cybor

Hi Lina,
You've received good advise so far. You may want to think as mentioned, about staying the extra night in Newport. There's lots of history for your husband and 3 local vineyards for you. One in Middletown RI, one Portsmouth, RI, and the 3rd in Little Compton/Tiverton RI, which you could go to on the way to the Cape.

Also, if you end up in Provincetown after seeing the rest of the cape, you could ditch your car which won't be needed in Boston, and take the ferry from Prov. - Boston. This would prevent you from having to back track down the cape.

I'm curious about what you have planned in Mystic and New Haven. Possibly, depending on your plans you could cut some time there.
Good luck!

Lina1

Thank you all for the great information. To answer some of your questions, we have been to NY before, but have never been to Boston. The reason we are hoping to stay in NY for 4 nights is so that we can spend some time with an uncle who lives there that we rarely get to see, and we want to catch a few shows while we're there too! As for Boston, my husband is really into the history there and wants to spend the 4 nights in Boston.

We will be traveling from the Bay Area, California to New York on September 15. The only sight in New Haven we had planned to see was the university. In Mystic, we wanted to see the seaport and museum, and visit any wineries in the area.

We may just cut out the night in New Haven, and see the university on our way to Mystic. Making our itinerary as follows:

- 4 nights NY City
- 1 night Mystic
- 2 nights Newport
- 3 nights Eastham
- 1 night Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard
- 4 nights Boston

Does this sound like a better plan, or would you suggest staying that one night in New Haven?

bobrad

Skip New Haven.

I'd love to see someone make it from Mystic to New Haven in one hour.

Hershey , Pa. is fun so is West Point.

fitznj

I think you made a good choice to drop New Haven. Personally, for the islands, I would do 2 nights in Eastham and 2 nights in Edgartown on The Vineyard. Nantucket is lovely but the person who mentioned minimum stays is correct. If you take the high speed ferry it is pricy. Are you planning to leave your car on the Cape? You really don't need it at MV (great bus system and fairly cheap cabs) and it is expensive to put it on the ferry. Leaving it in the lots by the ferry at Woods Hole is cheap.

fitznj

Little known but great things to do in NYC: Museum of Radio and TV, the Frick Museum (small, gorgeous, you can do it in less than 2 hrs, stunning collection), walking tours of neighborhoods - these are great and you will meet some real NY characters, NY Public Library - just a little visit and perhaps coffee in Bryant Park right behind the library.

Cool things in Boston that you may not know about - the Mapparium at the Christian Science mother church located just between Back Bay and the South End - this is very interesting and they also do a good tour of the church. You probably know about the Aquarium, it's outstanding, as is the Museum of Science. The Duck Tour seems touristy - and sort of is -but it's fun and you get a nice view of the new bridge (part of the Big Dig) and some interesting patter from the drivers. If you want a lovely quiet adventure, go to the Arboretum - I think in Roxbury. Gorgeous spot and convenient to the Franklin Park Zoo as well. There are also a few wonderful walking tours of Beacon Hill and Back Bay that will give you a good education re the architecture and how the Back Bay was built.

Lexma90

Two nights in Newport will work well, and give you one entire day to spend there (plus whatever part of the day you arrive there). We recently visited there on a trip (with kids) that began in Boston and ended in NYC. We visited Newport right before the season started, so it will probably be a little busier when you're there, but we found it beautiful, scenic and relaxing. We enjoyed the mansions, and the two restaurants where we had dinner (Scales & Shells and the Black Pearl) were both very good, though I think I preferred Scales & Shells because it felt more like a local place. We loved the B&B we stayed at, Samuel Durfee Inn, and would definitely recommend it.

If your husband is interested in history, consider a stop if possible (may not fit into your plans for the Cape) at Plimoth Plantation. I could have spent all day there, talking to the reanactors; we particularly enjoyed talking to the Native Americans.

In Boston, I would also suggest the Duck tour, if you like stuff like that (I enjoyed it, but probably wouldn't have gone if my kids weren't with me) and the Science Museum. If you walk the Freedom Trail (a must), and end up at the USS Constitution, take the ferry boat back to Long Wharf. It's a cheap, fun and scenic way to end up back in the middle of Boston.

ccrosner

I think you've come up with a nice itinerary. Some thoughts:

You can definitely make it to Mystic in one hour from Yale. Mapquest says it's 59 miles and 59 minutes. I'd probably get there a bit faster (We frequently travel from Boston to NJ).

I would suggest trying to get to New Haven for lunch and an afternoon tour. Then go on to Mystic for your overnight. Tour the seaport in the morning. You can make the Mystic to Newport ride in an hour. With two nights in Newport, you can spend a full day at the mansions and touring the town and get on your way the next day.

On your way to the Cape, you could stop at Battleship Cove (which is in Fall River not New Bedford) but I would chose to stop at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. It's fabulous and there are several nice spots for lunch nearby. You can make it to Eastham from NB in less than 1 1/2 hours.

Unlike FitzNJ, I LOVE the Cape. Have a house in Brewster and think that Eastham/Orleans/Brewster are good choices for basing yourselves on the Cape. If you give me an idea of budget, I can probably suggest some inns that would be romantic as well as restaurants.

Don't miss:

Biking the Beech Forest Trail in Ptown
Fort Hill walk (as mentioned earlier)
Viewing the Atlantic Ocean beaches of the National Seashore.
Walking around Chatham (if you like preppy, quaint shopping)
Brewster General Store

There is a fast boat that would go to Nantucket from Harwichport (which is closer to Eastham than Hyannis). It's called Freedom Cruises or something like that. That would be a good choice if you just want to do a day in Nantucket.

I prefer Martha's Vineyard to Nantucket (more diverse topography, little and large towns, etc.) but both are worth seeing and renting bikes on.

On your way to Boston, your husband might like seeing Plimoth Plantation. It's a very well-done living museum that you could get a good feel for in 2 to 3 hours.

Welcome to our side of the country! My family and I are off to your state later this month.

fitznj

I agree with ccrosner that the places he/she mentions are the absolute nicest on the Cape. I would avoid Hyannis as it is very touristy.

Great little spot to check out on rte 6A (a lovely road) is Scargo Pottery. It's south of Dennis and Brewster right next to Scargo Pond. Maybe ccrosner knows what town this is in?

This is a magical experience with a family-run business mostly dealing with pottery; however, some in the family are artists and their work is beautiful. Paintings are displayed in a separate building.

ccrosner

I've never been to Scargo Pottery but if it's next to or near Scargo Pond, that would be Dennis near or on 6A.

FitzNJ--glad you like my suggestions.

Meant to say that if Fort Hill B&B is in Lina1's priceline, it looks lovely and romantic.

memphisishome

My husband and I just returned from a great trip to Stonington, Maine. We stayed at Inn on the Harbor - this was a great choice. Stonington has not turned into just a tourist destination. There are many lobstermen still working here. We admired the fact that our inn hostess encouraged all of her guests to be respectful of the hard working people living on the island. Acadia National Park is a two-hour drive, but there is plenty to do on Deer Isle - Stonington is on the South tip of Deer Isle. We went sea kayaking with Old Quarry Adventures. They provided an excellent guide as we made our way to several beautiful, uninhabited islands. I hope this area does not develop into another Bar Harbor. This is not a good choice for those seeking night life or lots of activities for small children.

holidayfrank

hi

the september is the best mouth for trips to new england. on www.rundreisen.de you can find a travelguide from new england

Lina1

Thank you everybody for all of your replies, we have finally finalized our itinerary.
- NYC (4 nights)
- Mystic (1 night)
- Newport (2 nights)
- Nantucket (2 nights)
- Chatham (2 nights)
- Boston (4 nights)

Thanks again!

holidayfrank

hello


new england ist very beautiful .we are booking a cruise on www.kreuzfahrten24.de . here we are find a big roundtrip around america.

sincly
frank

billjohnson121

History Museums? Nantucket Whaling Museum or New Bedford Whaling Museum. Both are excellent with extensive collections.

mclaurie

I am coming in late to this but have to say if you're into wineries, the suggestion to visit the North Fork of Long Island was a good one. One possibility is to head there for the day from Manhattan. Hit 1 or 2 wineries and take the ferry from Orient Point to New London. Once in New London, you're not far from Mystic.

Or, consider spending the night on the North Fork (instead of Mystic). There's a gorgeous and very romantic inn called the Jedediah Hawkins House with a terrific restaurant. http://jedediahhawkins.com/

You could stay the night there, leave in the morning on the ferry to New London, spend some time in Mystic and continue on to Newport.

Do you need a hotel reco for NYC? If yes, what's the budget? Right now, the prices for your dates are pretty outrageous.

johngerard

I drove from New York to Mystic. 1 night stop over. Got to Mystic just before dark so spent next morning in the town & lunch at the olde village. Drove to Falmouth for 3 nights. Arrived there after 5. Next day to Martha's Vineyard & next day Hyannis - got lost in the dark getting back. After breakfast in a diner went on to Boston & arrived in the afternoon.
Point is the travel times are realy long & we didn't have enough time to experience what each town had to offer. This year we are spending 1 week in New York & 1 week at Hyannis as a base. If I was to do your trip I would suggest you spend an extra night at your 1/2 night stops if possible.