Dawn Albert

We will be traveling up the East Coast and would like any suggestions on a good company to use for whale watching in the Boston-Salem area. Also would like any suggestions on other must sees in that area. We will be there for 3 days. Thanks for your time. Dawn

Marie

Dawn, there is an excellent whale watching excursion at the main harborfront in Gloucester, just a few miles north of Boston. Don't know its name, but think its the only one in Gloucester. We took it a few years ago and were thrilled to see dozens of whales. There is a government naturalist aboard who gives very informative narratives about the types of whales and their habits.
There is another whale watching excursion in Provincetown, on the tip of Cape Cod. Haven't done that one but we are planning a trip to the Cape in
Sept. and will take the whale watching excursion from there. It is a real thrill to see the whales. Enjoy

betsy

I like Marie's suggestion about Gloucester. It's about a 45 minute drive North of Boston and has ample opportunities for whale watching as well as plenty of great seafood restaraunts. Drive over to Essex and eat clams at Farnhams or Woodmans and take the Essex River Cruise. You can also rent Kayaks there.If you like antiques, there are lots of shops in Essex. For things to do in Boston, do a search on these posts. There are tons of great things to do. Have fun!

Sandra

Dawn,

There are quite a number of whale watching companies in Boston including one run by the New England Acquarium, 617 973 5277, at least 4 in Gloucester including Cape Ann Whale 800 877 5110, in Salem there is East India Cruise 800 745 9594. I've not tried those but I can recommend Captain John in Plymouth, 800 242 2469.
If you're staying in Boston, the city has enough to keep you busy. Walk the Freedom Trail, visit the Museum of Science, ride the Swan Boats, take a Duck tour, visit the Constitution in Charlestown, take the water shuttle out to the Harbor Islands, you can get off and walk around the islands and then reboard the shuttle.

Enjoy -
Sandra

Sara

Try the Yankee Fleet in Gloucester, I think that must be the one Marie is referring to. They have a web site at <www.yankee-fleet.com/>. I've been on this trip several times, and it's excellent - I've always seen whales, and they have a naturalist aboard who gives lots of information. While you're on Cape Ann you might want to visit Rockport, just a few miles from Gloucester, it's a beautiful and charming town with lots of neat shops, art galleries, and restaurants - quintessential quaint. If you want to visite a beach, I highly recommend Crane Beach on the North Shore, and Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester is wonderful too.

Penny

Dawn,

Salem has many great things (and many not-so-great), but I would recommend that you go to Gloucester for your whale watch. Here's why: The Salem cruises need to take you up to the Gloucester area anyway--if you leave from Gloucester, well, you're already in the right vicinity.

If the sea is at all rough, do take Dramamine or take other precautions against motion sickness. I went as a chaperone on the fifth-grade whale watch, and mainly watched dozens of kids get quite ill.

I was just in Gloucester Monday, and it was beautiful. I recommend seeing the movie "Perfect Storm" (or reading the excellent book by Junger) before going. It gives you a flavor of the city. Go out to Eastern Point Light for a beautiful view.

I live in Swampscott, which is between Salem and Marblehead. If you want specific suggestions for restaurants and other sightseeing in that area, please feel free to e-mail me directly.