Took the red line Mattapan trolley just short of the last stop out to Capen St before a short walk to the route's start. Once there, I took a picture of the start at the Neponset River Greenway where there is a sign indicating we are at the start of the new Boston City Walking Trail. Gorgeous but slightly chilly day for the run. I packed the right layers: wind blocking pants and light running jacket, along with gloves, merino wool hat, and buff. The buff never made it onto my neck, and the pants and gloves eventually went into my pack. After a tour of Roslindale and some galavanting through Stony Brook reservation, we stop at a farmer's market in Roslindale Village; pastries looked delish but the line was too long... I did walk away with a bottle of hot sauce though!
Following a bout through Franklin Park and the Arboretum, we are joined by our friend Rami for the rest of the run. Continuing onwards through Jamaica Pond and Olmsted Park, we pass through Nira Rock, a playground, and finally Mission Hill right by our second stop of the day: Stop & Shop, where I enjoy a Gatorade and kaiser roll (and strip a layer). Easy going then through the Emerald Necklace and the Fens back into familiar territory and onto the Esplanade. Smooth sailing onwards to the Public Gardens and the Commons, which brings us into Chinatown. We had to make the quick detour to a bakery for a savory pork pie. Now fueled by the fat and sugar from that amazing pastry, we run past the South Station (where we had gotten on the red line earlier that morning), through the Harborwalk, and cut through the North End (saying hello to Paul Revere, in statue form). Finally, Bunker Hill's monument comes into view as we jog through the locks and into Charleston. An easy target for our quick jaunt up the hill, the monument is still open (even while it's undergoing maintenance work) so we must add 200 feet or so to our climbing to see where we've just run from the top.