boston itinerary
 

We are planning a week-long trip to Boston over July 4. We are going to spend one night in Martha's Vineyard, and then will drive to Boston and stay at the Colonnade. I got a great rate, so we canceled our Omni Parker reservations. It sounds like it is a good spot to stay with teen boys and is centrallly located.

I am trying to put together an itinerary that will be both efficient and fun. Anyone have any input? We want to do a Duck Tour, Fenway Tour (Sox are out of town that week) JFK Library, Freedom Trail, North End, and Harvard Square. We also want to allow time for shopping, etc. The places we definitely want to eat are Durgin Park, Jasper White's Seafood, Pizzeria Regina and Olde Oyster House. I have heard Thornton's and Charlie's Sandwich Shop are good for breakfast, which isn't included in our lodging. Our budget is moderate, and our kids are pretty much up for anything both high and low end.

We also plan to drive to Salem/Cape Ann/southern coast of Maine one day for a day-trip. Also, any fireworks viewing tips or plan for July 4? Any tips would be great!

If you're going for a day trip, and want to do a great beach day trip, I suggest driving an hour North to Hampton Beach in New Hampshire. Your boys will love it, and so will you. Great boardwalk with a ton of entertainment/food, with a great beach and lots of activities. It's a great little drive from Boston!

As for while in town, Museum of Fine Arts is great.
And I highly recommend taking a stroll along Memorial Drive. It's beautiful.
Fireworks: Here's a plan that I'm doing with some friends. Renting a huge canoe (6 people can fit) for about $115 total, so not bad if you split it. Go on the Charles River, don't have to deal with the crowds, and get the best view of the fireworks!

Forgot to mention,
you must do the Aquarium!
It's a lot of fun! Not to mention, it's a great area to walk around, see planes take off, IMAX theater, the harbor, lots of little boat tours. And what's nice, is that it's a 2 minute walk to the North End and to Quincy Market, another must see!

Do the skywalk at the top of the Prudential Center; it gives an incredible view of Boston and has a great audio tour. My daughter, who is 13, loved the Science Center. The old State House, where the Declaration of Independence was first read to Bostonians from a balcony facing England, impressed me; my daughter~not so much. A stroll in the North End is lovely, and a stop for cannolis at Mike's Pastries is a must. Gigi's Gelateria had an exquisite grapefruit gelato that was on par with the gelato I had in Rome. As far as restaurants, the clam chowder at the Black Rose was served in some of the best bread I've ever eaten! Bricco in the North End is somewhat pricey, but it's obvious why it was voted one of the top ten restaurants in the country~the gnocchi was fabulous.

The places you mention are standard "musts" on many lists for Boston visitors and they are all fine - but like many "musts" are not the best restaurants in town. It is fun to eat at historic places on vacation and also nice to be able to discuss with others upon your return. So I am not talking you out of any of them. Just some impressions for a local.

Durgin Park used to be really famous for huge portions of homestyle food with really rude waitresses. Both aspects have mellowed out over the years, partly due to the fact that the location is now a thriving retail area - I remember when it was creepy warehouses.

Jasper White's Summer Shack seems to stir strong emotions here. I love the Cambridge (Ion the red line of MBTA at Alewife stop) location. I do not like the Boston location at all. Strange, since it is a local 3-restaurant chain and one would not expect such a difference.

Reginas - I also remember when it was just one location with great pizza. Now it is multiple locations with great pizza.

Union Oyster House. It has some sort of historic claim like oldest restaurant in Boston, Mass, US, the universe - I am not sure which. Good food, especially fun to sit at bar and get fresh-shucked oysters if that is your thing.

July4th.org is website listing all sorts of activities specific to the holiday. Boston does it as a whole week - partly because of history, but mainly because summer is so short here, we need to play up every minute.

The fireworks are associated with a concert on the Esplanade (a long thin park along the Charles River). It is packed, and if you wanted to hear concert, you have to park yourself on the ground for 12 hours before concert to get a spot. There are other viewing spots along River - website should give you some guidance.

From Long Wharf (where the NE Aquarium is), you can take all sorts of boat tours. There are boats to Provincetown, whale watching cruises, tours of the harbor islands, etc. I've probably done them all at one time or another and they make for a great day out on the water.

Also, the MBTA runs a boat from Long Wharf to the Charlestown Navy Yard across the harbor where the U.S.S. Constitution is docked. Being part of the mass transit system, the boat ride only costs a few dollars and provides a little tour of the harbor. They run constantly throughout the day.

Definitely walk the classic Boston neighborhoods -- North End, Beacon Hill, Back Bay. I love Regina's pizzas (still miss them!) -- be sure to find the one in the North End (the original.)

I'll have to disagree about Hampton Beach. It's a cheesy place with T shirt shops and will be packed to the gills over July 4th. If you want to go to a more quintessential New England beach, I'd recommend either Singing Beach in Manchester by the sea or Good Harbor in Gloucester.

If you want to get a good spot to watch the 4th of July concert on the Esplanade, you'll have to get there early. But if you just want to watch the fireworks, you can hop on to Storrow Drive at Exeter or Fairfield streets very easily and have a good view.

The Union Oyster House is plenty historic but really lousy food-wise, unless you stick to oysters and beer at the bar. For starters, they've been known to pre-open raw oysters for table service, though they open them fresh to people sitting at the bar. They have a menu much like Durgin Park, but Durgin Park has notably better food -- DP is the best place to get old fashioned Yankee cuisine comfort food faves like pot roast, potted beef with onions, prime rib, Indian pudding with vanilla ice cream, coffee jello, and such.

Jasper White's (Cambridge and Boston outlets) is also not good -- weak food, high prices, and very noisy digs if it's not empty. A significantly better seafood option is Neptune Oyster, not far from Faneuil Hall in the North End.

Pizzeria Regina is an excellent choice as long as you go to the original location on Thacher Street in the North End -- it's arguably the best pizza in the area. But note that the other Pizzeria Regina outlets, especially in food arcades and such (like in the Faneuil Hall food court) are pretty ordinary compared to the original.

A good place to find reliable food recommendations is the Chowhound website.

Haven't been to Thornton's, but Charlie's is first-rate for breakfast.

As for North End restaurants, there are to my mind better options than Bricco. Check out my research here:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/448599

I agree with wyatt92 about considering beach options other than Great Hampton unless you really want a boardwalk. In addition to the ones he mentions on cape Ann, Crane Beach is in Ipswich is very nice.

IMO you don't have to go as far as the southern coast of Maine--the MA coast north of Boston has some beautiful spots. Cape Ann plus Salem plus somewhere in Maine would be a lot to try to cover in one day.

Maybe think about going out to Lexington and concord for a day trip

In Boston I recommend spending some time exploring Beacon Hill which is not on the Freedom Trail but is a beautiful historic area. There is a Black Heritage trail that is very interesting

Thanks for all the good suggestions! There is so much to see and do in Boston (and so many good restaurants) that it is overwhelming to plan. I appreciate the help--I am addicted to planning now I have some new ideas to research!

No matter what any one says, IMHO, Legal's has the best simple seafood.
Henrietta's Table would be fun. You may sit outside opposite the legal's there(at the Charles Hotel Courtyard)
There will be a farmers'market there on Sundays.
The colonnade is one of the few hotels that has a swimming pool.

A drive out to Springfield to visit the NBA Hall of Fame might be fun--especially if weather gets bad--everything is indoors and there are lots of interactive displays. I'm not a huge BB fan, but I enjoyed it--even made a basket! (the entire downstairs is a basketball gym)

Go on the duck/tram tour as soon as possible. The tour will incorporate most of the places you have mentioned. That way you will get your bearings and decide where you want to return to, or because the tour is hop-on hop-off you can get off and look around, then catch another tram.I'd say the "must sees" are the Harbour area and Quincey Market.(both in same area).

I am not sure what a duck/tram tour is - there are duck tours, fun, a little expensive, that give history-lite and go on both land and Charles River. This is certainly NOT a hop on/hop off thing (unless you want to get run over or drown)

Then there are the trolley tours, similar to what they have in most cities. I admit since I live here, I have never been on one, even when we take visitors around. Most of Boston is so walkable and close - or a few short MBTA stops away. And some of the smaller, more interesting and historic streets will not allow them. Can't say definitely skip it, but not on my "musts" list.

For your one day coastal trip, I would suggest a beach in either Rockport or Gloucester. Then head into Rockport for some shopping and to eat.

I am not a huge Salem fan, with exception of Peabody Essex Museum. All that witch stuff is a little hokey for me. You don't need to go as far as NH or Maine, unless your kids want to check a state off their "have been to" list.

Hampton Beach all the way. Your boys will love you. Girls, girls, girls....their age. Give them some money for the arcades and you won't see them all day..unless they need more money. It's a right of passage to hang on the beach with your peers and NOT your parents.
The beach is clean, wide, great waves and so well patrolled by the police. The cops don't take any B.S. Don't even crack a beer on the beach because they will hear it. LOL
Also do a harbor cruise in Boston out to Georges Island from the National Park Service. A very large Civil War Fort. Bring lunch and drinks and have a nice picnic. This is the best. I do it every year. The views into the city are a Kodak moment.

I can't say enough about Pizzeria Regina-- I was there just last night! Of course, I am talking only about the one in the North End-a little hard to find if you're not from the area, but great- and the boys will love it. Jukebox for them to peruse while waiting for the pizza. Then walk up to get pastry at Mike's Pastry, or if you want to sit down, I'd suggest Cafe Vittoria- just next door for espresso drinks. It's a north end icon too. You can easily walk to Fanuiel Hall, which is a must see, but don't expect too much- a lot of mall type stores have moved in. The boys will like Urban Outfitters there for really cool, non touristy t-shirts. And there is a push cart (yes, mall type) nearby with every iteration of Boston RedSox baseball hat you can imagine.
Jasper White's in Cambridge near Alewife is great, I haven't been to other locations.
The Duck Tours are nice, but pricey- they are always crowded, so they must be doing something right. No on off on the Duck Tour. Going to Olde Oyster House is not something a local does, and I haven't been there.
I think the Museum Fine Arts have free entrance on Weds nights- check that out. Boys might not like too much- they do have a Sumo Wrestling exibit now that is interesting maybe for them. The impressionists are amazing, as are the Copleys. Egyptian and Asian collections are very highly regarded if that's your thing.
OK-- here is the thing about the fireworks. If you want to lay out a blanket and view the Pops, then yes, you have to get there 12 hours or so ahead. BUT if you want to get nearby and listen (and they have speakers strung out pretty far- further than you can view the esplanade.) then the 4 of you can snake your way along between the crowds and get close to the action. You won't be able to get directly in front of the hatch shell where the concert is, but I would rather do it this way than waste a day on a blanket and getting cross when other blankets start impinging on your real estate. You guys can make your way across the crowds to the water and even over a bridge to the very skinny outer islands that fringe the esplanade.
- July 4th in Boston is AWESOME. There is so much to do- make sure you check out the official guide- and I'm sure it's online too for all the events. Chowderfest is fun, but you have to drink a lot of shot glass size chowder to get filled up IMO.

Beaches-- I've never been to Hampton Beach- sounds a little cheesy, but maybe your boys will like the arcade atmosphere? If looking for more quiet beach- check out Wingaersheek- at low tide you can walk 100 yards out into the water. Or singing beach, or Crane's. In Essex there is a kayak renting facility- easy to learn and fun for teenagers. Kayak tour might be a nice change of pace for something active. Also, there is a fried seafood place in Essex- Woodman's- it's great. Lot's of antiquing in Essex.

Beaches opinion. Hampton Beach (southern NH) is cheesey and cheap. North Hampton Beach, a little further north, has parking meters along beach and is much less cheesey. The NH coastline is just a very few short miles long and despite what the Dept of Tourism tells you, it is not all that great. Beaches are fairly rocky, narrow, crowded. And you have to pay tolls on highway to drive there.

Maine - some nice beaches in southern Maine, but why drive all that way for ice cold water, rocks, and not much else you can't get closer to Boston for your day trip.

Cape Ann, Massachusetts. Singing Beach (Manchester by the Sea) has NO PARKING for non-residents. Any Gloucester Beach is nice, but will charge you $20-25 for parking. Wingersheek is flat, no waves ever, great for little kids, not sure how your teens would like it, but has refreshment stand and bathrooms.

Rockport - Front and Back Beach - nice, but small. If you are lucky you can get street parking. And you are close to quaint Rockport for shopping and eating.

Seafood. Woodman's is the tourist favorite - along the line of the other restaurants on your list. Locals often prefer other places, but the food is fine at Woodmans and you can say you have been to someplace in the "1000 places to see before you die" book.

Essex (home to Woodman's) does not have beaches, but marshes, birds, antique shops, photo ops.

You will get all sorts of arguments here about which place, restaurant, beach, sights are THE BEST. Be assured that this is local bickering - probably the favorite pastime in Massachusetts. It really is all good - try anything mentioned in posts above and you will likely have a great trip - everyone just thinks their ideas are better (me included).

Gee that $1.00 toll into New Hampshire sure is a killer. Or is it $1.25 this year. But everyone knows you exit before you hit the tolls.
http://hamptonbeach.com/attractionsinhamptonbeach.html
Anywhere you go that week will be EXTREMELY crowded.

Bachslunch: Interesting project;I love your north end restaurant list. I try to go to a different place each time and end up walking up and down the streets trying to remember which places I've already been to.

I was struck that your excellent list includes both high and low end places. If I remember correctly Umberto's is the kind of place you stand in line for a slice of pizza; it was excellent and cheap. At the same time, Prezza's is the most expensive place I've eaten in the NE and I thought it was just ok.

The Freedom Trail will take you into the North End, so you can plan your North End dining (Regina's, or somewhere else) around that.

The Duck Tours are very pricey. I had relatives visiting last summer and planned to take them . . . but the cost was way too prohibitive. We road the Swan Boats in the Public Garden instead, but your boys may not want to do something that innocent and childlike.

We live on the North Shore, and when teens my kids always enjoyed Gloucester. If you drive up, you can visit Hammond Castle on the way--you could get off the highway at, say, Beverly and hug the coast all the way north. Watch the DVD of Perfect Storm before your trip, and they'll enjoy seeing some of the sights in Gloucester. If you decide to take a whale watch, you can do so out of Gloucester.

If you decide to visit Salem, beware of cheesy "museums," and visit the Peabody Essex, pem.org, which has an entire Chinese house reconstructed inside. It's pretty amazing.

Harvard Square is a must: a good choice. Our kids--now college age--still love going there. There's great Indian food there, if they're adventurous eaters. If not, you all might like Fire + Ice restaurant, http://www.fire-ice.com. Years ago, this forum suggested eating there for a teen birthday, and it was a bit hit.

IF YOUr at the Colonnade...your practicall yacross from theDuck Tour.. that is a must..bur make reservations NOW..We are recentlly received a McCormick and Smith gift certificate .. in Park Square nd contrry to chowhound people..it was very, very good.. We like Skipjacks i8n Copley Square and Legal with so many retstaurants and the chowder being made in their commissary Im wary..If your going to go to a museum.. make it the Garrdner.. orif your going to Salem.. the Peabody Museum is an absolute jewel. Mikes Pastry.. its well worth the walk in the Noth End.

I meant the duck OR tram tour.Of course it's the tram (or trolley) tour that is hop-on hop-off.Sorry for any confusion.We were just glad to go on this on the first day to get our bearings, as all places of interest do not seem to be within walking distance. i.e. Harvard especially if you have limited time.

I meant the duck OR tram tour.Of course it's the tram (or trolley) tour that is hop-on hop-off.Sorry for any confusion.We were just glad to go on this on the first day to get our bearings, as all places of interest do not seem to be within walking distance. i.e. Harvard, especially if you have limited time.

Many of the Boston things to see are within walking distance (1/2 - 1 mile). The reason Harvard Square is not is that it is not in Boston, it is in Cambridge.

If heading north out of Boston to the Rockport area, you might want to stop off in Revere at Kelly's which is a local spot for great roast beef sandwiches, lobster rolls, fried clams, onion rings...etc. It's an outdoor stand and you can park across the street, and eat overlooking the ocean. The teens will love it there.

Also if looking for a beach that's close, Revere beach is ok, won't be as crowded as some of the others mentioned and is the closest to Boston.

The kids may enjoy watching the John Adams 7 part series on Showtime before heading to Boston and try to find some of the buildings mentioned.

Rather than a drive out of Boston for the day, consider taking the fast ferry to Provicetown as a day trip. The teens will love P-town for it's eclectic mix of a fishing village, Portugese culture, great food, mixed shopping and during that week a n atmosphere of a 24/7 party. You may see some whales along the way as well.

There have been some great recs for Boston here. I also love to visit the state house and just walk around for a bit.

And on the Freedom Trail I enjoy climbing the Bunker Hill Monument.

As for beaches, I really like Seabrook Beach in NH...just south of Hampton. It's more of a family beach. But I'm not sure there is any public parking around.

Seabrook also has a clam shack called Ceal's. I LOVE their lobster roll and fries. And Markey's is great for lobster and steamers.

If you aren't from a big city with a good selection of Chinese restaurants you might enjoy going to Chintatown for dinner or dim sum

If you were going to do a day trip, would it be to Martha's Vineyard, the north shore or P-town via the ferry? Can't decide. On the one hand, want to drive north to hit New Hampshire and southern Maine (someone posted about doing it just to say the kids have been in a new state, and that's kind of the idea behind it) so maybe that's not the best idea. I love the idea of Martha's Vineyard, but am afraid it might be too much in one day. So maybe Provincetown is the best option. Is the best whale watching out of Provincetown? Any thoughts?

I would definitely not attempt Martha's Vineyard as a day trip from Boston.

Provincetown by ferry is certainly possible. It will be very crowded. There are whale watching trips there and on the north shore

My husband's family would say go for the north shore/NH/southern Maine trip in order to count the extra states. I am not such a fan of visiting different states but I do love the north shore area for the seafood, beaches, historic towns.

Let me just add to the chorus...Martha's Vineyard is a very tough day trip. Its long, its a little hard to get around once there (relying on buses and the like) and its really just not worth it.

I think Ptown would be very relaxing and fun.

Just to make sure things are clear, when Boston residents, (well Massachusetts residents) say "north shore" around here, we mean the coastal area north of Boston, within Massachusetts, and NOT Maine or New Hampshire. I think the area around southern Maine and Portsmouth NH is really nice, and pretty, but again, kind of a lot for a day trip. I think if you wanted to make a day trip to the coast somewhere, and walk around cute villages and see the ocean, I would choose Salem and Rockport, which you can drive to fairly easily or even take the commuter rail, and would be a nice way to spend the day.

MV is a long day trip and will not do the island justice - you need at least an overnight.

A trip to Provincetown a much better idea - if you can fit in Arts Dune Tours - the boys would love that -

Other options: the fast ferry to Salem - that will get you on the water, and to Salem -

or stick to the Boston Harbor Isl cruises - go out to Spectacle Island or George's, or several -

What are the boys interests?
Harvard Museum of Natural History might interest them more than MFA - depending on their interests -

With teen boys I would definitely do the duck tour as an overview, early on - nix the trolley tours b/c they can likely walk everywhere and would enjoy more -

Definitely visit the tourist bureau on the corner of Boston Common (tremont st side) and go inside - great brochures and helpful assistance on ideas for all the things you mention wanting to do and everything mentioned here -

Thanks again for all the great advice--so many good ideas! I'm in the process of putting together an itinerary. (Half the fun is always in the planning!)Anyway, if we do MV, it will be as an overnight stay on Sunday. If not/regardless, we will head to Boston on Monday. I did change the reservations from the Colonnade to the Sheraton--got an even better rate. Bad idea, or comparable hotels?

Anyone want to help me weave together the itinerary for each day in Boston? We will be there for five days, leaving on Saturday, July 5. What I'm trying to do is make a tentative plan for which places make sense to see on the same day. For example, I think it's probably a good idea to do the JFK Museum and then check out Harvard Square and eat at Mr. Bartley's on one day. But how should I group the rest of the things we want to do in Boston: Duck Tour, Freedom Trail (about a half day and then the kids will be sick of it) Fenway Tour, Boston Common, Swan Boats, North End. Which make sense to do together on the same day?

Our kids are both boys, ages 13 and 16. Both love sports, one is a history buff.

For a day trip, if we don't do MV, we will go to Provincetown by fast ferry. If not, we will drive up the coast (at least stopping at Woodman's) and maybe even go into southern Maine if it seems like a good idea at the time.

I'd suggest doing the Duck Tour on Day 1, given that'll give you a better idea of where's where and layout of the city.

You can do Freedom Trail + North End on the same day, as it sounds like you won't be able to finish the trail.

Boston Common (+ State House? not sure if it's open to public) and Swan boats should be on the same day as they're next to one another. You probably will have time for the Fenway tour on the same day.

On Tursday and Friday (July 3 and 4), downtown will be mobbed, because of the special concerts on the Esplanade. Another reason to take your Duck tour early in the week!

Boston is a walking city; if you haven't already gotten a good street map, do it now and mark the places you want to see.

Your boys are 13 and 16 so all they are going to want to do is walk by the swan boats. That will take about 5 minutes maximum, if that - the swan boats are a classic Boston memory - but they are slow paddle boats and good for little kids, teens are certainly not going to want to wait in line to ride on one around a body of water they can walk around - so you will see them as you stroll through the Garden - cut up to the corner if you want so you can walk by the Make Way for Ducklings statue - and cross the street into Boston Common -
walk down to the far corner near Tremont and go to that large tourist information center -

As far as your other itinerary ideas:

If you think you are staying overnight on MV around July 4 , you best make your reservations asap -

otherwise, go with the day trip to Provincetown -

Also, if you do an overnight on MV - you will either need to rent a jeep for the two days or use the bus system - which is good, but just letting you know -
or do it by moped or bicycles - you would need to do some thinking on how much of the island you want to see and how you are going to do that.

As far as other things:

I think it's probably a good idea to do the JFK Museum and then check out Harvard Square and eat at Mr. Bartley's on one day.

*Personally, I wouldn't do JFK and Harvard Square in the same day - they are in opposite directions -
I would take the T to JFK Museum right after breakfast and when you are finished, see what kind of time you have left and choose something for the afternoon -

I would rather see you also do Harvard Square one day in the afternoon and work it into the evening -

I don't think the kids will be sick of the Freedom Trail if you do it right - get the info at that tourist center or print it from their web page online -

I have found the most successful way with our visitors is to walk the trail on our 'own time' - where we can spend as little or as much time on each part as we want - and along the way we interrupt it with other things - lunch, ice cream, shopping, a break in Faneuil Hall area with some street performers, seeing other things along the way - that way it isn't a 'boring historical walk' for the teens -

Also, think of splitting it up - and doing half the trail one day and half another.

I wouldn't go out of my way to eat at Woodman's their clams aren't that special. Just up the road is a nice restaurant called Periwinkles overlooking the water in Essex. Better and cheaper than Woodmans.

"Personally, I wouldn't do JFK and Harvard Square in the same day - they are in opposite directions -
I would take the T to JFK Museum right after breakfast and when you are finished, see what kind of time you have left and choose something for the afternoon -
I would rather see you also do Harvard Square one day in the afternoon and work it into the evening - "

But that's exactly why it makes sense to do the JFK Library and Harvard Square on the same day! Go to the JFK in the morning, then get back on the Red Line and take it straight to Harvard Square for the afternoon (and possibly evening as well). Frankly the JFK Library isn't in the same direction as anything else you're likely to do.

But I do agree that the boys are likely to just want a quick look at the Swan Boats, rather than an actual ride on them. Start in the Back Bay (at your hotel or the Arlington T stop), walk through the Public Garden and Common, go to the info booth at the far corner of the Common on Tremont near Park Street, then either start the Freedom Trail or take the Red Line from Park Street to the stop for the JFK Library.

Can't vouch for Woodman's; the last time I was there, the Nixon resignation was on the TV.

For your itinerary in Boston: part of of the Freedom trail is in the North End (Paul Revere's House, Old North Church, Copp's Hill Burying Ground) so you don't have to plan a separate time to go there

As noted in another post you could do parts of the trail at different times which might make sense if you want to stop at many of the 16 "official sites" along the way

http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/visitor/visitor.html

Although it is true that JFK library and Harvard Square are in opposite directions, both are on the red line of the T so it would be easy to go from one to the other once you are on the T. It would just mean passing back through Boston en route