New England 14 days in April - ideas?

Old Nov 6th, 2011, 08:59 PM
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New England 14 days in April - ideas?

My husband will be running the Boston Marathon this April. I have never been to the East Coast, he has. We are flying in from Honolulu.

Flights in from HNL are pretty difficult to find direct in to Boston. Was considering flying in New Jersey, renting a car and then heading north.

We both really love the old sea/whaling towns and the history that comes with it. We enjoy historical locations, national parks, and places with history. (Husband says stuff like this:
- Mystic Seaport
-New Bedford
-The Breakers)
We don't mind staying in places that are older and have shared bathrooms, even a private room in a hostel is fine. As is a KOA Kabin!

Our budget is mostly going to 3 nights in Boston for the run. So we don't have a ton of money. Flights alone are going to eat up most of it. Wouldn't mind driving up the coast a bit to see some neat towns, then back to Boston for the run and then maybe a few nights in New York? I've never been to NY and don't really have much desire to go, but my husband says we should. Probably won't be back to the East Coast for a long time.

Suggestions? Would really appreciate it!

Thanks!

Denise
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Old Nov 7th, 2011, 02:33 AM
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April can be iffy in New England, weather wise. Bring rain gear and layers for your stay. It will be off season, for most places, but the Mystic Seaport, New Bedford Whaling museum and the Breakers in Newport should be up and running.

On the north shore of MA, check out Salem for the Essex Peabody museum and also Gloucester.

Cape Cod will not be completely open, but off season is my favorite time to be there and the National Seashore is beautiful and the VC's in Eastham and Provincelands are free.

Maine and New Hampshire are beautiful, but it will be cooler there. Hubby might like the Bath Iron Works museum in Maine.

Rhode Island and the Newport area

I can't help a lot with inexpensive lodging, but if you pick up one of the discount coupon magazines you can find less expensive lodging for walk ins. Try Priceline for Boston or look into hostels there.

Don't waste money renting a car while you are in Boston, parking is expensive and it is not really an easy place for visitors to drive, and the T is a good way to get around. You might even find it is cheaper to explore places like Salem on the train.

Hope you have a wonderful trip.
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Old Nov 7th, 2011, 03:14 AM
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In terms of "inexpensive" lodging you need to give us actual rates. If you are staying in a small town off season you may freeze - but prices are likely to be low.

But rates for Boston for the Marathon will be high and April in NYC will be fairly low - for NYC - unless you are there Easter week, Having a car in either Boston or NYC is a nonsense - no way to use it and parking is expensive.
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Old Nov 7th, 2011, 03:18 AM
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Be aware that most trees will not yet have leaves unless there is a particularly early spring and that this goes double for areas right along the coast.

Be aware that an ideal temperature for the Marathon is about 58 degrees, and one would expect historically that it would not be more than about 5 degrees warmer than that and may well be colder. Coming from Hawaii, this could be a shock.

Many (most?) runners leave as soon as possible after the race, so that visiting post-race is reasonable. You absolutely do not want a car in Boston, especially that week, but there are plenty of places to rent them in Boston and Cambridge when you are ready to leave town.

Lodging will carry big premiums for the event, so book as soon as possible. Be very careful about map locations: Boston, Brookline Cambridge, Newton, are fine. Places with locations like Boston-Danvers or Boston-Weymouth or Boston-Waltham are a l-o-n-g way from where your husband will need to be early in the morning and where you will want to be for visiting. Feel free to ask on here about specific locations, though people will with the best intentions in the world tell you to consider places that have probably have been booked since last year's marathon. You may find it best to stay on place before the race and another after, when lots of people have gone.

You don't say how much time you have for the whole sightseeing part of the trip. Driving from NJ is a complete waste of time. The car will cost >$40 a day to park in Boston, and the ride from Newark is no joy and about 5 hours as long as it is not rush hour.

Emalloy's suggestion of concentrating on Cape Ann (Marblehead, Salem, Gloucester, Rockport, Essex, and maybe Newburyport is a good one for lots of salty stuff, good food, and wonderful museums -- Peabody Essex in Salem and Cape Ann in Gloucester. The Pabody Essex has a lot of stuff from the whaling days in the Pacific, including a bunch of stuff from the Sandwich Islands where you live. Neither is "high art", and both include lots of furniture and artifacts of daily life. The P-E even has several colonial houses and an antique Chinese house on the grounds.

In the other direction, Newport has the mansions you are interested in and a lot of other historically interesting things, but best of all, it is across the river from Tiverton and Sakonnet, a beautiful coastal area that very few people even from New England are aware of.
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Old Nov 7th, 2011, 03:21 AM
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yk can tell you about cheap bus between Boston and NYC. Definitely agree you don't need a car in Boston or NYC and don't need the extra expense of parking fees. If you fly into Newark, then maybe start with NYC then bus to Boston.

If you get to Bath ME, I would also include the Maritime Museum. Consider visiting Portsmouth NH and Portland ME. Check car rental fees outside the city. It might be worth it to take a bus to your next destination and then rent a car.
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Old Nov 7th, 2011, 08:41 AM
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I can also help out on cheap NYC to Boston bus travel:

-both Bolt Bus and Megabus are reliable and arguably the cheapest. Both leave from the Penn Station area in NYC (outdoors) and arrive at Boston's South Station.

-Peter Pan/Greyhound are comparable, if sometimes slightly more expensive. The one advantage here is that their NYC waiting area is located indoors, at Port Authority. They also arrive at South Station.

-there are a couple Chinatown-based lines (Fung Wah, Lucky Star), but while also cheap, they're historically not as reliable from an on-time or safety standpoint. They also arrive at South Station, leaving from outdoor NYC Chinatown locations. I don't recommend either of them.
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Old Nov 7th, 2011, 12:13 PM
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Would discourage you from flying into NJ (Newark) and driving to Boston. It's not a fun drive. A visit to NYC? Yes, but it could eat up a lot of your budget.
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Old Nov 7th, 2011, 05:01 PM
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Wow - thanks all.

I'm a bit bummed hearing that some things won't be open during that time. Need to re-think this a bit. I'd hate to pull into a town only to find 85% of the shops/locations/museums/historical points of interest are closed. I didn't even consider that.

As for the Boston Marathon - we are using the licensed travel company to get our hotel. So that is all taken care of.

The run is April 16th. Would it be better to head straight to Boston (that's another decision, fly in, bus in or drive in...agh!) a few days before the race and begin our New England "tour" after the run? It's still mid April so that probably won't help get into the "prime" season. But the temps might be better?

Based on what I'm seeing, it might be better to just fly into Boston and avoid the bus/car rental thing altogether?

As for places to stay - I did a little research and I saw a few Hostels with private rooms. Their rates are insanely expensive - $130-190/night. Cheaper hotels on Waikiki beach! Sticker shock. Of course, those places don't even open until June. Sigh. I'd love a nice old inn with shared bathroom for $70-100 night. But if the hostels are as much as these were, I doubt I'll be in luck. Even the KOA Kabins are double the prices of places in Utah, California, Wyoming.

Back to the drawing board on this...the time of year really messes things up. I think we might just make it a shorter trip and head south perhaps.

Denise
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Old Nov 7th, 2011, 06:52 PM
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Hey Denise,

A few thoughts. I have flown to your islands a dozen times from Boston. I'd just fly into Boston a few days before the marathon and grab a rental car.

I'd head down to Cape Cod for your husband to get some training on the bike trails. Check out the Oceanographic Institute and Aquarium in Woods Hole. Then pick him up along the way and check out Provincetown. Dolphin Fleet Whale watch starts operating early April. Lots will be closed but plenty will be open and it will be nice training ground with off season rates.

Then, head to Newport. Visiting the Breakers, walk the cliff walk and taking a training run along Ocean Drive and then enjoy the port and a nice meal.

There's also the path from Boston to Concord/Lexington that might be a bit busier for a training run.

Then head to Boston, lose the car while you are there, and enjoy waiting for him at the finish line! And then head north.

Outside of Boston, there should be plenty of affordable lodging with some due diligence.
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Old Nov 7th, 2011, 06:54 PM
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hulagirl, I absolutely agree that you should plan your "tour" after the Marathon. Late April weather is better, and you'll see some magnificent spring blooms, esp the Magnolias in downtown Boston.

Sights in Salem, Newport RI are pretty much open year round. Shops in Rockport and Cape Ann area may not be open yet. Stick with the bigger towns and you'll be alright.
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Old Nov 7th, 2011, 07:02 PM
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Oh, and if you do choose do do a training run and whale watch, that is right when they start tracking and counting the Right Whales - a very exciting time.
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Old Nov 7th, 2011, 07:47 PM
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"""April 20, 2011
PROVINCETOWN – Record numbers of right whales have been seen in Cape Cod Bay and adjacent waters this week, including sightings from some Truro beaches and the beaches at Herring Cove and Race Point in Provincetown. The Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies reported today that the Right Whale Conservation Program run jointly by Cape group and the state Division of Marine Fisheries had documented 201 individual right whales in Cape Cod waters over the past week. More than 100 right whales were seen today during on seven-hour research flight. With a population of about 500 animals, right whales are the most endangered large whale in the North Atlantic.The state has issued a high-risk advisory to boaters to use caution in Cape waters to avoid hitting the whales, which spend long periods feeding and relaxing near the surface.
Link to Right Whale Research Blog""""""
http://rightwhales.neaq.org/2011/04/...e-cod-bay.html
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Old Nov 8th, 2011, 01:27 PM
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I think April is a great time to see Boston, NYC and the coast. Interior New England could be cold and muddy (I live there) but Boston and a bit north (no further than Porland Maine) and then south to NYC could be lovely. Yes it might rain. When doesn't it?

How much total time do you have? Can you do an open jaw into Boston and home from NYC?

I would fly into Boston, see the city, do the marathon and THEN rent a car. You could spend a few days going north (North Shore = Gloucester, Rockport, Salem) - and if you have time, a few days for the southern Maine Coast (Kennebunkport, Ogunquit, York, Portland), then head south. Newport if you want to see the mansions. Possibly Mystic Conn. Then to NYC where you would drop the car and spend a few days there before flying out. You could do all that in two weeks. There might be a few shops closed in some of the coastal towns but most things will be open. It's a wonderful time to see those areas when they are not overrun with tourists. And I'm guessing if you are from Hawaii then going swimming will not be something you'd want to do anyway.

Cape Cod and the islands are great but since you are from Hawaii I would think that would be the least interesting areas to you.

Unless you get really unlucky with the weather - or are someone who needs a lot of hot temps - then April is the best time to see Boston and NYC.

Other than in the cities you should find really cheap lodging at chain motels. You can pick up coupon books at rest stops along the interstates and get places like Motel 6, Super 8, etc for under $50 a night.

http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/boston
http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/new_york_city
http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/new_england
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Old Nov 8th, 2011, 08:42 PM
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If you haven't been to NYC I definitely think you should go there.

"Cape Cod and the islands are great but since you are from Hawaii I would think that would be the least interesting areas to you."

I agree. The first time I went to the Cape was in mid-March after a confeence in Boston. We stayed at a B&B in Ptown - and froze our butts off. Winter on the water is REALLY cold. Most of the shops/restaurans were closed.

Coming from Hawaii in April? You are most probably going to be cold. I'd head south towards NYC rather north to Maine, etc.
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Old Nov 9th, 2011, 04:49 PM
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Re: things being open....Boston will be up and running. Summer vacation destinations like the Cape or Gloucester will be dead.

Lodging: you could stay here http://www.hamptoninnwoburn.com/ or another place in woburn, take the free hotel shuttle to anderson station, and take the train into boston. $122/night with AAA is a lot cheaper than what you will find in town and it's only 10 miles outside of the city. It's across from a small mall and some dining options too.
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Old Nov 10th, 2011, 03:08 AM
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This thread has a lot of good suggestions for things to do around Boston
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...and-beyond.cfm
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Old Nov 10th, 2011, 03:57 AM
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If you do decide to visit the Cape off-season from Boston you'll enjoy all the little towns that are always lovely although still a little sleepy in April. If you're driving, Falmouth or Sandwich are great places to be off-season as is Chatham and Provincetown further 'down' the Cape.

There is a ferry that will take you from Boston to Provincetown; I'm not sure when it starts its spring run but Provincetown is always worth the effort to get there.

If you make your way to Woods Hole, you might also consider taking a ferry from there to visit Nantucket in April. Check to see if your Boston visit coincides with the Nantucket Daffodil Festival. (more amazing than it sounds, actually).
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Old Nov 10th, 2011, 04:53 AM
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I may be mistaken on this, but I think the only ferries going to/from Nantucket leave from Hyannis (year round), Harwich Port (seasonal only), or Martha's Vineyard (year round but not conveniently timed).

Woods Hole ferries go to Martha's Vineyard (year round), if memory serves. Ferries (seasonal?) also go to Martha's Vineyard from Falmouth, New Bedford, and Quonset, RI.
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Old Nov 10th, 2011, 03:50 PM
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bachslunch: Yes, you're right about the Nantucket ferry going to/from Hyannis, et al.
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Old Nov 10th, 2011, 05:05 PM
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OMG marothon
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