Sometimes, just getting there is the hardest part.

Hubby and I took our niece Laura to the Science Museum in Boston yesterday.   It was her 13th Birthday present.   We let her choose and that's what she wanted.

In the past, we've taken the train into Boston, since it's much easier than trying to drive in and find parking.  But the Science Museum has a nice big parking garage beside it, and it's not outrageously expensive.  The Museum is "right off the highway" so we thought we'd drive in and park at the museum.

And the fun began:

1.  Somehow, we missed turning off at the museum, continued along Storrow Drive until we were darn sure we'd passed it.   So we got out "Tammy"...our GPS....and prepared to figure out how to turn around.

2.  Tammy asked us to do U-turn, which we did, and drive 5.6 miles back the other way, then turn left.

3.  We could not turn left.   So we continued straight and ended up back on the highway going North.

4.   Hubby decided we should forget the parking garage, and go to Sullivan Station, which is "right off the highway" and park there and take the T  (subway)  in.

5.  We drove right past any exit for Sullivan Station - or who knows? perhaps there is no exit for Sullivan Station going North.  So Hubby continued driving until we got to Stoneham, where he could turn around and get back on the highway going South.   We parked at Sullivan Station and prepared to take the T.  (after adding $20 to our Charlie Card)

6.  We needed to take the Orange Line to North Station and then the Green Line to the Science Museum.  However, when we got to North Station we found out the Green Line was having electrical problems, so we were told we could take a shuttle bus from North Station to the Science Museum.

7.  We couldn't find the shuttle bus, and I knew the walk was only .7 miles.   We asked a transit worker, and he directed us how to walk there.

8.  One and a half hours after leaving home, we arrived at the Museum.

We had a really wonderful time at the Museum.  We went into the Planetarium and the Butterfly Pavilion, and enjoyed the Lightening Show.   After the museum, we decided to go to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner.

9.  We walked over to the nearest T station, and were informed that the Green Line was still experiencing electrical problems, and we should take the shuttle bus to Government Center.   Luckily, the spot for the shuttle bus was right across the street and they were just boarding.

10.  We got off at Government Center, only to be told that, no....we could not get to the Cheesecake Factory from there.  We had to get back on the Orange Line, stop at Park Street, walk through a long tunnel over to Downtown Crossing and take the Green Line from there.  (This part of the Green Line was working).  NOW I was getting frustrated.

11.  We did as told, and finally, finally got to the Cheesecake Factory.  We walked around the Prudential Center Mall for 1/2  hour until our table was ready.

We had a very delicious meal at the Cheesecake Factory, and ordered cheesecake to take home with us since we were so full.

12.  Going back, we waited over 20 minutes for the train.  (Not patiently on my part! Did I mention that we waited 20 minutes for a train?  Then when it showed up, it had only two cars and was stuffed with people, and as the millions of people who'd been waiting 20 minutes tried to shove themselves on, I was all for adding into the pushing and shoving if it meant I could get on that train, and Hubby and Niece nixed that idea????  I was not pleasant at that point.  The fact that another, empty, two-car train came along in two minutes did not make me any happier.  )  Then we had to do the whole thing backwards.....Green Line to Downtown Crossing, walk through the long tunnel to Park Street, and take the Orange Line back to Sullivan Station for our car.

All in all...the day began when we picked up our niece at 10am, and we got back home at 8:15.   Thank goodness my niece is a sweet girl, who is very mature and has a great sense of humor.  We had a really good time with her and, despite the transportation problems, would do the whole thing again.