aanro

We are going to travel from Portsmouth to Boston next October.

We are going to leave Portsmouth at around 2pm.

Does anybody have recommendations as to what route to take and nice towns to stop?

Thanks!!

cybor

Hi aanro,
I can think of at least 3 Portsmouths RI/NH/Va on the east coast. Which one are you referring to?

aanro

Jajaja...:I did not know that there was more than one Portsmouth!!!
I am Talking about the one that its in New Hampshire
I was told that the coast near Boston was very beautiful......
Thanks!!!

Hez

Newburyport and Salem would both be on my list.

dfrostnh

2pm in October means not a lot of daylight left but still a decent amount. I have driven some of Rt 1 which is closest to the coast but it's very commercialized in many sections, not scenic.
While in Portsmouth, one favorite drive is from the Prescott Park area out Rt 1B thru New Castle. This won't get you closer to Boston, it's just a pretty ride thru a very old town.
I would opt to take I95 south detouring to Newburyport or Salem. I don't think there's time for both.

Ackislander

Would skip Salem in October owing to Halloween madness. Any other month, absolutely yes.

I would also stop at Newburyport or Essex or Rockport or Gloucester or Marblehead.

If I could only stop at one, I would flip a coin between Newburyport and Marblehead. Both interesting waterfronts, great walking towns, interesting shops, architecture.

If you don't have to be in Boston at a particular time, I would strongly recommend having an early dinner in your sightseeing town before driving into the city. Rush hour can be daunting noses you are from Atlanta or Dallas but it is pretty much over by 7. Lots of seafood in Marblehead.

cybor

Agree with Ackislander.
I'll add Portsmouth NH to the list. It's a great waterfront city with many historical buildings and nice little restaurants in the downtown area.

aanro

Ackislander

I wonder what exactly is "Halloween madness". You'll see.

We are not from US....we are from Argentina where there is virtually no Halloween....so may be what you might describe as "madness" could be fun for us!....I don't know....

What would "halloween madness" mean?

We don't have any "mandatory" time (fortunately we will be on vacation!)Besides it will be a Sunday....so I think there won't be such a "rush hour"....Am I mistaken ?

Tks

dfrostnh

Sunday go home from the weekend will be worse than commuting. Expect a backup at the tolls on I95 south as everyone heads back to Boston after the weekend. It's probably a good idea to have a casual dinner someplace and then drive into Boston later in the evening.

Ackislander

In the 17th century, a famous witch trial was held in Salem, though actually in another town that was then part of Salem.

After 200 year of other history, people became focused on the Witch trials and on witchcraft. The trials had parallels to anticommunist trials held in this country in the 1950's in which suspicion ruined the lives of a number of people. We did not have desaparecidos, but the hysteria was similar. neighbors informed on neighbors, family on family. Some of the accused were clearly guilty, some innocent.

But the opportunity to focus the history of the city on civil and religious freedom was lost in a fascination with witchcraft and "spookiness " Beginning in the 1970's. Now Salem is packed on weekends all through October as adults come to dress up as witches and warlocks. It is great for tourist businesses, or was until it got out of control. Now it is an excuse for drunkenness, urinating in the streets, and the like. There are long lines for restaurants and parking is impossible. This is sad because the Peabody Essex Museum is a must-visit. Only one would not go in October if one had any sense.

If you want to celebrate Halloween, or see how we do, find a small town with a Halloween parade by and for local residents. Newburyport, recommended to you above, has one. We have a lovely one in Nantucket.

These are folk customs of Americans, really. When my wife was a student at Harvard Business School, the international students loved to photograph children in their costumes to show to their families at home, the way we might photograph the Feria in Sevilla. But I don't think Spain would celebrate the Inquisition the way we celebrate the Salem Witch trials.

cybor

We brought the kids up to Salem a week or so before Halloween a few years ago.
We strolled through outdoor fairs, historical houses and musuems. We didn't have a long wait at the restaurant we ate at and didn't see any drunks or people urinating in the streets. This was during the day.

Lookin_Glass

I agree the entire month of October is not a drunken wiccan mardi gras in Salem. The evenings the week of Halloween can get overly "festive" for most of us though.

Hez

I've been to Salem in October, including doing a night ghost tour, and didn't experience any difficulties getting into restaurants, public drunkenness or difficulty parking for that matter. The only thing I saw which had a huge line was the witch museum itself which is really lame and not worth the time or money anyway. Personally I would think it being October makes it an even greater time to go to Salem.

amyb

I think Haunted Happenings is more a nuisance for locals trying to live their lives around it. I grew up the next city over and learned to just avoid the city the best I could for that month and especially nights and weekends. Route 114 into Salem from 128 can back up to 95, making it a nightmare for anyone trying to navigate into Salem from Peabody. I don't think it's as much drunken debauchery as it is just overly-crowded and a nuisance. If you're not really into Halloween though, I'm not sure I'd bother at all.