I generally stay with my sister, although with my husband, I've stayed at the Four Seasons. It's right on Boston Common, the great park that dates back to 1634, when the town fathers paid a reverend 30 pounds for the property. It's 45 or so acres, and it's one of the country's oldest public parks. The park is gorgeous, but not necessarily in the winter. They have the Swan Boats, on which you can go out on the lake. Very picturesque and quintessentially Boston. I love to go to the North End. My girlfriend used to live down there, and we would always just take a walk and wind up in some incredible Italian café, having cappuccino and pastries. You know, you can't go wrong there.

Bree would, of course, go shopping. Where?

Newbury Street, of course. Fanny and ­Delphine is a great new clothing store that carries interesting designers for women in Kenmore Square. But we grew up on Filene's Basement. Oh my gosh, that's where you could get a bargain. Everything was about a bargain when I was growing up. My mother loves a bargain. So you could go in there, and whatever thing was top-of-the-line, you could find it at a reduced price. Shopping at one was always a little bit crazy - the one in Boston probably being the most hectic. You are elbow to elbow with people, especially around the holidays. Everybody is there, excited and trying to scoop up some fabulous piece of clothing, and usually you are pretty successful. After you're done shopping and people-watching on Newbury Street, you can relax at the Trident Booksellers & Café, a fantastic bookstore and newsstand with great healthy food. And you can get frozen yogurt next door at J.P. Licks; it's a local favorite. The North End is where you get your cannoli and cappuccino. My friend's cousin travels on the Mass Pike from the burbs to the North End every Christmas morning to pick up cannoli from Mike's on Hanover Street.

Where should we sample the best local fare?