I am planning on travelling to Boston in November - I am attending a conference in November in Providence for 3 nights but have 4 nights at the end of the trip before I fly home (plus 1 night in Boston before the conf). I am looking for ideas to make the most of this time - thinking at the moment of a Patriots game, day trip to Salem (any other good day trips - prob using public transport rather than renting a car?), freedom trail...any other ideas? Also looking for recommendations for hotels in Boston - something small and boutique rather than the big brand hotels would be ideal. Thanks for any advice!

Re: Small & boutique hotels, these come to mind (no personal experience as I live here)

Back Bay area:
- Copley Sq Hotel http://www.copleysquarehotel.com/
- Eliot Hotel http://www.eliothotel.com/
- The Colonnade http://www.colonnadehotel.com/
- Back Bay hotel http://www.doylecollection.com/locat...bay_hotel.aspx
- Lenox http://www.lenoxhotel.com/
- Charlesmark http://charlesmarkhotel.com/

Near Faneuil Hall/historic core:
- Ames Hotel http://www.ameshotel.com/
- XV Beacon http://www.xvbeacon.com/
- Nine Zero http://www.ninezero.com/
- Beacon Hill Hotel http://www.beaconhillhotel.com/

Salem is a fine day trip destination. Other day trip suggestions (via public transport) would be Concord, Gloucester, and Rockport. I believe you can also reach Newburyport via commuter rail, but I don't know how close the train station is from the sights.

Also, I don't know what your interests are, but the BRAND NEW American Wing of the Museum of Fine Arts is expected to open November 2010. It's going to be phenomenal: http://www.mfa.org/thenewmfa/

I would recommend the Inn at St. Botolph, a very pleasant and centrally located hotel on Clarendon Street in the Back Bay.

I have heard rave reviews from family and friends that have stayed at the inn.

See http://www.innatstbotolph.com/

Patriots have only 1 home game in Nov - the 21st - and tickets are among the toughest to get. Ticket broker, scalper, on-line secondary market are your only options.

MBTA.com - go to commuter rail section - and check train schedules to Salem and other places - trains run primarily at rush hour. If you go to Salem, Peabody Essex Museum is good - far better than all the witch stuff. Rockport is also a nice day trip on the train.

They do tours of Fenway Park in the off season and if you are interested in baseball or baseball parks, that is another possibility.

If you are traveling solo, you might be able to get a single ticket for the patriots game. Try now...tickets went on sale a couple of weeks ago, and there seem to be some scattered singles available.

A good place to try and get tickets online for hard-to-score sports events (and that will likely be true for the Patriots) is at StubHub. It is apparently possible to take commuter rail to Foxborough on game days -- check the MBTA's website for details.

Actually, the commuter rail trains run fairly often between Boston and Salem. Agreed that the Peabody-Essex Museum is a must up there, and also consider such other options as the House of the Seven Gables and the Salem Maritime National Historic Site (both are architecture related tours). Opinion is definitely divided here on the Salem Witch Museum -- I thought it was worth a visit -- but no question that it's certainly better than the other witch-related attractions here.

I'm not sure there will be much open in Rockport in November. Gloucester strikes me as a somewhat better option that time of year -- at least the Cape Ann Historical Museum should be open, some art studios may still open their doors on the Rocky Neck arts colony area, and the downtown should have several open shops.

Need recommendations for things to do in boston. My son and I will be there in late September for 3days.
I enjoy history and ships/water.

Walk and tour the Freedom Trail. The USS Constitution is going into dry dock for repairs for a couple of years but may still be open in September. Take a harbor cruise or a whale watch. Take the ferry to Salem and explore-- go to the Peabody Essex Museum there.

Take a tour of Fenway Park, visit the Boston Public Library, and Trinity Church. Visit the somewhat new American Wing at the Museum of Fine Arts. Take the subway to Quincy and visit the Adams National Historical Park. And to continue on the President's theme, go to the JFK Library. Then if you have time visit the campus of Harvard in Cambridge.

jeanmachine, you might want to start a new thread, this is from 2010!