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scoobydoo15 Jul 3rd, 2007 02:40 AM

Help with 7 days in Boston in Sept
 
Hi,
We are travelling from UK for our first trip to Boston at the end of Sept. We want to experience the city but also see some of the fall foliage and coastline. Can you help with recommendations please. Don't mind driving but would like to limit hotels to 2, i.e. Boston Hotel for 4 days and then drive to an hotel to be central to day trips to coast/lakes etc for last 3 days. Would be greatful for any help, on what is the best way to do this.
Thanks

dfrostnh Jul 3rd, 2007 04:06 AM

End of September is a bit too early for fall colors. You might find some in very northern VT or NH. I always think of colors as happening slowly but I have a friend with a cottage in northern NH who swears that color can really happen over night (when it gets cold). Generally, Columbus Day weekend i.e. around Oct 8 is good color for the Concord NH area and can be pretty good further south but it's warmer on the coast so color doesn't happen quite as early. I've been in Stowe VT the 3rd weekend in Sept and not seen any color at all except for early reds in swampy areas.
You might consider heading north from Boston to enjoy a day of driving along the coast, maybe stopping in Portsmouth NH for lunch. Check the schedule for harbor or inland rivers cruises. (We usually do a morning.) If the weather is good this could be a great time to be out on the water with a different view of the coast. Possibly enjoy some beaches in southern Maine with one night in Portland if it is getting late OR head inland to NH's White Mountains. It is only about an hour from Portland ME to the Conway area but keep in mind lodging in the White Mountains for that time period needs to be booked soon. Personally I don't care for the location so I would recommend the last two or 3 nights be spent in the Wolfeboro or Meredith NH areas at a hotel overlooking the lake (Meredith will have more choices). This is a great location for wandering just remember that there will be a lot of traffic on weekends because everyone is out leaf peeping. Meredith is close to Rt 93 that goes right thru the mountains. You could make a day trip and make a loop south thru VT for a ways and then back to your hotel.
Our visits to Boston are usually 2 nights with a half day to sightee on the first day, a full day then part of the last day. If you spend 3 nights in Boston you could do a lot of sightseeing. If the weather turns rainy, however, you would be better off staying in a city where there are more things to do since driving in the rain could be dreary.

cybor Jul 3rd, 2007 04:49 AM

Hi scooby,
I'll top my Boston thread which discusses hotels in Boston. Hope it helps. It's inexpensive hotels/B+B's Boston.
Good luck!

lss1 Jul 3rd, 2007 05:07 AM

Have you considered visiting Walden Pond? It is quite lovely. Also Salem is an interesting area with waterfront dining. I am from the US; two years ago, I did a trip up the east coast. We stayed just outside of Boston and did a few day trips. If you let me know more about what you are planning, I can send more info.

bennnie Jul 3rd, 2007 05:40 AM

Hi - welcome to Boston. While I live on the North Shore, my dh and I frequently overnight in Boston and I've stayed in each of the following hotels: Westin Copley, Sheraton Prudential Center, Back Bay Hilton, Lenox, Jury's,and the Colonade are all nice hotels - clean comfortable and well located. Just find the best deal and you'll be doing fine.

While in Boston, check out the following:
Fenway Park Tour - the oldest park in major league baseball.
Freedom Trail - essentially a brick/painted line that leads you from historic sight to historic sight from the American Revolution.
Museum of Fine Arts - very highly regarded museum with an extensive collection of American Impressionism and Eygptian artifacts.
Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum - eclectic collection of a wealthy patroness of the arts in a beautiful replica of a Venetian palace.
Harvard Sq - where Harvard University is located, a mix of shops and restaurants
Public Gardens and Boston Common - two public parks with very different personalities across the street from one another
Beacon Hill - neighborhood of federal and colonial brickfront homes
Esplanade - riverfront park lovely for a stroll in the evening
North End - Italian neighborhood with terrific restaurants and bakeries
Newbury St - upscale shopping area in the Back Bay
Boston Public Library - home to recently rejuvenated murals by John Singer Sargent - a well known American Impressionist whose works can also be seen at the MFA and Gardner museums.

For coastline - I would make your way up the North Shore and into the seacoast of New Hampshire and into Maine to Kennebunkport or Ogunquit. Perhaps stopping in Newburyport and Plum Island. Newburyport is an old whaling town with a lively downtown along the Merrimac River. If you want to see an expanse of beach, head from there to Plum Island National Wildllife Reserve - 7 miles of undeveloped beach great for a long walk. For good portions of the summer the beach is closed because of an endangered species of birds that have the inconvenient habit of nesting right on the sand but by September the beach will be open. I highly recommend a nice long walk with a sunset drink or dinner at the Plum Island Grill.

You could stay at the Wentworth by the Sea - a Marriott hotel that is really an older seaside resort that has been renovated and restored. Situated in New Castle NH right on the water - quite lovely and comfortable. Easy drives from there to southern Maine and the lake region of NH. New Castle is a five minute drive to Portsmouth NH which is a lovely old town with shops and restaurants - very New England feel to it.

Enjoy your trip - its a lovely time of year here.

Tess_Durberville Jul 3rd, 2007 06:37 AM

Although born & raised outside of Boston, it's been quite a few years since I lived there. As 'dfrostnh' has outlined, the best color display usually occurs in October. That being said, the date when the fall foliage appears is a function of weather conditions & predicting precisely when the change begins can vary.

I think the end of September is a great time to visit Boston & New England area .... and if you do wish to seek out any color, you'll definitely need to head further north, New Hampshire, perhaps southern part of Maine.

Here is another discussion from this forum around the timing of fall colors . . . . Help me decide when to visit New England --- http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34991371

Additionally, a few links to other sites which may be helpful.

http://www.foliagenetwork.com

http://www.visitnewengland.com/curre...nies_list.html

http://gonewengland.about.com/cs/fal...iagecentrl.htm

Lastly, although not the easiest forum to navigate, the "Chowhound" is a very good site for researching restaurants in Boston and the surrounding area -- http://www.chowhound.com/


tovarich Jul 3rd, 2007 07:38 AM

Chandler hotel is alright and not too expensive.We did everything on foot from there. When we did the 6 N.England states also Sept/first half Oct.the best folliage we had was in the White mountains N.Hampshire.We stayed in Jackson.A great place and in the centre.Check out Cancamagus highway, MT.WAshington,the lakes... Paul

Tess_Durberville Jul 3rd, 2007 11:21 AM


First trip to Boston---need some suggestions!
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35025479

none24 Jul 3rd, 2007 12:48 PM

I've compiled a resource on boston that will help you with everything from getting a hotel to attractions, to car rentals. The site is www.gottarent.com. Select a state (Massachusetts) and click on Boston to see the categories.

scoobydoo15 Jul 7th, 2007 06:59 AM

Thanks for all ideas. This is now our intended itinery. Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.
3 nights in Boston - Back bay area
Hire car and drive on coast up to Portsmouth for 2 nights.
Then drive over to lake Winnepesaukee, stopping at The Wolfeboro Inn for 2 nights.
Then back to Logan for flight home.
Couple of questions? When we are in Portsmouth, is it feasible to make drive to Kennebunkport.
When in Wolfeboro where would you recommend for drives for the scenery?

bennnie Jul 10th, 2007 12:51 PM

It is very feasible to drive from Portsmouth to Kennebunkport - I believe its about 30 minutes at most. I should know this since I did a similar drive on the 4th of July but ....


Hubster Jul 10th, 2007 02:02 PM

When staying in Wolfeboro try traveling rte 16 north to the Kancamagus Highway, which is rte 112, and travel it east to Lincoln. It is known for its fabulous mountain scenery and foliage. You will probably get to see some fantastic color up there, as my wife and I did when were there at the end of last Sept. Then take rte 3 south back towards Meredith and have a turkey dinner at the famous Hart's Turkey Farm Restaurant.

dfrostnh Jul 11th, 2007 03:32 AM

Any drive thru the White Mountains is a great suggestion. Another suggestion would be to drive to Squam Lake and around the Center Sandwich area. If you want a little adventure you can look for the Sandwich Creamery which makes their own ice cream. It's a little hard to find, off on a dirt road but not problem for a rental car. Get directions on their website. Bring small bills and change with you since you pay for the pints of ice cream on the honor system. We love that area all times of the year. Lake W is large and busy but Wolfeboro is probably one of the nicest areas to stay. Squam Lake on the other hand is very quiet. You might take a boat ride for a really good look. This is the lake where "On Golden Pond" was filmed.


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