chris007

My sister and I will be travelling to Boston from Canada next week as part of our "Tour American Cities" mandate! We will be arriving early Thursday morning at the airport and renting a car, leaving late Monday evening--4 days, 3 nights. We are planning to head to Salem, Plymouth area on Thursday then would like to spend a day either at Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket
I am looking for some advice as to which one might be best. Also, any "should not miss" destinations. We are planning to spend 2 days, 1 night in the Boston area.
Thanks so much for the input.

Weadles

I'd skip Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket. It's too much traveling for one day. You'd be better off going to the Cape for a day from Boston, although depending where you go on the Cape even that can be a solid 4-hour roundtrip drive.

cw

I'm not sure of your plans. You arrive on Thursday and leave on Monday. That's four nights. Are you really saying that you want to go to Salem AND Plymouth on Thursday? You would be driving North from Logan, then would be driving South to Plymouth that evening? Or is Salem for another day?

Will you be spending time in Boston on this trip, and what are your interests?

You could always go to Plymouth for Thursday, and Friday go to the Cape and take a ferry to one of the islands but staying on the Cape and/or taking a day trip would be fine. And then on Sunday drive to Salem, then back to Boston and turn in your car and spend Sunday evening and Monday in Boston.

If you tell us what you're interested in doing, we can offer more useful advice.

chris007

Thanks for the replies. My mistake, we are arriving in Boston early Friday morning. Since this is our first visit, we would like to visit some of the smaller coastal towns or an island. We enjoy walking/hiking and seafood. Is Salem worth a visit and is there a particular attraction we should visit?Regarding the above comments would it be better to spend time on the cape rather than Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket and where would be the best place that would offer some good walks, and a seaside feel? Would it be best to drop the car back at the airport and take transport or a taxi into the city for the last 2 days? Any recommendations of where to stay in the city. (Moderately priced hotels) There seems to be so much to do in Boston that it is hard to make a choice. Thanks so much!

CYESQ

You're trying to cover too much territory in one trip. What are you trying to accomplish? Stay in Boston for several days - you have the world reknown museum of Fine Arts and loads of great restaurants, the aquarium, and lots of history including Salem. If you want to go to the Cape, see Plymouth on the way, but you're trying to split several days into too many areas. Forget the islands. Unless you go directly to the islands, there's no way to accomplish this.

isabel

You say you want to see "Boston" and only have 4 days. So really, for this trip you should forget the cape and the islands (and Plymouth). You'll spend all your time in transit. They may look close on a map but they are NOT.

If you want some coast and small towns I'd go to Cape Ann, aka "the north shore". The airport is north of Boston so you are already in the right direction. And I actually like Cape Ann better than Cape Cod. You've got Gloucester and Rockport and Salem and several other small towns. Lots of coast, light houses, fishing harbors. Very quintessential New England. I would spend one day, possibly one and a half. Then drop the car and spend the rest of it IN Boston (where you do not need the car).

Here are some photos to get you inspired about Boston and the North Shore.
http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/boston

http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/image/136895386

hawksbill

I just got back from a trip to Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. After many years in Boston, this was actually the first time I ever visited either place. I made it as far as Marconi Beach in Wellfleet, so I never saw Truro and Provincetown, which I'm told are nice. However, based on my limited experience, I'd say I'd be much more inclined to direct a first-time visitor to the North Shore, as suggested by Isabel. You might add Marblehead to the list of North Shore towns you visit. It's much closer in than Cape Ann, if that matters. I would definitely skip Salem.

Cape Cod has beautiful wide sandy beaches with a very distinctive look to them, and high, dramatic sand dunes, which you won't duplicate on the North Shore. But I didn't find any towns that I think need visiting, and I found some that need avoiding.

Martha's Vineyard, on the other hand, was lovely. It had even more beautiful beaches, and towns that were not only New England-y, but also really beautiful and charming. I was surprised by how easy and fast it was to get there. But I agree, the islands are too far for a four-day trip. I'd say rent a car for one day and do the North Shore.

Don't expect much in the way of seafood. Massachusetts is incredibly dismal, gastronomically speaking. I'd suggest sampling some fried clams, a lobster roll, and some clam chowder, and then declaring victory. A great place to try all three would be Kelly's Roast Beef, on Revere Beach. You could take the food across the street and eat it while looking out at the ocean. The area around it is basically a slum, but you'll be totally safe if you go during the day.

chris007

Thanks everyone for all the comments. This site is always such a great help in trip planning.

cw

We all have our own subjective opinions about food but I disagree that Mass. is "incredibly dismal" gastronomically speaking. There are many places to find good seafood and there is no need to confine yourself to fried clams, lobster rolls, and clam chowder from Kelly's Roast Beef. These are available in many places, and, in many cases, better than you'll get at Kelly's. The food there isn't bad, but it isn't top notch either.

Hawksbill, too bad you didn't make it to Wellfleet Center and Harbor. Every Cape town has a different ambiance, I think, and Wellfleet is lovely.

hawksbill

I was sorry that I missed Wellfleet too. I have several sets of friends who go to the Cape a lot, and have settled upon Wellfleet as their favorite place to stay.

It's certainly true that there are many, many places where one might try New England favorites like lobster rolls and clam chowder. I didn't mean to imply otherwise, and indeed, vociferous debates often arise about which places are better than others. I had a little fun comparing and contrasting various places on the Cape. I just wanted to mention Kelly's as a place that's very close to Boston, would be on the way for a day trip to the North Shore, and does a very good job at what they do.

It also occurs to me that ice cream is kind of a New England culinary specialty too, and there are a lot of appealing little family-owned places that make their own ice cream in very small batches. I'd say a gastronomically inclined person would be more likely to find satisfaction in checking out different ice cream joints, rather than looking for seafood at anything about the roadside level.

cw

Now you have a reason to go back to the Lower Cape--explore the towns and beaches. Seems to me that Wellfleet kept the best beaches as town beaches when Marconi became part of the National Seashore. It's a town with a definite personality. And it does have quite a few gift and art galleries to explore, and, of course, good oysters!

Ice cream is a good idea too, especially the independents.