As Bostonians we pride ourselves on our history as a city steeped in sea-faring tradition. Whether it be our statuesque U.S.S. Constitution, the ubiquitous story of the Boston Tea Party, or the ever-present duck boats, Boston and the ocean will be forever intertwined. As such, Bostonist presents some last-minute gift ideas that pay homage to our salty roots. Looking for the perfect gift for the animal lover in your life? Consider giving a "Proud Parent......

A fun shot today from new contributor charlieontheradio. He grabbed this shot while on one of Boston's ubiquitous duck boats, and we love the tight framing, bold lighting and cool effect from the glare of the sun. Another cool thing about charlieontheradio? He really IS on the radio - check him out mornings on WFNX......

Josh Beckett got to hoist the championship trophy, ride down Boylston on the duck boats, and will get a huge ring in the spring. He earned the Sports Illustrated commemorative issue cover, the champagne and beer showers, and the reputation for serving as the ace among aces in October. He had a rich season, so we're hoping that such a reminder helps as C.C. Sabathia is toasted as the American League's newest Cy Young winner.......

Now that the trophy has been shown off and the Duck Boats have moved through Boston's streets, Patriots fans out there are psyched. Baseball's over! Time to devote the sports news hole to the pigskin! Almost. We want to give patient Pats fans their due, so we'll breeze through the baseball news nice and quickly: - There was a victory celebration on Tuesday. Many people attended. - Joe Torre: out of New York, into Los......

They rode before us on Duck Boats and flat-bed trucks, with microphones and punk bands, flags and signs. Some came with camcorders, others with disposable cameras. Your 2007 World Champion Boston Red Sox lineup consisted of a group of men united under a team name and cause, but let's face it: we had one really eclectic bunch of characters. Tuesday's Rolling Rally celebration gave the fans quick opportunities to see just how different the guys......

Bostonist saw today's "Rolling Rally," featuring the players riding duck boats across the city and relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon dancing to the Dropkick Murphys, from two different vantage points--near the Common and at the Hynes Convention Center. Everyone clearly enjoyed themselves, especially Papelbon: Wherever you were along the parade route, it was simply madness. Of course, the Red Sox faithful turned out in their jerseys. Hundreds of little kids skipped school. College students sat down......

The boys are back in town, the taco meat has been brought up from the cellar, and all of New England's non-essential personnel are taking the afternoon off for a parade. (Dude...Tuesday afternoon? Really?!) The good news, for some people, is that Jonathan Papelbon's dance of spontaneous excitement and youthful exuberance has now been added to the Official Canon of Sox-Nation-Approved Quirks. The Duck Boats will slow down at predesignated locations so that Papelbon can......

Be prepared to take a long lunch break tomorrow. Mayor Menino has announced that Red Sox celebration festivities will begin tomorrow at noon. Bostonist watched the WBZ webcast of Mayor Menino giving the details. The players will be riding in duck boats in a repeat of 2004's "rolling rally." Menino said that the parade will follow the same route as it did in 2004. Here's an image of last year's route from the Globe.......

You might have seen all the signs around Boylston Street today announcing the street being closed Saturday morning. The city then put up a flashing sign for motorists this afternoon warning them of the “Lions Club International Parade of Nations.” What the hell is the Lions Club parade you ask? Well, Bostonist had to submit an “Ask Bostonist” question to itself and did a bit of research on this one. The 89th Lions Clubs International......

Last week the teams-named-for- historical-episodes battled it out in Foxboro, and the New England Revolution put Chicago’s Fire out. Bostonist was left thinking to ourselves wouldn’t it have been hilarious if the “molasses flood” put the fire out. Well, that and it’s like the World Series of soccer. Well, almost the World Series of soccer, if we discount the World Cup, Euro Cup, the European Premier leagues, the South American leagues, and just about any......

When the Globe reported on city plans to spruce up Downtown Crossing, Bostonist was skeptical, not just about the plan, but about the tone of the paper's reporting, which depicted the area as some sort of lawless Kabul bazaar. Today, the Globe follows up with an actual editorial, in which it advocates more traffic for downtown Boston. Peering out the window to see taxis, messengers, pedestrians, and duck boats jostling for space on the rain-slicked......

War! The Charles River, which is typically invaded by tourists in Duckboats, will have an unexpected rival this week. The question: Is there enough room in our dirty water for Ducks AND Dragons? Now before you think the Bostonist has completely flipped our lid, check out The Boston Dragon Boat Festival coming to town this Sunday, June 12. Bostonist didn't believe it at first, but the prospect of giant metal World War II duck boats......

Due to the vagaries of using frequent flier miles on holiday weekends, Bostonist's mom visited from Thursday to Sunday, causing us to take Friday off and work today. This has given us the rare and pleasurable opportunity to see downtown Boston in a state of slumbering not-quite-readiness: At 10:00 this morning (when the swan song of coffee drew us out of the office) the streets were warm and empty. Short of a few tourists,......

Bostonist should have mentioned it sooner, but better late than never: this is Bike Week (sometimes known as Bike to Work Week). That means tons of bike-friendly activities all over the state, which are listed at the helpful website of Massbike, our favorite tireless champion of two-wheeled transport. Being great lovers of free stuff, we especially recommend the free breakfasts for bike commuters. There's one tomorrow in front of the Au Bon Pain in Harvard......

Ever since Bostonist learned about bird migration we wait for the chirping to start telling us that spring is here. It’s not just the sounds though, we seem to be getting inundated with birds lately. It started with the launch of the Duck Boats earlier this month, and their attempt to break into Cambridge. Tomorrow marks the launch of the Swan Boats in the Public Garden. Bostonist has had a soft spot for the Swan......

News last week is that the Big Dig was getting closer to completion, albeit a little leaky. The fourth lane will be added to the Zakim Bridge, a new tunnel configuration will be implemented, and the southbound Congress street onramp will be opened. The Rose Kennedy park in the North End will also begin construction as soon as the weather permits. Transportation and civic projects are one thing, but the makeovers that Bostonist is following......