Itinerary in Boston
Jul 17th, 2006, 05:21 PM
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Itinerary in Boston
My wife and I will be going to boston with my 13 year-old son and 8 year-old niece. this is what we have planned:
3 nights in Boston
1st day: arriving in evening from Newport
2nd day: Science Museum, duck tour, eating in Northend
3rd day: Aquarium?, Cambridge, Fanueil Hall, Quincy market & Freedom walk (concerned about what to pick or if we can fit this all in 1 day)
4th day: leaving for Maine, stop in Salem on the way
Yours truly, thanks
Nick
3 nights in Boston
1st day: arriving in evening from Newport
2nd day: Science Museum, duck tour, eating in Northend
3rd day: Aquarium?, Cambridge, Fanueil Hall, Quincy market & Freedom walk (concerned about what to pick or if we can fit this all in 1 day)
4th day: leaving for Maine, stop in Salem on the way
Yours truly, thanks
Nick
Jul 18th, 2006, 07:14 AM
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Cambridge is great but I don't think of it as exciting for children your children's age. At least not compared to the Boston activities.
Expect a VERY crowded aquarium with long waits. I would look at going on -line to get tickets ahead of time for Aquarium and Science Museum.
Think of the North End as a place to stroll and enjoy cold drinks and Gelato as well as have dinner.
I often suggest improv comedy in the North End, www.improvasylum.com has child appropriate shows.
The whoe freedom trail is a long walk on a hot day, Paul Revere's House and Old North Church in the North End are a good intro. If you can squeeze it in, a walk in the evening through the Public Gardens and down Newbury Street might work.
Expect a VERY crowded aquarium with long waits. I would look at going on -line to get tickets ahead of time for Aquarium and Science Museum.
Think of the North End as a place to stroll and enjoy cold drinks and Gelato as well as have dinner.
I often suggest improv comedy in the North End, www.improvasylum.com has child appropriate shows.
The whoe freedom trail is a long walk on a hot day, Paul Revere's House and Old North Church in the North End are a good intro. If you can squeeze it in, a walk in the evening through the Public Gardens and down Newbury Street might work.
Jul 18th, 2006, 09:54 AM
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Salem can be fun .. not sure I would stop there .. The museums may or may not hold their interest .. and Pickering Wharf is okay ... Maybe others with children would comment on whether that is a good choice for children that age ... I will bet time spent in Maine might be better ... not sure where in ME you are headed or even stopping in Rockport, MA exploring the shops or beaches there might be more fun ...
Jul 18th, 2006, 10:36 AM
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My niece, 10, loved the Chinese house at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. They assign you a tour time though, so if you go, get there early in the day. The other attraction she liked was the House of Seven Gables.
Jul 18th, 2006, 11:02 AM
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1st day: arriving in evening from Newport
* Depending on what time you arrive in Boston, you could do something that evening: remember to consider commuter traffic in your planning - don't know when you are coming but with the big dig 'fixings' going on, you need to consider that too in your drive time.
Otherwise, I would have suggested the Duck Tour the day your arrive - the Duck Tour is always a good beginning overview, as is the view from the Top of the Pru , so I would start my first day with those:
- you may want to get your Duck Tour tix ahead of time on line - and you can check out the Prudential Skywalk Observatory has great 360 degree views to far away and evening with the lkights on - I believe it's open until 10pm, unless they have a function going on. Kids might like Fire & Ice for dinner, or amany other places in Faneuil Hall or Copley area, or the PF Changs if you don't have one near you.
If Duck Tour stays on your first full day in town, I would be tempted to follow that with Freedom Trail and dinner in North End.
2nd day: Science Museum, duck tour, eating in Northend :
North End has part of the Freedom Trail within - as mentioned above, Paul Revere's House, Old NOrth Church, etc - you might want to do the Freedom Trail this day ending in the North End area before dinner if you didn't put it in day one. Many restaurants for dinner, with kids we like Piccolo Nido vs a more expensive Sage or Rabia's, but there are also great pizza places all along. You can see exactly where the Freedom Trail goes on 'thefreedomtrail.org' - the audio tour is nice, and the site has info where to get that - then you can move along at your own pace, stopping along the way. it also goes thru Fanueil Hall area, Quincy Market, etc. One day is more than enough for Freedom Trail and some surrounding sites unless you are real history buffs. But the kids will like many things along the way, and most kids even at that age, enjoy seeing where Mary Goose, aka Mother Goose is buried, etc.
Once you decide exactly how much of the Freedom Trail you want to see (many of the sights are close together) you can then decide on Science Museum, perhaps even doing that later in one day or first thing in the morning - see what evenings also they might be open to do the museum and then one of their special shows/movies/planetarium.
3rd day: Aquarium?, Cambridge, Fanueil Hall, Quincy market & Freedom walk (concerned about what to pick or if we can fit this all in 1 day)
You can do the Aquarium and waterfront this day - I would leave out Cambridge - to me that is a day in itself and there is plenty to do in Boston for your 3 nights. Is sthere something special in Cambridge you wanted to see? - perhaps you would go there instead one night by T to have dinner and walk the Harvard Square area or even see if there is a show in that area the kids would enjoy.
Also, what time of year are you coming? Because from the waterfront area you can do some Boston Harbor Tours which are quite nice and see some of the islands - Spectacle Island just opened which is lovely as is George's Island and the old fort. Lots of history and legendary stories there.
4th day: leaving for Maine, stop in Salem on the way
The kids will probably like Salem - nice waterfront area - nice shops, museums, Nathaniel Hawthorne, house of 7 gables, etc - there are plenty of lovely areas to stop on the way to Maine, but I think at 8 and 13 they would enjoy Salem.
If you told us what time of day you are planning on leaving Newport it would help us help you finalize your days - as in keeping Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market and North End Dinner in one day - to avoid having to criss cross and repeat patterns.
Also, if you know where you are staying -
If it's summer, there might be a concert one evening on the esplanade which the kids might like - or even some time there to watch the boats, etc tied in with your Science Museum day.
* Depending on what time you arrive in Boston, you could do something that evening: remember to consider commuter traffic in your planning - don't know when you are coming but with the big dig 'fixings' going on, you need to consider that too in your drive time.
Otherwise, I would have suggested the Duck Tour the day your arrive - the Duck Tour is always a good beginning overview, as is the view from the Top of the Pru , so I would start my first day with those:
- you may want to get your Duck Tour tix ahead of time on line - and you can check out the Prudential Skywalk Observatory has great 360 degree views to far away and evening with the lkights on - I believe it's open until 10pm, unless they have a function going on. Kids might like Fire & Ice for dinner, or amany other places in Faneuil Hall or Copley area, or the PF Changs if you don't have one near you.
If Duck Tour stays on your first full day in town, I would be tempted to follow that with Freedom Trail and dinner in North End.
2nd day: Science Museum, duck tour, eating in Northend :
North End has part of the Freedom Trail within - as mentioned above, Paul Revere's House, Old NOrth Church, etc - you might want to do the Freedom Trail this day ending in the North End area before dinner if you didn't put it in day one. Many restaurants for dinner, with kids we like Piccolo Nido vs a more expensive Sage or Rabia's, but there are also great pizza places all along. You can see exactly where the Freedom Trail goes on 'thefreedomtrail.org' - the audio tour is nice, and the site has info where to get that - then you can move along at your own pace, stopping along the way. it also goes thru Fanueil Hall area, Quincy Market, etc. One day is more than enough for Freedom Trail and some surrounding sites unless you are real history buffs. But the kids will like many things along the way, and most kids even at that age, enjoy seeing where Mary Goose, aka Mother Goose is buried, etc.
Once you decide exactly how much of the Freedom Trail you want to see (many of the sights are close together) you can then decide on Science Museum, perhaps even doing that later in one day or first thing in the morning - see what evenings also they might be open to do the museum and then one of their special shows/movies/planetarium.
3rd day: Aquarium?, Cambridge, Fanueil Hall, Quincy market & Freedom walk (concerned about what to pick or if we can fit this all in 1 day)
You can do the Aquarium and waterfront this day - I would leave out Cambridge - to me that is a day in itself and there is plenty to do in Boston for your 3 nights. Is sthere something special in Cambridge you wanted to see? - perhaps you would go there instead one night by T to have dinner and walk the Harvard Square area or even see if there is a show in that area the kids would enjoy.
Also, what time of year are you coming? Because from the waterfront area you can do some Boston Harbor Tours which are quite nice and see some of the islands - Spectacle Island just opened which is lovely as is George's Island and the old fort. Lots of history and legendary stories there.
4th day: leaving for Maine, stop in Salem on the way
The kids will probably like Salem - nice waterfront area - nice shops, museums, Nathaniel Hawthorne, house of 7 gables, etc - there are plenty of lovely areas to stop on the way to Maine, but I think at 8 and 13 they would enjoy Salem.
If you told us what time of day you are planning on leaving Newport it would help us help you finalize your days - as in keeping Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market and North End Dinner in one day - to avoid having to criss cross and repeat patterns.
Also, if you know where you are staying -
If it's summer, there might be a concert one evening on the esplanade which the kids might like - or even some time there to watch the boats, etc tied in with your Science Museum day.
Jul 23rd, 2006, 01:50 AM
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escargot has some good ideas. I am not a big NE Aquarium fan - it is small for an aquarium and crowded - would not condier it a must do for this trip unless kids are really into fish.
Duck Tour leaves from 2 locations - near Prudential and near Museum of Science - so fit it in that way.
Cambridge used to be a funky fun place for everyone. Now Harvard Square has a lot of chain stores - you can skip it in my opinion. Or depending on where you are staying, drive thru on your way north to Maine and Salem - not really on the way but a short enough detour. You will probably get lost and get a tour of the entire city. (I can give you directions if I know starting point)
Duck Tour leaves from 2 locations - near Prudential and near Museum of Science - so fit it in that way.
Cambridge used to be a funky fun place for everyone. Now Harvard Square has a lot of chain stores - you can skip it in my opinion. Or depending on where you are staying, drive thru on your way north to Maine and Salem - not really on the way but a short enough detour. You will probably get lost and get a tour of the entire city. (I can give you directions if I know starting point)
