OT: Boston trip - last minute tips?

[Maple Leafs]

Anyone have any recommendations for a good hotel in Boston?

Looking for:
- Something close to downtown. We'll be doing tourist-y things and would like to be within walking distance of at least some of the things we'll be seeing

- Decent value. Not looking for a cheap place. A pricey place would be fine, actually, if it was worth it. Not really interested in paying just for name value, though.

I can find a ton of choices on expedia, but they all look the same to me and I don't know the area that well. So I thought I'd check with the experts here...

[John Galt]

I don't have any specific suggestions for Boston, but I generally check tripadvisor.com for hotel ratings. They have a lot of reviews and you can look at their most popularity list by city among users (and the most popular list usually includes a range of hotels in terms of price).

If you are thinking of pricelining a hotel, then I suggest reading biddingfortravel.com as it says which hotels are available in which class and often has reviews as well.

[McSweeny]

el casa de mcsweeny is pretty nice

if you don't mind sleeping on an old couch and putting up with a roommate who's recording his solo album in his bedroom (all day and all night since he just lost his job)

[digamma]

The Fairmont at Copley is a really nice hotel at Copley Square. It's within walking distance of the Boston Common and the start of the Freedom Trail. Also just a block from Newbury Street, which has good shopping and good restaurants. Easy Storrow Drive access to get down to the Charles River, and convenient to Fenway as well.

The hotel itself has an old Boston charm--it's only six stories high, but has a lot of rooms. There is a lot of old oak and the rooms are nicely furnished--great beds.

A little secret is that you can sign up for the Fairmont President's Club at fairmont.com for free. They have a "Great Rates, Great Dates" promotion for club members. We stayed at the Copley Fairmont 2 weeks ago for $149 a night, significantly less than the $399 rate they quoted on expedia, travelocity, etc. With that promotion, you also get a $50 breakfast voucher. The catch is that the promotion may not be available on the dates you need. But...it's worth signing up for the President's Club anyway. We've used it to stay at the Banff Springs and Lake Louise Fairmonts for just over $100 US per night, in addition to this most recent stay in Boston. It's a great program, and you can really find some deals.

[Celeval]

I've stayed at the Park Plaza before - both alone for business and with my wife - and enjoyed it. It's a block from Boston Common and the green line, so very convenient as well. Some rooms (not all) are on the smaller side, but if you're going to be spending most of your time out, it won't matter.

[Draft Dodger]

I can heartily recommend the Hotel Marlowe
http://www.hotelmarlowe.com/

it's not really downtown, but it is across the street from the museum of science (in fact, when we stayed this February, we got free passes to the museum as part of a package I found). it's also connected to the Cambridge Galleria Mall, which is a big-ass mall. and relatively close to the T, which will get you to wherever you want to go.

I enjoyed my stay...and not just because of all the sex.

also heard good things about the Hotel Onyx.

[st.cronin]

Whatever price expedia or whoever offers, you should call the hotel and see if they'll get you a better rate. Usually it's cheaper to book that way.

[Desnudo]

The Charles Hotel is in a great location in Harvard Square. Although you would have to take a short T ride to downtown Boston.

http://www.charleshotel.com/

[Logan]

Since I got out of school a year ago, I've spent probably 15-18 weeks out of town on business, in various cities, and different hotel chains. There are three things I look for in hotels (besides the obvious location and price):

3. Reward program (important when you're not paying for the room, but you get to use the rewards for your personal use)
2. Included amenities (free breakfast in the morning/free dinner and drinks after work...important when you are getting per diem and like to save it when you can, and free access to on site gym and/or free passes to a local gym)
1. Comfort of the bed

Obviously 2 & 3 won't be too important for you if you're on vacation or not a frequent traveler, but a great bed is what you always want. Especially if you're going to be doing a lot of walking during the day/night and want to come back and get good rest so you can be up early for more of the same, if that's what you're doing. Which brings me to...

The Fairmont at Copley is a really nice hotel at Copley Square.

...I stayed at the Fairmont in DC about a month ago on business. Beautiful hotel with an awesome lobby that has a really cool attached garden. There was a god damn TV volume knob in the bathroom so you could hear the TV thru some speakers that I guess were behind the mirror while you were (ahem) doing things. But it was easily the worst bed I ever slept on. Just couldn't get comfortable, and was miserable for the rest of the week.

So that's the moral of my long story. If there's a hotel you've stayed at in the past where you loved the bed, try and find that brand in Boston. I'm sure there's one around. Personally, I'm obsessed with Marriott beds. It's like sleeping on a cloud.

[Bearcat729]

I got a really good deal on hotwire last August/September and stayed at the Hyatt Regency in the financial district. I thought it was a really nice hotel. I'd check Hotwire or Priceline you can find a few really good deals.

[Buccaneer]

Wish I could offer a recommendation but in my travels to the Boston, I have always stayed along the outer beltway of 495. I did explore staying in the exact area you are wanting but found it easier (and much more cost effective) to stay in a quaint Inn and zip into Boston and park at the Pru Center. From there I could easily do the Freedom Trail and Fenway.

[Crapshoot]

The Fairmont at Copley is a really nice hotel at Copley Square. It's within walking distance of the Boston Common and the start of the Freedom Trail. Also just a block from Newbury Street, which has good shopping and good restaurants. Easy Storrow Drive access to get down to the Charles River, and convenient to Fenway as well.

The hotel itself has an old Boston charm--it's only six stories high, but has a lot of rooms. There is a lot of old oak and the rooms are nicely furnished--great beds.

A little secret is that you can sign up for the Fairmont President's Club at fairmont.com for free. They have a "Great Rates, Great Dates" promotion for club members. We stayed at the Copley Fairmont 2 weeks ago for $149 a night, significantly less than the $399 rate they quoted on expedia, travelocity, etc. With that promotion, you also get a $50 breakfast voucher. The catch is that the promotion may not be available on the dates you need. But...it's worth signing up for the President's Club anyway. We've used it to stay at the Banff Springs and Lake Louise Fairmonts for just over $100 US per night, in addition to this most recent stay in Boston. It's a great program, and you can really find some deals.

I work in the big building (The Hancock) right across from it - and yeah, its a good location. As for the Hotel itself - meh, I stayed, and it was a little too "old" for me - I prefer more modern, hard lines, elegant places - heck, the Westin across the street is probably nicer.

[Castlerock]

I don't know what the rooms are like but the Omni Parker House has a location that's tough to beat. Near Beacon Hill, Quincy Market, Downtown Crossing, the Common/Public Garden, and the freedom trail is literally in front of the hotel. The 'T' is about a block away, too.

[Ramzavail]

I'd say the Westin at Copley Square - it was really really nice there. Although, I don't remember the price but I remember it being worth it.

[MalcPow]

I stayed at the Nine Zero recently at 90 Tremont and was pretty pleased. It's a more "modern" hotel but the bed was great, the location was great, and the view from my room was almost spectacular. I was lucky enough to get a great deal from one of the travel sites, but I know that otherwise the rooms can be pretty pricey. For what it's worth, the room was not large, but it had everything you would need. I'd recommend it, with the caveat that if you are looking for a more quaint New England inn experience then it is not for you.

[Crapshoot]

I'd say the Westin at Copley Square - it was really really nice there. Although, I don't remember the price but I remember it being worth it.


"" - Though by pricey, I mean really pricy. I just checked their website for a weekend rate on June 9 - 11 and it was over $400 per room - not sure if you want to spend that much. Expedia etc might have it cheaper.

[Castlerock]

I can't believe I forgot about the Beacon Hill Hotel. hxxp://www.beaconhillhotel.com/hotel.html

It would be a very different experience than one of the big, generic hotels and in Boston's best neighborhood (IMO).

[KevinNU7]

Maple Leafs, what specific touristy things were you looking to do exactly?

[Maple Leafs]

Maple Leafs, what specific touristy things were you looking to do exactly?
The wife will definitely want to see the aquarium. We'll also probably be doing some of the walking tours and seeing the historic sites. I'm also hoping to get out to Fenway although I realize that's a subway trip.

[Draft Dodger]

The wife will definitely want to see the aquarium. We'll also probably be doing some of the walking tours and seeing the historic sites. I'm also hoping to get out to Fenway although I realize that's a subway trip.

it's not a subway. it's the T.

[KevinNU7]

The wife will definitely want to see the aquarium. We'll also probably be doing some of the walking tours and seeing the historic sites. I'm also hoping to get out to Fenway although I realize that's a subway trip.
That's good to know. Since the only thing you seem to be interested in doing in the Back Bay/Fens area is Fenway Park I would stay away from staying in a hotel in that area. This would remove the Copley Square hotels people have mentioned. I'm recommend a hotel at the waterfront (like the Boston Harbor Hotel) or something close to the Common on the side near Faneuil Hall (like the Omni Parker House).

The Boston Harbor Hotel would put you close to the Aquarium, Faneuil Hall and near parts of the Freedom trail. The Omni Parker House as mentioned earlier would put you in a good central location for most of the things you are looking to do, and the walk to the Aquarium isn't far at all.

I haven't stayed at either, a combination of living in Boston and looking for really cheap places since I am rarely in my room, but they are supposed to be top notch.

Also, The Four Seasons is the only 5 star hotel in Boston and it is right along Boston Common, not too far from the Omni Parker House. The Ritz-Carlton is around the block and is rated as a 4 star hotel but many local find it to be a better spot as they have put alot of money into the hotel in an attempt to gain 5 star status.

[KevinNU7]

Dola,

Here's the link for Fenway Park Tours

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/bos/ballpark/tour.jsp

[rkmsuf]

it's not a subway. it's the T.

yeah!

[miked]

I lived about a 5 minute walk from the Aquarium. If money really is no object, the Boston Harbor Hotel is the shizzy. I would steer clear of the Marlowe, as that is not a nice area and there is tons of construction right there. The Marriott Long Wharf is also on the waterfront, but a little pricey for what it is. My brother and some friends stayed at a hotel in the financial district (not far from the Aquarium) but I forget the name. Might have been the Hyatt or something.

[KevinNU7]

My brother and some friends stayed at a hotel in the financial district (not far from the Aquarium) but I forget the name. Might have been the Hyatt or something.
I forgot about the Hyatt Regency. It is pretty close the the Parker House. It puts you close to the Common, Downtown Crossing and is a shortish walk to the Aquarium and Faneuil Hall. Very nice inside two, but is in kind of a quirky area to drive to.

[Maple Leafs]

Thanks for all the feedback... a couple of additional questions:

- The travel sites list "Theatre District/Downtown Crossing" and "Quincy Market-Financial-Waterfront". Are these two areas close to each other? Which one do I want?

- Any thoughts on the Harborside Inn?

[KevinNU7]

Found a nice map. http://www.astrosoft.de/boston/boston_map.jpg

Large park in the center of the map is the Public Gardens and Boston Common. Southeast is Downtown Crossing (Shopping). South is Theatre District.

To the bottom right of the map is the waterfront and the aquarium is shown next to the Harbor Towers. Just Northwest of that area is the Fanueil Hall.

[KevinNU7]

The Omni Parket HOuse is also shown on this map as the Parker House Hotel. It is at the southeast of the Boston Common.

Oh and the red line that you see throughout the city is the freedom trail. And the green lines represent the T (subway)

[KevinNU7]

FYI - Fenway Park is West of the Map. As you can see there is a a white and green dotted subway line going from the Western side of the Public Garden and it travels in a straight line down past the Ritz-Carlton, past two large skyscrapers and continues off the map. This would be the route to take to Fenway

[KevinNU7]

Or you could take the train that runs along the top of the map accross the section called Back Bay

[Maple Leafs]

KevinNU7, that's gold. I was in the process of cursing one of the travel sites for giving me a map that didn't show where anything way, and it's the exact section of town you just posted.

So safe to say that I probably want to focus on the Financial/Waterfront/Quincy area?

[KevinNU7]

To put distances into perspective the walk from the Ritz-Carlton to the Omni Parker House is probably 15 minutes, the walk from Omni to Fanueil Hall is probably 10

[KevinNU7]

Downtown Crossing is pretty Central. It really can jsut matter sometimes on where within that region you are in. For example the Theatre District can mean you are right on the southern side of the Common which is still very clsoe to everything or it can mean you are the way at the bottom of the map.

I'm not sure what the travel agency has the Omni parker House listed as but I would call it very centralized

[KevinNU7]

If you have a list of hotels you like post them here and I will tell you where they are in relation to this map.

Also I think I still have a travel guide on the Freedom Trail if you are interested. PM me if you want it

[Fighter of Foo]

Quincy is pretty far south. Staying around Copley is your best bet since there aren't any crappy hotels in the area and it's convenient to just about everything. Assuming you don't plan on renting a car, you'll be taking the T everywhere anyway.

[miked]

Quincy is pretty far south. Staying around Copley is your best bet since there aren't any crappy hotels in the area and it's convenient to just about everything. Assuming you don't plan on renting a car, you'll be taking the T everywhere anyway.

I think he meant Quincy Market, not Quinzzzzzy. Anyways, I lived in the North End/Waterfront and it was a 5-10 minute walk to Quincy Market, 15 minutes to Downtown Crossing, heck, I even walked home from Fenway a few times. The map is great, but remember, Boston is pretty small. You could probably walk from the Theater District to the North End in 30 minutes. But if the Aquarium and Quincy Market is your deal, the Harborside will be a 5 minute walk (not sure about the hotel, never stayed there). That close to Quincy Market, it could be pretty loud at night, but it shouldn't kill ya.

[Maple Leafs]

Anyone with familiarity with Fenway... would these tickets be any good?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6634235005&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEBI%3AIT&rd=1

Don't really need to be first row, since the wife will spend more time looking around the park than watching the game. If we need to set front row at an MLB game we can go to Toronto. I'm more looking for seats where we can take in the Fenway atmosphere, but I know it's an old park and I don't want to get stuck with obstructed view, seats facing the wrong way, etc.

[Solecismic]

Your view of the outfield will be somewhat, but not badly obstructed. Avoid the highest seat numbers (mid 20s), as it's on an extremely busy aisle on that side. The middle numbers are considered good cheap seats.

[lynchjm24]

Those are pretty good. I think you'd be suprised how good they are when you got there.

[BishopMVP]

http://a.domaindlx.com/fenwayseatdata/ has (small) pictures from a number of seats.

My only suggestion on hotels is location is key - plan on walking or using the T as much as possible. Driving is impossible in downtown Boston.

[Maple Leafs]

Thanks for the feedback.

As usual with eBay, the bidding will go crazy in the final hour. But I'll give it a shot.

Are there any sections I should be staying away from?

[lynchjm24]

I've always had better luck with stubhub.com and they have a Fenway office if you buy at the last second.

[Maple Leafs]

http://a.domaindlx.com/fenwayseatdata/ has (small) pictures from a number of seats.
Wow, fantastic site, thanks.

[KevinNU7]

Depending on the seat number you are in you could have the pole in Section 9 blocking your view of home plate

[KevinNU7]

Dola, Typically the grandstand section have 25 to 30 seats. The highest and lowest numbers mean you will be at the end of the aisle and you will be standing up OFTEN to let people out.

[KevinNU7]

HOLY DOUBLE DOLA BATMAN!

This game is a Thursday 2pm game You will without a doubt be able to get day of game tickets from the Red Sox!!! Do not pay ebay prices.

I'ma ctually going to this game with my wife. This game was on Mother's Day originally and was a gift from my Father In-Law, it got moved to July 20th and my B-Day is July 21st so now it is my B-Day present :)

We can meet before the game and I can show you where to go to buy ticekts.

[molson]

I stay away from the entire Grandstand if I can help it (too many seats that obstructured, or facing the wrong way).

If you're not desperate to go to the game, I second the suggestion about trying the Fenway box office when they open day of game. Two years ago, I got tickets to all 4 games of a Red Sox/Yankees series by doing that, all for face value (these are usually the expensive seats, but still cheaper than anything you'd get on ebay).

And also, "Infield Pavillion Roof" seats are terrific - they're called "standing room", so they run cheaper on ebay, but if you get there early, there's a bench in that section with a great view. (About 40% of the "standing room" people are actually sitting). They don't sell a ton of tickets for that section, so it's not crowded up there. It's a brand new section this year.

[Maple Leafs]

Yeah, we really would like to get to a game, especially during the day. I'd be willing to pay a few bucks extra to have the tickets in hand rather than risk missing out.

[kcchief19]

This is my definition of a bad seat:


http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/3808/111901784433566rz.jpg

[Maple Leafs]

This is my definition of a bad seat:

Yeah... that's kind of what I'm afraid of.

[KevinNU7]

I guarantee you there will be seats available at the ticket office. You are basically throwing money away

[JeeberD]

This is my definition of a bad seat:


http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/3808/111901784433566rz.jpg

I got a seat like that at the Cotton Bowl a couple of years ago. The tix were free, so I wasn't too upset, but still...

[Maple Leafs]

Heading out on Wednesday. Any last-minute tips for a long weekend in Boston with the wife?

[McSweeny]

Heading out on Wednesday. Any last-minute tips for a long weekend in Boston with the wife?

well traffic really sucks downtown because they've closed a couple of the big dig tunnels due to the collapse. if you're flying in it'll be a bitch to get into the city from the airport do to the closures.

it's also hot as hell

90+ today and hotter tomorrow and everything smells like wet, damp, city. blech

[SirFozzie]

Wedensday: should be some thunderstorms, but nothing too big.. it's gonna get cooler around then.

Look into one of the trolley tours or the duckboats.. good stuff.

[Maple Leafs]

well traffic really sucks downtown because they've closed a couple of the big dig tunnels due to the collapse. if you're flying in it'll be a bitch to get into the city from the airport do to the closures.
Hm... would it be worthwhile to take the subway into downtown and cab it from there?

[SirFozzie]

are you renting a car?

If not, and your hotel is near a T station, take the silver line bus (all of them stop at every terminal) to South Station and take the subway to your hotel. MUCH simpler

[Raiders Army]

There are free tours of some of the historic sites along a walking tour. That's pretty cool. Sorry for the incoherence. Beers. Not Sam Adams though.

[Maple Leafs]

are you renting a car?
Nope... we're staying at the Omni and want to do plenty of walking, so I figured we wouldn't need one.

[SirFozzie]

Then take The Silver Line bus to South Station, save cab fare. Depending on how far the Omni is from a T-line station (and your willingness to ride the T with your baggage), you can either take a cab from South Station, or ride the T out closer, saving you some money. Getting a Taxi right now at Logan with the detours and closings is a fool's game.

Downtown Crossing seems to only be a block away from your hotel and that's a fairly major transit point (the Orange and Red lines intersect there, and the Green line is one stop down)..

so depending on your financial level/comfort level, you can definitely save some money riding the T vs a cab

[SirFozzie]

Ah: here's the section from the Omni (this is before the tunnel closings, add an undeterminate amount of time/cost)

Fare average is between $20 and $28 depending on the traffic. The hotel is 2.5 miles from Logan International Airport. It normally takes 15-25 min. to get to the hotel depending on traffic.

Remember, you're going to have to go above ground to get to/from with the tunnel closings.. Not sure how much the Silver Line costs, but a T token is $1.25

[Celeval]

Remember, you're going to have to go above ground to get to/from with the tunnel closings.. Not sure how much the Silver Line costs, but a T token is $1.25

Silver line is part of the T, $1.25 (cash) to board and you exit within the station. Another option is Blue line shuttle to the Airport station - the shuttle is free, then $1.25 to get into the T line.

[McSweeny]

Silver line is part of the T, $1.25 (cash) to board and you exit within the station. Another option is Blue line shuttle to the Airport station - the shuttle is free, then $1.25 to get into the T line.

i agree that the shuttle to the blue line is probably the best way to go

[Galaxy]

A little late, but the Beacon XV is a good hotel as well.

[Galaxy]

I stayed at the Nine Zero recently at 90 Tremont and was pretty pleased. It's a more "modern" hotel but the bed was great, the location was great, and the view from my room was almost spectacular. I was lucky enough to get a great deal from one of the travel sites, but I know that otherwise the rooms can be pretty pricey. For what it's worth, the room was not large, but it had everything you would need. I'd recommend it, with the caveat that if you are looking for a more quaint New England inn experience then it is not for you.

Didn't the Nine Zero just get purchased, and is joining a chain soon?

I'm waiting to see what the new Mandarin Oriental will be. Sounds like it will be a smashing hit.

Regent, a top-of-line chain as well, is also opening a new hotel in Boston.

[Castlerock]

Schleping your bags on the T could be a hastle if you have a lot of bags. Keep that in mind.

[RPI-Fan]

Schleping your bags on the T could be a hastle if you have a lot of bags. Keep that in mind.

It's hard to put a $ value on these kind of things. I mean is 1 hour of discomfort really worth the $20 extra?

But if I'm willing to take the time off from work, make all the arrangements, etc. for a nice vacation this is exactly the kind of thing I don't want to skimp on.

[McSweeny]

It's hard to put a $ value on these kind of things. I mean is 1 hour of discomfort really worth the $20 extra?

But if I'm willing to take the time off from work, make all the arrangements, etc. for a nice vacation this is exactly the kind of thing I don't want to skimp on.

you know, i was thinking about it from my point of view (single male, age 23) and saving a few bucks by hoping on the T would be a no-brainer.

RPI makes a great point. If you have more than 1 large piece of luggage per person it could very well be a major pain to take the T. Lugging my one bag wouldn't bother me, but would i really want to drag two big suitcases on a crowded train and not even be sure i'd have a seat? I doubt it

[molson]

You're on vacation - take a cab. The T's OK, but I sure wouldn't want to haul my luggage up and down stairs, and potentially up and down the street if you don't know exactly where you're going.

[Maple Leafs]

Not really worried about the $20 or whatever it is. More interested in which would be a bigger pain in the ass: taking our bags on the T, or trying to do the trip by cab given the traffic situation.

[miked]

Don't take the Silver Line. If you decide to take the T (the most convenient and cheapest), take the Blue Line. There's a shuttle that goes from the terminals to the T stop. Take the Blue Line to State Street and the Omni Parker is like 2-3 blocks away. Silver Line will take 3x as long and you're still a $5-8 cab ride away.

[sterlingice]

Holy Thread Necromancy, Batman!

We're going to be in Boston in mid-late September and I'm having a hard time finding things to do in Boston. A Red Sox game in Fenway is obvious and spending at least a day, if not two, on the Freedom Trail (Faneuil Hall, USS Constitution) is equally obvious. But, beyond that, I'm struggling for good tourist attractions in the metro area.

Outside of the city itself, we have a few days planned - visiting a friend in Connecticut, going to do /something/ on Cape Cod (haven't figured that out yet), um... taking pictures of "Entering Rhode Island" and "Leaving Rhode Island" signs about 20 minutes apart, exploring some of the foodstuffs (syrup, cheese, ice cream) in Vermont, the outdoors in New Hampshire, and cliche'ing our way through lighthouses and lobster in Maine. Is there anything we should see in any of the surrounding 5 states? Interesting tidbits in, say, Hartford or Providence?

I'm woefully behind schedule on planning this trip as I'm having a hard time finding tentpoles around which to build it. Help would be greatly appreciated

SI

[SirFozzie]

Basketball Hall of Fame?

[Glengoyne]

Mrs. G (I think I'm spending more time on the site than Glen is these days)

We spent a week there in 2008. Depending on how old/if you have kids. There is a pretty nice children's museum. It is right next to the Tea Party museum that had just burned prior to our arrival. Hopefully they have rebuilt it by now.

The Duck tour was fun, a bit corny/campy, but fun. Also the Science Museum was neat. One of the larger van der graaf generators there, and they did demonstrations with the scientist climbing inside if I recall right.

Also, Glen took a couple of hours and went to the Arthur Ganson exhibit on the MIT campus. Neat machines that do random stuff... I'm sure you can youtube him and get filled in.

I wish I had forced the kids to go to Paul Revere's house, although, now I can hold it over their heads.

We didn't do a game at Fenway, but we did the tour and that was interesting in spite of a grumpy 4 year old. Imagine his disappointment when he learned what the Green Monster really was!

Oh, and Codzilla was a fun 2 hr diversion.

[Lathum]

I recommend a day trip or overnight to Nantucket.

[SirFozzie]

A lobsterfest on the beach, agreed.

[sterlingice]

Basketball Hall of Fame?

I'm not sure how I missed this in my planning.

SI

[sterlingice]

I recommend a day trip or overnight to Nantucket.

A lobsterfest on the beach, agreed.

Are these two tied together? Is that what one does in Nantucket, aside from bawdy limericks that all the locals have heard before?

SI

[sterlingice]

Mrs. G (I think I'm spending more time on the site than Glen is these days)

We spent a week there in 2008. Depending on how old/if you have kids. There is a pretty nice children's museum. It is right next to the Tea Party museum that had just burned prior to our arrival. Hopefully they have rebuilt it by now.

The Duck tour was fun, a bit corny/campy, but fun. Also the Science Museum was neat. One of the larger van der graaf generators there, and they did demonstrations with the scientist climbing inside if I recall right.

Also, Glen took a couple of hours and went to the Arthur Ganson exhibit on the MIT campus. Neat machines that do random stuff... I'm sure you can youtube him and get filled in.

I wish I had forced the kids to go to Paul Revere's house, although, now I can hold it over their heads.

We didn't do a game at Fenway, but we did the tour and that was interesting in spite of a grumpy 4 year old. Imagine his disappointment when he learned what the Green Monster really was!

Oh, and Codzilla was a fun 2 hr diversion.

No kids, tho we are both immature. Probably will not go to the Children's Museum, however. It gets a bit awkward when you're a pair of 30-somethings in a children's museum with no kids. Been there, done that :)

Paul Revere's house is on the Freedom Trail so we plan to do that.

We were considering going to MIT but not sure what to see there. Sounds like that requires more investigation.

Thanks!

SI

[SirFozzie]

Are these two tied together? Is that what one does in Nantucket, aside from bawdy limericks that all the locals have heard before?

SI

Lobsterbakes can be done anywhere that is on the water traditionally.. it involves digging a hole, placing six pans full of lobster, clams, mussels, corn, potatoes (on a layer of seaweed), and cooking it in the hole for an hour).

How to Prepare a New England Lobster Bake: 18 Steps - wikiHow (http://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-a-New-England-Lobster-Bake) (Just to show you how it's done)

and there's a bunch of places on the Island and in the City proper that advertise Lobster Bakes.

[DaddyTorgo]

Mid-late Sept. hmm?

[SirFozzie]

If you don't mind driving a couple hours (and like classic arcade games), head up to Laconia, NH. Not only is it a beautiful area, in the Lakes region, it has the world's largest Arcade (FUNSPOT).

[sterlingice]

If you don't mind driving a couple hours (and like classic arcade games), head up to Laconia, NH. Not only is it a beautiful area, in the Lakes region, it has the world's largest Arcade (FUNSPOT).

I've got that penciled in as a maybe- there are logistical challenges to going there which I haven't been able to overcome. Ideally, we'd go across NH on 302 over to Portland ME and then work our way back down the coast to Boston. In that case, Laconia is just the wrong direction. However, if the weather is bad and we can't do the outdoorsy stuff in New Hampshire like the cog railway and hiking then it's much more likely we'll head that way.

SI

[Lathum]

Portland is a fun little city. If you are a foodie there is a really great restaurant there called Fore Street

Fore Street Restaurant - Portland, Maine (http://www.forestreet.biz/)

[Barkeep49]

I had planned to tack on some vacation days to a conference in early October and now this thread has me concerned about finding enough to do.

[DaddyTorgo]

There's things to do - particularly if you've access to a car.

[JPhillips]

The Tea Party ship sucks.

[DaddyTorgo]

The Tea Party ship sucks.

True. But the Constitution is still pretty damn sweet.

[Castlerock]

How long do you plan to be there? Are you really planning on seeing Boston, the Cape, RI, CT, VT, NH and ME? Seems like WAY to much to bite off.

The Cape is spectacular in Sept. Great weather and no crowds. Stay away from Hyannis. Check out the National Seashore (from Chatham to Provincetown). The Main Street in Chatham is excellent for strolling/shopping. A whale watch from P-Town is always a hit. On a low tide, go to Skaket Beach in Orleans and walk the tidal flats. You can walk a literal mile and still be walking on sand bars. Have a drink at the elegant Chatham Bars Inn. Go to the Beachcomer (in Wellfleet at Cahoon Hollow beach). Great beach at the bottom of the dune and a restaurant/bar with bands at the top. On second thought... the Beachcomber might be closed after Labor Day.

[sterlingice]

How long do you plan to be there? Are you really planning on seeing Boston, the Cape, RI, CT, VT, NH and ME? Seems like WAY to much to bite off.

The Cape is spectacular in Sept. Great weather and no crowds. Stay away from Hyannis. Check out the National Seashore (from Chatham to Provincetown). The Main Street in Chatham is excellent for strolling/shopping. A whale watch from P-Town is always a hit. On a low tide, go to Skaket Beach in Orleans and walk the tidal flats. You can walk a literal mile and still be walking on sand bars. Have a drink at the elegant Chatham Bars Inn. Go to the Beachcomer (in Wellfleet at Cahoon Hollow beach). Great beach at the bottom of the dune and a restaurant/bar with bands at the top. On second thought... the Beachcomber might be closed after Labor Day.

We're there a week and a half, basically: Friday-Sunday.

Also, you hit a problem we've run across- there are quite a few things closed after Labor Day and the winter activities haven't started yet. And while I think we will enjoy going to the beach a time or two, we do live in Houston so "see the ocean" has some appeal but not in a way if we were still living in Kansas (we've already been to the Gulf a couple of times this year and will probably go a couple of more).

I haven't really touched a lot on the interests side of thing. We're not really the "strolling/shopping" type and that seems to be the popular thing: "see the individual microcultures of New England and enjoy their individual qualities". That's interesting for part of a day but unless you're from that particular part of the country and have something to identify with, it's just going to blend together pretty quickly for me. Spending a bunch of time in particular neighborhoods in New York and San Francisco felt the same to me. Plus, as you visit individual tourist locales, you pick up on that sort of thing. Neither my wife nor I are shoppers either (though we will probably get a decent number of food Christmas gifts while we are there).

Natural/state parks, historical sites, and the all-encompassing-but-not-really-descriptive "tourist attractions" are our three major vacation drivers for us. To give an idea of that: the Freedom Trail is a treasure trove of all 3 and I expect a full day there and a big chunk of another (before heading to a Red Sox game at night).

The whale watching is something I hadn't really seen until some researching over the weekend we're definitely going to make an attempt to do that.

Skaket Beach also sounds interesting so I'll look into that. I have this nebulous "day around Cape Cod before driving back to Boston" penciled into the calendar but I'm not sure what form that will take- what specifically to visit.

This is the rough sketch (with some little notes I have)
Fri Arrive PM
Sat Freedom Trail: USS Constitution side, ideally; Faneuil Hall side on Tues
Sun Springfield - Six Flags if weather good, otherwise skip to Mon plans
Mon Hartford, CT to Providence, RI to Cape Cod, MA, stay on Cape Cod
Tue Cape Cod AM, Meet up with friends: Freedom Trail in Boston PM and TBY @ BOS 7:10p
Wed Vermont (ice cream, cheese, syrup day)
Thu New Hampshire (National Forest/cog ride if weather good, Laconia if bad), drive to Maine (lobster/lighthouses)
Fri Maine lighthouses along the coast and back to Boston; PM Boston sightseeing?
Sat Boston- Lexington/Concord, any more Boston?
Sun Boston AM, Fly back PM

SI

[Logan]

Tue Cape Cod AM, Meet up with friends: Freedom Trail in Boston PM and TBY @ BOS 7:10p

Not sure what time you're considering leaving Cape Cod but this seems really aggressive.

[JPhillips]

True. But the Constitution is still pretty damn sweet.

Yes. The Constitution was great.

Also, skip Plymouth rock.

[Alan T]

Yes. The Constitution was great.

Also, skip Plymouth rock.


Plymouth Rock is pretty much my biggest disappointment ever for a tourist attraction :)

[JPhillips]

The concrete holding it together must have really shocked the pilgrims.

[DaddyTorgo]

Plymouth Rock = uncool

Plymouth Plantation on the other hand = COOL

[BishopMVP]

Natural/state parks, historical sites, and the all-encompassing-but-not-really-descriptive "tourist attractions" are our three major vacation drivers for us. To give an idea of that: the Freedom Trail is a treasure trove of all 3 and I expect a full day there and a big chunk of another (before heading to a Red Sox game at night).
...
This is the rough sketch (with some little notes I have)
Fri Arrive PM
Sat Freedom Trail: USS Constitution side, ideally
Sun Boston- Lexington/Concord, Faneuil Hall side of Freedom Trail
Mon Maybe stop by Newport, RI on way to Cape Cod, MA, stay on Cape Cod
Tue Cape Cod AM, Meet up with friends: TBY @ BOS 7:10p
Wed Springfield - Six Flags if weather good, otherwise basketball HoF. Hit up Northampton/Amherst for the evening.
Thu Vermont (ice cream, cheese, syrup day)
Fri New Hampshire (National Forest/cog ride if weather good, Laconia if bad), drive to Maine (lobster/lighthouses), take a Sunset Cruise in Casco Bay if weather good (will see couple lighthouses including Portland Headlight)
Sat Maine lighthouses along the coast and back to Boston; PM Boston sightseeing?
Sun Boston AM, Fly back PMFlipped and added a couple things in here to see how I would do it. What's set in stone? Need to be in Boston Friday night, Tuesday night and Sunday? Echo Logan's question - are you meeting these friends Tuesday during the day on the cape, or back in Boston for the Sox game? You want to be comfortably back in Boston by at least 5pm. Trying to rush anywhere downtown or near Fenway (the Back Bay) is not going to happen between like 4 and 7pm, so just go hang out near Fenway for an hour or so and relax with some food and drinks at one of the many restaurants near there instead of trying to pack too much in.

Is there any reason you actually want to go to Connecticut other than thinking it'd be cool to see "all of New England" in one trip? It would make more sense to combine Springfield with VT and then go east 2nd half of the week, and if you want to see anything in RI (maybe Newport to see all the mansions?) you could just combine that with your cape plans.

There are always other options for Boston depending on the weather. If bad weather, the Science Museum and its Omni Theater is a great option. Good weather, maybe riding bikes along the Charles, see Harvard/Central Square/MIT/stop by the North End.

Up in Maine or possibly western mass, rafting down a river like the Kennebec could be an option if you want something a little more active. Along those lines in NH, climbing a mountain like Mt. Washington is always an option.

They do Sunset Cruises in both Boston and Portland that are really nice - if you're doing a whale watch though, that could pretty much cover it.

The Northampton/Amherst area is beautiful in the fall, and has a number of great restaurants and little places to stay. Plus that way you could drive back roads to Vermont and see more foliage instead of just taking I-90/91.

I've heard of Concord once or twice ;) - the North Bridge is a must regardless of weather, and Walden Pond (and Thoreau's Cabin) is great if it's good weather. Not sure if something like the Alcott House or the Old Manse would interest y'all. There is another house in Lexington I'm blanking on the name, but it's where Revere spent the night under house arrest after getting caught by the British.

A few places in Boston I'd try to hit up at night other than Fenway are the North End (not sure if there's a night a festival's going on, but it's always a walking around scene) - I'm sure everyone here has a different favorite restaurant there - you can't go wrong, plus it's right next to Fanueil Hall so you can walk around there after. The Top of the Hub at the Prudential Center for a view of the city (very expensive I think if you get food/sit down, but drinks at the bar are normal priced, and you can look out the windows at the city from there.) Legal Seafood's opened a Seaport location with a great outdoor roofdeck, although you probably want to avoid it after like 9-10pm on Thursday/Fri/Saturday night's (unless that's your scene!) The Beehive (I think) in the South End has some pretty good food and great jazz to go along with it.

[DaddyTorgo]

I'm just going to take all of Bishop's hard work and +1 it. Much easier that way then actually putting in the effort myself. Haha.

Well except Six Flags, which is just another amusement park really.

You absolutely need to hit the North End, if the weather is nice (read: not too windy/cool) you want to hit up the roofdeck of the Legal Seafood's in the Seaport because it's pretty cool, otherwise you can eat inside and get the same view from a couple floors down. It is sort of one of the "trendy" places though, so be aware of that.

Beehive indeed is a great live jazz / good food spot in the South End.

[BishopMVP]

Well except Six Flags, which is just another amusement park really.I'd agree on that. I wouldn't even put it up as good as the ones I've been to in Texas or New Jersey. Could be kind of fun on a weekday in September though - assuming they're open, all the kids are in school, so you could get a ton of rides in with low lines.

[Buccaneer]

SI, your itinerary reminds me of the one I put together for Mrs. Bucc and I in 2001 (except for the Cape Cod part). We were scheduled to leave 9/13 but obviously had to cancel. We rescheduled for 2003 but had planned a much better trip because covering so much ground in 7 days would have been way too taxing. What I rearranged was staying more than one day/night at a place to help with the pacing. We flew into Albany and spent most of the day driving across Northern NE to Portland, then up the coast to Camden for a couple days. From there it was to the White Mountains and that was a long drive. By the time we got to Franconia, we were tired. Then was did the ice cream/cheese/syrup thing in Vermont but despite its small size, it can take all day to wind your way down the state. By the end of that day (in Arlington), we were wiped out. The moral of the story is that you want to explore the land like I spent most of my life doing road trips (remember, I collect counties). You have to pace yourself and be able to spend some time to get the sense of a place, even if that means not covering all of the ground you desire. Despite growing up in that region, I had made five more trips back there (including one just for Boston - Freedom Trail/Fenway) just to cover more ground at my pace.

[nol]

Seconding Walden Pond on your Concord/Lexington day if the weather's nice.

[sterlingice]

I'll reply to Bishop's post in a second (ok, hours or possibly may have to wait until this weekend) as it's the most detailed and will take some time. But I want to speak to the other points first.

I'm just going to take all of Bishop's hard work and +1 it. Much easier that way then actually putting in the effort myself. Haha.

Well except Six Flags, which is just another amusement park really.

You absolutely need to hit the North End, if the weather is nice (read: not too windy/cool) you want to hit up the roofdeck of the Legal Seafood's in the Seaport because it's pretty cool, otherwise you can eat inside and get the same view from a couple floors down. It is sort of one of the "trendy" places though, so be aware of that.

Beehive indeed is a great live jazz / good food spot in the South End.

http://www.legalseafoods.com/restaurants/boston-legal-harborside
Is this the Legal Seafood you're mentioning?

Bizarro (Six Flags New England) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizarro_%28Six_Flags_New_England%29)
Yeah, Six Flags New England looks pretty pedestrian, on the whole. However, there's Bizarro. Since it's been built, it and another awesome Intamin coaster (my personal favorite that I've been on: Millennium Force at Cedar Point) have swapped the ranking of #1 steel coaster in the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Force#Rankings). If I could just ride this about 5 times, I'd probably be happy. We have season passes so getting in isn't so much but if we're already there and paying for parking, we might as well ride some other rides. Unfortunately, in September, it's only open weekends which means shorter lines but harder scheduling. That explains the "fan out to the west and then swing south before returning to Boston" part of the planning. If I were going to scrap a portion of the trip, this would probably be it but there is a significant draw there for my wife and I, weather permitting.

Also, I think we end up in the North End as part of the Freedom Trail. The Paul Revere House is up there, iirc.

SI

[Ronnie Dobbs3]

Legal Seafood sucks there are at least a hundred better seafood joints in Boston let alone surrounding areas

[DaddyTorgo]

Legal Seafood sucks there are at least a hundred better seafood joints in Boston let alone surrounding areas

The food is nothing special (and yes, is somewhat corporate). But the view from Legal Harborside - either up on the bar (preferable because then you can save the food experience for elsewhere), or inside (if the weather isn't great) is pretty nice.

[sterlingice]

SI, your itinerary reminds me of the one I put together for Mrs. Bucc and I in 2001 (except for the Cape Cod part). We were scheduled to leave 9/13 but obviously had to cancel. We rescheduled for 2003 but had planned a much better trip because covering so much ground in 7 days would have been way too taxing. What I rearranged was staying more than one day/night at a place to help with the pacing. We flew into Albany and spent most of the day driving across Northern NE to Portland, then up the coast to Camden for a couple days. From there it was to the White Mountains and that was a long drive. By the time we got to Franconia, we were tired. Then was did the ice cream/cheese/syrup thing in Vermont but despite its small size, it can take all day to wind your way down the state. By the end of that day (in Arlington), we were wiped out. The moral of the story is that you want to explore the land like I spent most of my life doing road trips (remember, I collect counties). You have to pace yourself and be able to spend some time to get the sense of a place, even if that means not covering all of the ground you desire. Despite growing up in that region, I had made five more trips back there (including one just for Boston - Freedom Trail/Fenway) just to cover more ground at my pace.

That's the delicate balance: see what you want to see but be able to do it at a pace you're comfortable at. I wholly understand what you are talking about as we had a trip to New York (and then Philly, DC, and Baltimore) a few years ago that was described as "tourist boot camp". I still feel I need to go back to the Met to fully appreciate it. However, since then, I've gotten a lot better about pacing for our trips - pretty much all of our recent trips have been the appropriate speed. Here's some trips we've done recently and what we've seen:

Fri-Sun (8 tourist days) Arizona this February - over 500 miles of driving, hiking in and out of the Grand Canyon, hitting up 5 other national or state parks, and 3 Spring Training games
2 1/2 weeks in Russia last year that I pretty much planned from scratch and we felt that we saw everything we wanted and then some
Fri-Sun (again, 8 days) covering Detroit, Cedar Point (spontaneously went back for a 2nd day), Pittsburgh, and Cleveland a couple of years ago
And then a plethora of 3-5 day weekendsWe go at a pretty good clip but we run a little late into the evening and sleep in a little. But we also don't like idle time on vacation- we just don't end a day at a hotel at 4 in the afternoon. I try to balance out the early mornings with the early nights and the late nights with the late mornings and that works for us. I also split up driving days. But I haven't really had to do much beyond that other than build in the appropriate amount of "squishy" time - items I can cancel or switch up without minding.

One of the things that I'm pretty set on here is that we are going to visit all 6 states, even if it briefly (CT, RI). There's no telling when (if) we might get back. Also, I think the odds are much greater that I might be back to Boston (business trip, three day weekend, etc) so if I miss something in the city proper, it's not as big of a deal.

SI

[sterlingice]

Legal Seafood sucks there are at least a hundred better seafood joints in Boston let alone surrounding areas

Ah, a touchy religious debate (see also: Kansas City BBQ thread). I don't need to know the hundred better but I'll take, say, your top 3 under advisement :D

SI

[Lathum]

That's the delicate balance: see what you want to see but be able to do it at a pace you're comfortable at. I wholly understand what you are talking about as we had a trip to New York (and then Philly, DC, and Baltimore) a few years ago that was described as "tourist boot camp". I still feel I need to go back to the Met to fully appreciate it. However, since then, I've gotten a lot better about pacing for our trips - pretty much all of our recent trips have been the appropriate speed. Here's some trips we've done recently and what we've seen:

Fri-Sun (8 tourist days) Arizona this February - over 500 miles of driving, hiking in and out of the Grand Canyon, hitting up 5 other national or state parks, and 3 Spring Training games
2 1/2 weeks in Russia last year that I pretty much planned from scratch and we felt that we saw everything we wanted and then some
Fri-Sun (again, 8 days) covering Detroit, Cedar Point (spontaneously went back for a 2nd day), Pittsburgh, and Cleveland a couple of years ago
And then a plethora of 3-5 day weekendsWe go at a pretty good clip but we run a little late into the evening and sleep in a little. But we also don't like idle time on vacation- we just don't end a day at a hotel at 4 in the afternoon. I try to balance out the early mornings with the early nights and the late nights with the late mornings and that works for us. I also split up driving days. But I haven't really had to do much beyond that other than build in the appropriate amount of "squishy" time - items I can cancel or switch up without minding.

One of the things that I'm pretty set on here is that we are going to visit all 6 states, even if it briefly (CT, RI). There's no telling when (if) we might get back. Also, I think the odds are much greater that I might be back to Boston (business trip, three day weekend, etc) so if I miss something in the city proper, it's not as big of a deal.

SI

ahhh

life before children

[sterlingice]

Also, on the seafood front or food front, in general (recommendations warmly welcome as food is important to a trip like this but with the caveat that we may get diverted by friends we're visiting to their favorite spots). I'll give some points to something that's "an institution" even if the food is slightly below the absolute less place.

Also, I would not be opposed to a mini FOFC Boston meetup Saturday night (Sept 27) if anyone's interested.

SI

[Alan T]

Bizarro (Six Flags New England) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizarro_%28Six_Flags_New_England%29)
Yeah, Six Flags New England looks pretty pedestrian, on the whole. However, there's Bizarro. Since it's been built, it and another awesome Intamin coaster (my personal favorite that I've been on: Millennium Force at Cedar Point) have swapped the ranking of #1 steel coaster in the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Force#Rankings). If I could just ride this about 5 times, I'd probably be happy. We have season passes so getting in isn't so much but if we're already there and paying for parking, we might as well ride some other rides.


If you are going mainly for Bizarro, make sure to get the fast pass then. I have season passes and go with the kids several times a year, but we almost never go on Bizarro because the lines often are two hour long (or longer). Unless you happen to get to go during a Wednesday morning or such when the park is less busy (but as you mention by the time you come, the park is only doing weekends at that point)

[sterlingice]

ahhh

life before children

My wife has accused me trying to cram in too much vacation before we have kids. She may be right.

We have the following on the calendar between now and the end of the year: weekend to Dallas, weekend to San Antonio (new nephew's baptism), tagging along with her on a business trip to Memphis, destination wedding of one of my friends in Jamaica, this trip, and a week in Illinois and Iowa visiting family at Christmas.

SI

[sterlingice]

If you are going mainly for Bizarro, make sure to get the fast pass then. I have season passes and go with the kids several times a year, but we almost never go on Bizarro because the lines often are two hour long (or longer). Unless you happen to get to go during a Wednesday morning or such when the park is less busy (but as you mention by the time you come, the park is only doing weekends at that point)

That's what I'm curious about- how are the lines in September? Particularly for a Sunday? The reading online said they were pretty light but I know that can vary.

Also, I loathe the Flash pass - it's so "undemocratic" (don't wait in lines with the plebes! pay more to avoid it!) :( I guess I'm not above getting it but it would have to be a pretty significant circumstance

SI

[Alan T]

That's what I'm curious about- how are the lines in September? Particularly for a Sunday? The reading online said they were pretty light but I know that can vary.

Also, I loathe the Flash pass - it's so "undemocratic" (don't wait in lines with the plebes! pay more to avoid it!) :( I guess I'm not above getting it but it would have to be a pretty significant circumstance

SI


I don't get the fast pass myself, but was just saying if you want to ride Bizarro five times, you'll be spending a ton of time in lines otherwise.

As for the September crowds, it really depends on the weather to be honest. At that point it is weekends only, and if the weather is chilly or not great, it is pretty easy to get through most rides in the park without many lines. If the weather is beautiful, on weekends we've had huge crowds there at times even into September, or during the fright night weekends in October even.

[DaddyTorgo]

Also, I would not be opposed to a mini FOFC Boston meetup Saturday night (Sept 27) if anyone's interested.

SI

I'm game!

[Barkeep49]

Also, I would not be opposed to a mini FOFC Boston meetup Saturday night (Sept 27) if anyone's interested.

SI

Is that the only time you're in Boston? I ask because I would love to make it and I'm not sure if I'll be out there quite yet on the 27th.

[sterlingice]

First, thanks for the great response! I'll try to break these down into small pieces for answers and then build it back into a whole.

Flipped and added a couple things in here to see how I would do it. What's set in stone? Need to be in Boston Friday night, Tuesday night and Sunday? Echo Logan's question - are you meeting these friends Tuesday during the day on the cape, or back in Boston for the Sox game? You want to be comfortably back in Boston by at least 5pm. Trying to rush anywhere downtown or near Fenway (the Back Bay) is not going to happen between like 4 and 7pm, so just go hang out near Fenway for an hour or so and relax with some food and drinks at one of the many restaurants near there instead of trying to pack too much in.
Actually, I saw what I thought was a reasonable deal on Hotwire for Fri-Sun (26-28) for Lexington so I jumped on it a while back so I have to be back there Friday night (non-refundable hotel). But otherwise, the assumptions are dead on: must be there to fly in Friday/Saturday morning, be there Tuesday night for the game, and Saturday night/Sunday to fly out. Tuesday's the one day that has "hot steaming mess" all over it as there are a number of things that could go wrong and where I think I need to pivot around in my planning. I think I'm going to end up shorting the Cape. I have some tinkering in mind below but I'm also really open to the idea that I don't have a good sense of times and distances.

Is there any reason you actually want to go to Connecticut other than thinking it'd be cool to see "all of New England" in one trip? It would make more sense to combine Springfield with VT and then go east 2nd half of the week, and if you want to see anything in RI (maybe Newport to see all the mansions?) you could just combine that with your cape plans.
As mentioned in one of the aforementioned posts, the motivation is indeed "going to see all 6 New England" states. The only thing that has really jumped out at me for either CT or RI is the Mark Twain House in Hartford. Honestly, I was only half joking about the taking pictures of the "Entering Rhode Island" and "Leaving Rhode Island" signs. We'll probably find a quaint place to eat lunch and that will be our RI experience.

There are always other options for Boston depending on the weather. If bad weather, the Science Museum and its Omni Theater is a great option. Good weather, maybe riding bikes along the Charles, see Harvard/Central Square/MIT/stop by the North End. Maybe I'm getting confused about what constitutes the North End. Isn't that across the river? I'd like to see the two colleges but, currently, I think those plans will fall by the wayside, something for a potential future visit. I could see us walking down by the Charles if it's a nice day when we're going to Fenway. However there are still a lot of moving parts in that plan.

Up in Maine or possibly western mass, rafting down a river like the Kennebec could be an option if you want something a little more active. Along those lines in NH, climbing a mountain like Mt. Washington is always an option. I think we'll do the cog railway at Mt. Washington. Weather could make things really interesting there to plan a hike. I wonder if it's possible to hike up and ride back. That would definitely be our speed. It looks possible but, again, weather:
Mount Washington Observatory (MWOBS) – Methods of Ascent - Summer Visits to Mount Washington (http://www.mountwashington.org/about/visitor/summer_visits/ascent.php)

They do Sunset Cruises in both Boston and Portland that are really nice - if you're doing a whale watch though, that could pretty much cover it.
Once I get the days and locations locked down, this will be the first thing I figure out as it sounds like a lot of fun to me.

The Northampton/Amherst area is beautiful in the fall, and has a number of great restaurants and little places to stay. Plus that way you could drive back roads to Vermont and see more foliage instead of just taking I-90/91. I think we'll end up heading north out of boston on 89 to get to Vermont unless I'm mistaken.

I've heard of Concord once or twice - the North Bridge is a must regardless of weather, and Walden Pond (and Thoreau's Cabin) is great if it's good weather. Not sure if something like the Alcott House or the Old Manse would interest y'all. There is another house in Lexington I'm blanking on the name, but it's where Revere spent the night under house arrest after getting caught by the British. North Bridge is the Minute Man site, right? That was the plan for Lexington. Completely spaced on Walden and that seems like a "must" as well, again, weather permitting.

A few places in Boston I'd try to hit up at night other than Fenway are the North End (not sure if there's a night a festival's going on, but it's always a walking around scene) - I'm sure everyone here has a different favorite restaurant there - you can't go wrong, plus it's right next to Fanueil Hall so you can walk around there after. The Top of the Hub at the Prudential Center for a view of the city (very expensive I think if you get food/sit down, but drinks at the bar are normal priced, and you can look out the windows at the city from there.) Legal Seafood's opened a Seaport location with a great outdoor roofdeck, although you probably want to avoid it after like 9-10pm on Thursday/Fri/Saturday night's (unless that's your scene!) The Beehive (I think) in the South End has some pretty good food and great jazz to go along with it. Saw the prices on Top of the Hub. If I can convince myself that part of that ticket is for the view, I might do it. That said, I'm having a hard time finding nights in Boston proper that aren't spoken for. Friday night is the plane flight so it's out. Saturday evening might be a travel day. Tuesday night is the game. The next Friday evening will probably be a travel day back. That pretty much leaves the next Saturday night which I've thrown out as a potential FOFC meetup (though I think I'd prefer Friday after looking at the logistics).


Fri Arrive PM
Sat Freedom Trail: USS Constitution side, ideally
Sun Boston- Lexington/Concord, Faneuil Hall side of Freedom Trail
Mon Maybe stop by Newport, RI on way to Cape Cod, MA, stay on Cape Cod
Tue Cape Cod AM, Meet up with friends: TBY @ BOS 7:10p
Wed Springfield - Six Flags if weather good, otherwise basketball HoF. Hit up Northampton/Amherst for the evening.
Thu Vermont (ice cream, cheese, syrup day)
Fri New Hampshire (National Forest/cog ride if weather good, Laconia if bad), drive to Maine (lobster/lighthouses), take a Sunset Cruise in Casco Bay if weather good (will see couple lighthouses including Portland Headlight)
Sat Maine lighthouses along the coast and back to Boston; PM Boston sightseeing?
Sun Boston AM, Fly back PM
What's in Newport, RI?

Here's what I'm currently kicking around. Unfortunately, I can't move things up a day like you had proposed with hotels for Fri/Sat in Lexington.

Fri Arrive PM
Sat Freedom Trail: USS Constitution side, ideally; potential whale watch or potential drive to Springfield (2 hours)
Sun Drive to Springfield (2 hours), Six Flags if weather good/if bad, basketball HOF and Mark Twain House in Hartford (stay there)
Mon Drive to Cape Cod (3 hours from Springfield, less from Boston but swing through CT/RI; +1 hr at Mark Twain House), Cape Cod PM - beach, eat, stay somewhere at Cape Cod
Tue Drive back to Boston AM (2 hours), Faneuil Hall side of Freedom Trail with friends, Red Sox game (TBY/BOS at 7:10)
Wed Late start, drive to Vermont (3 hours): Ice cream, cheese, syrup day
Thu New Hampshire (National Forest/cog ride if weather good, Laconia if bad), drive to Maine, eat lobster, potentially take a Sunset Cruise in Casco Bay if weather good (will see couple lighthouses including Portland Headlight)
Fri Maine lighthouses along the coast and back to Boston; potential whale watch and/or nice dinner
Sat Boston- Thoreau/Walden, Minuteman Park; potential whale watch and/or nice dinner and/or FOFC meetup
Sun Good scenery breakfast AM, Fly back PM

I've pretty much pared down potential items on Monday so that Monday afternoon is locked up as being for Cape Cod (still deciding what to do there) and not deluding myself into thinking Tuesday morning we'll do much there besides grab breakfast. That way we're in Boston and puttering around downtown from late morning until game time. No traffic fuss or mess and we'll be near stuff to see, or at least a subway stop or two from anything.

I know the easy answer is just to cut out Six Flags which gives more time in Boston on Sunday and all of Monday for Cape Cod. The question is basically "which would we rather do: MIT/Harvard/something else in Boston and a few more hours at Cape Cod or Six Flags/Mark Twain House plus the driving to get there and back". As it stands right now, I feel like if the weather is park closing awful, we stay in Boston and do indoor items. If the weather is unseasonably warm and great, we do some little loop that gets us into Connectictut and Rhode Island so that we have visited those two states and then go do things at the beach. If the weather is perfect "meh" - cold and/or cloudy, but not rainy- we head to Six Flags as the crowds will be chased off but we don't care about that and we'll get to do lots of rides over and over again.

SI

[sterlingice]

Is that the only time you're in Boston? I ask because I would love to make it and I'm not sure if I'll be out there quite yet on the 27th.

I can't really move that. We have the plane tickets and the car for the 19th-28th. Had those for a while, actually.

I'm game!

Looking at our potential schedule, the evening of Friday the 26th would be better but I don't know what anyone's schedule looks like. We'll have a rental car so we can go where we need to but the harder part will be getting together a bunch of people in a larger city where it's convenient to those of you who actually live there

SI

[DaddyTorgo]

North End isn't across the river. North End you can hit sort of "wrapped in" with the Freedom Trail as long as you're not rush-rush-rush from point-to-point. Walk around and see the neighborhood, eat some good food, and you've done it. Actually since they finished the "Big Dig" and everything, the North End is like...1,000 times more accessible to visitors. One could say it's lost a bit of its "hidden away" charm, but I think having it be totally pedestrian-accessible to get there makes up for that in some ways.

It's cool to walk around Harvard and Harvard Square with out-of-towners, and potentially even MIT (never done that).

Unless you're an uber basketball fan you could always "flex" out of that day to do more in the city. But then again part of that is me just thinking that Springfield isn't exactly a "pretty tourist city" as much as it's a "blech"-inducing wasteland in my experiences (few as they may be).

[DaddyTorgo]

I can't really move that. We have the plane tickets and the car for the 19th-28th. Had those for a while, actually.



Looking at our potential schedule, the evening of Friday the 26th would be better but I don't know what anyone's schedule looks like. We'll have a rental car so we can go where we need to but the harder part will be getting together a bunch of people in a larger city where it's convenient to those of you who actually live there

SI

Hah - I'm game for either time.

i THINK most of us actually live outside the city-proper to the West (unless I'm forgetting someone like castlerock or something, or did jeff move into the city?). I can't speak for everyone obviously, but meeting up outside the city to the West closer to where you're staying (in Lexington) probably makes even more sense for a number of us I'd imagine.

[Alan T]

What's in Newport, RI?




I'm not huge on the whole tourist thing (as an illustration, many of the things you mention I've never been to despite living here now for 15 years in new England).. but as for Newport, RI my wife really liked the mansion/cliff walk there. It usually has pretty nice scenery and has a historic feel for the area. Some pretty nice older mansions there too if you are in to that sort of thing.

[Barkeep49]

I can't really move that. We have the plane tickets and the car for the 19th-28th. Had those for a while, actually.



Looking at our potential schedule, the evening of Friday the 26th would be better but I don't know what anyone's schedule looks like. We'll have a rental car so we can go where we need to but the harder part will be getting together a bunch of people in a larger city where it's convenient to those of you who actually live there

SI
If it stays on the 27th there's a 60/40 chance I can make it (did some investigating since my first post). If it's on the 26th it's zero since I will either be flying in that night or early on the 27th.

[Castlerock]

Unless you're an uber basketball fan you could always "flex" out of that day to do more in the city. But then again part of that is me just thinking that Springfield isn't exactly a "pretty tourist city" as much as it's a "blech"-inducing wasteland in my experiences (few as they may be).
Just say it: Springfield is a dump.

[Castlerock]

If you do climb Mt Washington, be prepared for VERY different weather on the summit. I have climbed it in July when it was 80-something degrees and sunny at the base and the summit was 33 degrees, pouring rain and 100+ mph winds.

Those are conditions ripe for hypothermia if you are not dressed appropriately.

[sterlingice]

If you do climb Mt Washington, be prepared for VERY different weather on the summit. I have climbed it in July when it was 80-something degrees and sunny at the base and the summit was 33 degrees, pouring rain and 100+ mph winds.

Those are conditions ripe for hypothermia if you are not dressed appropriately.

It sounds like it's about a 4 mile hike using the most common trail. Any idea what elevation that starts at? We made the 10 mile hike up from the Grand Canyon from in about 6 hours but that was in great weather.

I'll put both options in front of my wife but unless things have gone really well, we'll probably just take the train instead of hike.

SI

[DaddyTorgo]

Just say it: Springfield is a dump.

I was trying to be politically correct.

But yes...Springfield is a dump.

[Alan T]

It sounds like it's about a 4 mile hike using the most common trail. Any idea what elevation that starts at? We made the 10 mile hike up from the Grand Canyon from in about 6 hours but that was in great weather.

I'll put both options in front of my wife but unless things have gone really well, we'll probably just take the train instead of hike.

SI

Yes, the most common route is a little more than 4 miles up and the same back down. Because of the last half of the climb up, the steeper elevation usually requires about 3 hours - 4 hours up and about 2 1/2 - 3 hours down. That path is an elevation gain of around 4000 ft so it starts somewhere around 2000 ft of elevation and ends a bit more than 6000 ft or somewhere around that.

There are some slightly less steep trails, but they are longer to make the elevation less. So even though you go about a mile further, the round trip time is roughly the same depending on your conditioning.

As for the weather.. I've actually never heard of it not being somewhat cold at the top, even during the summer.

[Buccaneer]

Or windy

[Desnudo]

North End isn't across the river. North End you can hit sort of "wrapped in" with the Freedom Trail as long as you're not rush-rush-rush from point-to-point. Walk around and see the neighborhood, eat some good food, and you've done it. Actually since they finished the "Big Dig" and everything, the North End is like...1,000 times more accessible to visitors. One could say it's lost a bit of its "hidden away" charm, but I think having it be totally pedestrian-accessible to get there makes up for that in some ways.

It's cool to walk around Harvard and Harvard Square with out-of-towners, and potentially even MIT (never done that).

Unless you're an uber basketball fan you could always "flex" out of that day to do more in the city. But then again part of that is me just thinking that Springfield isn't exactly a "pretty tourist city" as much as it's a "blech"-inducing wasteland in my experiences (few as they may be).

Unless you've got the basketball hall of fame on your bucket list, there's no compelling reason to visit western mass and a lot of compelling reasons not to. You can easily fill a week in Boston with things to do.

[DaddyTorgo]

Unless you've got the basketball hall of fame on your bucket list, there's no compelling reason to visit western mass and a lot of compelling reasons not to. You can easily fill a week in Boston with things to do.

That's a very PC way to put it.

Unless you want to go out to like the Berkshires or something. But out there you're just getting the same sort of "nature" vibe as NH/VT.

[Alan T]

I heard Sturbridge Village is kind of neat on the way out to Springfield....


Of course, I've never been there and I've lived here 15 years now. (including 3 of those years 4 minutes away from it) :)

[BishopMVP]

Just say it: Springfield is a dump.Oh, come on, it's not Holyoke or Lynn! I'd say it's like Lowell - large parts of it aren't great (although that's still true even in Boston - Boston just does a better job segregating the bad neighborhoods and driving those people to the southwest where no tourist or even suburban visitor would ever go), but a decent downtown revitalization where you can go for a night out without feeling unsafe.Unless you've got the basketball hall of fame on your bucket list, there's no compelling reason to visit western mass and a lot of compelling reasons not to. You can easily fill a week in Boston with things to do.I know the area better than most because of the time I spent at UMass, but I think Alan T hit it - if you're already going to be in Western Mass or Vermont, the Pio Valley and specifically Amherst and Noho are great places for the "fall in New England" vibe, and have a lot of good restaurants and some historical stuff. You'd still have to hit up Vermont for your maple syrup and covered bridges, but I don't know that state past a couple of the ski areas.
Ah, a touchy religious debate (see also: Kansas City BBQ thread). I don't need to know the hundred better but I'll take, say, your top 3 under advisement :DNot really. I'd put Legal Seafood well above the Long John Silver's of the world, but it's still a chain. I don't think anyone would claim it as a top seafood spot, but it's pretty good, reasonably priced and has that great ambiance/view. But hey, I don't eat seafood, so I'd look to others for seafood recommendations - I'm not sure there's really one standout I've heard of actually in Boston; most of those people swear by seem to be South Shore, on the Cape or in RI.As mentioned in one of the aforementioned posts, the motivation is indeed "going to see all 6 New England" states. The only thing that has really jumped out at me for either CT or RI is the Mark Twain House in Hartford. Honestly, I was only half joking about the taking pictures of the "Entering Rhode Island" and "Leaving Rhode Island" signs. We'll probably find a quaint place to eat lunch and that will be our RI experience.

What's in Newport, RI?It's the cliff/mansion walk (http://www.cliffwalk.com/), and I'm sure they have a bunch of outdoor food spots that would be appealing. If you do Western Mass through to the Cape, it's right in the middle and breaks it up to give you no more than like 120 minutes driving at once. (And it's only about 5 minutes extra if you want to go through CT and Hartford on the way. I-90/the Mass Pike is pretty much required when driving from Boston-Springfield, but I'd skip it unless you're doing that exact route; it's not very scenic.)

I've never been to the Mark Twain house in CT. I've got nothing against Connecticut - it's always perfectly pleasant to be in, but other than checking off the state on a map if you're trying to do all 50 I don't see any reason to go to it.Maybe I'm getting confused about what constitutes the North End. Isn't that across the river? I'd like to see the two colleges but, currently, I think those plans will fall by the wayside, something for a potential future visit. I could see us walking down by the Charles if it's a nice day when we're going to Fenway. However there are still a lot of moving parts in that plan.The North End is right next to Fanueil Hall and City Hall Plaza at what I assume is one end of the Freedom Trail (The Old North Church is in the North End). I guess it can be fun to walk around at (it's a very small area) if they've got a festival going on or you want to play some bocce, but the real draw is the food. Both Italian restaurants and the Pastry shops are top-notch. That's probably like KC BBQ - all the "connoisseurs" will profess to have a favorite, I've found anyone I try to be really good.
I think we'll end up heading north out of boston on 89 to get to Vermont unless I'm mistaken.It depends on where in Vermont you're going. Anywhere from Hanover, NH (Dartmouth College, right on the NH/VT line) north, 89's your best bet, anywhere in southern VT, Rt. 2 to either I-91 if you want to keep it simple or 2 to 140 etc if you have a GPS and want the scenic route.

North Bridge is the Minute Man site, right? That was the plan for Lexington. Completely spaced on Walden and that seems like a "must" as well, again, weather permitting.The North Bridge is officially Minute Man National Park, and is where the British were defeated (the British fired on colonial's first in Lexington, but those farmer's just ran and scattered. The actual fighting back happened in Concord, and then during the whole retreat back to Boston.) But they've got more than one thing called Minute Man something around here. Concord does do some 2-hour guided tours (http://concordchamberofcommerce.org/visitor-information/tours/), and has a good list of the possible historical destinations (http://concordchamberofcommerce.org/visitor-information/concord-ma-visitor-information/) - if you see which ones appeal to you, I can let you know which are walkable, which you need a car to get between, and if it's worth going on a guided tour or just doing it yourselves. Biking is another option. I'd say Minute Man park, Walden Pond (weather permitting), the Lexington Town Green, the Minute Man Visitor Center and maybe Hartwell Tavern are the 4 places I'd definitely try to hit up.
Saw the prices on Top of the Hub. If I can convince myself that part of that ticket is for the view, I might do it. That said, I'm having a hard time finding nights in Boston proper that aren't spoken for. Friday night is the plane flight so it's out. Saturday evening might be a travel day. Tuesday night is the game. The next Friday evening will probably be a travel day back. That pretty much leaves the next Saturday night which I've thrown out as a potential FOFC meetup (though I think I'd prefer Friday after looking at the logistics).There is no need to look at prices or set aside a whole night for Top of the Hub. Don't do dinner there, just do like an hour at the bar and have a drink or two (which are normally priced - well, Boston normal which is probably a little higher than KC prices) - you can wander around and look out the windows while there, and it won't cost you more than $25-$30 combined. Depending on where your hotel is, you could easily do it after flying in or after the Red Sox game (Fenway is 1/2 mile walk away.) I'd think it would be a perfect relaxing nightcap for a busy day that's been filled with travel or walking around.

Here's what I'm currently kicking around. Unfortunately, I can't move things up a day like you had proposed with hotels for Fri/Sat in Lexington.

Fri Arrive PM
Sat Freedom Trail: USS Constitution side, ideally; potential whale watch or potential drive to Springfield (2 hours)
Sun Drive to Springfield (2 hours), Six Flags if weather good/if bad, basketball HOF and Mark Twain House in Hartford (stay there)
Mon Drive to Cape Cod (3 hours from Springfield, less from Boston but swing through CT/RI; +1 hr at Mark Twain House), Cape Cod PM - beach, eat, stay somewhere at Cape Cod
Tue Drive back to Boston AM (2 hours), Faneuil Hall side of Freedom Trail with friends, Red Sox game (TBY/BOS at 7:10)
Wed Late start, drive to Vermont (3 hours): Ice cream, cheese, syrup day
Thu New Hampshire (National Forest/cog ride if weather good, Laconia if bad), drive to Maine, eat lobster, potentially take a Sunset Cruise in Casco Bay if weather good (will see couple lighthouses including Portland Headlight)
Fri Maine lighthouses along the coast and back to Boston; potential whale watch and/or nice dinner
Sat Boston- Thoreau/Walden, Minuteman Park; potential whale watch and/or nice dinner and/or FOFC meetup
Sun Good scenery breakfast AM, Fly back PMLooks pretty legit. The only thing I'd say is figure out where you going in VT and on the Cape because you might have to adjust the driving time - they don't look big compared to a Kansas or Texas, but the Cape can take an hour to drive all the way from the bridge to places near the end like Provincetown, and how to get to VT depends on where in the state you'll be.

[Alan T]

I-90/the Mass Pike is pretty much required when driving from Boston-Springfield, but I'd skip it unless you're doing that exact route; it's not very scenic.)




What do you mean not very scenic? It goes right past my house. I would think that would be a must visit on any FOFC trip! :)

[corbes]

Let me know if you need any input for Vermont day. Not sure where you are planning on going but this is my neck of the woods.

On your Tuesday drive from the Cape to Boston I recommend veering north off of Route 3 to World's End in Hingham for a leisurely pastoral walk with the misses with great coastline views of Boston Harbor.

[Desnudo]

Oh, come on, it's not Holyoke or Lynn! I'd say it's like Lowell - large parts of it aren't great (although that's still true even in Boston - Boston just does a better job segregating the bad neighborhoods and driving those people to the southwest where no tourist or even suburban visitor would ever go), but a decent downtown revitalization where you can go for a night out without feeling unsafe.I know the area better than most because of the time I spent at UMass, but I think Alan T hit it - if you're already going to be in Western Mass or Vermont, the Pio Valley and specifically Amherst and Noho are great places for the "fall in New England" vibe, and have a lot of good restaurants and some historical stuff.

I graduated from UMASS. There's nothing exceptional there except a lot of smelly hippies and the realization that New England has banjo players too. Really no reason to intentionally go there.

[Ronnie Dobbs3]

Ah, a touchy religious debate (see also: Kansas City BBQ thread). I don't need to know the hundred better but I'll take, say, your top 3 under advisement :D

SI

The No-Name for fried cheaper stuff (http://www.nonamerestaurant.com though I haven't been in years)

Neptune Oyster if you want to spend some money (http://www.neptuneoyster.com)

East Coast Grill (In Somerville/Cambridge, famous for "Hell Night" Sep. 30 - Oct 1 (reservations mandatory), a midrange optionhttp://eastcoastgrill.net)

[Autumn]

East Coast Grill is fantastic.

[Autumn]

The days of driving up to VT, to NH, and then to ME might be really tight, depending on where exactly you're heading. Map those out well--outside of the one or two big highways, there are not fast roads at all, so it's very possible for a trip to take twice as long as you think it should if you stray from them.

[Barkeep49]

So is there any momentum towards the FOFC get together? If so will it be on the 27th? I am going to have to book travel next week and will align my dates on the front end (rather than the back) if this is occurring.

[DaddyTorgo]

I'm down for a meetup on the 27th or whenever else.

Anybody else???

[sterlingice]

I'm having some scheduling at work get a little in the way right now- I'll know next week if there are any issues where I have to change anything but, if not, I'm up for doing something the evening of the 27th.

SI

[sterlingice]

I'm having some scheduling at work get a little in the way right now- I'll know next week if there are any issues where I have to change anything but, if not, I'm up for doing something the evening of the 27th.

SI

Well that's done an over with- they're taking much too long at work to decide on what a training class is going to be and now it won't even be until September 12th that it will be paid for so the odds of it happening the next 2 weeks after that are slim to none

So? September 27th evening meetup at somewhere on the west side of Boston? Should I make a separate thread?

SI

[DaddyTorgo]

Well that's done an over with- they're taking much too long at work to decide on what a training class is going to be and now it won't even be until September 12th that it will be paid for so the odds of it happening the next 2 weeks after that are slim to none

So? September 27th evening meetup at somewhere on the west side of Boston? Should I make a separate thread?

SI

Sounds good. Sure - throw a separate thread up. I'm game.

[Galaxy]

Just say it: Springfield is a dump.

Even the Simpsons won't live there. :D

[sterlingice]

Ok, here's a thread about the September 27th meetup. Looking for suggestions for where to go and RSVP:

FOFC Meetup in Boston: September 27th PM - Planning and RSVP thread - Front Office Football Central (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=89229)

SI

[sterlingice]

So here's the quick trip rundown now that we're back

Fri Arrive PM
I liked JetBlue - cheap, good entertainment options, free food, and a good flight attendant. Only got lost once on way to hotel. This would happen. A lot. I think this is the hardest city to drive in I've been to in the US- drivers seem fine but, well, it's roads are set up for horses not cars.
Sat Freedom Trail: USS Constitution side, ideally; potential whale watch or potential drive to Springfield (2 hours)
We did a bit of an audible here. First, we met a former coworker of my wife and a friend at Top of the Hub for brunch after wandering around Boston Common, waiting for them to open. The friend we were meeting with on Tuesday is ex-Navy and wanted to visit the USS Constitution so instead we did one of the guided tours of the other side of the Freedom Trail, starting at Boston Common through Fanueil Hall. We walked through the rest of it before meeting back up with the former coworker and a different friend, got Italian in the North End, going to a pastry place, and visiting the friend's sister who lives in the North End and hanging out with them.
Sun Drive to Springfield (2 hours), Six Flags if weather good/if bad, basketball HOF and Mark Twain House in Hartford (stay there)
Drove to Springfield in the morning since Six Flags opens at noon on Sunday. Rain was threatening early in the day and Big E, Sunday, and time of year kept crowds to a minimum. Rode Bizarro 11 times including front row to start and end the day (best non-Millennium Force coaster I've ridden, I think), rode everything else we wanted to in the park a couple of times- all worked well and the weather cooperated. They also had the Halloween stuff set up so zombies and demons were chasing you through the park, they had the greatest silly teacups ride ever (with industrial music and strobe lights), and then the fog rolled in and it was great to ride Bizarro going in and out of clouds.
Mon Drive to Cape Cod (3 hours from Springfield, less from Boston but swing through CT/RI; +1 hr at Mark Twain House), Cape Cod PM - beach, eat, stay somewhere at Cape Cod
We took the tour at the Mark Twain House in Hartford and The Breakers in Newport. We walked for about a half mile on the trail behind the mansions but we didn't think you could really see much from there so we went on our way. As somewhat expected, we shorted Cape Cod so everything else fit. Talking to one of the Bostonians on Saturday, I started to feel like I got more of a sense of what Cape Cod was and why it's significant to locals but just wasn't going to mean much for us. She said that to her it was a place to go and reset your clock and just get away from the pace of Boston- we were already doing that since we were on vacation.
Tue Drive back to Boston AM (2 hours), Faneuil Hall side of Freedom Trail with friends, Red Sox game (TBY/BOS at 7:10)
We stayed in Chatham and enjoyed the little motel there, then we went down by the harbor and watched the fishing boats come in with seals chasing them, seagulls hunting crabs, and cormorants going after the giant schools of tiny fish. We headed back to Boston, met up with a friend and his family for the USS Constitution, ate at Jerry Remy's, and then went to a Red Sox game.
Wed Late start, drive to Vermont (3 hours): Ice cream, cheese, syrup day
Cabot creamery was not making cheese that day so we instead substituted Lake Champlain chocolates. This made the day a bit longer as Burlington is another half hour past Waterbury. Still, we visited chocolate, ice cream, and syrup- went on tours at all 3, and got a good sugar buzz along with injecting about $500 into the Vermont economy, mostly for Christmas presents but also for personal use. Stayed at a B&B just across the border in New Hampshire.
Thu New Hampshire (National Forest/cog ride if weather good, Laconia if bad), drive to Maine, eat lobster, potentially take a Sunset Cruise in Casco Bay if weather good (will see couple lighthouses including Portland Headlight)
Hiked Mount Washington as we had great weather: high of about 50 at the top and partly cloudy- got to watch some of those clouds pass below us. The trail that we took was the Amonoosac(sp?) because it's on the same side as the Cog Railway. That was a bit of a rough climb as the trails are quite rocky and there are a lot of times when you're just walking on slanted rock faces. Took us about 5 hours, an hour longer than expected, but we were able to buy cog railway tickets and took the train back down. Drove to Maine, ate lobster at the Portland Lobster Co- which seemed like the correct level of touristy for what we wanted.
Fri Maine lighthouses along the coast and back to Boston; potential whale watch and/or nice dinner
The couple of lighthouses we saw had a bit more traffic getting to them than expected and my wife fell going towards one of them so we weren't moving too quickly. I might not have always observed posted speeds heading to Gloucester, perhaps by a wider margin than I am comfortable. But we made it with 10 minutes to spare, which was great as the whale watch was great. We were on the boat about 4 1/2 hours, saw a humpback and calf and then as we were leaving, saw another really large humpback. Ate a nice dinner in Gloucester before going to Boston.
Sat Boston- Thoreau/Walden, Minuteman Park; potential whale watch and/or nice dinner and/or FOFC meetup
This day I botched a bit. The first audible was good- went to Sam Adams brewery for tour at 10. I think I prefer nighttime brewery tours but they don't offer one. This was fun and the only bummer is that they don't really sell beer in the gift shop so I couldn't get my final Christmas shopping done. The second audible was awful- Harvard just wasn't worth the time it took to get there. We took the T there and back and it was basically 3 hours of time to see maybe an hour of a pretty college campus, but, well, a college campus nonetheless. Maybe we should have done a tour (my wife just wanted to go). Really, we just shouldn't have gone. We scratched Walden off the list, but it didn't sound like there was all that much there. But the problem was that it caused us to really short Minuteman NHS. That's a shame since the intro presentation at the visitor's center was good, the conversation we had with the historical interpreters at the tavern was really good, and the North Bridge is, of course, a huge part of hour history. However, we missed some of the ranger presentations I would have really enjoyed. That said, the night ended on a great note: meeting DT (but none of the rest of you slackers) for dinner and hanging out with him for at least 2 hours. He can now attest to what some of the others on the board like PM and tk can attest to: I might be a bit of a talker (the verbose posts are, well, just an extension of how I am in real life).
Sun Good scenery breakfast AM, Fly back PM
Just had breakfast and headed out. Was fearing for getting lost in city again.

Overall, except for Cape Cod and maybe another hour in Maine, I think we did all the surrounding states justice. Boston, we knew we were shorting but I suspect we'll be back. I really enjoyed the city except for the navigation and there is certainly more than enough to see on the next visit, I know it would start with the JFK library, Fine Arts museum, Boston Pops, and some more time at Minuteman NHS.

SI

[Blackadar]

Sounds fun!

[Buccaneer]

Your trip brings back a lot of memories. Glad you saw a fair bit of New England.