man is invaluable. We can't thank Kristen, Kevin and Callum enough for their generous hospitality while we were on the Cape.
10. It's worth the extra money to not ride around in a Yaris.
11. If you are lucky enough to have a husband that can catch lots of big fish, Saveur has a great recipe for roasted striped bass.
12. The Freedom Trail is better when it's not 95 degrees in Boston.
13. Hands down, the best stop on any site seeing tour is your daughter rolling over for the first time. Way to go, champ!

Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard