Florida, I wish I was looking forward to Sicily. I mean, I am, but so far, the only thing we have booked are the first two nights in Catania and the last two nights, in Rome and Munich. I really need to get going, look at the guide books and Michelin map of Sicily I bought, and decide what we want to do and where we want to go. And if we want to rent a car. We leave April 7, not a lot of time.

Bob, believe me, I would love to come to Japan. It's one of my favorite countries. Loved it both times. I think about going back all the time, so maybe...

Good luck with your planning, Laurie! April 7 is not far off!

I will just look forward to heariing about your trip at the GTG, Bob!

I would love to go to Japan when everyone else is going, but we won't be able to plan this far out. Just have to wait and see.

".....thinking i will not write a trip report..."

I doubt that, Bob!!

Got my BOS ticket and hotel reservations made. Bob, if you get a better deal with the Residence Inn, pls post here. I can always ask for the discounted group price.

If I'm in BKK for two weeks end of October, which I probably WILL be, I could swing by NRT and make a 2-day stopover on my way home... Something to think about. I can't think of any better place to be than having a lot of laughs with the Asia board fodorites!!

Laurie, enjoy Sicily! Florida1, looking forward to more travel talk at the BOS GTG.

And now I need to start packing for Lucerne... just hope we see the SUN during our 2-week visit.

Carol

Have fun in Lucerne, Carol! I'm glad you're coming to the GTG too and look forward to seeing you!

We have selected the new Dedham, MA location of famed Chef Jasper White's Summer Shack for our Saturday night dinner.

The menu generally is fish and seafood, fresh from the NE sea, as well as some meat and vegetarian options.

Jasper White is a contemporary of Julia Child and operated one of the first chef-centric restaurants in downtown Boston when the food craze first began. Many years later he opened his first Summer Shack in Cambridge, in a low rent area, in an attempt to bring more informal dining of the freshest seafoods to the public. He runs that restaurant to this day and has added 3 other locations in more recent years.

As requested, the restaurant is just a few miles north on Rte 1 from our Norwood hotel. No more need to trudge into Cambridge and search for parking.

THINK CLAM CHOWDAH, LOBSTER, FRESH FISH, CORN ON THE COB, CLAMS, PLUS STEAK AND VEGGIES.

Sounds wonderful!! Love love love the clam chowdah!

I haven't been to Boston since the 80's and I've always wanted to return, especially in the autumn. I can't commit just yet but I will keep this in mind.

The restaurant sounds fabulous, Bob! Clams, lobster, chowdah - yum!!!!

I hope you will be able to come, P_M!

I hope so too Florida1, there are so many people I want to meet including you. :-)

Has anyone heard from yk? The last I heard she lives in Boston. I've met her brother rkkwan at several of the TX GTG's and I would love to meet her too.

well, although I only attended one for 5 short minutes, it seems like a well traveled group that is interested in culture and art and history and nature. . .
if it's true that public trans isn't a priority and locals commute with visitors. . . perhaps

The Wayside Inn in Sudbury. Unless things have changed, you can certainly take over a corner of the dining room and seeing as it is an autumnal time of year, visiting the Griss Mill and the Little Red House and the Chapel all add to a more cultural GTG.

http://www.wayside.org/

look---a good idea for the future, but far out of town for some..

wow, you actually gave my suggestion three minutes of consideration including typing time?

nevermind

How does 24 minutes=3 minutes?

Nevermind

I think a Boston minute = 8 real time minute? Or is it the other way around??

hai! laurie san, we six did indeed have a good time. don't mind doing it again.

I share Lookin_Glass's thought that the Boston GTG would do well to have <i>something</i> that relates to local culture. The migration of the Boston GTG to the beyond-128 suburbs is now complete; nothing remains in Boston/Cambridge.

The GTG may well be a tradition and a good time, but it's sad that it will have lost any sense of being of Boston.

don, i agree with you but the boston costs and limited parking in the city caused us to move out.

to my knowledge there is only one attendee from boston proper and one other from the city's larger population, and both of them always drive... add 2 from Cambridge and that amounts to 10.1% of our attendees. plus the city is less than 30 minutes drive or train ride from our venues...

i would WELCOME another planner for next year---how about you, and we would gladly go whereever you plan a GTG...???

At least we're not having it in the Hartford suburbs...

Seriously though - Bob and Karen have put a ton of work into this over several years now. In fact, the job they have done is exemplary. Please appreciate how difficult it is to take everyone's input and then come up with accommodations and meals that end up pleasing most of us.

Frankly, I love not having to drive in the city of Boston to get to the venues. I've driven in dozens of very large cities and have not been flustered nearly as much as I am when trying to navigate the winding streets of Boston...lol!!

And yes, Bob and Karen have done a superb job of herding this sometimes crazy group of fodorites. Hats off to them for taking on this very tedious task!

Hartford would be OK too, Craig :))

Bob: I sure hope the GTG will be at the same Residence Inn as last year. We hope to come, and we liked that venue a lot!

PS there are at least three threads about this 2013 Boston GTG, and you know how easily I get confused!

So maybe you could list the threads for the aged and infirm.........