6 Boston Escapes

Get Travel Channel's 6 quick, but fun ways to unwind and relax in Boston, including a tour of the Sam Adams Brewery, or get a mani/pedi at MiniLuxe.

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Photo by: Thinkstock

Thinkstock

Tourists travel to Boston to explore the city’s rich history; however, not many people know that between all the sightseeing there are other fun ways to unwind and relax while in Beantown. Travel Channel wants you to consider playing hooky for an hour or 2 to recharge the batteries. Take a look out our list of quick escapes.

Spa Treatment at Wave Health and Fitness
The Seaport Boston Hotel (1 Seaport Lane) is just a 5-minute walk from the Convention Center, and it's there that you'll find the Wave Health and Fitness Center. Give your mind and body a temporary vacation at the hands of the trained staff of therapeutic service providers. Indulge in a massage, come alive with a skincare treatment or just awaken your senses with one of the Wave's many therapeutic services. Offerings range from a $50 30-minute muscular therapy massage to a 1-hour hot stone massage for $130. Skincare options range from a wax treatment for $20 to customized facials for $85. Call 617-385-4540 to make an appointment or visit wavehealth.com.

Indulge at Kickass Cupcakes
You’ll experience “wicked” Boston at this Davis Square confectionary. Try the Mark Wahlberg Triple Threat – named for the actor (and former rapper, but don't bring that up) or the Boston Cream Pie cupcakes. But most importantly discover that, yes, there is such a thing as beer in a cupcake. Try the Green Monster cupcake – chocolate cake with a chocolate beer ganache center and Sam Adams Cream Stout green-colored frosting. Or throw caution to the wind and order a deep-fried cupcake, cream-stuffed and drizzled with chocolate syrup. Kickass Cupcakes is at 378 Highland Ave. in nearby Somerville. Take the MBTA red line right to the Davis Square stop. Or – and here's the best part – they deliver. Call 617-628-2877 or visit kickasscupcakes.com.

Tour the Sam Adams Brewery
Sam Adams was a brewer and a patriot – it says so right there on your beer bottle’slabel. Experience his work firsthand during a tour of the Sam Adams Brewery (30 Germania St.) Tours walk visitors through the brewery’s history and entire brewing process, then conclude with samples of some of Sam Adams' award-winning beers. Five miles from the Convention Center – about a $25 taxi fare – the brewery schedules tours on Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Public transportation is also available: take the MBTA orange line to the Stony Brook stop. The 1-hour tours depart every 45-minutes. The brewery does not take reservations and the suggested donation – which goes to local charities – is $2. Call 617-368-5256 or visit Samueladams.com.

Get a Mani/Pedi at MiniLuxe
Located on Newbury Street – Boston's swanky shopping district lined with 19th-century brownstones - MiniLuxe is a nail and beauty lounge for the discerning guest. Upscale and downright cool, this top-shelf salon offers pampering options from brow waxing and makeup to shellac pedicures and OPI gel color pedicures and manicures. Rest easy knowing that all tools are sterilized and cleanliness is a priority. Also, ask about the 15-minute neck and shoulder massage while you wait for your nails to dry. MiniLuxe is less than 3 miles from the Convention Center – about a $15 taxi fare. Or, take the MBTA green line to the Hynes Convention Center stop, which is a 3-minute walk to the 296 Newbury St. MiniLuxe location. To arrange some “you” time, call 857-362-7444 or visit Miniluxe.com. Don't know when you'll be free? No problem – walk-ins are welcome.

Dine at Legal Test Kitchen
Take in the salt air as you dive into uncharted culinary waters at the Legal Test Kitchen – associated with the famed Legal Sea Foods restaurant chain and located right around the corner from the Convention Center at 225 Northern Ave. LTK prides itself as a showcase for the global evolution of dining trends. Expect the renowned Legal Sea Foods menu, in addition to a new LTK menu that changes every 6 weeks. Sample from the shellfish tower or dive into the decadent truffled lobster mac and cheese. Call 617-330-7430 or visit Ltkbarandkitchen.com.

See a Concert
The House of Blues, which sits in the shadow of Fenway Park, is about a $27 taxi fare from the waterfront, or take the MBTA green line to the Kenmore Square stop. Call 888-693-2583 or visit Boston's House of Blues website.

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