Near Plum Island, MA ...what to see and do?
 

We have rented a small cottage on Plum Island, MA (near Newburyport) for a few days at the end of May. We will fly into Manchester, NH (MHT) and drive to Plum Island. We want to spend leisurely days on the seashore in quaint villages, eating amazing seafood right from the boats if possible, beach combing, sight seeing, whale watching (?), boating.

Any recommendations?

What would be the most scenic route from MHT to Plum Island? Mapquest suggests Interstate 93 to 495, but it also looks like there is a drive nearer the water on 101 to 95. Is that more scenic?

Thanks.

Nature preserve: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/parker_river/

http://www.thetrustees.org/places-to...the-crane.html

As for the route, neither is scenic until you get off the highway. Once you are on the side roads, you will drive thru some beautiful neighborhoods, but the highways are just highways.

Congratulations!

It is a beautiful place, and it is near a lot of other great places.

Newburyport is a largish town in which all sorts of new urbanist activities are taking place. It has charm and good food. Portsmouth, NH, is a small city with a great downtown brew pub culture, and the ride up the coastal road is both interesting (some places) and beautiful (other places) but not usually at the same time. South of Plum Island is Essex, home of the fried clam and of more antique shops than you have ever seen in one place. Cape Ann is beyond Essex, and Marblehead is lovely, Gloucester interesting, and Rockport twee.

Be sure to save time for Plum Island itself and for the Crane Estate if it is open. The parts in the reservation are very beautiful. Get up early to watch the sunrise over the Atlantic and watch the sunset over the marshes.

Your only issue may be weather. It could be 90 but it is likely to feel cold if you come from anywhere warm. It will almost certainly be foggy, perhaps romantically foggy, part of the time. Bring socks, a fleece and a rainproof windbreaker because it could rain a lot, too. Candles and wine are the answer. It will not be warm enough to go in the water unless you are a seal.

This is a great time to go because later in the summer, this area is infested with hordes of green head flies that have really painful bites.

You are headed to my neck of the woods. Favorite places in Newburport include The Mission Grill (favorite place to have a martini and bar food), Loretta, Andamo (on Winter St - often has a live singer) Angies for breakfast, Bob Lobster is on the road between Plum Island and Newburyport and has good seafood. The Black Cow has a nice view of the river. Plum Island Grill has great views of sunset over the marsh but Ihaven't been there is a few years. Agave ofr Mexican, Ciea for upscale wine bar. The farmer's market at the Tannery should be open by late May and has some great stuff - there's a stand that sells a fig and honey goat cheese spread that I love.

You aren't far from Tender Crop Farms on Rt 1a in Newbury (town next to Newburyport that shares Plum Island) either - a great place to pick up stuff to make dinner - great meats and vegetables. Meat is all local. You might see the cows grazing in the meadow off 95.

If you need to go to a local supermarket - go to Market Basket - not Shaws. MB is cheaper and food is fresher. Both are near each other on Rt113 off 95 - you'll likely pass them on your way out to PI.

The Richdale on the corner of State and Pleasant sells super cheap t-shirts, sweatshirts and windbreakers. Angies is next door and then Annie's Gallery sells very nice handmade jewelry, glass and other such stuff.

Take a peek in the interior of the Institution for Savings - kind of cool architecture.

Maudsley State Park is a great place for a hike - on the river on the other side of 95.

Portsmouth is 30 minutes away and is described above. Kiter has outlet shopping if that is of interest.

Essex is great and worth a drive - I like eating at Tom Shea's because of the great view and good food. Not a fan of Woodman's across the street.

Have a great time - its a wonderful place.

Thank you all. I knew it would be wonderful. We have friends who live on the island, but I don't want to burden them the entire time we're there. We'll have a car for exploring and the cottage comes with two bikes as well.

No worries about the weather. I love a rainy/foggy/cool day. That will be a step up from a Minnesota winter. While I've been to Dartmouth several times, I've never really had time or transport for exploring the coast.

Is it worth trying to get out on to the water? I would love to see whales, but I'm not keen on those big touristy boats. Is there anything smaller on offer?

Thanks for the grocery suggestions, Bennnie. We will want a few things for breakfast, snacks and of course, wine! Suggestions for a good wine shop?

Rt 101 is a limited access hwy and very boring. I think for a nice drive you might get off early and go thru some of the towns. I tend to get a bit lost doing that so I can't remember which ones I've driven thru. Perhaps someone more familiar with the Exeter, Greenland, Hampton area can make a suggestion. Or if 93 to 495, a scenic route. There are parts of Rt 1 that I like but there are also densely packed commercial sections that you would want to skip. I think you'll be arriving after the crab apples finish blooming. I think spring is more beautiful than fall for a New England visit.

It would be way too cold and/or rough for me to go whale watching in a boat at that time of year, but you can look for trips out of Portsmouth or Gloucester.

Most whale watches involve a cruise out to the grounds -- the captains know where the whales are -- then sitting still or moving veery sloooowly waiting for the whales to surface. Many people find that the side to side motion of the boat during this time makes them violently seasick. Others don't.

We have seen whales from the beach in Nantucket in May and June.

It is cold and rough offshore in May, but that is the best time to see humpbacks.

O.K. Skip the whale watch trips. Thanks for that advice. Maybe we'll just do the quick route from MHT to Plum Island when we arrive and save the exploration for another day.

Thanks again.

There is a whale watching company right in Newburyport too. Captain's is the name I think.

The liquor store next to the Market Basket seems pretty good - as in it has a lot of wine selections. I'm not enough of a wine drinker to know if it is truly good but I think there is a decent selection of California whites and Italian reds (pretty much my range). Prices seem reasonable.

Oh - Abrahams Bagels are really good too. Just off Market Square. You can usually get them warm right out of the oven in the morning and there's a little patio to sit and eat.

There's also a train right into Boston if you wanted to see the city.

Salem isn't too far either - maybe 30 minutes.


And I should mention but you probably know that Plum Island is kind of divided in half. One half is the residential area and the other is the National Wildlife Refuge. I think the refuge is 7 miles long - most of which is accessible by a dirt road. Lots of people bike the length. If you go all the way to the end, you actually come to a small state park (though I'd be hard pressed to say where the state park began and the national park ended). Its a little bit of an adventure to go all the way to the end. The park rangers sometimes lead tours and give lectures. Very popular birding spot. The Mass Audobon Society has their headquarters on Plum Island too. At some point in the spring/summer most of the beaches in the refuge will close to protect the nests of the piping plover, an endangered bird.