Happy happy Thursday, friends!
Last Friday, we packed up our bags and headed back over on the boat from Nantucket to Boston to see the Red Sox play the Yankees at Fenway Park! This was something we’ve wanted to do/talked about for YEARS, so it was so much fun to finally do it. We started talking, and I think this was the first professional sporting event all six of us have attended together. We’ve all been to a college football game, but I can’t think of another professional game for the Shull six which made this even more sweet.
I didn’t do a stellar job of taking pictures, so I apologize in advance, but I’m sharing what I have today.
On Friday morning, we said bye to the dogs (we had someone dog/house sit for us), loaded up in the car, and headed to park by the ferry…
…after dropping off the car, we started walking to the boat.
We were so excited! We took the fast ferry from Nantucket to Hyannis. Here we are waiting to board the boat…this is Smith’s idea of taking a photo with his littlest sister. #sigh
Off we go! We boarded the boat and took the 10:00 AM ferry over…
…once on board, I bought a breakfast sandwich and coffee. The water was really nice and smooth on this trip across but one can never be too careful…and my key to warding off motion sickness is a full stomach.
Goodbye, Nantucket! We’ll be right back!
The little girls played Bananagrams on the boat, I read, Andrew listened to his favorite radio station and the big kids watched a show on their phone. The boat wasn’t very crowded at all heading back to Hyannis (on a Friday morning in June, the boats going the other way though were going to be really crowded).
We arrived in Hyannis at 11:00 and had a car service waiting there to drive us to Boston…thanks to some traffic, the drive took two hours. Needless to say, by the time we arrived and checked into our hotel (we stayed at the Westin Copley Place), we were very hangry. I took some videos but did a terrible job at taking still photos. Here’s a recap though:
We left the hotel and walked to Joe’s for lunch. After lunch, we walked down Newbury Street to the park and then back up Boylston. My kids have seen the recent documentary on Netflix about the Boston Marathon Bombing and wanted to see the area, so we looked at that, walked through the farmers’ market and headed off to see…
…Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall. The girls got drinks, the boys got snacks and we enjoyed the Friday afternoon energy there…
…sweet times 🙂 .
Our game started at 7:10, and we wanted to be at Fenway when the park opened (90 minutes before the game), so we changed clothes and headed…
…straight there. Of course there was a TON of trash talk between the six Shulls, but I will say that Smith (a terrible Yankee fan) said multiple times how much he appreciated the older stadium (the Yankees play in a new stadium) and that he liked the streets that surround the park where all of the fun happens before the games. That was about the only nice thing Smith said for the rest of the night.
Andrew, Kensington, Mades and me have all seen the Sox play at Fenway, but this was a first for Ashby and Smith. We are very much a house divided and even the sweetest of the sweet (I’m talking to you, Ashby Shull) gets spicy when talking about her team versus ours.
Walking into the stadium with my diverse crew 🙂 .
I would like to say that my three Yankees were the only ones in the stadium and that they were heckled constantly, but…unfortunately, they had a lot of their “friends” there too, so the taunting was at a minimum 😉 .
Baseball in Boston in the summer on a Friday WITH ALL OF MY PEOPLE…geez, that’s perfection.
I love my littlest Red Sox fan!
These two sent me this selfie.
The game was SPECTACULAR for half of us. The Red Sox beat the Yankees 15 to 5, and the energy in the stadium was ELECTRIC!
When the game was over, we headed back over to see…
…the brick my dad and I have at Fenway and then started our walk back to the hotel.
When we got back, we were so hyped up (some were so sad), but it made the whole thing just so much fun.
The next morning at 7:00, the car service came back to get us and drive us (thankfully, it only took 1 hour and 10 minutes this time!)…
…back to Hyannis so that we could catch the 9:30 boat back to Nantucket to see our dogs and spend our Saturday getting ready for our family to arrive the next morning (more on that to come!).
And that was our trip to Boston and bACK 🙂 .
Have a wonderful Thursday! I’ll see you tomorrow! xx
Laura Holmes says
Nothing beats a game at Fenway! Except maybe when they beat the Yankees!! So excited you had the chance to do this as a family. So fun!
Katrina says
We went to Fenway last summer with our two kids and loved the atmosphere!
Erika Slaughter says
This might have been an entirely different post if Andrew, Smith or Ashby had written it. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Mix and Match Mama says
I just lol!
Elspeth Mizner says
What a fun overnight trip!! What great memories you are creating this summer!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Julie says
What color Bogg bag do you have? And do you love it?! Debating what to get – blue, peacock, or yellow!
Mix and Match Mama says
I’m going to do a whole post on our Bogg bag situations very soon, but we have navy, blowing pink bubbles and blushing for all different reasons. I really love blushing 🙂 .
Sarah Shaneyfelt says
So fun! Dustin and I want to see the Braves play at Fenway! I’m like Smith–I appreciate an older stadium with history attached!
MeetTheShaneyfelts
Andrea Hooper says
You should sign your kids up for Red Sox nation! You will get some great deals and they run random specials for a family pack of tickets!
Erin Hernandez says
Love this post! As a boy mom, many of our family adventures revolve around sports and some of our favorite places to visit are the “vintage” baseball stadiums! Just got back from Chicago with son #1 (22- graduate school orientation :[]) and made sure to catch a Cubs game at Wrigley! Son #2 (19) is headed to Boston and Cape Cod at the end of the summer to join his college roomie and make the drive all the way back down to Georgia for apartment move-in! We’ve been to Boston, but not ventured out to the islands so I think he will really enjoy the visit! Thanks for sharing!
Tara Litt says
Any tips for a Fenway first timer? Going to a Red Sox game next week when we visit Boston.
Mix and Match Mama says
I highly recommend a Fenway Park tour (you need tickets and this is not a part of the game in any way). I think you would appreciate the park even more if you knew more of the history. Go early! There is so much to do around the ballpark!
Janel Oberheu says
Shay, Mike and I are were in Boston this past weekend also. Our first time there. We absolutely loved the vibe!! We actually saw you and your family walking past Joe’s on the opposite side of the street when we were having lunch there Friday afternoon. Small world!! 🙂 We did the Fenway Tour on that Saturday morning. What a great stadium! Thanks again for helping us with our Alaskan cruise in July. We can’t wait for this next adventure!
Mix and Match Mama says
Janel, oh my gosh! I wish I would have met you in person!! I would have loved to give you a hug!
Monica says
What a fun family summer! Have your kids made friends on the island and have you and Andrew met other couple to do things with? Enjoy your summer!
Mix and Match Mama says
We have met so many amazing people here! We were just saying this morning, that whether they’re seasonal or year around, we’ve only met the nicest new friends here. Of course, we’re missing our Texas friends big time though!
Kay says
I live outside Boston, and it has been SO much fun to see familiar places on your blog! I’m glad you got your people to Fenway. No matter which team you love, Fenway is SUCH a special experience and you are right, the energy there is amazing. I think Fenway and Camden Yards are the BEST.
Sorry it’s been such a gloomy/rainy June for you all, but I’m glad you’re enjoying MA! Luckily the beaches/ocean on Nantucket are still incredible no matter the weather.
Kacey says
What a FUN weekend!! Also, #bostonstrong always! I’ll never forget that day, walking out of the Sox game with my mom and sister, heading back towards the library, cheering on the runners, so much joy and excitement and then it all changed. Watching the documentary brought it all back so clearly. I thanked God we weren’t closer and continue to pray for everyone who was impacted that day.
Mix and Match Mama says
I cannot even imagine, Kacey. Sending you so much love!
Beth Valenta says
Love this post! Fenway is simply perfect and I am glad Smith saw that. 🙂 Love your tshirt for the game. Can you let me know what website you got it?
Have a great day!
Mix and Match Mama says
It’s from the Jersey Street Store 🙂 !
Beth Valenta says
Thanks Shay!
Sandy says
Oh my goodness, I have followed you for years and I had been in Boston Monday-Saturday every week from May 15-June 15th as my daughter was doing treatment down there. We had an apartment on Beacon Hill and her treatment was on Boylston St. I spent a ton of time in the park and on my last day June 15th the day before you were there, I ate lunch at Joe’s and did some shopping on Newbury. The next day when we were home in Maine, I said to my husband, Mix and Match Mama is in Boston today, I wonder if we had been there, if I would have run into them. Then I read this and I literally did what you did on Friday, on Thursday. I am so sad to not have met you! Maybe someday!! I love that your family is split evenly down the middle with Yankee/Red Sox fans!!
Mix and Match Mama says
First of all, THANK YOU for being a part of my online community! I am so honored! Second of all, I wish I would have seen you and given you a hug!!
SS says
Shay,
It is fun to see your brick…how does the erosion make you feel when you see it? Will they replace bricks if you can’t read them or do you have to buy another one? Just curious.
I have been to a few ball parks, too. I have been to the the “new” tiger stadium…like the year they built it. I have been to Camden Yards and to a Twins game when they were in the dome!!!
Mix and Match Mama says
So, they sold the bricks a few years back when they were updating that entrance to the stadium. It’s my understanding that it will stay there until I guess, years from now, they update that entrance again. They did all of the bricks at one time (you can’t add them now), so it erosion doesn’t bother me since all the bricks look the same.
Lisa says
It sounds like y’all are settling in nicely and having a great time! When our twins were in high school, our church youth choir went to Boston on choir tour and I was one of the chaperones. The youth choir (and chaperones) sang the National Anthem on the field! It was such a cool experience.
sp says
What a fun post! If Smith likes older stadiums I highly recommend taking him on a trip to see Camden Yards in Baltimore. Beautiful ball park. Enjoy your summer!
Leslie S says
Oh my gosh Smith has grown up so much – I’ve done a double take in some photos of him LOL. What a fun memory for your family! Question – how do you find/decide what car service to use? We have some trips coming up in cities like Boston, NYC, etc and this is such a genius idea!
Mix and Match Mama says
My travel agency uses one car service in particular all over the world, so that’s who we use for this too. If you travel to one of our destinations, I would love to help you!
K.K. says
Shay, you might be making me a Boston fan after this post! That looks so fun – the setting, the songs, cooler weather!!
Gina Baldwin says
Any chance you can remedy where Smith got his awesome Yankee sweatshirt!? 😉 Thanks!
Mix and Match Mama says
Well, I don’t buy ugly things like that, but my guess is that it was bought at the Yankee’s online store.
Casey says
Looking at all your pictures takes me back to our wonderful trip to Boston last June! I toured the city with my 2 kids(ages19/16), toured Fenway and attended 2 games vs the Cardinals. The ballpark is truly magical! Just to add: my grandmother’s cousin was Bobby Doerr, 2nd baseman and Hall of Famer. His number #1 is retired in the outfield and he is a part of the Teammates statue outside the stadium! To top off our experience, Neil Diamond made a surprise appearance and sang ‘Sweet Caroline!’ We loved Boston!
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh my gosh, I watched that game (with Neil Diamond!), how so very cool that you were there!!!!
Shaye Dodson says
Just curious, I thought I read one time that your kids do not have phones. So they both have them now? If so, how old were they when they got them?
Mix and Match Mama says
That’s right, they got phones for Christmas this year so they were about 13 and 14 (7th and 8th grades).
Jennibell says
Isn’t it funny that it is hard to get pics of your teens when you ask but they will send you selfies all day long?? I found this on our most recent family trip and see you are experiencing it too 🙂
Looks like an amazing trip – your family making memories together all summer – simply priceless!!
Mix and Match Mama says
YES!!!!! Isn’t that the truth?!
Laura Kidd says
This looks like such a fun night for you and your family! Do you have a recommendation for a car service that does Hyannis to Boston? I’m planning a trip to Nantucket and not really sure where to start for a car service.
Mix and Match Mama says
Boston Carriage Company is great!