We are going to be in Boston May 17-24 and are staying at Holiday Inn Govt Center. We are a family of four with two girls 21 and 18. Please send me ideas on your favorites to do in Boston, where to eat, and how to get there. I want us to do something everyday and walking and the T or bus are our prime modes of travel - thanks so much for any advice!!

You picked the perfect time of year to go to Boston. The Public Garden should be in full bloom (Cherry Blossums, flowers, tulips) and the weather should be sunny but not overwhelmingly hot. Since you're in Goverment Center you're close to the T as well as Downtown, Fanuiel Hall, The Waterfront, etc. If you're interested in History (or just a really nice walk) you could walk the Freedom Trail. It starts in the Boston Common and leads through Fanuiel Hall--the North End (little Italy) and into Charlestown. Some people walk the whole way but the walk just to the North End is nice too. Since you're with older girls they will want to know where the shopping is. Start at the end of Newbury Street (at the mouth of the Public Garden) and just walk down--this is the upscale boutique shopping area, the shops taste and style gets more youthful as you move further away from The Public Garden. It's a nice walk, and usually crowded with fashion elite when the weather is nice. Stop to have lunch streetside and people watch at one of the many great resturants. If you're going to be doing sightseeing, you may want to purchase a value pass like a Go Boston Card (attractions are expensive in Boston) so if you guys wanted to see the Aquarium, take a Whale Watch, go on a Harbor Cruise--you could do that. I wouldn't go on a Duck Tour since your girls or so old, but if you just want to see what the town is like....take Old Town Trolley Tours. I also recommend seeing a show like Blue Man Group or Shear Madness while you are here. Especially Blue Man Group. Lots of fun. Before you go to the show be sure to eat in the area-- PF Changs is a great chinese bistro, Flemmings is a wonderful steakhouse, and I also recommend Capital 23 Steakhouse. There are also some fabulous opportunities to sail or kayak on the Charles River.

How wonderful - you covered so much. Thank you so much!! We are really looking forward to our trip.

Hi-I would also suggest dinner in the North End-fabulous Italian places and the area is so charming. You may not be sports fans-but the Fenway Park tour is fun (even if you're not attending a game). I personally love the Museum of Fine Arts-looks like there is also a rock poster exhibit from the 60's happening there, too. Have fun.

Shops the girls might be interested in, depending on their style:
www.thegarmentdistrict.com

there are also other second hand clothes that can be fun if they are into that that the kids around here enjoy:
on Newbury St (#176) is "Second Time Around" -
Oona's - 120 mass Ave, Cambridge (lots of 80's stuff, fun jewelry)
Urban renewals (122 Brighton Ave, Allston) and Some have retro, vintage, 80's, and some good newer finds, and fun jewelery, wigs.
Some very cool too if they are looking for fun costume things for parties/halloween outfits. Accessible by T.

Check out the site
www.gobostoncard.com
even if you don't purchase the card, it's a good site for looking at attractions, sites - you'd have to figure out if the card was worth it for your interests.
Anotehr is www.citypass.com - same thing, depends on what your interests are.

Also,, when walking the Newbury/Boylston area, at the end where Newbury meets Arlington - take a left and walk around the Public Garden, pass "cheers" etc and left onto Charles Street - cute boutiques for their age, little cafes to stop for lunch, their age group usually loves this street.

Are the girls into art? architecture? (Isabella Steward Gardner Museum) which is near MFA-

you might also want to check www.mbta.com and see if a visitor pass would be worth it for your stay

Restaurants 18-21 enjoy include: Fire and Ice,
Stephanie's on Newbury Street (sit outside if you can), PF Changs, Jasper White's Summer Shack (on e in the Back bay is in the Kings bowling complex and adds some fun to it)- Parish Cafe on Boylston St,
anotehr great place eto sit outside and eat -
you can google most of these restaurants and see their web sites. also don't know how far you are coming from, but if there is a particular restaurant you know you want to eat in at night, you can always roam through opentable.com, see restaurants, menus, etc for the ones that are included in that site and make rezzies online and save phone calls.

The girls would probably love some time in Harvard Square - as would you - and you can easily get there by T - maybe plan a late afternoon/early evening time there and eat somewhere in the square - that time of year if weather nice it's a fun place to be.

If the girls(or you) have particular interests, hobbies, post those and we can offer more particular sites.

oh -
www.bostonislands.com

and

www.bostonharborcruises.com

and def go to eat in the north end - maybe late afternoon - paul revere house, old north church, and roam the strees, have dinner, and take them to Mikes pastry for dessert after. Many good restaurants there, for more upscale we like Sage, Rabia's, Prezzo and for more reasonable/family we like Piccolo Nido or LaSuma.

Wow - what a great reponse. I have copied and pasted all the information into documents to e-mail to my girls and for me to keep in a notebook regarding our trip. Y'all have given me some wonderful information and I plan on using it all. So many interests have been addressed - thank you so very much all! I will keep reading in case there is anything additional.

You've already received some great advice. You might want to plan your North End exploration for Friday when the push cart vendors are in Haymarket Square. You just walk across the street to the North End. Most of it is fresh produce so pick up some fresh fruit for your room and enjoy the hubbub. Saturday will be mobbed but Friday afternoon is less crowded. You will also probably see some street performers in this Quincy Market area. I would also recommend a walk thru Chinatown with dim sum for lunch if you are adventuresome. (My last lunch buddies were not.) You might not know what you are eating. Carts of food are rolled thru the restaurant so you pick what looks good. Each plate is just enough for 3 or 4 people to have a taste.
If you like to cook you will find some interesting things in the North End. Do try a fresh antipasto plate. In addition to Mike's there's a bakery on your left after you cross the street from Haymarket. I forget the name but it's where we went on the culinary tour with Michelle Tuppor.
You can buy discounted theater tickets at a kiosk outside Quincy market on the day of the performance. Check the Museum of Science for what's playing in their IMAX theater. The T will be great for most places you want to go but for 3 people, a taxi fare isn't too bad and will be preferable at night.

I was in Boston this past Fall and fell in love with the city....tons to see and do and eat!!
My favs were the FREEDOM TRAIL (history comes alive...esp. Paul Revere's house and the Old North Church)
the MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS (see colonial exhibit and John Singer Sargent works unique to Boston)
and the JFK LIBRARY
also loved walking around the Italian North End...like a mini trip to Europe!
The Public Library is worth a stop.
I felt shopping at Quincy Mkt. was pretty standard touristy fare....worth a quick stop but nothing exceptional.
My favorite meals were at Hamersley's Bistro and a very informal lobster dinner in a tent right on the wharf at The Barking Crab...fun!! A fun pub stop was Jacob Wirth in the Theatre District...very old, cool carved wooden bar. I bought a piece of jade in Chinatown.
We took taxis everywhere...they were easy to find and affordable. Have a great time!

saving...

No offense Smalti, but can't you just print these or something? I keep thinking there's new threads, but they are outdated....No biggie, I'm just bored I guess! Another rainy weekend.