Happy as a Clam. Err ... Lobster!!

I am having a BLAST!! Yesterday was a day not to be topped. A marathon finish ... dinner with friends and some running superstars ...

Sara Hall's mom--very nice lady

Me, Kalli, Nikki

Ryan chatting with Jake--this is when he gave us the lowdown on his pre-marathon food

Ryan, Bart, Sara

... a fabulous dessert at Finale. I have to put in a plug for Ryan and Sara's new venture, and the reason for the dinner. The Steps Foundation is their effort to help eliminate poverty internationally by partnering with existing charites and their own new initiatives. It also will feature a running mentor program. They're getting it launched with the Boston Marathon, and will have runners partnered with them for the other biggie marathons--Chicago and New York.

Back to my New England adventure. Daybreak brought a beautiful sunny sky and pleasant temps. I started out with a 30 minute spin on the stationery bike in the hotel fitness center to loosen up my legs. It felt good to get rid of some of that lactic acid. Then I took the T downtown and happened upon ...

Joe and Sara Ryan. Sara wanted to go into Marathon Sports and look around, so I asked Joe if he wanted to walk down to the corner and have a look inside the Old South Church. It's a beautiful old UCC church from the late 1800s.

Then I wandered down to the Boston Public Garden. The swan boats are now back on the water and the tulips are in spectacular bloom.

Then I decided to take the T to Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market ...

 and stop in at Bill Rogers Running Center ...

 and have a bite for lunch. Guess who was at BRRC? Bill!!

He was busy signing posters. I'd gotten one signed a few years ago and didn't have a need for another (and didn't want to stand in the slow-moving line either). I asked the guy at the register where he would recommend as a place to have lunch in the Market. He said without a doubt it would be Durgin-Park, one of the oldest restaurants in the U.S. I ate in the gaslight pub ...

and had the Carved Turkey Sandwich. Then I decided to walk over to the North End and try to find Mike's Pastry, which I'd read and heard so much about. So I asked someone for directions and found it post haste. And just like they'd said ... there was a line outside.

I didn'treally want a cannoli all that bad, so decided not to get into the queue. I went somewhere else for something else! A little place called Lyndell's was just down the street.

So I went inside and pondered all the posibilities in the pastry case. They all looked delicious.

After talking with the gal behind the counter ... and the two guys from Woodbury, MN sitting at one of the two tables!! ... I decided on a yellow cake with chocolate frosting on her recommendation.

It really was delicious. The crumb was nice and tight, but not dense. Worth every calorie, but I really have to get back on the healthy-eating wagon now. I believe I'd now eaten my way through my marathon-running calorie deficeit. :-) Then I walked through the Holocaust memorial. Very moving.

Then I took the T back to the Arlington stop and walked down Newbury Street. It's one of the main shopping drags in Boston. Designer, expensive shops which I didn't go in, but it was fun to walk down the street and window shop.

Then I went back to the hotel to pick up my bags and make my way to the Amtrak Station where I would board the Noreaster for the trip up to Portland.

 I didn't know if I was making the right decision on leaving Beantown, but after being here for just a short time, I TOTALLY made the right decision. I can't wait to do some exploring tomorrow!!

To be continued ...