Boston

Spending 2 days in boston, final leg of 7 day East Coast tour, we have traveled from Australia.

What are the best sights to see?

Any recommendations on Hotels?

Excuse the ignorance but what is the Boston Tea Party about?

Appreciate all comments.

Boston

Check HOTELS and ATTRACTIONS above to get a flavor of what%26#39;s available and what you are interested in. In one sentence, the Boston Tea Party occured in 1773 when the ';locals'; here, thinly disguised as Indians, dumped three ships%26#39; worth of tea into the harbor in protest to Britain%26#39;s imposition of a tax on imported tea (which really meant all tea). Whew! That was a prelude to the revolution.

AlanM

Need suggestions

We will on;y be in Boston for the afternoon(flight gets in at 1:15) until the next day at noon. What are the must sees while we are there??Also, where should we stay?? 3 adults and 2 children (8 %26amp; 14). I would like to be in walking distance of lots of places.

Need suggestions

Take the Duck Tour.....

Try to stay downtown someplace---the Marriott Long Wharf or Custom House maybe?

Lots of great hotels downtown...

Need suggestions

I didn%26#39;t know where in the area we should stay. Downtown, near Cropley.... Is the the section of town where all we need to do is walk out the hotel and walk to different places??

There are plenty of hotels in the Copley Square area the Marriott %26amp; Westin and others and downtown as CocoSandy stated,all are located to nearby subway stations for you to get around or walking distances.

If you want to walk the Freedom Trail on your one day here, then either the Omni Parker House or Marriott Longwharf or Custom House. Sounds like you%26#39;ll probably need two rooms, but both the Parker House and Marriott Custom House have suites that possibly could do the trick. You need to call specifically about that. All are within walking distance of the harbor, Quincy Market, Fanueil Hall, etc. The trolleys are on this side of town, but if you wanted the Duck tours, you%26#39;d have to take the subway there.

AlanM

Anything cheaper in the area?? Rooms are anywhere from 300-400 per room at least a night. We are spending the most of our vacation in Maine, so we don%26#39;t want to go overboard in Boston.HELP!!

Where is the John Jefferies House located in relation to downtown??

The John Jeffries House is on Beacon Hill %26amp; would be an excellent choice for you all if there is availability. Unless mobilitiy is a problem for a member of your traveling party, you can walk to virtually any of the usual touris haunts from just about any hotel in Boston (unless it%26#39;s in the environs of South Boston) ... honest!

Is the Midtown availble for the night you%26#39;ll be here? Have you looked at what%26#39;s available through quikbook.com -- it often has availability/rates when the better known travel consolidator sites don%26#39;t.

Hi,

Unfortunately, you aren%26#39;t going to find a nice chain hotel in downtown Boston, for much less than $200/night.

If the John Jeffries isn%26#39;t available, you can also try the Clarion Bulfinch, or the Holiday Inn/Government Center, both of which are somewhat cheaper than the Long Wharf or the Omni. The Holiday Inn is roughly $220/night, and the Bulfinch has a ';deluxe double'; room, which they say you will need two of, for $199/night:

http://www.bulfinchhotel.com

ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/sl/1/en/hotel/bosgc鈥?/a>

Both hotels are convenient and are a short walk to the North End, Quincy Market, and the Waterfront.

We would like to do an Old Time trolley tour, is it close to either hotels??

The Old Town Trolley has many different stops, so yes, taking a tour with them won%26#39;t be a problem from either of those hotels (or virtually any other, for that matter).

Buy e-tickets from their online site and you%26#39;ll get a discount AND be able to first board at any of their stops, i.e., no need to begin at their ';headquarters'; stop.

hydrocortisone cream

East Orleans?

I am trying to decide whether to stay in Orleans or East Orleans, and I have no idea what either looks like. I find pictures of B and Bs - but never of the towns themselves. I was considering Eastham, but I think the former two have a little more of a town? I am looking for a small town/village where we can go into a few little shops/bakeries/antique shops/etc., very close to the ocean (not bay side), but we don%26#39;t have to be RIGHT in town - but within a short walk. From what I%26#39;ve read - I THINK East Orleans is closer to the ocean, but that Orleans is more of the town. Is that right? Any help - or B and B suggestions would be VERY helpful! Thank you!

East Orleans?

East Orleans is just a small section of Orleans on the way to Nauset Beach. Both Orleans and East Orleans have shops with Orleans having the greatest variety and number. You are correct to understand that Orleans is the larger town....but it is not busy like the major town of Hyannis. Since you seem to want a bit of bustle around you anyway, it won%26#39;t matter if you stay in either location. The section of Orleans that is on the Ocean is East Orleans....but if you are near the ocean you will not be in the little village center and will have to bike or drive to get there. I really would not stress over this decision as you will not have to drive very far to reach anyplace from Eastham to Orleans. There are places in East Orleans where you will not be near the village center and will have to drive or bike to get to the main center area and the same is true for Orleans. In fact, there are places in both Orleans and East Orleans where it will take you longer to get to the Main Street shops than if you stayed in South Eastham and drove! So my advice is pick the place that looks nicest to you and chill.

East Orleans?

As I recall, there is almost no shopping to be done in East Orleans, apart from a little grocery store. The largest cluster of shops in Orleans itself is around the intersection of Old Kings Highway (a/k/a Route 6A) %26amp; Main St., so the pleasant Cove Motel, for one, is well situated for in-town exploration.

If you%26#39;re considering renting a home/cottage, keep in mind that the designations by realtors/owners can be ';elastic'; -- a property may be within the geographical parameters of East Orleans but advertised as ';Orleans'; because that%26#39;s the broader/better-known reference. So, if a narrow venue is your target, it%26#39;s best to get the actual address and plug that into an online map to see where it is before signing the rental agreement.

But if you%26#39;re looking for accommodations of any type for this summer, you may not be able to be too choosey at this point.

East has more upscale homes, more charm (IMHO) and close to Nauset Beach. Go with East.

thank you for all your info and advice......I%26#39;m also considering Chatham. Can anyone please describe it? Any B%26amp;B suggestions - especially by the water? thanks!

Chatham has lovely homes, beautiful scenic areas such as the fishing pier (I saw a seal in early May), the lighthouse, some beaches such as Hardings, great dining such as Vinings, B and B%26#39;s, little shops and galleries. Very charming and quaint. I know Captain House as I had tea there. I imagine it is one of the pricier inns. Not in Chatham but on the border is Wequasset Inn if you can splurge and if not have dinner there.

Chatham is exceedingly picturesque with a lovely Main St -- almost Disneyesque. But generally speaking, it is also the priciest place on the Cape to stay.

If ';by the water'; you mean right on a beach, your choices would be the Chatham Bars Inn (it%26#39;s always been big bucks, especially ';in season'; %26amp; I can%26#39;t recommend it right now as it%26#39;s had a change in ownership/management and seems to have not yet found its sea legs during the transition); the Wequasset (also expensive and imo, not worth it but others here disagree; note that it fronts set-in Pleasant Bay so the beach is more akin to being at a lake rather than the ocean -- you won%26#39;t hear waves tumbling here); and the Hawthorne motel, which would be my pick of these 3.

If your mobility isn%26#39;t limited, you can walk to the Chatham Light[house] beach [ocean beach with real surf] and the Oyster Pond beach from any of the in-town accommodations such as the Cranberry Inn, the Bradford Inn, the Wayside Inn %26amp; the Old Harbor Inn.

Both the Wequasett Inn and Chatham Bars Inn are on Pleasant Bay but neither one is in the center of Chatham, although CBI is not a very long walk to shops etc.

You might find you have more choices if you consider the fact that you can go to a small town, spend the day, browse etc and then go someplace else to relax/sleep. You will certainly have more choices if you broaden your search a bit. I imagine that you will enjoy spending a some time in Wellfleet and then perhaps meandering to Truro for a wine tasting on your way to Provincetown to shop and dine. Chatham makes a nice day trip but IMO you do not have to stay there to enjoy the quaintness....and one day is enough to see the entire town! If I were you I would plan to visit the National Seashore beaches, like Coast Guard Beach in Eastham, and also visit some of the antique shops along Rt. 6A.

I%26#39;d like to second yellowbird%26#39;s suggestion that you broaden your horizons... each town -- and beach -- is a little different, and honestly, you can have a wonderful vacation no matter in which town you lay your head.

Take a look at this page from Bed %26amp; Breakfast Cape Cod, a booking service; I%26#39;m loving the look %26amp; VERY reasonable price of the Wellfleet guesthouse property (#WEL-02 where you%26#39;d have your own private suite with private entrance %26amp; porch.

bedandbreakfastcapecod.com/lowercape.html

Better yet, give BBCC a call for one-on-one personal assistance. Also, most of the towns have a lodging association where you can check online for availability and/or telephone them for up-to-date availability/rate %26amp; more personalized assistance. For those who don%26#39;t have their heart set on one or just several places %26amp; will consider no others, using the services of a reservations agency/lodging association is more efficient than you calling properties individually

We have been renting in Orleans for nearly 40 years every summer for most of those and now in September which I think is a perfect month for the Cape. When we say Orleans we mean the whole town, East, South, Skaket etc. it%26#39;s all Orleans and wherever you stay you are only minutes away from shops, restaurants, beaches etc.

As the previous replies have said you will not always be able to walk to everything but it%26#39;s no problem to drive or bike. As Yellowbird says you can even stay in parts of Eastham which are closer to the downtown area of Orleans than some of the districts of Orleans are.

The far reaches of South Orleans are also quite close to Chatham if you continue on instead of going back into Orleans centre. We are staying in a beautiful house in walking distance of Skaket Beach in September. Five minutes by car to all the shopping we need plus many restaurants.

YES, if you aren%26#39;t bound by school schedules, September-early October is a fabulous time to be on the Cape.

The crowds don%26#39;t thin out after Labor Day as much as they once did (the Cape has become an ever-increasingly popular destination for folks from the UK %26amp; Europe), so the prices don%26#39;t drop like they used to. But, there%26#39;s certainly less congestion than at the height of ';the season';; the waters are at their warmest; and the weather is typically delightful with still-warm days but cooler nights.

Provicetow, or Wellfleet?

We%26#39;re taking our 12 year old daughter to the Cape for a week. We%26#39;re debating Provincetown vs Wellfleet. For swimming, biking and 12 year old fun, what do you think? We%26#39;ll have either a condo in the East end or small house a mile from Wellfleet harbor.

Betsy

Provicetow, or Wellfleet?

My choice would be Wellfleet....a much more ';family'; friendly place to bring a 12 year old. A day trip to Provincetown for shopping would be fun and the Visitor%26#39;s center at Provincelands, Art%26#39;s Dune tours www.artsdunetours.com and of course a whalewatch would be fun family activities. The beaches in Wellfleet are wonderful, both on the bay and ocean side and you can square dance on the pier on Wednesday night, Go to the drive-in theater, walk the Wellfleet Wildlife Sanctuary massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/…index.php and perhaps check out the programs offered by the National Seashore. www.nps.gov There is also children%26#39;s theater at the WHAT www.what.org and eating seafood at Mac%26#39;s Seafood on the pier.

Provicetow, or Wellfleet?

Wellfleet for all the reasons above. I went to Wellfleet every year as a little girl and loved it. When you get there ask a local about the fresh water ponds (most are part of the National Seashore) because it really is the best swimming on the Cape. Of course the ocean beaches are stunning - ask at the local fire house and they%26#39;ll set you up of a permit to have a fire in the evening (hot dogs on a stick never tasted so good).

I love the harbor too. There is a boat rental at the pier and the harbor really is a great place for beginners to mess around. Jeremy Point is the perfect place to cruise out to with a picnic lunch - it%26#39;s isolated location makes it a shell seekers paradise. Don%26#39;t forget a radio and wear a pair of swim sandals or old sneakers as oyster shells (this is where those famous oysters come from) are as sharp as razors.

Next to the South Wellfleet General store along rt.6 there is a bike rental. Because the bike trails out there are famously beautiful I%26#39;d want to reserve your bikes ahead of time. I can%26#39;t remember the name of that rental place but if you call the chamber of commerce I%26#39;m sure they can get a name and number for you.

P-town is fun for a day trip or two. For sure take a Whale Watch (the Dolphin Feet is by far the best). I%26#39;ve always found the gay community out there to be welcoming to families. There are lots of photos of me as a smiling little girl standing next to a man dressed up like Cher - but overall I think Wellfleet is a much better place for you.

Have fun!

P town has a lot of ';adult'; entertainment, t-shirt slogans, etc. etc. etc. very visible at all hours. I%26#39;d be uncomfortable bringing a 12-year-old girl into the mix.

For a 12 year old girl, especially if she likes outdoor things, Wellfleet is probably best, but if you have a place in the East End of Provincetown, it would be relatively quiet and there would be a lot more to do in the evening so that is something to consider too. Most East End rentals are on the water or within a block of the water so if the beach is important that may favor Ptown. The water in that part of the harbor is very shallow. You can swim at high tide, but at low tide you can walk hundreds of feet from shore with the water just around your ankles. (Our tides average 10-12 feet by the way.) If your daughter is 12, there is nothing in Ptown she hasn%26#39;t already seen, except maybe drag queens who are just a lot of fun, so don%26#39;t let that deter you if choose Ptown over Wellfleet. Even though I recommended Wellfleet for a 12 year old, consider what you want from a vacation too. Wellfleet is very nice and very quiet.

I have to vote for Provincetown. It%26#39;s a vibrant, interesting town...Wellfleet is lovely but almost ghost town like. The day we were there everything was closed and we didn;t see a single person. There%26#39;s much more to Provincetown then adult entertainment and tee-shirt shops. My son was 13 when we were there and he loved it.

Have a great trip!

hydrocortisone cream

a serious concern

Hotel Help Please

Hello,

We will be flying in Boston Logan on 6/30 and plan to stay there until 7/4 then drive to Ottawa Canada. I%26#39;ve been bidding four stars hotel in Downtown Area w/o any success (as much as $120/night) for a week now. At first we were not going to rent a car in Boston, but now it looked like that we may have to stay in the outskirts of Boston and drive in everyday. Please let me know which area will be best for us, Woburn or Dedham or elsewhere ? (safety is our main concern)

Thank you so much

Hotel Help Please

I%26#39;d start at the Amerisuites Boston-Medford. It%26#39;s located in Medford, which is about 4-5 miles North of downtown. They provide a complimentary shuttle to the subway from the hotel.

Then I%26#39;d try the Quincy MArriott, about 7-8 miles South of downtown.

Next, I%26#39;d try Woburn. Do a search, but I think there%26#39;s 4 or 5 hotels right off of Rte 93 that are acceptable and offer free parking.

All of the areas are safe.

Hotel Help Please

thank you so much. Are those hotels listed in priceline ?

Hi,

Although it sounds like a lot of money, $120/night won%26#39;t buy you much around here, even in the suburbs. However, the Quincy Marriott is running a 7-day advance purchase special for $109/night, which is a good deal:

marriott.com/hotels/…

It%26#39;s a very nice hotel, and it%26#39;s close to the red line station at Quincy Adams (about a half-mile away). But, the hotel itself is isolated on a hilltop in the middle of an office park. You need to drive to get anywhere at all, except for the Red Line. As long as that doesn%26#39;t bother you, it%26#39;s a great option.

Hi,

I was just looking at hotwire and noticed a couple deals that will save you the cost of a rental car.

The first is a 4* hotel in the Boston- Cambridge District for $99 a night (you can walk to the subway, no need for a car). The amenities are customer favorite, fitness center, business center, restaurant, and hi speed internet access.

This may be the Hotel at MIT, I am not totally certain though. However, according to a pinned list of hotwire hotels on betterbidding.com: Here is the link so you can see them also, it matches amenities wise to the Hotel at MIT, and also, it says the hotel has a 4.0 approval rating on Trip Advisor, and sure enought Hotel at MIT has a 4.0 approval rating.

For $99 a night, I think it is a tremendous value.

Another hotel listed on hotwire is 4* in the Boston Quincy Market-Financial District, amenities include boutique, restaurant, hi speed internet access, fitness and business centers. The price is $134 a night.

This could be the Onyx , a terrific hotel.

One can never be 100% certain with hotwire what the hotels are, but the pinned list helps a bit.

Hotwire list on betterbidding.com:

www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showtopic=69%26

For those new to Boston, Quincy and Quincy Market aren%26#39;t the same. Quincy is a suburb outside Boston and Quincy Market/Fanueil Hall is right in Boston proper.

If it were me, because I am not afraid to gamble a little I would take the $99 Cambridge option, even if ti means a 5 mnute walks to the subway. But that%26#39;s me. The Onyx possibility is certainly attractive too though...

thank you very much for all of your responses. I%26#39;ve never tried hotwire before but I will this time. Thanks again. We are looking forward to the trip, we%26#39;ve already bought tickets for the Boston Sox on July 3. :-))

Poohbear, let me know where you end up. We%26#39;re coming to Fenway on 7/1, we can%26#39;t wait either!

Hello everyone,

Here is the verdict ... not sure if it is good or bad :-)

We got a room at Double Tree Suites in Waltham for the price of $65/night and parking is free. The room looked very spacious but now I am not so sure how we are going to get to downtown Boston. We will have a car but I would prefer to park it near a T-station and take the T into town. Please help me with the direction.

V.

We have tickets for the Sox on July 3, I think they are playing against the Devil Ray (I think !). We are planning to go to the Clam Chowder Festival on July 1st too. I can%26#39;t wait ... :-)

Hi,

The good news is that it%26#39;s a nice hotel, and that%26#39;s a cheap rate. The bad news is that it%26#39;s out in the burbs and you will need to drive to the nearest T station.

For getting to Fenway Park, you should drive south on Rte 128 to the Grove St./MBTA exit and take the Green Line from Riverside Station to Fenway station.

Another option from there, is to drive north on 128 to Rte 2 East, and take that to Alewife Red Line station. You can take the Red Line from there downtown.

There is a commuter rail station in Waltham as well, but I don%26#39;t recommend doing that, only because the Commuter Rail schedule isn%26#39;t nearly as convenient as the regular Subway. As long as you will need to get in your car and drive anyhow, it might as well be to the Red or Green Line.

Hello!

We have stayed in Boston many times now. Yes, hotels are expensive, we ususally pay $200 + tax per night, but we stay within walking distance of everything. I think the extra money for a room right in the heart is well worth it. I would not want to try to drive in Boston. The reviews are accurate - driving would be crazy and confusing. If you stayed out %26amp; rented a car; I believe you%26#39;d be hard pressed to find parking.

From the airport you can take a bus (used to be #22 and it is well marked) to the subway. From the subway to just about anywhere you want to go in boston.

I recommend:

The Harborside Inn 185 State Street 617-723-7500

They have a web site, but can%26#39;t find address at the moment.

The ';Aquarium'; subway stop is directly outside.

Omni Parker House 60 School Street 617-227-8600

www.omnihotels.com

Dinner - I highly recommending walking to ';The North End';; it%26#39;s the Italian district. Lots of people out walking at night %26amp; safe. You can browse the menus posted outside %26amp; pick a restaurant based on food and/or budget. Don%26#39;t be afraid to walk the side streets too. Great restaurants there also.

';To See'; List

Do walk ';The Freedom Trail'; - can do it yourself; get a map at any tourist office. Very nice. Many things to see free. Some pay to get into.

Old North Church

Faneuil Hall

John F kenedy Library

Shopping on Washington St

Trinity Church

Boston Public Library (just to look at the building in/out)

Museum of Fine Arts

The Holocaust Memorial (outisde, between Union %26amp; Congress sts, not far from Faneuil Hall (this is a ';must see';)

The Aquarium

The Mapparium in The Mary Baker Eddy Library 200 Mass. Ave

The Gibson House in the ';back bay'; area; with tour; 137 Beacon St

You can take the subway to all of the above.

I hope this is helpful.

Enjoy!

3-days in Boston on my own

I%26#39;ll be in Boston 6/27 to 6/30 for a re-union with a childhood friend. The last time I was there (I grew up in NY) was when the windows of the Prudential tower were falling onto the street!

I remember little snipets of the Charles River but that%26#39;s about all. I%26#39;d like to immerse myself in ';everything Boston'; and am therefore staying at the Parker House -- tell me I haven%26#39;t made a mistake here!

I%26#39;m the kind of person who enjoys getting up early on vacartion and doing as much as possible. My friend will be traveling with his family so I suspect that there will be ';kid stuff'; that I won%26#39;t participate in. So, I%26#39;m trying to get an idea of what to see and do. I%26#39;ve printed out the offerings of:

1. The GO Boston Card

and

2. The Boston Explorer Pass

and there are so many attractions that it%26#39;s difficult to choose. I%26#39;d like to go to things that are unique to Boston. For example, we have lots of art museums in L.A. (and I often visit them when I travel -- the Natioinal Gallery in D.C., last year as well as MOMA in NY last year, for example. We also have some great aquariums in California (Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach and the Monterey Bay Aquarium).

So, I%26#39;m thinking that I will skip the Boston counterparts of these.

Here%26#39;s what I%26#39;m considering. Please share your comments with me:

1. Beantown Trolley Pass (included in both of the %26#39;attraction passes'; (above) and, in my mind, offering an easy way to get oriented, learn a little about the city and get from place to place without having to worry about subways right away.

2. Freedom Trail Walking Tour -- also on both of the above attraction passes.

3. Boston Duck Tours -- Is it lame or fun?

4. Ferry to Martha%26#39;s Vineyard -- worth the time?

5. USS Constitution

There are 70 attractions on the Go Boston Card and it%26#39;s a little daunting to say the least. Any assistance would be appreciated. As I said, I don%26#39;t mind moving quickly to see as much as possible. I%26#39;ll be arriving on the evening of June 27 (a Wednesday) and will have all day Thursday and Friday.

I leave for NY on Saturday and have not decided on the means of transport as of yet. I could:

a. Fly (seems like too much trouble for such a short flight)

b. Rent a car with my friend and his family and drive

c. Take a bus -- I%26#39;m told there are comfortable buses that make this trip.

So, on Saturday, I could leave late in the afternoon so I can do some touring beforehand. I appreciate any comments. Thanks!

One last thing....

Since my friend and I will be getting together in the evening for dinner and evening activities, please suggest places to eat / things to do for adults in their early 50s. They will be staying in Cambridge. I%26#39;d prefer fish over beef or chicken.

Thank you all for your assistance!

3-days in Boston on my own

You have to do the Freedom trail as that is very unique to Boston. Other things on the card you should consider are:

- Fenway Tour - Gotta love Fenway Park. Very Boston.

- Movie Tour - Great way to see the Hollywood side of the city.

Can%26#39;t go wrong w the trolley and Duck Tours. Ducks are very popular.

3-days in Boston on my own

Given your time constraints, I think the Boston Explorer Pass would be a better bet for you; you%26#39;re simply not going to have the time to take good advantage of the discounts represented by the more expensive GO Boston card. (Altho%26#39; I think the Old Town Trolley tour guides are better than Beantown%26#39;s, if you%26#39;re primarily using the trolley as a means of transportation, it doesn%26#39;t matter much). And do call or email the Greater Boston Visitors %26amp; Convention Bureau for one of their FREE Boston USA cards:

www.bostonusa.com/visitor/resdet.php…

So here are my suggestions:

** For your 3 picks on the Explorer Pass, choose the Beantown Trolley, the Freedom Trail Walking Tour (did you notice that the walking tour included on the GO Boston card is an audiotour, not a personally guided one? the Audiotour is fine, but I think the in-person guides are better for a first-timer), and the whale watch -- the Constitution cruise can be fun/interesting, but getting the whale watch via the Explorer Pass is giving yourself a heftier discount because the Constitution cruise is cheaper to purchase on your own.

If this year%26#39;s whale-watching season is anything resembling last year%26#39;s, it will be great. And in all honesty, much as I love the Vineyard, I can%26#39;t recommend cruising there as a day trip, especially from Boston.

Proposed Thursday itinerary:

Stop in at the Visitors Center at the Common when it opens at 8:30 AM ( t%26#39;s a quick walk from your hotel) to pick up their handy, very small folding map of the city plus a transit system map, etc. %26amp; to see special offers/discounts they have (e.g., in October, I got, e.g., a great discount coupon for Filene%26#39;s Basement). Then proceed to the Wharf to board for the whale watch cruise which departs at 10 AM.

When you get off the cruise, hop on the Beantown Trolley for the full loop for your introductory overview %26amp; geographic orientation.

Then make your way to the State House steps (perhaps stopping by your hotel en route to freshen up) by 5:30 PM to take advantage of the Beacon Hill tour offered by the non-profit Boston By Foot. The trolley is not permitted to traverse Beacon Hill so you won%26#39;t have already seen much of it, and Boston By Foot%26#39;s tours are splendid. This is something that I think your friend %26amp; his family would enjoy as well, unless his kids are quite young.

http://www.bostonbyfoot.com/

Then how about dinner in the North End %26amp; then strolling around another uniquely Boston neighborhood? Will be a liitle less crowded and zoo-y on a Thursday nite than Friday evening, but I still recommend making a reservation at, say, the Daily Catch. Want more North End reco%26#39;s? -- use the Forum Search feature or post back.

OR the Boston Symphony is doing a concert of Tony %26amp; Oscar-winning music that night.

Friday AM:

Take the earliest possible Freedom Trail walking tour %26amp; then take the trolley over to the Charlestown Navy Yard. Stop first at the Visitors Center and see the multi-media presentation ';Don%26#39;t Fire Until You See the Whites of Their Eyes'; before visiting the USS Constitution %26amp; the USS Cassin there in the Navy Yard -- the USS Constitution Museum is worthwhile imo but because it%26#39;s not run by the US National Park Service, there is an admission fee -- and then Bunker Hill.

Trolley back to the stop closest to your hotel and stroll along Newbury Street/ the Back Bay -- or simply sit down in the Common to relax %26amp; people-watch -- before meeting your friend for dinner. There is a Legal Seafoods restaurant right by your hotel, but I much prefer the one by the Aquarium -- or perhaps you would prefer to meet him in Cambridge (the T subway system is easy to master and safe), eat there %26amp; saunter through that part of town?

Amtrak is my preferred means of traveling between NYC %26amp; Boston. If others will be joining you on that leg, use promotional code V383 for 50% off every second ticket purchased at the same time as one regular adult fare (discount expires on 6/30).

Hope this is of some help to you -- HAVE A GREAT TIME

I certainly wouldn%26#39;t do both the Trolley AND the Duck Tours - they are really redundant. And the windows didn%26#39;t fall out of the Pru - it was the John Hancock Building. The Go Card seems like it would be too much pressure on you to see things - skip it. Instead go to Harvard Square, have a latte, listen to street musicians, and stroll through Harvard Yard. And relax a little........

Doing both the trolley and Duck tours would be redundant. Choose one. I%26#39;d go for Duck. You mentioned a ferry to Martha%26#39;s Vineyard -- can%26#39;t do that from Boston. It leaves from either Hyannis or Woods Hole. You could take a ferry to Provincetown but I wouldn%26#39;t recommend it since you have so much to do in a short time in Boston and it would be an all day trip. It%26#39;s definitely worthwhile, but do it if you come back for a longer visit. The bus (cheap) or Amtrak (comfortable) would be my choices for going between NYC and Boston. If your friends are near the Red Line in Cambridge, you can get to almost any restaurant in downtown Boston, or the North End or South End very easily, so don%26#39;t limit yourself too much in choose places to eat. If you are interested in a unique dining experience, not necessarily seafood, and want to stay in Cambridge, consider Helmand, near Lechmere Sq. It%26#39;s an Afgan restaurant and very nice.

Even though you want to avoid museums, I have to put in a plug for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum if you can fit it in.

Because of its novelty factor, the Ducks tour attracts a lot of youth groups and families with kids %26amp; teens, and there is more ';corn'; to it than the trolley tours, which also don%26#39;t provide you with duck call kazoos. Whether you%26#39;ll get into the spirit of it or be sitting there rolling your eyeballs, thinking it%26#39;s lame rather than fun, is a matter of personality -- and you know yourself better than we do :-)

You can%26#39;t hop-on/hop-off the Ducks and the trolley tours%26#39; narration is a little less ';superficial'; imo, with Old Town Trolley being the best of the bunch. Since you don%26#39;t have to tour with kids in tow, I think you%26#39;d be better off skipping the Ducks this time around -- unless you want the entertainment aspect.

And if the whale watching isn%26#39;t important to you, you might also seriously consider ditching the idea of buying either card and simply purchase a 2-day pass from Old Town Trolley, supplementing that with your other must-do%26#39;s: a guided tour of the Freedom Trail and a visit to Charlestown to see the USS Constitution, the Navy Yard -- and Bunker Hill which just recently reopened to visitors after a year-long hiatus; take advantage of National Park Service%26#39;s special offerings such as the multi-media presentation at the Navy Yard Visitors Center re: Bunker Hill.

Note too that unlike any of the other tours, OTT takes you into Cambridge and over to Fenway Park. Even if you%26#39;re not a rabid baseball fan, the guided tour of Fenway is fun -- and the Red Sox are certainly a quintessential part of Boston!

boston.redsox.mlb.com/bos/ballpark/tour.jsp

Isabella Stewart Gardner%26#39;s mansion is indeed intriguing. Arriving there when it first opens on Saturday AM %26amp; having an early lunch in its cafe would be a serenely lovely conclusion to your time in Beantown. But, I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll have a great time no matter what you do!

if ur in the area ill second alanm%26#39;s suggestion for harvard yard - pop into Leavitt and Pierce smoke shoppe and check out their weird expensive lighters and cigars and look at the really old harvard memorabilia hung up on really prestigious dark wood wainscotting - uniquely boston

Hello!

I haven%26#39;t read all of your responses - looks like you already got a lot of great info.

I have stayed at the Omni Parker House - it was fine and a very good location. (the Boston Cream Pie, there, was a dissappointment)

My husband and I%26#39;ve been to Boston several times and I%26#39;ve traveled all over the city by myself %26amp; felt safe. I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;ll have any problem.

The only thing with those of us who like to get up early, is sometimes things don%26#39;t open until 10 (?) - so just check opening times before you set off.

Yes - do the Freedom Trail - Frank %26amp; I did it in a little less than a day (minus the ship, which I did later - and there was an hour wait for that)

Unique:

The Mapparium in The Mary Baker Eddy Library;

200 Massachussetts Ave www.marybakereddylibrary.org 10 am Tues-Sun

The Gibson House w/ tour; 137 Beacon St www.thegibsonhouse.org

Dinner - walk to The North End (Italian) %26amp; brouse the menus posted outside each restaurant

Just about everywhere has fish.

The subway%26#39;s great.

Oh, and if you had time; I took a bus to Marblehead (a small fishing village north of Boston) and loved it. (there %26amp; back easily in 1 day; check the bus schedule though)

Hope I helped. Enjoy!

multiple tables

Boston Hotel Advice

Hi,

I am planning a trip to Boston at the end of October and was wondering if you could give me some advice on where we should stay in Boston.

We want to stay somewhere central, within walking distance of shops, restaurants and attractions.

I have read a couple of reviews on Jurys but looking at the map thought it seems a bit far out.

Boston Hotel Advice

Jury%26#39;s would be ideal for you, it%26#39;s located right in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston. It%26#39;s in a renovated landmark 1920%26#39;s building and one of the city%26#39;s newest hotels. It%26#39;s within a few blocks of Copley Square where you want to be for the great shops %26amp; tons of restaurant choices.

I stayed at the Jury%26#39;s in Washington, DC and it was just wonderful, I got one of their newer renovated rooms and it was absolutely awesome. From what we%26#39;re hearing on T.A.; the Boston Jury%26#39;s is out of this world too. Read the reviews right here to see what you think. I think you%26#39;re going to love staying there myself!

Good luck and have a wonderful time. October will be a beautiful time of year for a visit to Boston, hopefully it%26#39;ll be just as nice as it is here right now for all of us!

Boston Hotel Advice

Hi,

I think you had read the map wrong. Jury%26#39;s is right in the heart of the Back Bay and would be a perfect centrally-located location for you.

Keep in mind that Boston is a small city, and everything is close together. You don%26#39;t need to be in the ';Downtown'; area at all. Back Bay is a very good choice. You can also try the Marriott or Westin hotels at Copley Place, or the Courtyard Marriott Copley Square.

And also most hotels are a accessible by the %26#39;T%26#39; subway.