My wife and I (late 20%26#39;s) will be in Boston for a conference (5 days) this August and want to go out into other areas of New England before and/or after the conference. We will be flying in and out of Boston and have three free days before and two days after the conference. Any Boston and especially New England suggestions?
A little about us. We are from the mid-west and are fairly well traveled. This will be our first trip north of NYC. We enjoy seeing the can%26#39;t miss attractions but hate wasting our time standing in line, we also love the one of a kind experiences that are often only known by locals.
Thanks for any advice!
Richard
Boston / New England Advice
i would recommend mystic seaport in mystic ct and frank pepe pizza in new haven.both are great and accessible by amtrak.
a word on new england in august..it is gonna be hot!
Boston / New England Advice
For a nice change of pace from the city, try southwest NH, 2 hours from Boston, nice B and Bs, pretty scenery, nice hiking trails, quiet lakes, near VT and the Berkshires of MA.
New England is surprisingly compact.
You can drive from Boston to coastal Maine (Portland to Bar Harbor) in about 6 hrs (check mapquest) and spend two nights in the area. Coastal Maine is a beautiful area with wild blueberries in season at that time (great pancakes). Don%26#39;t forget the lobster. Make reservations early as the summer does get busy.
Mt. Washington area in New Hampshire is about a 3-hr drive from Boston. You can drive up Mt. Washington (about 6,200 ft) on a toll road or take the Cog Railway train. The view is great with clear air. Summer may be a bit hazy. Check the web for these sights. There are also many great day hikes in the White Mountains. Last year I went soaring from the airport at Franconia Notch (about 2.5 hrs north of Boston on I-93). It was great flying over Cannon Mtn ski area and seeing Mt. Washington down the valley. Lots of thermals in August.
You may also want to consider visiting Gloucester and Rockport in northeastern Mass. It%26#39;s a quick 1hr or less drive to two historic seaport towns. Gloucester was founded in 1623 (3 yrs after Plymouth) and is the oldest continuously operating fishing village in the U.S. There%26#39;s lots of motels, B%26amp;Bs, and restaraunts in Gloucester and Rockport. Good Harbor beach is the largest beach in Gloucester but you should get there early if you want to get a parking space in the public lot (about $25/day, gulp). The beach is about 1.5 mi long at low tide with Salt Island nearby to walk to at low tide.
Lots to see and do, so little time. Enjoy the dilema of choosing what to do.
I agree with visiting Rockport. It%26#39;s a former fishing village turned artist colony. It%26#39;s really cool. I would also add Newport, RI, which is a lovely port city and the mansions there simply don%26#39;t exist anywhere else.
Check our GoList and see if anything appeals to you - we LOVE Cape Anne.
tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i12151-New_Engl…
Rockport---very cool. It%26#39;s a nice day trip from Boston.
you could go up the Maine coast to Old Orchard, Kennebunkport, or even Boothbay Harbor for a taste of Main.
Alternatively, you might consider North Conway which is literally cooler in August and very different. You%26#39;re up in the mountains, lots of hiking and shopping.
I believe hobbit99 hit it right on the nose. See the ocean and the various ways it shows itself from Maine through Connecticut as much as you can. Rockport, MA is nice.
I would especially suggest a whale watch if you can squeeze it in. They leave from Portsmouth, NH (I believe); Gloucester, Essex, Boston or Provincetown, MA and others. It is so great!
Only a few days? My! It%26#39;s taken me all my 55 years and I%26#39;m not finished yet. Have fun.
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