Sightseeing in and around Boston
 

My husband and I are visiting Boston during the third week in June for a 'conference.' However, we've planned lots of extra time to enjoy this child-free trip. <BR> <BR>Can anyone recommend a great way to spend Saturday and Sunday without a car? We would like to get out of the city. We will have all our week nights available for doing stuff in the city, so restaurant recommendations would also be appreciated. We're staying at the Sheraton. <BR> <BR>Thanks!

There's a walking tour of the city (free) that starts around Boston Commons and ends around Fanniel (sp?) Hall. Very interesting bits of history along the way. I'd also recommend taking the subway to Harvard and take look-see. Subway system in Boston is fantastic! I highly recommend that you take advantage of it when possible as driving (never driven there) appears to be a nightmare.

I'm not sure what you would consider fun. With public transportation you could get out into the suburbs and then go by cab to certain places. For example, there are some great gardens like Garden in the Woods. I haven't been on any of the harbor cruises but they sound interesting and I think you might be able to take a ferry to another location, such as Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod. You can get to Portsmouth NH by bus and be right in the middle of a great walking city, good restaurants, unique shops etc. The historic Strawbery Banke features old houses and gardens. There are also short cruises out of Portsmouth. Recently we enjoyed a horse and carriage tour of the old part of town. Portsmouth is right on the ocean with an interesting waterfront. The bus terminal in Boston is at South Station which is part of the subway and train system. The terminal is brand new and in good condition. Greyhound goes there, also Concord Trailways (services parts of NH and VT) but I'm not sure which bus line would get you to Portsmouth. There's quite a lot to do in Boston so you might find that you don't want to leave the city. <BR>

Shari, assuming you mean the Sheraton Boston at Prudential Center, the "T" will be your friend for the weekend. There's a Green Line stop within a block of the hotel which, in turn, will connect you to interesting points in Boston. <BR> <BR>As David, above, notes, Cambridge is a great place to spend a day or an evening. Take the Red Line to Harvard Square, arm yourself with a map, and start exploring. It's a lively area day and night, many places to wander into. You'll also find a plethora of restaurants (see the Zagat's site to narrow your choices by price or cuisine). <BR> <BR>Whale Watch cruises go out of Rowe's Wharf in downtown Boston (behind the Boston Harbor hotel). June is a great time for whale watches, it's a half day well spent. <BR> <BR>But Boston is a walking city. From your hotel, you are a stone's throw from the shops of Newbury Street, the promenade along the Charles, Beacon Hill, the South End... all city sights and experiences that are seldom duplicated in any other U.S. city. <BR> <BR>As to restaurants, read the reviews of Biba, Ajourhui, Grill 23, Legal Sea Foods, the Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton, and Julien on Zagats or Boston.com and see if they're the kind of restarants that appeal. <BR> <BR>Unfortunately, getting to interesting places out of the city is difficult without a car. Lexington and Concord, Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth, etc. are delightful places to visit, but are poorly served by commuter rail on weekends.

you can also take a ferry up to salem, on the north shore. it's a quick trip and you get to be on the water. i highly recommend that or the longer provincetown ferry trip. those wre the best choices for out of town w/o a car. going to harvard square is like staying in the city but also fun. <BR>for dinner, upper scale yet casual,of course olives in charlestown...cheap cab ride. and they have a patio outside. get there early, they're always booked and don't take reservations. or for more of an adventure take a cab to the north end, the italian section, tons of great small restaurants...pomodoro, terramia are best. and then you can have a cannoli at mike's pastry. perfect night. <BR>other restaurants...hammersly's in the south end -upscale...ginza in chinatown for sushi... <BR>also, theatre, if you haven't seen blue man group, it's great...and you can buy tickets for the night of the show half price.

The commuter rail has service to both Rockport and Newburyport, both great seaside towns to check out. Also near Rockport is Gloucester, where the book and movie "The Perfect Storm" takes place. Commuter rail service is not as frequent on weekends as is during the week however. Check out www.mbta.com for more info