Side trip from Boston?
 

My family and I will be in Boston for a week in late August. We wanted to take a side trip from there in the middle of the week for a few days. I am not familiar with anything in MA besides Boston. We need to start off in Boston and then end up in Boston.

We would like a beach area I think. I heard it was a three hour drive to Cape Cod? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

There are lots of places you could go. What type of beach did you want (sandy, shallow water, rock pools, facilities). Where do you want to stay and what is your budget? Hotel? B&B? Motel? The Cape books up quickly for the summer.

Avoiding the weekends would be essential if you choose the Cape as traffic can make the journey a nightmare and most areas will be less busy mid week. You might also want to consider Rhode Island or the North Shore or even Maine (all within a 3 hour drive).

I think we would want to stay in a hotel. Price doesn't really matter (not too crazy though, haha). We would be going on weekdays. We need to be in Boston on Saturday night and then again by the following Friday night. So we would probably need something maybe Monday-Wed or Thursday.
We have two teen-aged girls, so maybe something touristy with shopping also. Nothing off the beaten path.
I really have to clue about the area. We go to Boston every year for Red Sox games. Thanks for your help.

you could take the ferry from Boston to Provincetown for beaches and shopping.

I think Provincetown via the ferry would be a good choice too. It's right at the end of the Cape so would be a long drive and you really wouldn't need a car. The teenagers would probably enjoy a whalewatch trip.


FYI It's a popular destination for gay men

It's been ages since I've gone to Hampton Beach in NH but that might be a great place for the teenage girls. There are great restaurants in Portsmouth NH plus evening activities like theater, music. Outlet shopping is just over the bridge in Kittery ME. Other day time activities could include a harbor cruise. I think Portsmouth is only an hour from Boston up Rt 95. If the girls didn't like saltwater, there's also Water Country Water Park on Rt 1.

Thank you, I will look into Provincetown. Is it a place where you can spend a few days? or more of a one day thing?

Provincetown is great for a few days. Beach, shopping, restaurants, whale watch. It's a very lively town in the summer.

Provincetown looks like a nice place. Looks like mostly small hotels. I checked tripadvisor and the number one was Dyer's Beach House. Do you know anything about it or if it is a good place to stay. It seems to be a good location.

This is a simple place, well kept and very well located.

dfrostnh - just as a fyi - I drove through Hampton Beach not too long ago. There was a huge fire there this winter and a large block of the concessions/tourist shops was demolished. Looks awful. For those who have been to and love Hampton Beach, it wouldn't be a big deal but if you have never been (first impressions being what they are) it would detract from your experience.

Provincetown would be my first choice - we loved being so close to the water and poking into art galleries, and the little shops and good restaurants that served the freshest of seafood.

Rhode Island - beaches and historic mansions galore. Try to visit The Breakers (the Vanderbilt's "summer cottage") and the Marble House.

Martha's Vineyard - Preferably 3 full days - can get quite crowded though. You probably don't want your kids to wander into Moshup Beach where there's nude sunbathing :-) Do go whale watching but don't do what we did - we had a BIG breakfast just an hour prior to the cruise, and we paid for it big time. The choppy waves made us so sick, when the first whale was sighted, we couldn't even lift our heads!