Upcoming events

April 1: Freedom Trail Tours conducted by the Freedom Trail Foundation begin, weather permitting, and continue into the fall. Private and group tours available all year. Phone: (617) 357-8300; www.thefreedomtrail.org. Adults $12; students and seniors, $10; children under $12, $6. Some sites have additional admission fees; inquire about combination tickets.

April 1: Spring and summer hours begin at the Franklin Park Zoo, established in 1913 and one of America's oldest. Family activities and events throughout the year. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays; to 6 p.m. weekends and major holidays. Zoo closes at 4 p.m. October 1-March 31. Phone: (617) 541-5466; www.franklinparkzoo.org. Adults, $9.50; seniors $8; children 2-12, $5.50; under 2, free.

April 10: Boston's never boring, often exasperating, but always beloved Red Sox have their home opener at Fenway Park vs. the Seattle Mariners. Boston sports fans are in a league of their own; a spring evening in funky little Fenway Park, in the shadow of the Green Monster, is unforgettable. Phone: 877-REDSOX9; www.bostonredsox.com.

April 14: Boston's Swan Boats begin their 130th season. Phone: (617) 522-1966; www.swanboats.com. Opening day to June 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; June 21-Sept. 3, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sept. 4-16, noon to 4 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekends. All hours are weather permitting. Adults, $2.75; seniors, $2; children 2-15, $1.25.

April 16: 111th Boston Marathon, the world's oldest annual marathon. Boston Athletic Association registration office: (508) 435-6905; www.bostonmarathon.org.

May 12: 26th annual Duckling Day Parade on Boston Common. Toddling, waddling or pushed in carriages and prams, babies and children dressed as ducklings or other characters from "Make Way for Ducklings" are led by the Harvard University Marching Band through Boston Common to the duck statues at the Public Garden where they pose for photos. For starting time and to register: (617) 723-8144; www.friendsofthepublicgarden.org.

May 13: Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum. A day devoted to lilacs, picnics and Morris Dancing, this not-to-be-missed event for gardeners and lilac lovers takes place rain or shine. Phone: (617) 524-1718, ext. 176; www.arboretum.harvard.edu. Arboretum hours: Dawn to dusk, daily. Visitor center open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat.; noon-4 p.m. Sun. Closed holidays. No fee; donations welcomed.

Recommended accommodations

Note: Boston hotel rates can vary with the seasons and during special events and holidays. Many offer packages.

Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, 138 St. James Ave., Boston, MA 02116; Phone: (617) 267-5300; www.fairmont.com/copleyplaza. Subdued elegance close to the Freedom Trail and shopping. The Freedom Trail Suite is decorated with a print of Paul Revere's famous Boston Massacre etching. Guests can sign out Catie Copley, a friendly black Lab, for a walk or run. Doubles from $249.

Four Seasons, 200 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116; Phone: (617) 338-4400; www.fourseasons.com/boston. Beautiful rooms, many overlooking the Public Garden and Boston Common. Excellent in-town location and staff who cater to every whim. Doubles from $295.

Omni Parker House, 60 School St., Boston, MA 02108; Phone: (888) 444-OMNI or (617) 227-8600; www.omnihotels.com. Home of the Parker House roll, located just a few steps from Boston Common. Doubles from $199.

Radisson Hotel, 200 Stuart St., Boston, MA 02116; Phone: (888) 201-1718; www.radisson.com/bostonma. One block from Boston Common; near theaters. Doubles from $159.

Beacon Inn, 1087 and 1750 Beacon St., Brookline, MA 02146; Phone: (888) 575-0088; www.beaconinn.com. Two locations, a few minutes from downtown Boston by subway. Doubles from $89, including continental breakfast.

Days Inn, 1800 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA 02135; Phone: (617) 254-0200; www.the.daysinn.com/boston. Doubles from $75.

Reccommended dining

Note: Open hours may change with the seasons or during special events; always call ahead.

Aujourd'hui, Four Seasons Hotel, 200 Boylston St., Boston 02116; Phone: (617) 351-2037; www.fourseasons.com/boston. Innovative dishes like sea scallops and oxtail ravioli with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and truffles have earned Aujourd'hui several prestigious dining awards; excellent wine list. Open 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m., Mon.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for brunch and 6 p.m.-10 p.m. on Sundays. Dinner entrees from $37.

Hamersley's Bistro, 553 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02116; Phone: (617) 423-2700; www.hamersleysbistro.com. Chef Gordon Hamersley has brought open-kitchen French bistro cooking and ambience to Boston's newly trendy South End. Try the deceptively simple roast chicken with garlic, lemon and parsley and the creamed spinach with hazelnuts. Open Mon.-Fri., 6 p.m.-10 p.m., Sat., 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.; Sun., 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Entrees from $26; vegetable sides priced separately at $7.50 each.

The Oak Room, Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, 138 St. James Ave., Boston, MA 02116; Phone: (617) 267-5300, ext. 1048; www.fairmont.com/copleyplaza. Old Boston elegance draped in rich fabrics and illuminated by Waterford crystal chandeliers. New England classics like lobster bisque, as well as steaks and fish. Open 6 a.m.-10 a.m. for breakfast; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for lunch (try the Chateaubriand sandwich); 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m. for dinner weekdays, and to 11 p.m. on Fri. and Sat. Dinner entrees from $30. The adjoining Oak Bar is one of Boston's most romantic.

Morton's, The Steakhouse, 699 Boylston St., Boston, MA. 02116; Phone: (617) 266-5858; www.mortons.com. Noted for steaks; also serves seafood and chicken. Morton's Bar 12*21 serves signature drinks like the Pomegranate "Mortini," topped with flavored foams. Entrees from $26.

Boston Beer Works, 61 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215 (opposite Fenway Park), and 112 Canal St., Boston, MA 02114; Phone: (617) 536-BEER (Fenway), (617) 896-BEER (Canal); www.beerworks.net. A brewery and restaurant producing more than 50 kinds of lagers, ales, stouts and pilsners each year. Baseball season is celebrated with dishes like Green Monster Swordfish (topped with pesto), Fowl Ball (BBQ chicken on a baguette) and The Big Papi (honoring Sox' hero David Ortiz, it's a large steak served with Dominican BBQ sauce). Open Sun.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-midnight; Fri. and Sat., 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Entrees from $9.

Durgin Park, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, MA 02109; Phone: (617) 227-2038; www.durgin-park.com. For more than 100 years, Durgin Park has served local specialties like Indian pudding, fish cakes, johnnycake and Boston baked beans. Diners share communal tables and trade wisecracks with sharp-witted waitresses. Open 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily except Sundays, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Entrees from $11.