Columnist Muriel Stevens: Rainy Beantown days brightened by shopping

It was raining when my travel companion and I landed in Boston. Not the erratic Las Vegas kind of rain where it either flash floods or barely sprinkles, but the kind of serious, steady downpour that can go on for days.

We had planned to shop and do some sightseeing in Boston during our two-day stay, then part. She would vacation in the Adirondacks; I would visit friends in New Hampshire.

Both of us like rain, rarely letting it deter us from any plans. Still, being in a soggy state all day was not an appealing way to begin a vacation. We opted to limit the city walks and stick to shopping. This was something we could do without ever going outside.

How? By wisely choosing to stay at the Westin in Copley Place. The Westin is a grand hotel with rooms and service to match. Our spacious corner minisuite had a view of the Charles River and a view of the bay. A frequent-flyer hotel certificate from America West got us an excellent rate -- another form of wise shopping. Best of all, the Westin connects to the Copley Place Shopping Galleries via a short, enclosed bridge. No rainwear needed.

Our first stop was to the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau in one of the high-rise office buildings that also connects to the shops. It's a terrific convenience. We walked to the office, where we picked up the maps and tourist guides (all free) that are always so helpful.

The friendly staff will also answer questions. My friend, a Boston first-timer, had many. She wanted to take a city tour; I was happy to stay indoors, shopping. While she braved the wind and rain (the colorful trolleys have open windows), I wandered the shops.

There are more than 100 fine stores in Copley Place; a variety of restaurants including Legal Sea Foods, a Boston tradition; and an 11-screen Sony movie house. Had we wanted to we could have dined, shopped and gone to the cinema without ever getting wet.

Now that Las Vegas has so many good shops and malls, shopping when away is not as much a priority as it used to be. So many of the stores we have here are also in Copley Place, but regional differences in climate and taste are reflected in the wares and make them worth a visit.

As usual, I couldn't resist Lauriat's Books. Maybe it's because I have more time for just browsing when I'm away, but I always seem to find copies of books by favorite authors that I've missed -- and there's usually more that I can't resist. My arm-load of books was shipped, of course. If you shop at stores that don't have branches in Nevada, there's no tax. Shipping charges are usually less than the tax.

I browsed through the Boston Museum of Fine Arts shop, which offers the merchandise found in its mail-order catalogs. You can't always tell quality from a catalog. Having seen the goods -- and, in some cases, hefted it -- I can now order freely when the new catalogs arrive. The quality of all the items in the store was excellent.

The Mont Blanc pen store was captivating. Displayed like the works of art these costly pens are, it was a small piece of the history of fine pens. Collecting pens such as Mont Blancs has become a hobby for some. Mostly sized for men, Mont Blanc also offers slimmer versions (also costly) for women.

I never saw the sun until New Hampshire, but Copley Place had its own kind of rays.

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