Boston & Cape Cod - 1st Visit

Many thanks to all the contributors to this forum as we have been helped a great deal so far in planning our forthcoming holiday. Now that it%26#39;s getting closer, we%26#39;d appreciate some more help with a few questions.

We%26#39;re going to Boston and Cape Cod for two weeks in July, staying in Jury%26#39;s in the Back Bay area for 5 nights and then to Chatham - the Bradford - for 9 nights. We plan to hire a car that we%26#39;ll pick up when leaving Boston. We will be in Boston over 4th July. ‘We’ are my husband and I, ages are late forties but we think we’re a lot younger! We enjoy seeing new places and combining this with some activity and relaxation (lots of walking, swimming, reading in the sun) and wining %26amp; dining!

Firstly, Plymouth - we were considering visiting on our way to Chatham, but dismissed this and think we should do this as a day trip either from Boston or Chatham, probably Chatham - ? We think we’ll have too much to do in Boston to do much in the way of trips outside the city. What do you think?

Whale watching – again, do this when on the Cape? I’m in two minds about this because we both can get seasick! This is also relevant re a trip to Nantucket or MV – should we cross these activities/visits off our list? Martha’s Vineyard could be a possibility, presumably from Hyannis. We’d prefer a longer drive and shorter sailing if it were possible.

4th July – Do restaurants open as normal and should we make reservations now for the evening or should we be doing something else? – we’d like to see some of the celebrations. We were thinking should we plan lunch and then just see how things go. I know we need to get early on the esplanade to get a good view but that’s not our priority. Does anyone have any tips for what we should do? I%26#39;ve read (here?) that across the river could be good - ?

We will do some shopping when in Boston, but were also wondering if there is an outlet mall easy for us to get to, bearing in mind we will not have a car in Boston. We definitely don’t want to make a day trip of this and would be happy to forego and spend the time doing other things.

On one evening we’d like to go to a blues club. We’re definitely not aficionados but have enjoyed a few different blues clubs, esp. in Chicago. My ‘Rough Guide’ mentions several but I would appreciate any particular recommendations from you.

We’re really getting excited now about our holiday! Sorry for the long post and all the questions….any replies will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Irene.

Boston %26amp; Cape Cod - 1st Visit

You have plenty of time to do all the things you want and more. Our first visit to Boston and the Cape also happened to be over the 4th of July 4 years ago. We stayed at the Eliot and loved the excitement walking around on the 4th and finding a spot on the bridge early to watch the fireworks. Plenty of restaurants open.

We spent 3 days there and 4 on the Cape in Chatham. We drove to Newport to see the mansions on the way back to Boston. Plymouth is a perfect spot to pull off the highway on your way to the Cape. You can easily grab a bite to eat...walk around the shops and see the rock and mayflower within 2 hours or so.

Even though our vacation was alot shorter than yours, we fell in love with what we saw and now own a vacation home in the Cape and will be celebrating this 4th of July again at the Eliot.

Boston %26amp; Cape Cod - 1st Visit

awe were in Boston last year and then went to Chatham, we stopped off at the plymouth plantation on the way down to the cape, it is agreat way to spend a coulple of hours. We went whale watching from Provincetown, not rough at all and it was amazing to see the whales so close to the boat. The beach at lighthouse beach at Chatham is beautiful, spotless and great for swimming. A great place to eat in Chatham is The Squire. I would reccommend a day trip along to Newport RI to see the mansions soak up the atmosphere of the place. Hpoe this helps

We will be in Boston on4th JUuy and down in Chatham on 14th July so we%26#39;ll listen for the Irish lilt

I%26#39;ll respond to a few of these points...

In my opinion, if I were on this trip, I%26#39;d try to do Plymouth en route to the Cape, just because it%26#39;s just about midway between the two and if you do it as a day trip, you have to drive back and... I%26#39;d leave early, go to Plymouth and continue on, arriving in Chatham that night.

Regarding outlet malls, there%26#39;s a GREAT one in Wrentham. This would be a daytrip from Boston. If you GOOGLE ';Wrentham Premium Outlets'; you%26#39;ll find it. It%26#39;s about 45 mins from Boston by car. If you like outlet shopping, it%26#39;s a really great place. Join the VIP LOUNGE online and you can print a ticket for a free coupon book to pick up when you get there.

It gets very congested near the esplanade later in the day on the 4th. Maybe someone on here knows of a restaurant with a rooftop view of the fireworks. I%26#39;ve always done the Esplanade picnic blanket thing on the grass by the river. Try to imagine baby steps along the pathways by the river, huge crowds and now lines (thanks to 9/11) for security and cooler-checks and all that.... It%26#39;s a lot of fun. If you don%26#39;t care about getting a spot, you can circulate around the area and just walk around (though people will yell at you if you%26#39;re standing in their line of sight)

The Boston fireworks can also be seen from lots of other places in the city...

About seasickness.... the whalewatching boat might get you... depending on the chop but the high speed ferries to the islands are very steady and... I can get queasy and don%26#39;t find those to be problematic at all.

Thanks for all your advice and information.

Plymouth en route to the Cape it is then!

We may leave the outlet mall to another trip – I think we’ll have too much to do in Boston without spending a day shopping. Also, it’s difficult to get my husband to agree to more than a few hours shopping!

We’ll give some more thought to the 4th July. A restaurant with a view would be a great idea, if there is one. Otherwise I think we’d be happy wandering around, enjoying the atmosphere and maybe getting a glimpse of the fireworks.

..and thanks CoCoSandy re the sickness thing - we%26#39;ll try going to Martha%26#39;s Vineyard to see how that goes first.

Calimerox, looks like we%26#39;ll be leaving Chatham as you arrive. Where are you staying?

Hi,

If you are worried about seasickness at all, stop off at any drugstore and pick up a box of either Dramamine, or Bonine. They are motion-sickness pills, and they work very well. I%26#39;m not sure if they sell it in Ireland, or maybe it%26#39;s under a different name.

If you plan to visit Plymouth, definitely do it on the way to the Cape (or back). It%26#39;s really too far to backtrack from Chatham. For whale watching, drive to Provincetown and go from there. Ptown is the closest location to the whales, so you will have a shorter water trip to the whale watching area. I haven%26#39;t been on a whale watch for several years, but others on this forum seem to recommend Dolphin Fleet as the best whale watch.

I would suggest you bring Stugeron with you from your end of the world. It%26#39;s much more effective than the US counterparts. I have friends in the UK send me a supply every once in a while.

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