Deanna

I would like suggestions for places to go in New England with my 60+ parents for a short vacation of 5 days and 4 nights. Thought we might fly into Boston, rent a car, and go from there. The travel agent Dallas,Tx. checked into Martha's Vinyard, but friends tell me it is too crowded and the properties the agent recommended were very expensive. I would like to stay at $200 a night if possible. Where should we go? I've been to Boston and Newport, R.I., but that is the extent of my travels in New England. We'll be traveling in June. Any advice would be appreciated!

Sandra Engley

Since you have some previous experience visiting Boston, I won't go into all the virtues of this wonderful city. Here are suggestions outside the city. The beauty of the New England coast can be sceen all over. For details on the area south of Boston read the letter last posted 2/21/98 10:21 pm about Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims, it describes the scenic Plymouth Ma. area and attractions. Also read the Whale Watching note posted 2/22/98 09:20 pm I remember the first time I visited Rockport MA, an artist town on Cape Ann, the north shore of Ma. It seemed like a step back in time, and easily walkable to explore at a slower pace like time stood still with all the fishing boats in the harbor next to Motif no. 2 (no.1 went down in the harbor with the blizzard of 78) A ride around Manchester by the Sea, Magnolia, Ipswich, Newburyport Ma. will provide a look into life on the coast of New England. In June the outdoor theaters will be showing something. You may want to check ticketmaster.com for the attractions in Danvers North Shore Music Center, Scituate for the South Shore Melody Tent. If you get the urge to gamble, 2 Indian Casinos are within a 2 hour drive south near Mystic Ct. (another historic seaport) The newer Mohegan Sun has plenty of floorspace and parking, Foxwoods is bigger with more shops and restaurants as well as casino games, and lines. New England offers great outlet shops as well, from Kittery Maine down to Wrentham Ma. there is plenty to do, have a great trip. Sandra

Donna

You haven't mentioned when you are planning to visit - and this makes a huge difference. If you want to go to Martha's Vineyard, best time is early June or after Labor Day. Most accomodations offer shoulder season rates at those times and you will avoid the crowds and day-trippers. Places often offer lower rates mid-week as well. But, I would second the recommendation for north of Boston. For some reason, Rockport offers terrific value for the dollar - even during the summer months. This is a charming seaport village which is totally picturesque. The dining and shopping are superb. It's small enough that you can walk all over. Not far away are Portsmouth, NH, Salem, MA and Newburyport, MA, all lovely places to visit with lots to see and do. Do a search on the web - all these places have websites. I would, personally, recommend that you do some research, obtain literature on accomodations from the Chambers of Commerce, select and book your own accomodations. It's much more fun to find something really appealing to you than to have a travel agent book something neither of you knows anything about.

Kristin

Deanna, I travelled with my Mom in July to the Boston/CapeCod area a couple of years ago. We found plenty of fairly inexpensive places (Comfort Inn, Hampton, etc.) but we had to do a lot of homework--we didn't really make reservations ahead of time, other than the night before. We stayed in a fairly inexpensive inn in Chatham, Cape Cod. (right on the elbow) It was called the Inn Among Friends, just a half block from the beach. It was a great little place and it seemed that it only cost $120 for the 2 of us.We loved the town of Chatham, very quaint and friendly--lots of neat restaurants. The Chatham Bar Inn (expensive hotel) had a neat little restaurant right down on the beach (outdoors) we ate there for a couple of lunches. We also stayed at a Hampton Inn in Hyannisport for about $90 for the 2 of us. We loved Rockport--what a great little town--GO THERE. Martha's Vineyard was too pricey for us lodging-wise, but we spent a day on the island and loved it. We also went up the coast and spent time in Kennebunkport and Boothbay Harbor Maine. Again, didn't spend a lot on lodging. Have a great time--hope this helped!

Jo-Ann

Check out the Yankee magazine website at www.newengland.com. They have lists of wonderful places to stay,places to dine, and road trips. New England can be a wonderful place to visit in any season.

Donna

I should have mentioned - check out NANTUCKET. Truly a step back in time. You and your folks would love this place. You can easily cover most of it walking. Terrific dining and shopping. Also fun are a boat tour and bus tour. You can fly to Nantucket, thereby avoiding driving to Hyannis from Boston and the 2-1/4 hour ferry ride. There are economical places to stay in June, which is the shoulder season for many accomodations. A real bargain is the Nesbit Inn. A charming B&B (shared baths, but a terrific set-up) is the only Victorian home on the island (everything else is Quaker style). The Overlook Hotel is also economical. Simple, but very nice. This is a three story Victorian hotel on a hill with a wrap around porch on each level. Fantastic views of the harbor at sunrise! June is a terrific time to visit Nantucket. The summer folks and day trippers haven't arrived yet, but all the wonderful shops and restaurants are open for the "season". Your folks would probably love the piano bar at the Club Car Restaurant. The octogenerian piano player is fantastic. If you ask him how long he's been playing there, he'll tell you, "Since about 9". Another old timer plays Gershwin and Cole Porter out at the Summer House in Sconset. You can take a taxi there. The restaurant is fantastic (sort of "Casablanca"). We love to sit on the porch, having a drink, and listening to the piano from the lounge on one side and the waves lapping upon the shore in the moonlight on the other. If he's still in good health, an elderly gentleman gives fabulous walking tours (the folks shouldn't have any trouble keeping up). Nantucket is utterly charming. No traffic lights, no neon, no "touristy" stuff, no franchises (except the tiny A&P, which is not "downtown"). Take your folks here and they'll know they've raised a fantastic kid! I sent my Dad (70+) a few years ago and he is still talking about it.

Donna

P. S. Just noticed your budget is $200/night. In that case, check out the Jared Coffin House. A fine full-service inn, well located, with two fabulous restaurants within. We love this place, and it's where my Dad stayed (and he loved it too). Be sure to ask about packages and whether the rates are different mid-week.