Things to Do in Malden

Cindy Ross was an unlikely person to found a scuba-diving school. Told by a commercial diving instructor at 19 that she was too small to scuba, Ross didn’t begin to explore the sport until she was in her 30s. Earning certification was a trial, and she spent her first four dives lugging 80-pound gear in the snow up and down a massive hill—and, adding insult to injury, the men’s equipment didn’t even fit properly. But the fifth dive changed everything. Held in Puget Sound, Ross felt a calling to the location's green waters and white anemones, and since then, the aquanaut has frolicked with such neighbors as a 1,200-pound sea lion, hundreds of Canadian seals, and a giant Pacific octopus.

Today, she and her team of sea-loving instructors grant students innumerable ways to get in the water. Discover Scuba courses get feet wet as beginners learn how to use their equipment and enjoy the freedom beneath the waves. Meanwhile, those determined to spend a life amid the reefs can earn their Open Water certification virtually anywhere—after preliminary classroom and pool sessions, the center's connections with Scuba Schools International allows students to finish their certifications in a number of locations, from the Puget Sound waters so beloved by the company's founder to oceans halfway across the world. GirlDiver also leads vacations to tropical destinations, ensuring that tourists are strong swimmers whether they're gliding with dolphins or fighting the currents in the resort's communal hot tub.

Docked adjacent to the New England Aquarium, the Liberty Star and the Liberty Clipper might look a bit obscure. The Liberty Star measures 67 feet long and can hold up to 39 passengers, and the Liberty Clipper measures 125 feet long with a capacity for up to 100 passengers. The massive schooner is an authentic replica of an 18th-century Baltimore clipper ship, thoroughly modernized to transport passengers on Boston Harbor sails and longer private charters. They sail daily throughout the harbor for public and group outings, along with private charters for special events, such as weddings or corporate proms. For a longer respite, they hoist the sails of the Liberty Clipper and steer her southward, cruising through the Bahamas and the Virgin Islands on all-inclusive luxury sailing vacations.

Freewheeling around historic hallmarks and architecture, Boston By Segway, formerly Boston Gliders, has led more than 100,000 sightseers through Bean Town atop intuitive, easy-to-maneuver segways. Tours, which kick off every half-hour, range from one to two hours; the shorter version trundles down Boston's Harborwalk, and the longer sojourn ventures past historic hotspots including Faneuil Hall and Bunker Hill. To get acquainted with the segway, all upright rollers speed through a half-hour how-not-to-crash course, getting acquainted with the natural, fluid steering and learning how to propel the vehicle forward using a carrot tied to a stick. Armed with digital cameras, the urban sherpas snap shots throughout the tour for purchase afterward, and customers may take their own pictures as long as they briefly hop off the segway.

When Valerie Beck was in kindergarten, there was only one way to get her to drink her milk: mixing in chocolate. As she grew up, her passion for the sweet treat only deepened. During a five-year stint living in Europe, she sleuthed out the most delectable chocolate shops and bakeries, eventually bringing friends along with her on trips to chocolate hot spots. After returning to the United States, she broadened her scope to create Boston Chocolate Walking Tours, focusing on the city’s increasing number of premium chocolatiers.

Valerie’s team of tour guides reveals Boston's best chocolate spots to guests on 2.5-hour tours around the Newbury Street neighborhood. They embark from Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland, walking or canoeing across the city's historic chocolate canals. The tour changes daily, hitting five–six spots, such as DeLuca's Market and Emack & Bolio's, though the Lindt shop is always on the list.

For Annissa Essaibi George, sewing has not just been a lifelong passion, but also a means of getting what she wants. At age 6, her mother taught her to sew so that she could make her Barbie a new outfit. In college, she and her roommate stitched together scrunchies, selling them to fund take-out and nights out. She even designed her own wedding dress. Today, sewing is the fuel behind her business, through which she furnishes sewers and knitters with the supplies to craft their projects and the skills they need to clothe every statue in the park. Annissa's pink-walled shop houses patterns, fabrics, knitting kits, and cubbies overflowing with polychromatic spools of yarn. Classes run on a five-day schedule and cover such stitching styles as knitting, crocheting, and pattern sewing for crafters of all levels.

Boston CityWalks’ owner, Alan Maltzman, loves to show his passion and knowledge for his city. At Boston CityWalks, he and his coterie of guides lead six different tours that roam the city’s historic cobblestones, highlighting areas such as Harvard Square, the waterfront, Beacon Hill, and various Jewish cultural sites. He can also design a custom tour for any occasion such as family vacations, engagements, birthdays, reunions, and business meetings.