CloeRosie

Hi everyone,

me and my boyfriend will arrive in New England from Italy on Saturday the 16th. We arrive in Boston but we'll immediately take a rent car and go to Cape Cod.

We already planned the first 2 days of the trip: we booked a B&b in Yarmouth Port and would like to visit Newport, Providence and of course Yarmouth and Hyannis maybe.

But then we have 2 empty days (from Tuesday morning to Thursday morning) before going back to Boston, where we will stay for 4 days.

We can't decide what to do, if it's better to move north to Portsmouth, stopping maybe in Salem and Rockport. Or visiting Sturbridge and adding something else near...Or something else entirely! The only thing is that we don't want to drive more than 2 hours straight or we would have gone straight to Portland or Bar Harbor.

I'd like to see a covered bridge, one of the famous museum and do some shopping (no taxes!!)

Can you help me? I really am lost!

Thanks!
Claudia

dfrostnh

No taxes means shopping in NH. There's a large mall in Salem NH and some bargain stores like Marshall's on Rt 28. This is just north of the Massachusetts state line. It's only about 30 minutes from Boston going north on I93.

I don't think Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth or Shaker Village in Canterbury are open yet. (I thought you meant history museum.) Plimoth Plantation is open and you can stop there on your way back from the Cape. But I think Sturbridge is much more interesting and is worth the drive.

CloeRosie

Yes I meant those! So you suggest Sturbridge? I was thinking maybe we can do Sturbridge and then we can do the area between Rockport, Gloucester and Salem, Marblehead. Are they worth it?

I heard also about the Peabody Essex Museum.

About the shopping: what is Marshall's?

Thanks a lot for your reply!

emalloy

The Rockport, Gloucester, Salem and Marblehead areas are very nice and present a different look at the shore communities. If you are pressed for time, Salem and Rockport have more for tourists. There is a nice museum, the Peabody/Essex museum in Salem as well as lots of witch history. Rockport is more of an artists colony.

When you are on Cape Cod, do go to the National Seashore, both the VC in Eastham and also the one out in Provincelands near Provincetown. Provincetown is also worth a visit for funk and art.

There are malls with discount stores all over, on the Cape, look for the Christmas Tree Shop mall.

tchoiniere

We already planned the first 2 days of the trip: we booked a B&b in Yarmouth Port and would like to visit Newport, Providence and of course Yarmouth and Hyannis maybe.


Are you plsnning on doing this over 2 days? Its supposed to be chilly and raining so travel will not be fun.

CloeRosie

We will be in that area (Newport, Providence and Yarmouth) from the 16th to the 19th. Unfortunately I've seen the weather forecast. But we planned and booked months ago so we have no choice! So I thought that maybe we will be a full day in Providence where I think there are more inside places to visit and then I would love to do the Mansions in Newport.

I've heard about the Peabody Essex. I will try and do that together with Salem and Rockport.

irishswampyankee

Providence and Newport aren't on the Cape. If they interest you, you should plan to see them on the way to or from the Cape. I think Newport is interesting with the huge old mansions. I think you could eliminate Providence and not miss anything. Just for the sake of discussion, I like Plimoth Plantation much more than Sturbridge Village - just my opinion - and it is on your way. Bring rain gear and layers. You could spend 2 nights on the Cape. The drive along 6A on the north side is pretty. You should definitely go to the Nat'l Seashore and, if time permits, to Provincetown which is at the end of the Cape. And yes, you will have to drive to New Hampshire if you want to shop with no sales taxes.

dfrostnh

Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Burlington Coat Factory are discount stores that carry marked down clothing and housewares. Sometimes it is overstock merchandise with famous labels but basically cheaper than the original store price. The sales tag will show original price and "our price". There is also a Christmas Tree Shop in Salem NH. These stores tend to carry housewares, toys, home decor, everything except clothes, at a discount. Some of the quality is crappy others are a good deal. Kohl's is a good department store with some great prices when they have a sale which is most of the time. There are some really good deals on the clearance racks.

The daffodils are getting ready to bloom in NH, they may be in full color on the Cape and there are thousands planted along the road.

One April DH and I visited the Cape for what turned out to be a rainy weekend. We found a lovely tea shop where we had a nice, cozy afternoon break and tried some interesting teas. We would never have visited the shop on a hot, July day.

The tour of the Chinese house at the Peabody Essex Museum is interesting and will require an additional fee. During the week it shouldn't be crowded and you can get tickets when you get there.

clarkgriswold

You extra two days should be near Newport/ Providence and should be used to explore that area. A day and a half on Cape Cod leaves you nowhere near enough time to also take a day trip to Newport.

yk

I prefer Sturbridge Village over Plimoth Plantation, JMHO.

There's NO sales tax on clothes in MA if it's under $150 (I think). There's a premium outlet in Wrentham near Foxboro. http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=10

NewEnglandVisit

You are packing in a lot in a short time. You would want to spend a couple days alone on the Cape. See the Cape Cod information on this web page to find a few good spots to visit if the weather is bad: http://www.discovernewengland.org/ab...massachusetts/. I would stay south of Boston so you don't spend too much time driving around. If you want to visit Salem, you could also do it during one of your 4 Boston days. Avoid Boston during rush hour in the morning and late afternoon. You also don't need a rental car in the city -- hard to find a place to keep it.

On Cape Cod, be sure to drive down to see the National Seashore, have lunch in Chatham and out to Provincetown to get a good feeling for the natural beauty. It varies quite a bit and is all part of experiencing the Cape.

On the one free day, I would head to Sturbridge Village if it is raining (they also have a covered bridge). This is a farther drive, but a better place if rains. If the weather is good, Plimoth Plantation will be closer. You could also see the Jenney Mill (www.jenneygristmill.org/).

I would spend the 2nd of your free days in Rhode Island. Be sure to see the Newport Mansions. The International Tennis Hall of Fame is another good place, especially if the weather is not great. Lots of good shopping and eating here too. In Providence, there's great shopping downtown in Providence Place (http://www.providenceplace.com/). Good places to visit are the Rhode Island School of Design Art Museum (RISD) and the Johnson & Wales Culinary Museum.

Other good places to shop en route to Boston (or on the way or back from Sturbridge Village): Wrentham Village (170 outlets) and Legacy Place in Dedham, which has a movie theater and entertainment center.

Hope you have a great time...and hopefully good weather.

CloeRosie

Great advices everyone! Thanks a lot!

I think we will be doing the Cape alone as you suggested for the first two days.
Then move to Newport on the way out of the Cape, Providence to see the RISD and then, if we have time, one between Sturbridge Village and Plimoth. I think that these can be done in 2 days.

Then on the way to Boston we can think about shopping.

Just another thing: do you think that I will be missing a lot not going to the north area of Boston, like Salem, Rockport etc?? Beacause this way we won't have the time and I suppose I won't be coming again to New England anytime soon (from Milan is a long way

Cranachin

As yk mentioned, in Massachusetts and also in Rhode Island, there is no tax on most items of clothing (including shoes). BUT - some items you might think of as clothing ARE taxed; thus, there is no sales tax on belts, but there is on wallets and purses.

In Massachusetts, if an item costs more than $175, it is taxed on the "excess" value. For example, if you buy a $200 suit, you pay tax on $25, not $200. I'm not sure whether Rhode Island has a similar maximum value for the tax exemption.

To make it more confusing, the sales tax on general purchases (6.25% in Massachusetts, 7% in Rhode Island) is different from the tax on meals (up to 7% in MA and 8% in RI), which is also different from the taxes on lodging (which can vary from town to town, not just state to state). And although New Hampshire does not have a general sales tax, it DOES have meals (9%) and lodging taxes!

Cranachin

As to whether you will be missing a lot by not visiting the North Shore (the area north of Boston):

I would say Boston, Cape Cod, and Newport are higher priorities. Visiting a living history museum like Plimoth Plantation or Old Sturbridge Village probably is, too.

I'm not sure I would say you are missing "a lot" if you don't make it to the North Shore (and I live in that area!). It IS a nice area to visit. But for an international visitor, I think there are higher priorities.