Good Ben Hunting

What trip to Beantown would be complete without checking out the stomping grounds of my favorite male actor, Ben Affleck.  Don't get me wrong, we didn't go to Boston just to stalk, I mean see, Ben's favorite places.  They all just happen to be on the way to Harvard Yard!
 
Starting in the harbor, we finally got a tour on the USS Constitution, aka: Old Ironsides, which we had missed by a half-an-hour last year.  Very cool tour.  The rigging on the ship is phenominal.  The kids were trying to lift the deck ropes, which are as thick as a fire hose.  The movie "Master and Commander" depicts life on a ship like Ironsides perfectly.  See that movie if you haven't; it's awesome.  Austin loved it.
 
We crossed the river into Cambridge and found the house Ben Affleck grew up in (his mom still lives there and he sometimes comes home for a visit....I was kinda hoping he might be visiting...but alas, much to my dismay he was not there.)  Of course I made Mike take a picture of me mugging in front of it!  ( hee hee!)  We did see someone let the cat out right as we were walking by, and Austin almost chased it, not even knowing who's cat it was! The neighborhood is cute, with well-kept old homes that are close together.  The atmosphere kind of reminded me of the village of Webster. It has a suprising quiet, suburban feel, especially considering how close it is to the hustle of Central Square.  
 
We saw some of BA's jaunts, all of which we actually saw by accident (no, really!) on our walk to Harvard Yard.
 

• The hamburger joint he visits when home, (I just happened to be looking in the window while waiting for Emma to catch up, when I saw a picture of Ben in the front window with someone I assume is the owner):

"If you’re looking for a cheeseburger and fries, the absolute best place to go is Leo’s. The double cheeseburger plate there is one of the most sinfully exquisite treats you’ll ever know in your life."    

• The Dunkin Donuts he says he always stops in to get a coffee:

"When I go home, the first thing I do is go get some coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts in Central Square. There is something absolutely magical about Dunkin’ Donuts’ coffee that you can’t get on the West Coast. The coffee there is clearly the greatest coffee on earth. I wish they were in more places."  

• A Bohemian shop he frequents:

"There’s an amazing shop in Cambridge called Nomad. The owner is a woman who buys art in places like Africa and Afghanistan. It’s all handcrafted stuff and really beautiful. There’s no other place that I know of quite like it. It’s one of the little secrets of Boston.”

(click on the "what's happening" link and scroll down to see Ben at the store.)

Oh yeah, and we saw Harvard Yard too!  Great architecture samples.  (some of Good Will Hunting was filmed there).