We are looking forward to our two-week road trip to the Boston area - leaving in five days! The first four days we'll be staying in Cambridge and we know what we'll be trying to do and see in Boston. Then we'll be staying in the Sharon area for a wedding for a few days. We have a morning open plus an afternoon and evening and a whole day to take side trips with other visiting friends. I would welcome any suggestions on what we could do in that area. We like walking, exploring parks and interesting little towns, and photography is my hobby. We will have a car. Then we will be driving to Wellfeet to explore Cape Cod for four days.

Thanks for any suggestions - I've been a "lurker" on the talk forums for years and enjoy collecting all sorts of great trip into.

For your interest in hiking, nature, photography, I think you should check out the properties of the Trustees of the Reservation -
www.thetrustees.org

I believe their photo contest is ongoing and so now I think you should, as a shutter bug, enter that too !

Click on list of properties, and have a map handy - there are some beautiful properties within 30 minutes of Sharon (which is only about 20 min south of Boston) -
there are many offerings in Canton, Needham, Dover, Milton, Norwell and Hingham -

If you want a taste of the South Shore, you might enjoy Hingham (Worlds End/Weir Farm)
Worlds End in particular is a gorgeous spot for walking and beautiful photos of Hingham harbor and on to boston - quaint seaside town of Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate could make a nice side trip - (and even Hull)

The above coastal towns, all next to each other, would give you nice stretches of beach, small towns with little main streets with shops, rocky shores, quaint new england harbor full of lobster and fishing boats, lighthouses, Minot Light (the 1-4-3 lighthouse) , and now the pleasure craft that is going in the water daily - coastal lunch in a sit down restaurant with a small harbor view (Atlantica in Cohasset - where there is also an art center and gallery which might have an interesting exhibit -
www.ssac.org

or a lobster roll while standing overlooking one of the harbors - (The Lobster Pound in Hingham) as examples - see a 'typical' New England common - in Cohasset, where they filmed Witches of Eastwick and the old Unitarian Church on the common with the duck pond, and stroll to the harbor from there and to Atlantica restaurant - if you drive into Scituate from the harbor and on to Marshfield, you can get some great views of the North River snaking thru the marshes - there are some great spots to see that from and photograph it if that interests you I can give more particulars on this route -you could actually keep heading south right in to Norwell, there is also a trustees property there and the NOrwell Nature Center and then you would be from there two minutes to the highway (having done all this on side roads and Rte 3A ) and once on 3North, you 'd be about 30 min to Sharon from Norwell.
This would give you a good taste of the inland and coastal area of the South Shore - and some historical sites as well - the Lincoln Statue in Hingham, Thoreau and Emerson involvement in Cohasset, ship wrecks off Cohasset coast, etc, etc.
It would make for a nice paced day trip - a half a day and you 'd have to just pick one of the towns to really enjoy it, take some walks, photos and perhps have lunch or dinner. Many fine restaurants, but if you want to eat 'coastal' and have the views, then there are other options.

For an example, google each town and you can read about it -
ie: here is Town of Cohasset Page, click on photo tour of town and see if it is something that even peaks your interest - b/c the other towns along the South Shore will look similar, each a bit different, but still coastal towns w/ their own personality.

http://www.cohassetchamber.org/visit...phototour.html

Also, you could head to Brockton to the Fuller Craft Museum which is a hidden gem in that area and only about 20 minutes from you -
fullercraft.org

You're also a stones throw from the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory, which is hte longest continuou running weather recording station in the US - I don't have their tour times memorized, but that might be a possibility for you -

also, the Blue Hills Reservation
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston/blue.htm

and this site will also bring you to other parks that you might want to visit and the site has all the trail maps on it.

You are also not far from Franklin Park Zoo if that interests you -

zoonewengland.org

it is located on part of the Frederick Olmsted Emerald Necklace loop that yuou should try and see some part of while in Boston -

you coudl also do a day trip to Newport, RI from Sharon - it will take you about an hour and fifteen to get there - and yuo could see that coast, the harbor, wharf area, and drive the ten mile drive

www.oceandrivenewport.com

which is quite fabulous, full of photo ops, you can get out and walk a bit/ - or do the cliff walk if you prefer - but the driveyuo will see more -

cliffwalk.com

and plenty of history in newport - mansions, art museums, fort adams, -

well, that's the first ideas that come to my mind -

if you are intersted in Plimoth Plantation you can do that on your way to the cape -
and if you choose other things nad want to see the South Shore, you could go that way to the Cape - leave Sharon, head to Hingham, thru Cohasset, Scituate, into Norwell and jump on the highway there and head to Wellfleet - say using from 9am to 1pm to do all the South Shore stop sand then just driving striaght from 1pm to Wellfleet -

escargot - Thank you, thank you - your info has been a big help! We are really looking forward to our first trip to Boston and Cape Cod!

no problem - if I think of anything else that might give you a combo of the things you like, I'll post -
also, if you end up thinking you mjight do any of these post back adn I can give you some specific restaurants/addresses/direction links

For the morning off, you might like to walk a little bit of Moose Hill Audibon Sanctuary, or a stroll around one of the ponds at Borderland - both are in Sharon.

I agree with both suggestions of Hingham, Cohasset Scituate, if people don't mind being in the car site seeing. Otherwise, maybe just Worlds end and Hingham

I also think a day in Newport which is just 45 minutes from Sharon is a great day. Walk the cliffwalk, take in the grounds and magnificant trees at the mansions. Whatch kite flying on ocean ave and explore the fun shopping of seaside Newport.

A trip to Lexington Concord is always nice anytime of year and again is within 45 minutes of Sharon. History, Walden Pond, a great walking downtown Concord. Another great option.

those are great suggestions -
the only thing I would add is some walking tours in Cohasset and Scituate -as well as HIngham -

One thing I forgot to mention if yuo go to Hingham, go Rte 3 south to the 228 exit and follow 228 to Hingham Ctr and on to the rotary/harbor etc -
Eleanor Roosevelt called 228 the prettiest road in America -
aside from Worlds End in Hingham:
Nice to walk Main St, where the fork is and the Lincoln Statue, pass St Pauls, then up to the Loring Hall Theater , where Emerson and Holmes spoke - here's a good web link and if you google Loring Hall you will find more -
also this link has other good ideas for Hingham

http://www.southofboston.net/special...ringhall.shtml

Should you decide to continue to Cohasset, drive the Jerusalem Rd/Atlantic Ave way into town past the harbor, which will give you great ocean views and you can stop at Sandy Beach and see out to the Minot Lighthouse -
In Cohasset:
Park downtown, walk thru the South Shore Art Cetner, up to the Common, see the old Unitarian Church, duck pond, past the water pump, the Cohasset Historical Society, walk down thru the village (stop at French Memories if you want for amazing soups, desserts, breads, cheeses, chocolates, coffee - run by a french couple and the baked goods are amazing - then ask for directions to turn the right corner and walk to the harbor - see the fishing boats, lightkeepers house - and walk back - the other street that v's out from the harbor past some old ship captain homes, the Caleb Lothrop House, the church and go right to head back to town and visit the Cohasset Historical Society (large yellow bldng) if you want, which has some great things to see if you are into history, and down the hill, back past French Memories and to the downtown/common where you parked.
all of this is probably 1-2 miles at the most -

Scituate: I would stop at the parking lot by the gazebo in Scituate Harbor - stroll a bit and/or get directins (easier locally) to some of the Cliffs for some great views - and then head over the bridge (pass kennedy country gardens) and stop at the pull offs for some great views down the north river/ marsh

from here, you can go turn around and take the first left at the lights and go up rte 123 , left on 53, and then get on the highway either back towards sharon or to the cape

Good times indeed escargot! I live in Sharon and think my thoughts and your fantastic detailed advice will make for a perfect wedding guest weekend in my town and nearby!

As far as the cliffwalk, my grandmother from Ireland worked for a Dr in Newport. All of the immagrants would meet at the 40 steps to catch up on news from the old country and where others had landed. I love the cliff walk!

Kealalani - me too !! I wish we could be wedding crashers

me too, huh?

Thanks again escargot and Kealalani...I appreciate getting insiders advice. I'm printing your responses to take with me.

don't forget to write a trip report when you get back !!

and have fun