BOSTON next week! Please critique itinerary.
 

This trip has been 10 months in the making. As soon as the 2009 baseball schedule came out last November, we decided that we wanted to see our home team (Go Angels!) play at Fenway. We are in our late 30's [going on 29 ;)] traveling with our friends, another couple who are in their late 20's! We're leaving the kids at home with grandma and grandpa. After all, Boston is a drinking town! :) We're all interested in history, seeing iconic sites and baseball, of course!

First, we will be staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Downtown Boston (redeeming points). We will not be renting a car. How much can I expect to our taxi fare to be from Logan?

Second, how will Red Sox Nation react to opposing fans? We plan on wearing our Angels gear.....maybe not head to toe, but are we asking for trouble? I really don't want to endure 9 innings of mockery, peanuts and beer getting thrown at me, etc. But we are there to cheer our home team. And no, we're aren't obnoxious. We've seen the Angels play at different stadiums, and so far, the experience has been good.

Here's our itinerary. I hope it's not TOO jam packed with activity, and that we can take our time and hopefully sleep in a couple mornings and afford a short nap in the afternoon. Is there anything that we might be missing? I'm certain that we are not interested in a Duck Tour. Any suggestions for dining options or pubs/bars are welcome!

Day 1 - arrive at Logan in the afternoon. Dinner at Union Oyster House. Drinks at historic pubs: The Bell in Hand, The Point, The Green Dragon Tavern. It's the same pubs that the Freedom Trail pub crawl visits ~ there was an article that I printed out a while back, but it is no longer available on-line.

Day 2 - AM's Free Walking Tour which will cover the bulk of the Freedom Trail, parts of Downtown, Beach Hill and the West End. We can go back to check out the things of interest or sites we missed. Then lunch at the replica Cheers at Faneuil Hall (I know it's touristy but it's on our 'must see' list) and walk around Quincy Market. Dinner at the Daily Catch in the North End. After dinner, hit up the local pubs near our hotel.

Day 3 - Original Cheers/Bull & Finch for photo op. Public Garden and ride the Swan Boats. Possible Fenway Ball Park Tour. Fenway bars for pre-game festivities (we know to get there early!) and then the game (we got tickets the day they went on sale!).

Day 4 - Take commuter rail to Salem. Self-guided walking tour along Salem Heritage trails, including the McIntyre District. The Old Spot has been recommended for dinner and drinks. Salem Ghost Tour @ 8pm.

Day 5 - Spend the day at the Boston Waterfront. Lunch at Yankee Lobster Fish Market for a lobster roll. Beer tasting tour at Harpoon Brewery. Top of the Hub at the Prudential for pre-dinner drinks and a view of Boston. Dinner & bar hopping in Back Bay.

Day 6 - Depart Boston for LA early morning.

There are several Holiday Inns in Boston. Are you staying at the one on Friend Street, near North Station?

I'm not a sports fan so can't help there...
Be flexible on day 5 if fog descends and the view from the Top of the Hub is non existent... it happens! Otherwise I like day 5... no sports or ghost ;)

Day 2.. if it rains you might want to reconsider a duck tour to replace the Freedom Trail walk. The duck tour really covers most of the important historical parts of the trail and is more comfortable in inclement weather.
Just wondering but did you initially rule it out because of the cost or for some other reason?

Enjoy!

We're staying at the HI Express on Friend. From the looks of it on the map, it seems like a central location.

Yes, we ruled it out because of the cost. We would rather walk and soak in the city that way. I've noticed that there are some showers in the forecast. Being from Southern California, rain/showers are a BIG DEAL. We're talking showers, not thunderstorms, right?

<i>Day 2 - AM's Free Walking Tour which will cover the bulk of the Freedom Trail, parts of Downtown, Beach Hill and the West End. We can go back to check out the things of interest or sites we missed.</i>

Which day of the week will you be doing this? The AM tour is only available Wed-Sun in September.

Not sure what you mean by Beach Hill and West End. Perhaps you mean Beacon Hill? West End doesn't exist anymore.

---------------------
<i>Day 3 - Original Cheers/Bull & Finch for photo op. Public Garden and ride the Swan Boats.</i>

Swan boats are fun for kids, but I don't see the allure for adults. You can see the Swan boats when you walk around the pond and over the bridges in the Public Gardens.

-----------------------
<i>Day 5 - Spend the day at the Boston Waterfront. </i>

??? What do you have in mind ??? I definitely won't recommend that. How about hopping over to Cambridge and tour the Harvard campus?
------------------------

BTW, you should each get a 7-day transport pass for the T. It's the best deal for your stay.

P.S. I hope you are staying at the HI Express on Friend Street. I think it's a new hotel.

It's probably too early to know exactly what the weather will be like and how wet it will be but heavy showers would mean you'd 'get soaked' rather than 'soak in the city'. :)
At least the forecast looks like it might rain only once or twice next week.
Be flexible... check the weather again before you leave and bring an umbrella if necessary.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. No rain dancing!

Sorry, I meant to type in Beacon Hill. The weather has been fantastic here, and I think I had *beach* on my mind :P

I'm aware that the AM tour is available on specific days as per the website. However, I've been in contact with the owner of the tour. The times of his tours keep changing, which in turn, changes the itinerary.

As far as the the Swan Boats, we're like big kids. At least the girls in the group are. So our plan is to ride the boats!

We may hit up the museums there, and like I mentioned, go to the Harpoon Brewery. This is our relaxing day, so I didn't have too much planned before dinner that night.

Thank you for the suggestion of getting the 7-day pass. Is this something that we can get at any T stop?

Thank you sassy_cat! Checking the 10-day weather forecast in Boston is on my things to do list everyday until we get on that plane! :)

The Swan Boats are fun for adults also.
Artu Restaurant at the North End is very good
Visit Fanueil Hall and the Market
JFK Library is interesting
Into Art? Isabella Gardner Museum
If you like Indian Food, Kashmir on Newbury Street is fantastic
Boston has a very efficient and easy metro system.
Theatre district is a good walk
Not much to see at the harbor
Have fun---Boston is one of my favorite cities

Thank you jojuice! We like art museums, but the other couple made it clear that they aren't into art, though we all would be interested in the JFK Museum, but it wasn't a must for any of us. Maybe it's something we can do if we have time.

I would try to persuade you from eating at the Cheers replica, but it is YOUR TRIP. If you have your heart set on it, then more power to you. ;-)

I have been to Boston/Cambridge several times. I love it there so much. Faneuil Hall is fun for the first 30 mins (If you are watching the street performers) but it loses its appeal quick. The shopping is what you can find anywhere. There really is no local color to speak of (and the few exclusive "Boston" items are very overpriced) I think you should check it out and then decide if you want to stay (better street performers can be found in the T stations! I have bought a couple of CDs from the talent because they were that good!)

Also, the subway system is so easy to navigate and it is just fun! (You can very easily take public transit from the airport if you want to)

I disagree that the Swan Boats are not fun for adults. Bring a camera. It is a relaxing and beautiful ride around the pond!

I love that you are going to the waterfront on your day 5. The brewery tour and Fish Mrkt are excellent choices ... but they will not occupy a whole day.

Personally, I would skip Salem this time because you will only be skinning the surface of Boston and you haven't even got anything planned for Cambridge! (The area around Harvard ... and MIT as well is so fun and so full of things to do!)

Daily Catch is a great choice! Be sure to go to Maria's Pastry shop!! (The best in all North End - maybe even in the whole United States!)

No one is going to bother you as an Angels fan.

Use this link to check out your seats: http://www.preciseseating.com/index.php

Hopstop.com will help you get around on the train.

Use boston.com to find out what is going on throughout the area.

Use this link to find out about your taxi ride from Logan: http://www.worldtaximeter.com/

Enjoy the game and the city.

I was looking on-line at the directory for Faneuil Hall, and I was surprised at how regular the stores are. We're pretty flexible, so if we get bored, we'll move on.

And we do have our hearts set on Salem. I know that a day isn't enough, but the group as a whole voted to go there!

I think we'll end up taking a cab to and from the airport due to our luggage. We'll have 2 bags each, and that's a lot to navigate in a bus or subway.

Now, how about my question in my original post about how Red Sox Nation treats opposing fans? Are we asking for trouble by advertising the opposing team?

fdxeng ~ thank you! You answered my questions!

Yes, the HI Express on Friend Street is an excellent location; the other HI Expresses in the Boston area aren't, but some have names that could be misleading.

I'm not quite clear on your travel dates, but wanted you to know that Sunday, September 20 is the final day of the Swan Boat season.

Do not bother monitoring the 10-day forecast. The forecast is never accurate even 24 hours in advance. (If you don't believe me, monitor forecast vs reality for yourself for a couple of days!) You are better-off looking at the average temps and precipitation for the past decade or two. Come prepared for the worst (cold rain) and hope for the best. Thunderstorms are nothing to worry about, as they rarely last more than half an hour.

Remember that the members of the group aren't chained together and it's OK to split up if you have different interests (e.g., museum vs shopping), and might even be better than too much togetherness.

You are welcome.

Also, use www.yelp.com to find places to go, eat, etc. It is a reliable resource and I use it all the time.

<<<Be sure to go to Maria's Pastry shop!! (The best in all North End - maybe even in the whole United States!)>>>

I beg to differ LOL! I just recently completed my own personal cannoli tasting, and in our opinion, the best are still Mike's, followed by Maria's, followed by Modern. It can't hurt to try 'em all :-)

Can't you take the T to Fenway?

Anonymous ~ you're so right about the group separating and doing their own thing. As for the weather, average temps look good for this time of year.

fdxeng ~ I LOVE YELP! That's where I found a lot of the 'recommendations' for restaurants.

sf7307 ~ yes, I believe we can take the T to Fenway. That's what we're planning anyway! =)

halogal, you had asked about the taxi fare -- that's why I asked the question. Maybe I missed something in one of the responses!

Okay, that was stupid - you asked about the taxi fare "from Logan", and I read "to Fenway". It's been a long day!

That's ok! It HAS been a long day. But just one closer to our Boston trip! =)

Yes, no worries about being an Angels fan at Fenway. You might get some friendly ribbing but I'm sure you'll have a great experience.

I think spending time near the waterfront is a great idea, you could walk along the Rose Kennedy Greenway, very pretty.

The JFK Library is underrated I think, the location on the harbor is very picturesque and the library itself is great. No big deal if you miss it but it's definitely a worthwhile place to spend a few hours.

I like the Cask N Flagon pregame and the roofdeck of the Baseball Tavern postgame. Game On is also fun pre or post game.

Have fun!

The folks of Red Sox Nation are usually pleasant to everyone in the park who's not a Sox fan, unless perhaps you're a Yankees fan.

And if you're going to go to the Union Oyster House, I'd strongly suggest just sitting at the bar for raw oysters and beer for the best experience. The food and service there are awful, and if you want to assure your oysters are freshly opened (not pre-opened who knows when), be at the bar to watch them do this. You'll get significantly better Yankee Style comfort food at Durgin Park in Faneuil Hall. I'm a local -- and I do go to Durgin Park sometimes, but won't set foot in the Union Oyster House.

If one of your group decides to skip the Swan boats then they get to take the photos of the 'sailors'...

The boats have been around for over 125 years (I have a '125th anniversary of the Swan boats' magnet on my refrigerator but I'm not sure how long it's been there!).

For your trip to Salem, make sure you know when the trains are heading back to Boston, as they are commuters trains and end early evening. You could get stuck in Salem.

THe Cheers bar, nah, stop in for a beer and then go to Durgin Park for lunch, fun spot and better food. One of the oldest restaurants in Boston.

You mentioned Union Oyster House, and others may disagree, but it is one of my favs as well, or you could walk up to Little Italy and pick a restaurant there, or have desert there.

Pick up a map of the Freedom Trail, so you have some info on all the stops and can find some of the nooks and cranies along the way.

Boston is a smaller walkable city and you guys are in for a GREAT time.

Thank you everyone for your input, suggestions and responses. I'm very much looking forward to this trip!

I'm going to look into Durgin Park now =)

The Commuter Rail runs less often on evenings and weekends, but there are trains inbound from Salem on weekday evenings at 8:30, 9:30, and 11:30 PM, on Saturday and Sunday at 8, 9:30, and 10:30.
http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_ma...route=NBRYROCK

Seconding Artu and Daily Catch. The eggplant parmesan at Artu will float off your plate if you don't hold it down. It bears no resemblance to the usual leaden industrial product. I usually eat the pasta with sausage and rapini, but I always "help" my wife with the eggplant.

The signature dish at the Daily Catch is obviously anything calamari (it is known locally as the Calamari Cafe) but the black pasta with white clam sauce (may not be on the menu, but they can make it) is fabulous.

Definitely Durgin Park over Union Oyster House. One of the glossy travel mags just named Durgin Park one of the best places in the US to eat oysters. If you want to skip the whole rude waitress bit, enter through the oyster bar and ask to be seated on the top floor. It is a different experience, still very casual but different. And wonderful oysters.

I'm an adult & I love the swan boats. don't miss them if they are still operating when you are here.

If your group does split up and if it's raining, you can also visit the Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum or the Museum of Science. the Aquarium is ok.

Newbury St is fun for shopping and strolling. I also agree that Cambridge & more specifically Harvard Square are musts. But I also like Salem, too. Either place is a great choice.

Enjoy your trip!

In your opinion, do you think we can replace Harvard Square with the Waterfront on Day 5? As long as we get to eat a good Lobster Roll sometime during our trip (recommendations are welcome) and can still do the Harpoon Brewery on Day 5, I think we can change our itinerary around. AGAIN! :)

I also made reservations at Durgin Park our first night there. We're looking forward to the rude service! :)

>>And if you're going to go to the Union Oyster House, I'd strongly suggest just sitting at the bar for raw oysters and beer for the best experience. The food and service there are awful…..<<
Bachslunch

This is what we were told by several of the locals who also called Union Seafoods a “tourist trap” and suggested Legal Seafoods instead – where we had a wonderful meal.

The best lobster roll is Neptune Oyster in the North End. Harvard Sq is easy to get to via the T so if you have a couple of hours, you can certainly do it.

Will enthusiastically second what wyatt92 said about Neptune Oyster and lobster rolls -- this is the best spot for them, with your choice of a cold one (with mayo and meat) or a hot one (just meat and butter) in a brioche hot dog roll. It's also in my experience the best place locally for seafood in general.

Both cots and I can attest to good experiences at Legal Seafood, though a few of the locations (particularly the ones at Kendall Square in Cambridge and at the Prudential Center in Boston) can be good or disappoint -- the ones in Harvard Square (Cambridge) and by the Aquarium (Boston) are where I've done best. But generally, I like Neptune Oyster even better.

<i>"Being from Southern California, rain/showers are a BIG DEAL."</i>

I can really relate to that remark!

Earlier this year on a trip back East, I had to buy an umbrella in NYC and am now firmly of the belief that when God made Californians, he did not give us a gene to understand that mysterious contraption, the umbrella.

Newbury Street had a wonderful ice cream shop with the best raspberry chocolate ice cream ever - or is that "evah"?

Is the Barking Crab still around? It's a fun place to go not so much to eat as to smash crab and splatter everyone with crab juice - LOL! Definitely dress down!

Having just spent the Labor Day weekend in Boston, personally, I would skip Durgin Park. I was not impressed by any means. You could take the T to the Yawkey station rather than a taxi. Fenway tours close 4 hours before game time.

Emack and Bolio's is on Newbury Street and to my taste is the best ice cream place there, much better than J.P. Lick's. Two other ice cream places of note are in Cambridge, Toscanini's (Central Square) and Herrell's (Harvard Square). Barking Crab is terrible -- I've gotten sick eating there before, and can't in good faith recommend it to anyone.

Re Durgin Park: have seen more than one gripe in online forums about the place from folks who apparently don't like the type of cuisine they dish up, as opposed to whether they do Yankee Comfort Food cuisine well or not (we're talking Indian pudding, coffee jello, pot roast, franks and beans and brown bread, baked scrod, and such fare). The only other two places that serve up this type of food locally are Union Oyster House and the Parker House, both vastly inferior to Durgin Park.

Been on the Swan boats many times, make sure you take lots of photos. They are just as pretty sitting at the dock.
Also, even if museums aren't on your list, check the exhibits on-line. One year I found a jewelry show at BFA which included a friend's work - I didn't even know it was touring because it is part of a private collection. The Isabella Garner Museum is near BFA and a very beautiful art-filled private home with a large interior courtyard-memorable! Check the hours- i think thurs are usually late nights
We alway like walking along the Charles River (cross the bridge to the shell behind the original Cheers) if the weather is nice.
Umbrellas/ponchos/rain shoes or an inclement weather alternate itinerary would be a good idea-you nevah know:-)

Emack and Bolio's! That's it! Thanks so much, bachslunch!

Re: Durgin Park - if not Durgin Park, where else for scrod? I loveee scrod!

Durgin Park is a good place in Boston to get scrod, though some other seafood spots like Legal Seafood also serve it.

Thanks again, bachslunch!

Seems like Durgin Park may need to be visited soon! :)

Many years ago, by chance, I had a piece of scrod in a Logan Airport hotel. That piece must have been at least 2 inches thick and the memory has stuck forever. Every other white fish since can't come up to that memory.