Hi! My family and extended family are planning a vacation to the Boston area in June. My nephew & his wife are getting ready to move to Salem, MA in a month or so, and we'll be visiting them and seeing nearby sights. Any suggestions for a family-friendly hotel in the Salem area? Also, suggestions on restaurants and sights in the Boston/Salem area would be appreciated. My kids are 12 & 17. They want to see a Red Sox game, for one thing.

If you have a chance while you're in the area, drive down to Plymouth and visit Plimoth Plantation. Our kids were 17 and 13 when we went. They really enjoyed it. And so did my husband and I. I'm not aware of anything else quite like it. It's really quite an experience. Their website is plimothplantation.com.

Red Sox tickets will be tough to come by. Most games are already sold out. But check redsox.com to be sure. If you can't get tickets there you'll have to use a ticket broker such as StubHub. Also consider taking a tour of Fenway - very reasonable and lots of fun.

Check out the chain hotels in Peabody Mass. It's adjacent to Salem. I believe there are several "suite" type hotels that would be more comfortable for a large family. Look for one off of RT 128 rather than on RT. 1. 128 is slightly closer to Salem

As far as attractions, there's the wonderful Peabody Essex Museum right in Salem. In Boston there is the Freedom Trail, Duck Tours, Museum of Science and Aquarium. You can take the commuter rail from Salem to Boston to avoid traffic and costly parking. You could try a whale watching expedition out of Gloucester.

Head to Essex Mass for the best seafood. There's Woodman's for fried clams, more upscale Tom Sheas across the street.

Have a great trip.

Please forget the overrated Woodmans, we have found the Blue Marlin has great seafood..

there is nothing left for Sox tickets through redsox.com except for scattered singles with obstructed views. That's right, the defending champs have sold over 2 million tickets and its only March! (and yes, I'm annoyed by it too! I went to 15 games last year, and I could only get tix to about 4 games this year) I've heard prices are a little cheaper on e-bay than they are through the brokers. Unfortunately June is mostly the interleague schedule, and those games run even higher prices than the rest of the schedule.

You've already gotten lots of good advice. Red Sox tickets are out unless you want to pay scalper's prices. But, definitely take the tour of Fenway Park. It's well worth the time and money.
The Duck Tour and the Boston Museum of Science should definitely be on you A list along with the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem.
And, if you're a fan of Impressionistic art, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts has one of the nation's finest collections.

Definitely go to the Boston Museum of Science. I've been going since I was little and I am 28 now and I still think it's fun. They have an Omni Theater (IMAXX) and a planetarium. I know for sure the Omni Theater is a separate ticket...not sure about the planetarium.

As for the Aquarium- I could take it or leave it. I think it's a bit pricey for what it is. Though they also have an IMAXX theater.

If you like shopping and eating, don't miss Quincy Market/Fanueil Hall/Haymarket Square. It's lots of fun and quite yummy.

There is also Old Ironsides aka The U.S.S. Constitution. They also have a nice museum. They are located at the Shipyard. You also may check and see if anything is going on at the Bayside Expo or the Boston Convention and Exhibitors Center.

http://www.bostonusa.com/visitor/visitor.php
The Peabody Museum in Essex, the Cordova
in Lincoln are worth a visit.

Regarding Red Sox tickets - yes, they are sold out. But checking 2 ticket broker sites (stubhub and aceticket) you could get tickets for either Cincinnati or Pittsburgh series (mid-June) for between $55-70 per ticket. I know that is a lot of money for a baseball game, but it is about actually only a little over 2 times face value of these tickets anyway - Red Sox tickets are very expensive at face value!

So depending on your budget and how much your kids want to see a game, it is not impossible. Others here have posted about success of getting tickets on street from scalper. While this is illegal, there are varying degrees of enforcement around Fenway. And I am not sure I would do it with my teens with me.

If you haven't seen them in your area, go see Blue Man Group at the Charles Playhouse. You will never see a more fun show and the kids will love it too. As posted before, take the Fenway Park tour. Unless the kids are into history, I would skip Plymouth Plantation. I enjoyed it, the kids were bored.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the great suggestions! It does sound like the Red Sox game is probably out, but we will take the Fenway Park tour.
Any more suggestions on places to eat, hotels, and things to see are welcome!

http://www.massvacation.com

I may be wrong, but isn't a fair chunk of the Impressionist collection on loan from the Boston Museum of Fine Art to one of the London museums through the summer?

In Salem there is a hotel centrally located called the Hawthorne. There are also a number of B and B's that the Chamber of Commerce could help you with. Don't forget to vis Marblehead next door to Salem, a quaint, historic town which has a beautiful harbor.
I too would skip Woodmans but down the road from it is a grat casual spot by the name of Farnums (both in Essex). For a special meal fo to the Lyceum in Salem. The North Shore is great. Enjoy it!

Check out the Marriott in Peabody for a family friendly hotel. It's right off the highway, Rt 128, with easy access to Rt. 1. Downtown Salem would about 15 minutes away on backroads, while Boston would be about 15 minutes away on highway, barring traffic. They have weekend specials with breakfast included, and an indoor pool.

In Salem, visit the Hawthorne House of 7 Gables and the Witch Museum (not House). The Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester is fascinating. You could combine your visit there with a visit to Rockport. Ipswich also has great seafood restaurants, and a wonderful Greek restaurant called Ithaki.

While in Boston, I'd do the Duck Tour and the Freedom Trail. I love the Isabella Stewart Gardnre Museum, and the Culinary Tour in the Italian Northend.

Have fun!