Kim Foley MacKinnon Expert Guru

Kim Foley MacKinnon is fulfilling her childhood dream of working with words. She has written for the Boston Globe, Global Traveler, Business Traveller, Boston Herald, Parents magazine, Italy magazine, and many other publications, as well as writing guidebooks. Travel, food and lifestyle writing are her specialties. Often, her own photos accompany her work. She is the former listings & entertainment editor for the Boston Parents' Paper, where she is still a contributor. In addition, Kim is the editor of Travelworld International Magazine (www.travelworldmagazine.com), the magazine for the North American Travel Journalist Association. She's the author of Boston for Families (2004). Her first book, A Parent’s Guide to Boston, was published in 2002 and has been the subject of excellent reviews by traveling parents and editors alike. Kim holds a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts in Boston (where she was the college newspaper's copy editor) and worked as an editorial assistant for the Boston Globe while going to school. For two years she was an editor with Hunter Publishing, which develops guidebooks to destinations around the world.

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Getting Your Bearings in Boston

Beacon Hill, with its old-world Brahmin feel is where most tourists start a visit. The Back Bay, with graceful homes and the Public Garden and Copley Square are urban meccas. The South End is famous as the largest neighborhood of Victorian homes in the country. Downtown and the Waterfront area beckon with trips out on the Boston Harbor and many historic sites. The Fenway area is home to Fenway Park and the Boston Red Sox. Many of Boston’s finest cultural institutions line the “Avenue of the Arts,” Huntington Avenue. Anyone with a taste for Italian should head to the North End, Boston’s oldest neighborhood. Packed with restaurants, cafes and locals speaking Italian, you’ll forget you’re in Boston. In Charlestown, “Old Ironsides,” the USS Constitution, makes its home in the Charlestown Navy Yard.

Getting Around Boston

The best way to get around town, other than your own two feet, is the “T,” short for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The T is America’s oldest subway line and the fourth largest in the country. It goes almost everywhere you'll want to go. There are four main subway lines that go downtown and out to various neighborhoods. When people talk about the T, they usually are referring to the train service, but the MBTA also runs buses and commuter trains.

What is Boston's Emerald Necklace?

You may hear the term "Emerald Necklace" in your Boston travels. The Emerald Necklace is a collection of parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (he also designed New York’s Central Park). The jewels include Boston Common, the Public Garden, Commonwealth Mall, the Back Bay Fens, the Riverway, Olmsted Park, Jamaica Pond, Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park. Go to www.emerald-necklace.org for more info.

Boston's Freedom Trail

You may see a red line, alternately painted or made of brick, snaking through Boston, like a long connect-the-dot of our nation’s earliest history. Curious about where the Boston Tea Party organizers geared up for their revolt? Ever wondered where the Boston Massacre happened? Did you know the nation’s first school was founded in Boston? How about the first park?

The answers are all found on the Freedom Trail, which is often the first thing a visitor is directed to do in the city. The 2.5-mile route has 16 stops along the way. It's a great way to get to know Boston.

A Pharaoh's Tomb in Boston?

Looking for an unusual attraction in Boston? 5 W!TS TOMB is a 40-minute interactive challenge, along the lines of an amusement park simulation ride, is perfect for those looking for something to do in town that’s different.

The premise is that you and your fellow explorers are on an archaeological dig in Egypt, trying to escape a pharaoh’s wrath as you figure out clues to get from one chamber to the next before time runs out. For anyone who loves Indiana Jones or any sort of adventure movie, this venue is a must-visit.

Special effects include a spectral pharaoh who intones threatening messages as you move through the tomb, fog, moving walls, lasers and tests. You will likely be with a few other visitors and working as a team is vital to successfully getting to the end.

Hotel Commonwealth Offers Luxury in Boston

Walking into the Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square is like walking into a Masterpiece Theatre movie. It’s 1940s classy, with sumptuous fabrics, elegant touches everywhere and great service. Once you valet the car, you won’t need it again. Besides Eastern Standard, there are two other restaurants in the hotel, not to mention Kenmore Square outside the door and beyond that, it’s just a short walk to the Back Bay. 617-933-5000; www.hotelcommonwealth.com.

Hand-crafted Liquor

“Diabolique” and “Angelique” are the invention of Boston chef Robert Fathman. Using bourbon whiskey, Mexican tequila or Virgin Island rum as a base, the concoctions work well on their own or with mixers. While the exact recipes are a secret, Fathman allows that he infuses the bourbon with fresh figs, vanilla bean and cinnamon, the tequila with fresh mango, lime and Hawaiian pineapple and the rum with lemon, orange and ginger. You’ll have to guess at the other ingredients. How to get a bottle? Well, local wine shop BRIX carries the entire line. At your next party, maybe the host gifts will be exactly what you hoped for. For tasty cocktail ideas, visit www.infusionique.com.

The Bangkok Peninsula Spa by E'Spa

For a glorious experience when staying in Bangkok, give youself some time. The genius of the Bangkok Peninsula Spa by E’Spa’s signature treatment, called simply “Time,” is that the 110-minute treatment is created for you by your therapist only after you choose the scents, therapies and pace.

In the treatment room, the therapist gives you a ginger foot scrub, then brings out samples of different scents for you to choose. After you decide on what kind of massage or facial, or both, that you want, you're ready to relax. Bliss!

Historic Inns of Rockland, Maine

Maine abounds in B&Bs, but head to Rockland, Maine, for a trio of special properties. The Historic Inns of Rockland, set in the tiny port town of Rockland are in the “Gateway to Penobscot Bay.”

The popular summer destination is home to the largest Windjammer fleet in the US, a huge tourist draw, but there’s plenty else to do, too.

The three inns that make up the Historic Inns of Rockland are the Berry Manor Inn (romantic with incredible showers and hot tubs, plus a very amusing collection of toy hamsters); the gorgeous Victorian mansion LimeRock Inn (owners Frank Isganitis and PJ Walter describe themselves as “corporate refugees”), and the Captain Lindsey House (this former 19th century sea captain’s home is now owned by two real captains: Ken and Ellen Barnes, who also own the Stephen Taber Windjammer).

Do-It-Yourself Publishing

In this modern age, forget the traditional publisher and publish your own book. I did!

Benefits of self-publishing include that you have total creative control, retain the copyright and earn higher royalties. At a traditional publishing house, authors lose control of their manuscript, the copyright is usually owned by the publisher, and authors can earn royalties of just 10 percent of the price of their book.

Booklocker.com, iUniverse and xLibris are three online print-on-demand publishers that are worth a look.