charli

Provincetown is fairly well closed up by November. No whale watches - the whales leave for the Caribbean during October. No harbor cruises that late in Hyannis. Sightsee between the Canal and Chatham if the weather is good enough. Boston is fab.

starrs

I lucked out several years then. Hopefully nelsonian will be as lucky.

starrs

nelsonian has said that they plan to spend part of Saturday on the cape before driving to Boston that night. Perhaps it would be helpful to share suggestions that will help her enjoy a partial day on the cape - rather than predicting a gloomy visit.

starrs

nelsonian, this is a book I discovered in my 20s and I really enjoyed reading it. I like reading books before visiting a place and you may enjoy the book as well - http://www.amazon.com/The-Outermost-.../dp/080507368X

ggreen

starrs, the difference in even just a month between Oct and Nov is dramatic in both weather and what is open or not on the Cape. You have definitely picked a great time of year with the crisp sunny days of Oct.

I was going to say what Ackislander did: Lexington and Concord are *not* on the way from the Cape to Boston! You can get a flavor of Revolutionary War fervor in Boston itself: walk part of the Freedom Trail if the weather cooperates, or at least poke your head into some of the sites like Fanueil Hall...

If you want to see our "ancient" history, you could make a stop at Plimoth Plantation in present-day Plymouth, MA, a short ways up Route 3, which is the highway from the Cape to Boston. The Plantation is a recreation of a Colonial settlement. (IMO, going into Plymouth proper to see "Plymouth Rock" is really not worth it. It's just a rock(!), and all covered over by a fence anyway...)

Veterans Day is one of those bank holidays where most other workers don't get time off, so you shouldn't have to contend with many schedule changes that day.

If you'll have the rental vehicle but not gobs of luggage, you might look into parking on the edge of the city and taking public transit in. Boston is notorious for its "old cow paths" of twisting, one-way streets, never-mind the colorful nomenclature given to local drivers! Options are:
- The end of the Red Line MBTA in Braintree or Quincy
- The "Route 128" Amtrak/commuter rail station in Westwood

The Quincy station will be the most direct on your route from the Cape, but both Westwood and Braintree are a few short miles from where the highway splits towards Boston. These two are easy on/off from Route 128, which will place you in good stead to get on the road to NYC. If you opt for the Quincy station, the road is always more congested getting there, but you're still good to go when you get on the road!

As for the Bolt Bus, just keep in mind that you'll have to get from the dropoff in midtown up to Harlem.

ggreen

nelsonian, what are you interested in seeing on the Cape? Are you looking for history? nature? cute shops and good eats? all of the above?

Lookin_Glass

I seems that ONCE AGIAN again someone needs to be reminded that that the pretty autumnal low ground foliage in Cape Cod is POISON IVY. And it is poison 12 months out of the year. Poison ivy shrubs in the dunes, poison ivy climbing up trees, poison ivy vines. Poison ivy everywhere on the cape. It is one of the few plants that thrive in the salty conditions and helps protect the dunes and wildlife from humans - unless of course the humans are told how pretty the low lying foliage is, and decide to take a few PRETTY leaves to put in a book. Now that could make for a nasty flight home.

Some of the Cape shuts down after Labor Day, more shuts down after Columbus Day and for many Veterans day is the last hurrah, although there are quite a few places that stay open thru the December Holidays and then shut down for 3 months.

There are plenty of places to check out Saturday and head to Boston for the evening. A stroll thru the Northend at an Italian joint would really be nice, offering some brownstone architecture and old world boston charm.

Whatever you decide, I would be very cautious of where you park with equipment in the van ( not clear on how much equipment they travel with) I think if you have Saturday Evening and a full Sunday, you can get a good nice quick take of Boston and leave together. Not sure how much would be accomplished with the extra few hours, unless you find something that is a must on your agenda.

Driving to the Cape, I'd take the Merritt Pkwy to the New Haven area and then pick up 95. It is a beautiful winding pkway and the foliage should still have something to offer, depending on how our summer weather goes. When you pass by Weston keep your eye out for Keith Richards, who often resides there.

On the way back to Manhattan, if you travel together after checkout, you could always make a pit stop at Mystic CT for a stretch and take in their sites or head a mile or two up the road for a quick lunch in Stonington http://www.dogwatchcafe.com/

Or a stop for pizza in New Haven. And still be back in Manhattan by late afternoon. I would expect the traffic should be pretty good on Monday as many commuters have the day off, and it is not necessarily a big travel weekend.

Another option would be to leave earlier, and take the MassPike and stop at Sturbridge Village for a couple of hours - a living history of American History http://www.osv.org/
and then head thru Hartford and pick up the Merrit from there.

Play as much by ear and let the weather be your guide.

But please do not go near the pretty colorful ground foliage on the cape.

nytraveler

They are not leaving enough time to get back to NYC from Boston. If the gig is at 8:30 = and they need time to set up - so arrive by 7:30 - then I would leave Boston no later than 2 pm, If they hit construction or traffic - the trip can easily take 5 hours by road.

Lookin_Glass

Where did you get the 2PM departure from Boston from?

nelsonian

Thanks again. There is plenty of time to sort out what we are going to do, and a lot of it will depend on the weather.
If you can suggest a good place to leave the van in Boston that would be great. It is not a rental, and it will probably have music gear in it so that could be a problem.

ggreen, yes interested in the history mostly. Have always been fascinated by US history not sure why seeing we live in New Zealand. I loved reading about the Oregon trail when I was about 13, nothing really to do with Boston but Boston is one of the first cities that was settled. (Correct me if I am wrong), and I have always wanted to see it.

Bowsprit

Veterans Day is one of those bank holidays where most other workers don't get time off, so you shouldn't have to contend with many schedule changes that day.
__________________________________________________ ________

Schools are closed on Veteran's Day in CT; all of CT's teachers and students will be making their way onto and off of the Cape that Monday.

Lookin_Glass

or a few dozen

Bowsprit

Cape weather changes quickly. And it may be sunny and warm in Provincetown during the same afternoon that is foggy and damp in Chatham.

Lookin_Glass

that's true. I once left on ferry in Oak Bluffs in sunshine, went into total pea soup fog and then landed in Woods Hole in total sunshine.

Bowsprit

If they hit construction or traffic - the trip can easily take 5 hours by road.
__________________________________________________ ____

nytraveler is right. Allow plenty of time for you Cape > NYC trip. It took us 4.5 hours to get from Chatham to Hartford on Mother's Day because of traffic delays secondary to construction.

socialworker

Where will you be staying, nelsonian? It is important to have a safe spot for parking a van with musical equipment. I have read a number of stories over the years of thefts.

We live in a very safe suburb only 20-30 minutes from Copley Square and you would be welcome to park in our driveway if you need a place that will be secure.

Lookin_Glass

For those of us who have suffered from severe repercussions from having contact, whether it be first hand, second hand, or airborne, Poison Ivy is not a joke. Many people on these forums are not horticulturists, so deserve the respect to be warned about the dangers of pretty ground leaves during autumnal months. Especially travelers from other continents that may not immediately recognize the beautiful leaves of poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac.

To take offense, rather then to acknowledge the hidden danger is sadly disturbing.

For those visiting the cape, please take due caution. To me, posting about the pretty autumnal ground foliage is like posting about the cute deer ticks. Dangerous and should not be taken lightly or dismissed.

gomiki

I don't think traffic will be a problem when you are here. That's too late in the year for construction.

ggreen

Mystic, CT is not on the way from Boston to NYC. It is, however, on the way from NYC to the Cape. It's a cute enough town with some good fried clam shacks (which may or may not still be open in Nov), but not something to go out of your way for on this trip... I do, however, recommend getting some classic New Haven pizza if your timing calls for lunch as you go through CT! Modern Pizza in New Haven is famous, and the almost-equally famous Frank Pepe's now has locations throughout CT. (pepespizzeria.com)

As you approach the Cape from the southwest, you'll pass through the industrial era cities of Providence, Fall River and New Bedford. Even from the highway you'll notice the large red brick former textile factory buildings; they're especially close to the road in Fall River. (Wamsutta bedding originated in New Bedford; its factories there have been converted to condos.)

Though sadly a rather seedy place, the city of New Bedford has a national historic designation for its whaling history. Indeed, this is where the story of Moby Dick commences. If you decide to sightsee at all here, check out the attractive Whaling Museum (the Keltic Kafe across the street is good for a light bite) and the Seaman's Bethel. Thanks largely to the seagoing industries, there is a large Portuguese and Cape Verdean commmunity here, with lots of influence on the food.

Just before reaching the Cape, you'll pass by cranberry bogs right along the Route 25 highway in Wareham. If they haven't been flooded yet, they should be a brilliant crimson at that time of year.

// nelsonian, if looking for US history, you can't go wrong with the Cape and Boston! But I'm sure you already know that. Indeed, this is where a good chunk of our national identity was formed! The story is that Mayflower landed in the area - ostensibly on Plymouth Rock - and after making it through their first very tough year, the Pilgrims gave thanks to the native people without whom they wouldn't have survived. This is the basis for our modern-day Thanksgiving, which is just a few weeks after your trip to MA.

A century or so later, the first incidents of what was to be the Revolutionary War occurred in Boston and environs. In Boston, the Freedom Trail will take you to many of the sites.

(Sidebar here, but being a good Massachusetts kid, I never learned much about the role of NYC in the war. Thus, a temporary exhibit on the subject a few years ago at the New York Historical Society was fascinating! The museum, adjacent to the natural history museum, has been newly renovated - could be worth a visit when you're here since their exhibitions are always interesting. Oh and likewise, a walking tour by Big Onion of the financial district was eye-opening for the layers of history from colonial times to present. Their guides are so knowledgeable!)

On the Cape, you may want to visit the Dexter Grist Mill in Sandwich. The town itself is one of the oldest in the country (though a lot of MA can say that), and the mill is just as vintage. There's also a glass museum, since the town is famous for its glassworks. (There used to be a doll museum that was kind of creepy and cool, but it's closed.)

For old-school Cape dining, try the famous - and rich! - lobster chowder at the historic Daniel Webster Inn, near the canal in Sandwich: www.danlwebsterinn.com/cape_cod_dining/

In nearby Mashpee, the Old Indian Meeting House is the oldest church on Cape Cod, still in use by the local tribe.

If you drive along Route 6A, you will see a lot of beautiful old homes. Look for the saltbox style with roof sloping in the back down to the ground. the "Cape house" - traditionally a modest home with three windows in front separated by a door after the second one - is also original to this area.

If you make it to Yarmouthport, stop in Hallet's general store for an ice cream from the old soda fountain. They've been in business for over a hundred years. (The store was wrecked a year or so ago in a traffic accident, but I understand it's back in business now!) http:/hallets.com

(Another sidebar. New Englanders *love* ice cream, and every district has a favorite place - or three. Unfortunately, not many stay open past early October...)

Also in Yarmouthport are two nice places to walk: the Bass Hole boardwalk stretching into the bay, and the botanic trails at the Historical Society. The macabre illustrator Edward Gorey lived in Yarmouthport until his death; his house is now a museum.

// As you drive around the Cape, you may notice the Christmas Tree Shops stores. These places sell Christmas stuff all year round! I mention it because, as tacky as they are, they originated on the Cape. Unfortunately, the original Yarmouthport location - and IMO the most interesting one - closed a few years ago.

ggreen

L_G is right: poison ivy at that time of year can be terrible, since it blends right in with other foliage! Always has 3 points to each leaf, almost like a trident. Do a search online for images - it's green in season, and fiery red when leaves change color. Actually, the costumes for Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy aren't far off!