Day trip from Boston
 

I've been to Boston several times and would like to go someplace outside of the city on our last day before our 8 pm flight. I'm thinking about renting a car, checking out of our hotel early, driving to ? and then dropping off the car at the airport. Any suggestions?

Salem (can also get there easily by train from Boston), Lexington and Concord, Portsmouth, NH, Plymouth?

What are you interested in doing? You could drive to Cape Ann, and drive through Gloucester and Rockport, and have a leisurely lunch.

Also, when would this be? On a summer weekend or a Friday or Sunday night at other times of the year, you may run into more traffic returning to Boston.

Newport, RI, is a good day trip, but you would have to get an early start. It's about 1 1/2-2 hours from Boston.

We loved seeing Louisa May Alcott's home in Concord as well as Walden Pond. Ralph Waldo Emerson's home is there, too, and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery contains his grave, the Alcott family's graves, Thoreau's grave, and Hawthorne's grave.

We also really liked Newport, toured The Breakers, walked the Cliff Walk, and walked around the town proper, which has a number of colonial homes and the oldest synagogue in the US. We only stayed in Newport one night, but there seemed to be lots of options for dining, ice cream, coffee, pubs, etc.

All good suggestions. In addition to the Alcott home in Concord there is also the house where the family spent a winter at Fruitlands in Harvard MA plus nearby Nashoba Valley winery.

Portsmouth NH would be fine if traffic is not a problem. I always recommend either a harbor cruise or inland rivers. The drive thru New Castle is lovely. Lots of nice restaurants to choose from.

We loved seeing Louisa May Alcott's home in Concord as well as Walden Pond. Ralph Waldo Emerson's home is there, too, and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery contains his grave, the Alcott family's graves, Thoreau's grave, and Hawthorne's grave.

(Winner for me)

We have taken the ferry to Salem and that was a beautiful scenic ride on the water as well as a good time seeing Salem.

There are so many options. In addition to what others have mentioned, we loved Marblehead and John Adams home in Quincy.

HTtY

These are great suggestions! This will be the Tuesday after Labor Day. We are open to any suggestions, so I appreciate all the input. We went to Newport a few years ago and really liked it.