Surprising my husband with a last minute trip to Boston for his 60th B-day tomorrow. Where are the must-do destinations for food, activities, history tours, etc.? Need your help for the 'don't miss',hole-in-the wall favorites and best deal places only locals and Boston lovers know about. Thanks in advance for the advice.

What do you already have planned to do? How long will you be there? What are your interests?

Do you have a guidebook? How about a map?

I am sure you know about the Freedom Trail. That will take up a good amount of time.

Have you heard about the Boston Public Library? The Museum of Fine Arts? Boston Common? Isabella Stewart Gardner museum?

Why are you going to Boston? There must be stuff you know about it already

Have you been to Boston before? Have you reserved a hotel yet? I saw an awesome boutique hotel, and will post info if you are interested.

One suggestion is to go to the North End for Italian dinner at Euno (sp?). We were there a few weeks ago for a family special dinner. We ate downstairs, and loved it.

Boston lover here.

Pizza at Regina's.

Cannoli at Mike's, Modern and Maria's (do a taste test!)

Walk the Freedom Trail (see the Old North Church, and Copp's Hill Burial Ground on your walk).

Visit Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market.

If you have a car and have "extra" time, drive out to Lexington and Concord (about 30 miles) for a history lesson. I wonder if the leaf colors are fabulous at Walden Pond yet. Of course, there's plenty of history to be found in the city itself.

Oops-- I see youmare going tomorrow, and assume you have a hotel already.

The aquarium whale watching tour is very good.

Stroll Newbury Street for window-shopping, lunch, etc Also, walk the parkway which runs parallel to it, a block or so over, starting from the park.

Boston is awesome. Have fun!

http://www.eunoboston.com/entrees.html

There are tons and tons of good threads about Boston on this forum, most especially good ones on food options and attractions, including day trips. A site search will yield excellent results.

Weather looks great. You could always get out on the water. Even head to Provincetown for a few hours. http://www.baystatecruisecompany.com/schedule.html
or hang closer
http://www.bostonharborcruises.com/

http://www.bostonducktours.com/

or visit the USS Constitution
http://www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org/visit/index.htm

Take the commuter rail to Rockport for lunch
http://www.rockportusa.com/

Walk, walk, walk. Walk the Harbor path, the Gardens, Commonwealth Ave, Rose Kennedy Greenway, up and down the Charles river crossing the Salt and Pepper Bridge and the Mass Ave bridge.

Consider seeing a show - Celtic Thunder, Rock of Ages, Wicked, Blueman Group, or check out some beer and singalong at Jacob Wirth
http://www.jacobwirth.com/pages/singalong.html

Visit the Boston Public Library and any of the wonderful museums.

For breakfast Paramount on Charles - heck they reinvent themselves for dinner too!
http://www.paramountboston.com/

Stroll the Southend for dinner. Lot's of places. Local faves are
http://www.franklincafe.com/
http://giacomosblog-boston.blogspot.com/


Share a crunchy eggplant and a caraffe of house wine at via matta and their amazing bread and oil.
http://www.viamattarestaurant.com/index_flash.htm

Go to Shaw's Supermarket Prudential and bring home a few lobsters to share in your hotel room in bed with a nice bottle of wine.


Stand in the corridor at Lord and Taylor and watch some of the top sous chefs at L'espalier cook thru the kitchen window.

Have a martini at The Oak Bar Copley
http://www.theoakroom.com/oakbar/

That should get you started!

The Duck Tours are still running at this time of year. I suggest you start your visit with a Duck Tour to get an overview of the city. http://www.bostonducktours.com/

Weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow and this weekend. I'd walk the Freedom Trail on Friday, hang out in Back Bay/Copley Sq area on Sat (Trinity Church, Public Library, Newbury Street), and head over to Harvard Sq in Cambridge on Sunday for the HONK! Parade & Oktoberfest
http://www.harvardsquare.com/Home/Ar...tival-Par.aspx

Please do yourself a favor and do not waste your time and money at the Union Oyster House. Food is lousy and service is poor there. If you must go anyway, stick solely to raw oysters and beer at the bar -- note that if you get oysters anywhere else in the restaurant, chances are very good they will have been sitting pre-opened, not shucked fresh.

This is why a site search is wise. This opinion has been cited here several times previously.

I want to thank all of you so very much for your kind suggestions, you're great!

I just can't go to Union Oyster House on principle. Even if they shuck them fresh at the bar, knowing that they don't for everyone is just gross. Nothing worse then a preshucked oyster sitting on ice drying out

Hope you will check back with some reviews of your time in Boston. safe journey

If you decide to rent a car..drive down to Quincy, my revered hometown.. see the Adams Houses on Franklin Steet, then the Adams Mansion on Adams Street..the Dorothy Quincy House and the First Parish Church where the John and Abigail are entombed, as well as John Quincy Adams and wife Louisa. Only city in USA where 2 presidents are buried. John Hancock was born there also.
You'll get a good serving of history there.

stu

Hey Stu - long time no "see". Just wanted to let you know I picked up a copy of your book --- I'm saving it for my husband to read first!

huh? I have always had my oysters shucked in front of me for years at the Union Oyster.

Another nice to see Stu here.

img, try my favorite restaurant in Central square cambridge,
the Rendezvous

if you like french, Ls Voile on Newbury Street
You may want to check chowhound for reviews of suggested restaurants.

img: your post makes me long for a visit "home"...52 years away is a long time..but luckily I have been back a number of times for various reasons since.


SF and Mimi..thank you for your kind words...I don't spend much time on the forum these days, but do manage to get in a few words sometime. (SF, first chapter taks place in the Quincy of 1904, and there are several references throughout..want a signature decal, send email..

stu
[email protected]

cigalechanta said: "huh? I have always had my oysters shucked in front of me for years at the Union Oyster."

If you're sitting at the bar, yes that's what happens -- and that's why I suggested it. But one can order oysters sitting at other parts of the restaurant as well.