My first stop after check-in is never my room. It’s always the gym. I like to see what kind of sweat I can expect to get from what’s typically no bigger than a broom closet. Is there more than one treadmill? Does it have easy controls so I can do interval sets? Are there free weights, or is it limited to three cardio machines and a mat? When the hotel gym is that grim, I pray for flat pavements and breathtaking views.
It’s a bright, sunny afternoon as the summer starts to take hold in Boston. I’ve just arrived for my college reunion, I’ll leave the year a mystery, and already I’m transported back to dorm life.
It’s a warm Friday night in June on Boston’s Boylston Street, lined with restaurants, boutique shops and people spilling out of busy bars.