Boston
Jul 17th, 1999, 09:49 PM
#1
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Boston
My wife and I are flying in on Aug 14TH. We will spend a coule of days in southern Maine. Then we are looking at doing some sight seeing around the Boston area, and down to Cape Cod to go whale watching. Can anybody recommend a good whale watch, and what to check out in Boston? Whale watch dosen't have to be Cape Cod. I'm thinking about staying on the outskirts of town also.
Jul 21st, 1999, 04:59 AM
#2
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Well Jim, since nobody replied with any first hand experiences, I'll tell you what I've heard from some friends and neighbors: It is not necessary to go to the cape for a whale watch---especially if you are coming from Maine!
Many people go to Gloucester for whale watches. Gloucester is a town located to the North of Boston, so it sounds like it'd be a much more convenient location for you... good luck!
Many people go to Gloucester for whale watches. Gloucester is a town located to the North of Boston, so it sounds like it'd be a much more convenient location for you... good luck!
Jul 21st, 1999, 05:40 AM
#3
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I recently heard an ad for a whalewatch out of Boston that goes on a high speed cat. I can't remember the name of the company though. You might poke around the boston.com website, you could find the info there. I definitely wouldn't go all the way to Cape Cod just for whale watching. There are really nice cruises from Hyannis and also Provincetown if you are going anyways, but if the cruis is all you are after, go from Boston.
Jul 21st, 1999, 11:50 AM
#4
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Definitely see Quincy Market at Faneuil Hall in the heart of downtown Boston. A whole marketplace of shops, restaurants, outdoor carts, etc. It is wonderful. Do lunch at Durgin Park right in Quincy Market or the Union Oyster house down the street for wonderful seafood. The Freedom Trail is a walking tour of Boston's history, including (but not limited to) Paul Revere's house, the USS Constitution, Bunker Hill.
Jul 22nd, 1999, 04:57 AM
#5
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Hi everyone...
Just wanted to remind you to take a look at our Hosted Forum page which covers Boston (7/19-8/1). Jennifer Paull, editor of our Boston 2000 guide, has a wealth of information to share on the city. Hope you enjoy it!
Kanika P. Chopra
Associate Producer
Fodor's Travel Online
Just wanted to remind you to take a look at our Hosted Forum page which covers Boston (7/19-8/1). Jennifer Paull, editor of our Boston 2000 guide, has a wealth of information to share on the city. Hope you enjoy it!
Kanika P. Chopra
Associate Producer
Fodor's Travel Online
Jul 22nd, 1999, 07:04 AM
#6
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Hi
We just recently returned from a two week trip which included Maine, Boston, Newport & NYC.
Sorry, we didn't go whale watching so I can't help you there.
Some highlights:
Bar Harbor/Acadia Nat'l Park - beautiful
Boston - Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market
Go to top of Hancock Bldg.
Walk thru Boston Commons
We took the subway in Boston, found it easy to use, but mostly walked, it was easy and you came across many neat areas.
Rockport - this is a small town near Gloucester. It is lovely, one of our favorite areas. We stayed at a B & B just south of Rockport that was next to twin lighthouses.
Sorry if this post is too long, we just returned and we are still excited about all of the nice areas we visited.
Enjoy your trip.
SG
e
We just recently returned from a two week trip which included Maine, Boston, Newport & NYC.
Sorry, we didn't go whale watching so I can't help you there.
Some highlights:
Bar Harbor/Acadia Nat'l Park - beautiful
Boston - Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market
Go to top of Hancock Bldg.
Walk thru Boston Commons
We took the subway in Boston, found it easy to use, but mostly walked, it was easy and you came across many neat areas.
Rockport - this is a small town near Gloucester. It is lovely, one of our favorite areas. We stayed at a B & B just south of Rockport that was next to twin lighthouses.
Sorry if this post is too long, we just returned and we are still excited about all of the nice areas we visited.
Enjoy your trip.
SG
e
Jul 22nd, 1999, 07:05 AM
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hi
We just recently returned from a two week trip which included Maine, Boston, Newport & NYC.
Sorry, we didn't go whale watching so I can't help you there.
Some highlights:
Bar Harbor/Acadia Nat'l Park - beautiful
Boston - Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market
Go to top of Hancock Bldg.
Walk thru Boston Commons
We took the subway in Boston, found it easy to use, but mostly walked, it was easy and you came across many neat areas.
Rockport - this is a small town near Gloucester. It is lovely, one of our favorite areas. We stayed at a B & B just south of Rockport that was next to twin lighthouses.
Sorry if this post is too long, we just returned and we are still excited about all of the nice areas we visited.
Enjoy your trip.
SG
e
We just recently returned from a two week trip which included Maine, Boston, Newport & NYC.
Sorry, we didn't go whale watching so I can't help you there.
Some highlights:
Bar Harbor/Acadia Nat'l Park - beautiful
Boston - Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market
Go to top of Hancock Bldg.
Walk thru Boston Commons
We took the subway in Boston, found it easy to use, but mostly walked, it was easy and you came across many neat areas.
Rockport - this is a small town near Gloucester. It is lovely, one of our favorite areas. We stayed at a B & B just south of Rockport that was next to twin lighthouses.
Sorry if this post is too long, we just returned and we are still excited about all of the nice areas we visited.
Enjoy your trip.
SG
e
Jul 22nd, 1999, 07:09 AM
#8
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Posts: n/a
There are whale watches that originiate from lots of towns along the Massachusetts coast and Cape Cod, but they all go to the same feeding spot in Massachusetts Bay. (The only difference is how long it takes to get to the prime whale viewing area.) There is one that leaves from Boston; I believe it takes about an hour to get to the whale area. My father just went on this cruise last weekend and saw tons of humpbacks.
As for things to do in Boston, walk along the Freedom Trail, a red stripe through the streets of Boston that leads you to all the significant historic sites. My favorite restaurants are Il Panino in the North End and Olive's in Charlestown. The main shopping drag is Newbury Street, which is a quaint shop-lined street (slightly less quaint since the recent addition of a Niketown). You must walk through the lovely Boston Garden (and take a ride on the swan boats if it's not too hot) and the Boston Common. It's also nice to stroll through Beacon Hill (near the gold-domed State House), a quiet, beautiful colonial-style neighborhood. The Boston waterfront (if you can find it through the nearby construction) is quite nice. If you're into modern architecture, there's an interesting new federal courthouse on the waterfront, and the popular aquarium recently got a funky new facade. If you go to one museum in Boston, make it the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The art collection isn't as grand as that at the MFA, but it is well worth it for the setting -- a small collection housed in a fabulous townhouse mansion. Finally, a trip on the Red Line into Cambridge and Harvard Square is worthwhile.
I'm not sure where you're thinking about staying on the "outskirts," but Brookline is a nice place to stay, and there's a fairly standard, reasonably-priced Holiday Inn on Beacon Street that has easy access downtown via the Green Line (avoid driving in Boston if possible). Nearby Coolidge Corner is a pleasant area for morning coffee, etc.
As for things to do in Boston, walk along the Freedom Trail, a red stripe through the streets of Boston that leads you to all the significant historic sites. My favorite restaurants are Il Panino in the North End and Olive's in Charlestown. The main shopping drag is Newbury Street, which is a quaint shop-lined street (slightly less quaint since the recent addition of a Niketown). You must walk through the lovely Boston Garden (and take a ride on the swan boats if it's not too hot) and the Boston Common. It's also nice to stroll through Beacon Hill (near the gold-domed State House), a quiet, beautiful colonial-style neighborhood. The Boston waterfront (if you can find it through the nearby construction) is quite nice. If you're into modern architecture, there's an interesting new federal courthouse on the waterfront, and the popular aquarium recently got a funky new facade. If you go to one museum in Boston, make it the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The art collection isn't as grand as that at the MFA, but it is well worth it for the setting -- a small collection housed in a fabulous townhouse mansion. Finally, a trip on the Red Line into Cambridge and Harvard Square is worthwhile.
I'm not sure where you're thinking about staying on the "outskirts," but Brookline is a nice place to stay, and there's a fairly standard, reasonably-priced Holiday Inn on Beacon Street that has easy access downtown via the Green Line (avoid driving in Boston if possible). Nearby Coolidge Corner is a pleasant area for morning coffee, etc.
Jul 22nd, 1999, 05:58 PM
#9
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We've taken several whale watching trips out of Gloucester on the Yankee Spirit Fleet, they have nice, comfortable boats that get you out to Stellwagon Bank (where the whales feed) pretty quickly, and have a knowledgeable naturalist on board to explain everything. There's also a company in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the Isles of Shoals Steamship Co., that runs a combination whale watch and tour of the Isles of Shoals (a beautiful, rugged archipelago about 9 miles off of the New Hampshire Coast). While in Boston, you might enjoy visiting the U.S.S Constitution at the Charlestown Navy Yard, they also have a wonderful museum there.
Jul 22nd, 1999, 07:59 PM
#10
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If you are staying outside of Boston several sites worth considering are Lexington, Concord and Walden pond...all generally in the same general area. Again, if you are staying outside of Boston, I would consider taking a local commuter train into the city. I believe the station is near Copley square (Prudential area) From there you can walk up Newbury street toward the Boston Gardens (swan boat rides) through the Boston Common and you're downtown. If you like walking, the Freedom trail is before you with the Statehouse on the edge of the Commons. Others sites in additional to the ones mentioned in prior posts are the old granary burial grounds, gravesite of Paul Revere and Mother Goose!(among others). Boston is a beautiful city for walking and Newbury Street into the Gardens is one of my favorite areas. From the Commons you can take a subway (Red line) to Harvard
Square where you can stroll around Harvard yard.
Square where you can stroll around Harvard yard.
