I want to surprise my husband with a trip for his birthday in late September. We will already be in Boston where he is attending a conference. I want to extend this trip by about five days; someplace within 1-2 hours driving time from Boston. We've been to Boston many times but never venture far from the city. Can you give me some suggestions? We enjoy luxury accommodations and quaint towns. Thanks for any help.

Newport RI is a great place with fun things to do. Great restaurants, romantic and "quaint".

Sal, that's a wonderful birthday present you have in mind. Late September is kind of an odd-duck time of year... it's after the "season" which pretty much ends Labor Day Weekend along the various shore points; yet the leaves won't start turning for another three or four weeks. The weather, however, should be near to perfect.

I thought about where I'd want to be taken at that time of year, and had trouble with someplace that met your requirements. Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard? Plenty of luxury accommodations, but the beach will be cool and fog may make it downright chilly. In fact, almost any coastal locale from Maine's York Harbor or Ogonquit to coastal Rhode Island and Connecticut is likely to be iffy.

How about the Berkshires? Two hours from Boston, Williamstown, Stockbridge, Lenox, Great Barrington... wonderful, quaint towns, geared toward a luxury market. Would that be of interest? You'll be ahead of the color by a few weeks, but the natural scenery, hiking, walking make it an ideal time of year to be there.

I would suggest one of (or all of) the three:

1. Nantucket
2. Martha's Vineyard
3. Chatham (Cape Cod)

In late September, these areas will be much quieter than during the main summer tourist season, but they won't be ghost towns until much closer to November. The days will be warm and the nights are cool, and the leaves wil be just about starting to change colors.

All three are very quaint and romantic and there are a lot of things to do at all of them (shopping, historical sites, galleries, fantastic food, biking, golf, beaches, etc).

On top of that, each one is (more or less) within 2 hours from Boston. Chatham is about 1:30 away; to the Vineyard ferry from Boston, you would drive to Falmouth, 1:15, then a :45 ferry; Nantucket is a longer trip (1:30 to ferry at Hyannis, probably 1:15 or more on ferry, although there is now a hi-speed ferry, too). If you are going to be here for 5 extra days, another hour or two should not deter you from making the journey.

In addition, all three should satisfy your quest for luxury accomodations.

The Vineyard is our personal favorite (my wife and I got engaged there, sort of - long story, don't ask).

How about this - stay in Chatham on Cape Cod and do day trips to MV & Nantucket. That way, you won't be "marooned" on either island, but can enjoy them both?

Great suggestions. I was thinking of the Vineyard but thought it was much farther from Boston. We travel alot, but I am not at all adept at calculating time and distance. A few more questions. Where would you suggest staying in Chatham and Martha's Vineyard? We stayed at the Charlotte Inn many years ago and loved it. I am also interested in someplace different. Can you still catch the ferry from Woods Hole? Don't laugh, but it's still baseball season and football, so a tv is a must (it's his birthday after all!). Thanks for your help.

That's the perfect time of the year to visit Kennebunkport. There are plenty of very lovely B&Bs and excellent restaurants. I also think it meets your "quaint" requirement!

Thanks Joanie. We have been to Kennebunkport and liked it very much.

Would still appreciate more suggestions about Martha's Vineyard and Chatham.

Also, I don't know anything about the Berkshires and I would be interested in suggestions for lodging and activities.

Thanks,

Chatham is very nice. More than a 1-2 hour drive, I think, though worth the drive. Another interesting possibility would be to take a ferry across the bay to P'town. If you go to one of these towns and have never done it, I highly recommend a whale watch trip.

What I really recommend is to drive up to Bar Harbor, Maine. Yes, it is much more than 1-2 hours. However, that is a perfect time of year to visit. The Acadia National Park is the only National Park on the US East Coast which rivals the Western Parks for scenic beauty. There are lots of small, romantic B&B's and Inns to stay at. Try the sea kayaking if you've never done it before - lots of fun!

I love Portsmouth, NH, just an hour north of Boston. Lots to do. Enjoy.

Rockport without a doubt is ideal. It is a 45 minute drive from downtown Boston. Yet you will feel like you have died and gone to heaven. It is delightful in the fall and free of crowds.
Check it out.
Marla

The best place to stay in Chatham, in my opinion, would be the Wequassett Inn. Chatham Bars Inn is also lovely, and I love the little Bradford Inn downtown with it's wonderful breakfasts. For dinner, look into the pris fix Chillingsworth.