NH/MA Fodorites, please help
 

Taking daughter to college next week. Flying into Manchester, NH and need to travel to Waltham, MA. Mapquest recommends Rt. 3 vs. I-93 to Rt. 495. Does this make sense? We DO need to stop at Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, The Container Store and Barnes & Noble before or around Waltham. Based on construction, store availability, etc. how would you make this drive? TIA.

I believe the most direct route is to take 93S to 95S (also known as Rt 128). Waltham has several exits off 95S depending on which college you are headed to. Rt 495 is absolutely incorrect - it circles the Greater Boston area far west of Waltham.

Near the interchange between 93 and 95 in Woburn there is a Target right off the highway Not sure about the other stores. But if you google I am sure you'll locate some in the vicinity. Post back if you want to verify info.

Well, you are right, it is Rt. 95. But why would Mapquest recommend Rt. 3 over I-93. Do you know if there is construction? Rt. 3 runs by Nashua Mall, where there is both Target and Bed Bath & Beyond, Know anything about this? We understand there is no sales tax in NH, which is enticing us to shop in NH.

There is some minimal construction on Route 3 in the Mass section. If you're coming down on a weekend it'll most likely be a non-issue.

Route 3 also runs close to the Pheasant Lane Mall which has a Target. And the area around the Pheasant Lane Mall has just about any store you'd want.

You are right, NH does not have a sales tax. I would vote for going Rt 3 and shopping in Nashua. You will find Target, etc on the Daniel Webster Hwy. Take the Spit Brook exit. You'll find lots of stores along this route plus the already recommend Pheasant Lane Mall. I did not find a Container store in NH. Another good bargain place is the Christmas Tree Shoppe at Exit 6 off Rt 3. They sell a lot of housewares, food stuff, small furniture, and fun stuff. It's a New England based bargain store chain.
I don't like Mapquest for every trip. In the Concord area it keeps recommending Rt 101 to the seacoast even when coming from the north on Rt 93. We find Rt 4 a better route. When you leave the airport you will be on Rt 101. Once you are on Brown Ave, get in the left lane to go west on Rt 101 to Rt 3. It's a toll road, have 75 cents ready.
Should you decide to go Rt 93, get in the right hand lane to go east. Then your best shopping option would be Salem NH. There's a big mall there, too, Rockingham Mall, Barnes and Noble and all the other discount places in strip malls. Hit the strip malls first and then go to Rockingham Mall last. The entrance is on an access road to Rt 93. There are stores near the airport (Barnes & Noble, one of the bath stores, but Target is out of the way. There's a better concentration of stores in Salem and Nashua.)

Thanks! I found a Container Store at Chestnut Hill mall in MA. We need to go to Bloomingdale's anyway, so this will be fine. Target, BB&B and B&N seem to be readily located in several places. Daughter wants to go to IKEA, since we don't have one in OH. The only location I can find is in Stoughton, that seems pretty far away. Anyone aware of IKEA closer? TIA!

The Stoughton IKEA is the only one around. It's not actually that far. From Waltham you'd get back on 95/128S to Rt. 24 South.

There is also a B&N in Chestnut Hill, if you want to combine it with the Container Store and Bloomingdale's.

IKEA can be very busy on the weekend so a weekday visit is better.

CW

Route 3 makes no sense to me. If I remember, your daughter is going to Brandeis. Take Route 93 south to Route 128/95 in Woburn. Take Route 128 South to exit 24/Route 30. Exit onto Route 30. Brandeis is about 2 miles from there - very simple.

At a time like this, saving 5% in sales tax would not be my priority. Depending on dates/when she can get into dorm, I would go directly to Brandeis, check out dorm, and then shop later that day or the next day.

If you want to stop along the way, there are 2 choices. Salem, NH. About 20 miles outh of Manchester, take exit #1 to Salem. You will pass Mall at Rockingham, which is large, and if you continue a little past this you will come to Route 28. Turn right. Every big box, chain store you could possibly want will be right there, including Target, Bed, Bath..., Borders Books, CompUSA.

Or, continue on Route 93 into Massachusetts. About 10 miles south of the border take Commerce Way exit. Target is there.

If you take my advice and get to college first, there is a target in Watertown, MA and Somerville, MA - both less than 20 minutes from Brandeis. And either place has other shopping options as well.

I might suggest you buy and bring at least one set of extra long twin sheets - every college dorm bed I have ever heard of requires extra long sheets for some weird reason, and college-area stores sometimes sell out of these in August/September.

Enjoy your adventure. Try not to cry too much as you leave her - the alternative is that our kids are still living in our basements at age 40.

Gail would know if there is a Xmas Tree Shop on on the North Shore, but there is one in Natick and I'll let you in on a little secret... it's owned by BB&Beyond.. In Natick off route 9 there is a Home Goods, Container Store a little further down, Barnes and Noble and the infamous and can't live without stuff Xmas Tree Shops..... and on some of the same items they are much much less $ than BB&B

There is a Christmas Tree Shop in Salem, NH as well. And since OP is not from area, a word of explanation. Christmas Tree Shop has nothing to do with Christmas or trees of any kind. It's add slogan is "don't you just love a bargain". Not the place I would go if I needed a specific item, but one of those places where you go in for one thing, such as party paper plates, and exit with a full cart. Great place for decorative stuff that you never "need" but always want.

Rt 93 puts you further North onto Rt. 128/95 in Woburn. Rt 3/293 the Highway, goes right through Nashua and onto Rt. 128/95 at Burlington, closer to Waltham. It's a toll road that starts in Bedford not far from the airport, and it's called the "Everett Turnpike."

Definitely shop in NH to avoid the sales tax if you are driving right by anyway. There is a Christmas Tree discount shop in Hollis (Exit 5 or 6), and all the Nashua stores are at Exit 1. There is a wonderful pizza/Italian restaurant in Nashua just off the stop/go Rt. 3 called Pizzaco, just behind Bernie & Phyl's furniture and the McDonalds. There is also a large mall and shopping area in Burlington, MA, but not necessarily the stores you mention.

I'll be taking my daughter to Babson down the street from Brandeis the following week. Best wishes, Aliska, to both you and your "baby!"

The Container Store in Chestnut Hill is not in the Chestnut Hill Mall, but farther east on Route 9. Likewise, Bloomie's is split in two buildings -- their household stuff is at the Mall, but the clothing departments are in a building near the Container Store.

I was just at the Ikea in Stoughton earlier today! Most of us think of it as being in Avon. It's at the end of a road that has a wonderful variety of big-box stores, including a huge Christmas Tree Shop, Office Max, Home Depot, Michael's, Costco, etc.etc.

I agree with gail's advice that you might not want to do all of this shopping before arriving at school. The roommates will want to do some decorative shopping together. I did a similar outing when my daughter, based in Boston, went to college in DC. We bought lamps, which weren't needed, and had to go out to buy another bookcase, etc. Especially if she doesn't have specifics about the room, save the Ikea trip for afterwards.

Thanks everyone for all the great info. This is probably TMI as my kids would say, but we actually get to meet the roommate next week in our hometown. She is from Sacramento and we live in OH. In a twist of fate too strange to be true, her mother grew up maybe 12 houses down the street from us. They will be visiting relatives here before continuing on to Boston. So, we may go to Crate & Barrel and a couple of places here even though we said we wouldn't schlep a lot with us on an airplane. And yes, I anticipate crying A LOT and will be buying a giant,economy size box of tissues!

Target has the best-looking tissue boxes. ;-)

Don't forget that most of the other moms will feel the same way you do. So share your tissues

That wasn't TMI. It's a small world, isn't it? The summer before I went to college, the school sent me a list of all the girls who'd enrolled for the fall. The girl at the top of the list was living in the house my mom grew up in!

Don't forget that you can ship things ahead. Books, CD, and DVDs can be sent via Media Mail, very economically. Check the school's rules: One of my daughters went to a school that would take deliveries weeks in advance of arrival and have them in your room when you arrived, the other told parents not to ship anything to arrive before the student did and they had to schlep their stuff from the central mailroom.

Also, some of the big chains will let you shop online and then hold your stuff at the store closest to the campus.

Just wanted to make sure you realized you don't have to take Rt. 93 South. You'll save yourself 20-30 minutes or so if you get on the Everett Turnpike near the airport.

Start off very briefly on Rt.101 West and Rt. 293 North. Go over the Merrimack River bridge and take the exit marked "Toll Road" South to Nashua/Lowell. This will bring you to Rt. 128/95 at Burlington, MA, closer to Waltham. Just continue south-ward.

Well, here is our game plan: We arrive late in Manchester and will stay the night at an Econolodge motel at 75 W. Hancock St. IS THIS A SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR 2 WOMEN? Our first stop the next morning will be a Bed Bath & Beyond at 268 Daniel Webster Highway in Nashua near the mall. From there we will head to the Doubletree on Winter St. in Brandeis. Here are the directions I have been given, does this make sense? Making a U turn on Winter St. sounds weird, hopefully that's legal in MA (not in OH!)

1. Start out going NORTHWEST on W HANCOCK ST toward 2ND ST
2. Turn LEFT onto 2ND ST / NH-114A.
3. Turn LEFT to take the I-293 S ramp toward BOSTON
4. Merge onto EVERETT TURNPIKE (Portions toll).
5. EVERETT TURNPIKE becomes US-3 S (Crossing into MASSACHUSETTS).
6. Merge onto I-95 S / MA-128 S via EXIT 25B toward PROVIDENCE RI
7. Merge onto WINTER ST via EXIT 27B.
8. Make a U-TURN onto WINTER ST.
9. End at 550 Winter St
Waltham, MA 02451-1202, US

We've actually stayed there, years ago, and I can remember not caring for it. It's located right next to Rt 293 so there's traffic noise. There's several other motels/hotels much closer to the airport so I wondered why you chose this one. It should be safe enough but it's not the most convenient area. There's an Applebee's restaurant not too far from this hotel. It is closer to downtown Manchester which has some very interesting restaurants than the hotels on Brown Ave. The other area with several choices that call themselves airport hotels are the South Willow Street area. The hotels are actually on side streets. South Willow Street is a very congested traffic area due to a variety of strip malls and a major mall (but it's not as good as the one in Nashua). This area would be one exit east of the airport via Rt 101. You'll find a variety of chain restaurants on South Willow and vicinity of the Mall but the best restaurants in Manchester are in the downtown area and Canal Street. Good opportunity to have some ethnic food. Of course, maybe you are arriving after supper! There's a Barnes and Noble (or maybe it's a Borders) near the Mall on South Willow.
To get to the Econologe, if you stay on Rt 101 and take the exit after the one for Rt 293 north, you can get off on South River Rd. You'll see a Macy's. Turn left. This will take you past a Home Goods. There's a small mall on the right (Bedford Mall). When you get to the fork, bear to the right. This will bring you to Hancock Street. You've just taken a tour of the available eateries and stores for this area. The shopping and restaurant selection is much better on South Willow St. The Econolodge is a former mill building. This area of Manchester is more industrial/commercial but should be safe. Brown Ave hotels would be closest to the airport but there's not many restaurants in that area. Go one exit east via Rt 101 from the airport to South Willow Street. Manchester is slowly revitalizing with some great restaurants. Canal Street is lined with old mill buildings some of which are trendy new restaurants, others offices. This used to be the place where you could get some real bargains on sweaters and shoes made right there.

aliska:

Route looks find. NOTE between #3 and #4 there is lots of merging and exits to the right and left, so just be sure to get over to the right to watch carefully for "Toll Road" signs which have only the Everett Turnpike Logo which is confusing to those not familiar...but this is the exit you want.

To get to Bed & Bath & Beyond, take Exit 1 off the Everett Turnpike. Go left at end of ramp. Go right on Daniel Webster Highway (there's a huge Barnes & Noble on the left here). Watch for a Citizens Bank on the right with drive through lanes. You can get into the Bed & Bath & Beyond parking lot just before or just after the bank.

I highly recommend the Holiday Inn Express near Manchester Airport.

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ex/...l/MHTNH/dining

Awesome breakfast and very nice rooms.

Hey, Aliska, how'd it go?!

Thanks to all the Fodorites who helped plan this trip. We arrived in Manchester, NH without any airline delays Fri Aug. 27. Didn’t realize when I booked these tickets that the leg from LGA – MHT was a propeller plane, boy that was a roller coaster ride. The motel we booked was very clean, very cheap, easy to find and served our need perfectly for the 10 hours we spent there. Came with coffee and danishes in the morning. Headed south on the Everitt turnpike and stopped in Nashua to pick up college supplies at Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond. The BB&B service worked great, highly recommend it. We could have chosen to have everything shipped to her dorm room, but we are control freaks and wanted to pick up in person. We had spent 3 hours picking out everything in Columbus, and it took us 10-15 minutes to pick it up, inventory it and pay. Great! We bought out Target as well. Uneventful trip to Waltham. The Doubletree Suites was fine, the Brandeis welcoming committee spent time with us helping get oriented. We dumped our stuff and headed for the Chestnut Hill Mall. Trekked through Bloomingdale’s, a treat for us, there isn’t one in Columbus. Very disappointing merchandise but then we found out they are moving to a new location in November, so it’s understandable. We stopped for dinner at Legal Seafoods, because everyone needs a lobster in Boston. The bluefish pate was yummy and the lobster was a treat.

Sunday Aug. 27 was move in day. Unfortunately, the Doubletree was horribly expensive for breakfast and there wasn’t any place near by. We must not have understood the move in process, because we got stuck in 2 separate staging areas from 10:30 – 12:00 till we were finally allowed to approach the dorm room and unload. Then, the skies opened up and poured as soon as the opening ceremonies were over.

Mon Aug. 28 my daughter and I made a date to get together at 6 p.m. After sleeping in, I found a Friendly’s for breakfast on Lexington Ave. What a bargain ! Only $3.99 for this huge meal. It was in close proximity to an AAA office. I had not made any plans in advance for the day, so I decided to visit and get some help. It was about 10 a.m. and the agent suggested a drive to Cape Ann on the North Shore to Rockport. It was a very easy 1 hour drive through lovely New England. I love the ocean and it was beautiful. I drove through Gloucester and got to Rockport in the late morning. There were plenty of art, candy and ceramics shops, but it was a very pleasant way to spend some time. If it had been warmer, and I had a jacket, I would have taken a whale watching boat ride. Instead, I bought some souvenirs for my younger daughter, tried some penuche with nuts, a local flavor that tasted similar to pralines (my favorite!) . I wanted a lobster roll for lunch and I visited the Beach St. Bistro, a tiny café with about 8 tables opened in the last 6 months. It wasn’t cheap, but it was pure lobster meat, a touch of celery and mayonnaise. Delicious! We had errands to run at The Container Store in Chestnut Hill and had dinner at Pappa-razzi in the mall. Average Italian at average prices, just OK.

Tues Aug. 28 was time to go home. I treated myself to room service breakfast, a long bath, gave myself a manicure and took advantage of a late check out. It was an easy hour drive from Waltham to MHT. Then the trouble started – my prop plane to LGA was delayed at first due to bad weather in NYC. USAir was going to send me home via PHL. Then PHL was delayed due to bad weather. Back on the prop plane. Then mechanical difficulties on the prop plane and it was cancelled. Then they sent me to Charlotte, NC where I arrived at 8:30 p.m. only to find out that my CLT-CMH flight was delayed until 1:00 a.m. By 3:00 a.m. I finally walked into my house after being totally exhausted. Oh the joys of traveling in the 21st century!

All in all, not a sightseeing trip, but it went well. We will do this same trip at the end of October for parent’s weekend. At least I will have company then. I haven’t broken down and cried yet but I will miss my daughter. It was exciting to see Brandeis, as I was not with her during her admissions interview. I am envious of the terrific opportunity she will have there from an academic and cultural standpoint. My philosophy has always been that parents need to equip their children to live in the real world, I tried to make her independent and able to stand on her own 2 feet and this will be a great experience for her. Sad though that 800 miles separate us. Thanks Fodorites for helping with the details!