My wife and I are planning on four days on Cape Cod and three days in Boston in mid-July. We would appreciate any advice on good places to stay, eateries, sights not to miss, unsafe areas to avoid, or any other tips which will help us.
Thanks so much!

Provincetown is very nice on the cape (the further you go up the cape, in general, the nicer it is). Lots of fun shops and restaurants and beautiful beaches. In Boston, I would definitly see Quincy Market and the North End (Italian quarter) but don't expect exceptional food in either place (most places are industrial quality, catering to tourists). Stroll around Back Bay, along the Esplanade, visit the Omnimax theatre at the Museum of Science, shop at Filene's Basement (the Boston store is like no other...) Boston is a great walking city. Avoid driving! Have fun.

Casey, the Cape is beautiful anytime of year, but in July the crowds will be unbelievable. While on the Cape, spend at least a whole day on Nantucket. It is truly spectacular. In terms of places to eat, we had a great meal at a seafood place called the Penquin Grille or something like that. A little pricey, but your on the Cape.

Enjoy! John from Philly.

In Boston for three days, you will probably want to hit the standard tourist highlights: Fanueil Hall/Quincy Market, The Freedom Trail, Boston Common, perhaps the Esplanade. I would also recommend both the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (another art museum housed in a mansion). Quincy Market food is geared for tourists, but the food court is a good place to grab a quick lunch. I disagree with the above posting that you will not get a good meal in the North End. It's fun to walk around this Italian area and many of the restaurants are quite good. It's not just a place for tourists, many of us who live here eat there on the weekends. If you want to be like the natives, instead of having dessert and coffee at the restaurant, go to one of the cafes afterwards.

If you want fish&chips type seafood, skip Durgin Park (all tourists), and try the No Name on Fish Pier. They also have the cheapest broiled swordfish steak in town.

Lunch in Chinatown can be a lot of fun and there's a restaurant on every corner. The hottest restaurant there at the moment isn't Chinese, it's a maylasian restaurant called Penang. Very good, but pretty crowded at times.

In the summer, you probably won't find too much in the way of theater or concerts, but check the local paper when you get here. The best places for jazz are the Regattabar at the Charles Hotel and Scullers at the Doubletree Suites. You also may find free outdoor concerts or movies on the Esplanade.

Don't worry too much about safety, there aren't too many places that a tourist would go that are particularly unsafe. Just use common sense and avoid being in unlit areas at night (for example the Common after dark).

Feel free to ask any other questions.

casey:

there is a restaurant in provincetown (a must-visit in cape cod) called the Lobster Pot. you will get unbelievably good seafood at a seaside atmosphere for good prices.

i love that whole area. such a seafarer's paradise, and don't miss a good whale watching trip from p-town!

in boston you gotta do the freedom trail. the town is just so pleasant to walk through. plus in boston common there are street performers and people just having a good time.

daniel

I will second a place an exclamation point after each of Cheryl's Boston-area recommendations, and add these:
- see Lexington and Concord. The national park that traces the route of that opening skirmish in the Revolutionary War is extremely well marked and poignant.
- for window shopping or for-real shopping, the shops along Newbury St. in Back Bay, starting at Arlington St. and continuing to Gloucester. Many, many one-of-a-kind shops.
- for walking in general to see one of the most genteel areas of the country, explore Back Bay and Beacon Hill. Lovely and unique.
- whale watch boats go out from Rowe's Wharf (behind the Boston Harbor Hotel) daily about 10 a.m. An excellent way to spend a day.
- tea at the Ritz. Daily at 4 p.m. Proper attire required.

In addition, Boston.com has a well-organized web site that will provide information on special events.

I thought of a couple of other things. Neal is right, definitely wander around Back Bay and Beacon Street. Be sure to see Charles Street with its antique shops. There are also 2 wonderful food shops on Charles Street, the very trendy Savenors and DeLuca's, which has a very good bakery as well. At either place, you can get a snack and take it to the Common for an impromptu picnic.

Boston Harbor Cruises offers 1 hour sightseeing cruises throughout the day, and 90 minute sunset and moonlight cruises. I have never done this, but I think that the evening cruises could be a pleasant way to end the day. In fact, we have thought of doing this ourselves, even though we live here. There is a bar on board, so you could get a glass of wine and enjoy Boston from a boat under the stars. Maybe someone who has done this can tell both of us if it is worth it.

I've done the harbor cruise that Cheryl mentions and it is a very nice way to spend an hour or two. There's also a very nice boat (I think its "Spirit of Boston") that offers dinner cruises, I haven't done that but its much more upscale than the regular harbor cruises.

Neal's idea of a whale watch is also a good one, but I wouldn't do it from Boston. You can go from Provincetown or Hyannis on the Cape and it takes much less time to get to the actual viewing areas, so you are more likely to see whales.

You don't mention if you are travelling by car or not. The best way to avoid the traffic on Cape Cod is to take a ferry from Boston to PTown, and not drive at all! Alternatively, try to plan to spend mid-week on the Cape, and the weekend in the City. DO NOT plan to be driving to the Cape on Friday, or returning on Sunday. You will be very, very unhappy if you do. I agree with above poster who said the furthur out the Cape the nice it is. Wellfleet, Orleans, and Chatham all have very nice B&B's and restaurants (although specific recommendations escape me at the moment).

In July you might be able to catch a Boston Pops concert on the Esplanade. Check the BSO web page for the schedule (www.bso.org).

Another great way to spend an afternoon is to take in a Red Sox game at Fenway. www.redsox.com is a site where you can order tickets.