It’s always fun finding the unfamiliar in familiar places. Eating lunch with friends recently at the Fairmont Battery Wharf unveiled a beauty: The Maritime Museum at the waterfront hotel, featuring the U.S. Coast Guard and Battery Wharf from colonial times to present. I’d never seen nor heard of it until then.

It’s a tiny place, some 1,000-square-feet that’s rightfully dubbed a “pocket museum,” one that tells the wharf’s history with interpretive signs and video. The biggest feature of the place is a monstrous live oak timber that has to be 40-feet long and dominating the front of the narrow space. It was preserved for years at the Charlestown Navy Yard for use in repairing wooden-hulled warships: Think the USS Constitution, the nation’s oldest, which was built at a shipyard near Battery Wharf.

While you’re there, look down: The museum’s floor was created from Battery Wharf’s old live oak pilings, which were replaced with concrete during construction of the property. There is also oak seating throughout, provided by Longleaf Lumber of Cambridge, discovered in an excavation of Charlestown.

There is also a display honoring Paul Revere. He frequented the Salutation Tavern across the street from North Battery where he and other revolutionaries laid their plans. On April 18, 1775, he left in a rowboat from North Battery where he was taken to Charlestown, borrowed a horse and began the oft-told “Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.”

Outside the museum, you can stroll the city’s Harbor Walk, which surrounds the Fairmont property, where every several feet you can take in views with telescopes and interpretive signage. For an elevated view, check out the 24-hour observation deck above the museum.

All that history in one tiny place, and it’s all free to boot. For info, visit www.fairmont.com/battery-wharf-boston/activities-services/maritime-museum

MBTA service from Boston to Cape Cod begins Friday when the new CapeFlyer will depart South Station, with stops in Braintree, Middleborough, and Buzzard’s Bay, before arriving in Hyannis. The specially-outfitted coach will run weekends this summer through Labor Day.

“Working closely with our partners in the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, we are thrilled to bring rail service back to Cape Cod to help more people experience the beauty and fun of the Cape while getting there quicker and in a more enjoyable way,” MBTA general manager Dr. Beverly Scott said.

The train service is a welcome option to avoiding notable summertime Cape Cod traffic. According to the MBTA, weekend inbound traffic over the Sagamore and Bourne bridges during July and August averaged nearly a quarter-million vehicles during a typical summer weekend in 2012. Friday’s 5:12 p.m. departure from Boston is scheduled to arrive in Hyannis at 7:50 p.m. Saturday and Sunday service will depart South Station at 8 a.m. and arrive in Hyannis at 10:18 a.m. Bus service will be available at the destination, as well as free shuttle service to the nearby Hyannis docks with ferry service to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

The coach will include concessions and bar service (following the Middleborough stop) on the Friday night trip. Bike racks will also be available. A round-trip ticket from Boston will run $35 ($20 one way).

Express bus company Megabus announced a summer sale beginning Wednesday with nearly 90,000 seats available for $5 and $9 for 28 cities across the country next month.

“Megabus.com offers fares from $1 on every trip," says Mike Alvich, megabus.com vice president of marketing and public relations. "But those tickets go quickly, especially during the summer travel season. We want people to know that — beyond booking early for our everyday low fares — travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are the best days to find the cheapest fares.”

The additional $5 and $9 June Summer Sale tickets must be booked online at us.megabus.com/sale.aspx at least seven days prior to departure, and are available for travel from June 1-30, 2013 and are subject to availability. There are a minimum of twenty $5 and $9 seats on each eligible bus route.

“Megabus.com wants to keep summer travel affordable, especially with gas prices rising again,” Alvich said. “The June seat sale helps people travel affordably this summer and reinforces that travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays offer low fares year-round.”

The sleek-looking Peek.com made its debut in Boston on Friday, and looks to be a valuable curated source of activities and attractions in the area, as well as other cities across the country. Peek highlights categories of tours in Boston, and even provides the opportunity to book and purchase right from the site. Ten percent of those revenues over the next three months will go toward the Boston One Fund to aid victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

The company was founded by Harvard Business School alum Ruzwana Bashir, and her co-founder, MIT alum, Oskar Bruening. It is backed by Jack Dorsey (Founder of Twitter) and Eric Schmidt (Chairman of Google), and is currently in more than 10 regions, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Orlando.

Check them out here.

Think you’re exciting Boston? Not as exciting as Oakland, apparently.

In determining the most exciting cities in America, real estate website Movoto ranked Boston second to San Francisco’s neighbor, using a number of criteria including park acreage per person, the lack of big box stores and fast food restaurants, and museums and bars per square mile. Sounds like Boston would be a big winner, no? Not the case.

“When we think of an exciting place to live, we think about places where there is always something to do—whether it’s eating at new restaurants or jogging through a park,” the report concluded. “This sounds a lot like Oakland, so we really weren’t that surprised.”

San Francisco came in third, followed by Seattle, Washington, D.C., and New York, which came out just ahead of Milwaukee. Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Portland, Ore. rounded out the top 10.

The 10 Most Exciting Cities

MBTA service in the Greater Boston area has resumed on a limited basis.

#MBTA UPDATE: Limited Service has RESUMED on ALL #MBTA modes except the Commuter Rail. MBCR will resume tomorrow (Saturday Schedule).

— MBTA (@mbtaGM) April 19, 2013

The MBTA encourages the public to check T-Alerts, MBTA.com, and @MBTAGM on Twitter for any further updates.

From the Massachusetts Turnpike this morning:

Wow RT @daniellewaaf: Mass Pike is deserted. twitter.com/DanielleWAAF/s…

— Kelly Malone (@_KellyMalone) April 19, 2013

From Massport Friday afternoon:

All #MBTA Service remains suspended ALL modes until further notice. Major highways are open. @bostonlogan open.

— Mass. Transportation (@MassDOT) April 19, 2013

Other travel services affected Friday:

Logan Airport

MASSPORT reports that Logan Airport remains open but with heightened security.

Logan is open and operating under heightened security. Please check with your airline on flight status before heading to the airport.

— Boston Logan Airport (@BostonLogan) April 19, 2013

Update 8:23 a.m.: WBZ Radio reports that the FAA has instituted a flight restriction over the Watertown area.

Amtrak

If you are traveling along the NEC please check train status before leaving for station. Service temp suspended between Providence & Boston.

— Amtrak(@Amtrak) April 19, 2013

Update 12:51 p.m.:

UPDATE: All #Amtrak service is suspended NY to Boston indefinitely. Trains are currently operating as scheduled DC - NY.

— Amtrak(@Amtrak) April 19, 2013

Buses

According to the Associated Press: "Megabus canceled at least 22 buses between Boston and New York, New Haven, Conn., Hartford, Conn., Burlington, Vt. and Philadelphia. More than 1,000 passengers were affected, according to spokesman Mike Alvich. They received emails offering a refund or the option to rebook for free.

Bolt Bus, Greyhound and Peter Pan Bus Lines also suspended service. Passengers booked on canceled Bolt trips received refunds to their credit cards, according to Timothy Stokes, spokesman for Greyhound and Bolt Bus."

Check back for further updates, and stay tuned to all the latest developments with Boston.com's live blog.

Aside from the odd image of the New York skyline appearing at the 17-second mark of this tribute to Boston in the wake of the marathon bombing attacks, here is a compelling homage to the never-ending resiliency that defines the Hub.

The clip has seen almost 60,000 views since being uploaded Wednesday.

By Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

SATA Airlines added weekly flights from Boston to the Azores and to mainland Portugal this week. Fly to Săo Miguel, the Azores’ largest island, on a new flight that leaves Boston Thursdays at 10:15 p.m. and arrives in Ponta Delgada, the island’s main city, at 7 a.m. the next day. A new return flight leaves Ponta Delgada Thursdays at 3 p.m., arriving in Boston at 4:45 p.m. the same day. SATA has also launched direct nonstop flights between Boston and Lisbon. Depart Boston on Sundays at 8:50 p.m. and arrive in Lisbon at 8 a.m. on Monday. A new nonstop return flight departs Lisbon Mondays at 2:30 p.m., arriving in Boston at 4:45 p.m.  800-762-9995, www.sata.pt/en

By Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

Two days. Two stages. Eighteen bands. Crash Line Productions launches the city’s first-ever two-day music festival, Boston Calling, May 25-26, headlined by Grammy award-winner Fun. and The National. Catch everything from pop and indie folk to American rock at the City Hall Plaza venue. Other highlights include The Shins, Of Monsters and Men, Young the Giant, Marina and the Diamonds, Matt and Kim, and Andrew Bird. Tickets: $75 one-day general admission; $185 one-day VIP pass; $130 two-day general admission; $350 two-day VIP pass. 617-371-3955, www.bostoncalling.com

If you fly out of Terminal C at Logan Airport in the near future, you’re sure to notice a certain semblance of athletic pride.

The security checkpoint at the terminal now features banners celebrating Boston’s championships for the Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, and Celtics. The banners are hung in chronological order, rather than by team.

From the Logan Airport Facebook page: “We hope you enjoy the little addition we made to Terminal C, at the security check-point, as much as we enjoyed getting it ready. What can we say, we like to root for our champs.”

Maybe it will make the process of going through security a little easier for locals, or a bit more a headache for rival fans from New York and beyond.

Logan Airport Facebook Photo

In an effort to lessen demand on Logan Airport parking during the upcoming April school vacation, the Massachusetts Port Authority is offering Logan Express discounts that could save as much as $140 for the week.

When accompanied by an adult, children 17 and under can ride Logan Express free, while adults will pay half-off the normal round-trip fare. Consider that a family of four traveling for a seven-day April vacation, roundtrip Logan Express service, including parking, will cost $44. At Logan’s central garage, the cost would be $189; $108 for economy parking.

Massport is also offering a special Logan Express parking rate of $22 April 10-26. Logan Express provides bus service every half hour between Logan Airport and Woburn, Braintree and Framingham, and hourly service between Logan and Peabody. Buses will be added to meet the anticipated increase in demand and maintain the posted schedule.

“April school vacation is always a busy time at the airport, and is the single busiest week for parking, as families escape the last vestiges of winter,” Massport’s director of aviation, Edward C. Freni said. “With increased demand for on-airport parking, Logan Express is not only an easy and cost effective option for families, this year it is a must. If you haven’t tried the service before give it a try and leave the driving to us.”

For more information, visit www.massport.com/logan/getti_typeo_logan.html

To celebrate Hotel Marlowe’s 10th birthday, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants is offering 10 overnight stays at the Cambridge hotel for its Twitter followers this morning.

All followers have to do is answer a Boston trivia question every half hour at @KimptonInBOS. The first question went down at 10:15 a.m. (Where is the only place in the world where a boat can sail under a train driving under a car driving under a plane? – The Boston University Bridge, of course.) The first follower to answer wins, simple as that.

Durgin Park is one of those Boston restaurant institutions that nobody from here actually visits. It’s a tourist destination, for sure, so it stands to reason that another location of the famed dining location should open at Logan Airport, where even fewer Bostonians will visit for a meal.

The 3,405 square-foot Logan location is now serving in Terminal E, featuring a menu touting the same traditional New England fare that the longtime Faneuil Hall location (above) has long been known for.

“We think it’s vital to add restaurants and shops to our concessions programs that reflect the area and give travelers a sense of the region’s history, flavor and flair,” said Michael Caro, vice president of AIRMALL Boston. “Durgin-Park brings an iconic piece of Boston culinary history to travelers, and we know it will become a destination at the airport.”

It really is a good strategy in order to attract more out-of-towners. Also, I just realized that Dine Boston, also in Terminal E, is a concept by former Red Sox outfielder Darren Lewis. Who knew?

Travel between Boston and New York may have gotten a little more expensive (and safer) with the recent demise of Fung Wah bus lines, but that doesn't mean there still doesn't exist an overwhelming appreciation for the memories the company left behind.

The New Yorker channels these emotions in an ode to Fung Wah, inspired by Bob Dylan's "Farewell Angelina." We warn you, it may get misty wherever you may be.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

If you can't wait to see Regis Philbin do a sports show for Fox Sports, he’ll be keynote speaker March 11 during the 2013 New England Food Show, running March 10-12 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Philbin talks at 1 p.m. and joining him will be Joe Piantedosi from Piantedosi Baking Co., to talk about the similarities between entertaining audiences, as the 81-year-old Philbin has done most of his life, and pleasing customers in the food and beverage industry. There will be more than 500 booths at the three-day event, which also includes many panel discussions lead by top chefs from Boston and the New England area.

The show is sponsored by the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, which March 11 holds its annual awards dinner at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel. Honorees include Restaurateurs of the Year, Seth Woods, Matthew Burns and Jeffrey Gates of The Aquitaine Group; Purveyor Executive of the Year, Fred Casinelli of Sysco Boston LLC; Salesperson of the Year, Louis DiPrete of Hobart (a division of ITW Food Equipment Group); and  Chef of the Year, Daniel Bruce of the Boston Harbor Hotel.

A keynote panel, "Once a Critic, Always a Critic," ends the event March 12 at 1 p.m. lead by a food writers: Amy Traverso, senior editor, lifestyle of Yankee Magazine; Jolyon Helterman, an independent writer; and Mat Schaffer, of Mat Schaffer Consulting, who will share anecdotes from their careers as food critics and writers. They will hold an open discussion on their opinions of what makes a great restaurant, as well as explore the new trends in dining and what trends should end.

Tickets are $60. To reserve and for more information, visit www.marestaurantassoc.org.

By Paul Kandarian, Globe Correspondent 

Tilt-shift photography has produced some fantastic destination videos over the years (If you’ve never seen it, go check out this phenomenal depiction of Whistler-Blackcomb), and Boston is the latest city to get the treatment. Here’s a wonderful account of the city shot by photographer Joerg Daiber over Thanksgiving weekend, and the Hub does indeed shine even as it is made to look diminutive.

By Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

For those who love to slurp and sip, Island Creek Oyster Bar in Boston celebrates the second year of its popular Merroir and Terroir class. Led by an experienced sommelier and professional oyster farmer, the class pairs oysters with wines and discusses why the flavors of each are affected by where they are grown. $35 per person includes six oyster varieties with wine pairings. Offered the third Sunday of every month, beginning Jan. 20, 2 p.m. Reservations suggested.  617-532-5300, islandcreekoysterbar.com

By Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

Book a room at The Colonnade Hotel in Boston and you will pay a first-night rate that is equivalent to the temperature at 5 p.m. on check-in day, as part of the hotel’s Frosty Fridays deal. That means, if the temperature, as measured by the National Weather Service, registers 20 degrees Fahrenheit, you only pay $20 for your Friday night stay. If it dips below zero, you get a free night. You then pay a special rate of $309 for your Saturday night stay. The two-night package, good through March 30, includes a deluxe room, a choice of two tickets to the Old Town Trolley Tour or admission and rentals at the Boston Common Frog Pond Skating Rink, hot chocolate for two at the hotel’s Brasserie Jo, and overnight parking; based on double occupancy. 800-962-3030, www.colonnadehotel.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Most wine festivals run a weekend, or maybe a full week. The Boston Harbor Hotel’s 24th Annual Boston Wine Festival, which kicks off Jan. 11, is a full 12 weeks long, with 39 evening events of wine and three themed brunches, ending March 29 with a final reception. The kickoff Jan. 11 is a grand-opening reception in the Boston Harbor Hotel’s Wharf Room. Over the lifetime of the event, which is called the country’s longest-running wine festival more than 90,000 bottles of wine have been opened.

The lineup also includes exclusive dinners, seminars, receptions and brunches hosted by world-wide winemakers, each selected and invited by Chef Daniel Bruce, Harbor Hotel’s chef, who over the years of the event, has created more than 4,000 original dishes (and he’s never repeated a menu), each paired with wines that he said enhances the flavor of the food. Some of the food and wine stars participating this year include Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery; Domenico Clerico Winery; Opus One; Peter Michael; Frog’s Leap, Diamond Creek; Chateauneuf-du-Pape; and Cakebread Cellars. This year’s festival will also see the return of popular themed dinners, including the "Battle of the Cabernets" and "Meritage Madness," and the introduction of a new one, "Pinots: Old World, New World."

To complement the experience, the Spa at Rowes Wharf will feature signature vino-based treatments in conjunction with the wine festival. In addition, Boston Harbor Hotel is offering festival ticket holders a special rate of $220 a night. For information, reservations and ticket prices, visit  www.bostonwinefestival.net.

By Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

Next time you visit Logan International Airport’s Terminal E don’t miss “Getting There: Design for Travel in the Modern Age,” a new exhibit that explores how design shapes and transforms the experience of traveling by plane, train, and ship. Created by Design Museum Boston in partnership with Logan and Grand Circle Gallery, it showcases vintage travel posters, portrays how train interiors have evolved over the years, and highlights the design evolution of travel accessories, from noise-canceling headphones to airplane seats. Wander through the show in a pre-security area 24/7 until November 2013. Free. 617-600-8204, www.designmuseumboston.org

For the first time in 25 years, Boston to Cape Cod rail service is being restored, with weekend trains from South Station to Hyannis beginning in May.

According to the Barnstable Patriot, “the plan is to attach a couple of air-conditioned rail cars and a bike car at South Station to Boston-Middleborough/Lakeville trains, which will continue without switching to Hyannis. Beyond that South Shore station, the Cape-bound train would stop at Wareham, Buzzards Bay, and either West Barnstable or Sandwich before arriving in Hyannis.”

The introduction of rail service to the Cape should hopefully help alleviate summer Cape traffic, but it will come at a cost. Weekend round-trip service is slated to be priced at around $30. Service would include departures on Friday evenings, and Saturday, and Sunday mornings with return trips Saturday and Sunday evenings. The Patriot reports there is also the possibility of an early-morning Monday return train as well.

“I think we’ll have a modest start,” Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce CEO Wendy Northcross told the Patriot. “It’s going to be weekends only, so there will be some restrictions there.”

Further details are still being worked out, but Tom Cahir, administrator of the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, said service can hit a break-even point with a mere 650 passengers per weekend.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

On Dec. 16, the Charles Hotel opens its skating rink, an annual community event open to the public, offering free skating and skate rentals, a visit from Globe Santa, performances by the Harvard Figure Skating Club and The Christmas Revels, and free hot chocolate. Little kids can take a shot at cookie decorating from noon to 3 p.m. This year's event supports Globe Santa, the Boston Globe's annual appeal for needy children in Greater Boston. For information on the hotel, visit www.charleshotel.com

In 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard piloted Freedom 7 to become the first American in space. The space capsule can now be seen at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Clamped atop a rocket nearly seven stories high, Freedom 7 was blasted into a 302-mile suborbital flight from Cape Canaveral, Fla., before splashing down in the Atlantic, a journey lasting 15 minutes and 28 seconds. On loan from the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum through 2015, the installation marks the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's speech at Rice University, where he championed the nation's manned space efforts. Adults $12, age 62 and up and students (with valid ID) $10, 13-17 $9, children 12 and under free. Columbia Point, 617-514-1600, www.jfklibrary.org - NECEE REGIS

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

enVision Hotel Boston opened up this summer, the newest addition to the Ascend Hotel Collection membership program from Choice Hotels International. Through Thanksgiving, rates at the new boutique hotel start at $229 per night. The property borders scenic Olmsted Park on South Huntington Avenue a few miles from Fenway Park and downtown Boston. It is the first Boston lodging to join the network of more than 70 upscale, independent hotels, each with a different personality reflecting its location. For more information, visit www.ascendcollection.com/hotel-boston-massachusetts-MA199