roy2moira

I started the plan for this trip back in February and received much assistance from the readers on the Fodor's site. Much thanks to all.

Our flight is scheduled to arrive into Boston on Sep 7 so we are getting close . Can't wait to begin this trip. We have reservations at the Radisson, 200 Stuart Street.

Sep 8 will walk the Freedom Trail via the Visitor Center, Boston Common. Depending on weather will maybe stop enroute for refreshments at the Green Dragon Tavern, 11 Marshall St and Warren Tavern, 2 Pleasant Street . Return to Long Wharf from Charleston Navy Yard via MBTA Water Shuttle. Return to hotel to refresh for supper, however if plenty of daylight left in the day will return to the hotel via Chestnut, Mt Vernon, & Acorn Streets.

Sep 9 Visit Back Bay (Copley Square, Trinity Church, etc.) walking to Charles, MGH Station to go to Harvard Square (Tory Row and Brattle Street to Longfellow Nat'l Historic Site) for a visit. If we did not visit Chestnut Street, etc yesterday do it today. Attempt Fenway Park tour today.

Sep 10 Take the Red Line subway from Park Street Station to JFK/UMASS Station to visit John F. Kennedy Presidential Museum.

Sep 11 Pick up Avis Rental Vehicle at 100 Clarendon Street & depart for Hyannis visiting Sandwich before checking into Seacoast Inn, 33 Ocean Street. Looking for seafood for supper so will check out Dockside Restaurant, Baxter's Boat House, and Spanky's Clam Shack.

Sep 12 Drive to villages, lighthouses, beaches on Cape Cod including Brewster, North Truro, Eastham, Wellfleet, and Chatham. Will visit the Salt Pond Visitor's Center and Coast Guard Beach. This is a Monday so we will see how it goes. Hopefully the traffic won't be too bad.

Sep 13 drive to Salem via Concord/Lexington to visit the Minuteman National Historic Park. Plan on 5 to 6 hours for park visit. Check into the Salem Waterfront Hotel, 225 Derby Street.

Sep 14 visit Salem Village for the day. The restaurant's In a Pigs Eye and The Old Spot got good reviews so we will again inquire and check them out.

Sep 15 depart for Portland visiting enroute Gloucaster Harbor, Rockport, Two Lights Lighthouse, and Portland Head Lighthouse. Will check out Two-Lights Lobster Shack or if it doesn't look good inquire about seafood restaurants upon checking into Holiday Inn By the Bay, 88 Spring Street. Portland sounds interesting so we may be short changing the place. Maine may be a place we will want to visit again - we'll see.

Sep 16 depart to Bar Harbor Via Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse in Acadia Nat'l Park. If time permits vist Pemaquid Point enroute to Bar Harbor. Check into Bar Harbor Villager Motel, 207 Main Street.

Sep 17 drive the Loop Road in the park visiting points of interest. Walk the Dorr Ladder Trail. Possible supper at Beal's Lobster Pier, Southwest Harbor

Sep 18 depart for Halifax, NS. Upon arrival check into Cambridge Suites.

Sep 19 do a downtown walking tour including the waterfront. Visit the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. O'Carroll's Restaurant and Lounge, 1860 Upper Water Street, for supper is a possibility.

Sep 20 Drive to Lunenburg via Peggy's Cove and Mahone Bay for a day visit.

Sep 21 is an open day.

Sep 22 depart for Boston stopping for an overnight in Bangor, ME.

Sep 23 arrival in Boston for tomorrows flight back home.

I will give a trip report upon our return. Thanks again.

tomfuller

Is Avis OK with taking the rental car into Canada as long as you return it back to Boston? If you have any kind of motor vehicle accident in Canada, the insurance can be a problem.

roy2moira

No problem as long as you inform the rental agency. In the case of Avis you must be issued a non-resident insurance card by them to show that your automobile insurance covers you in Canada.

roy2moira

I might add that I am picking up the vehicle downtown Boston and returning it to Logan Int'l Airport at no additional cost.

Whenever I do a road trip out of a major city I rent the vehicle after my visit to that location. I have done that several times without penalty.

Ackislander

I think this would be a terrific trip. If your SO can't make it, give me a shout!

bachslunch

You trip looks well planned and eminently do-able.

Not sure how long you plan to spend at the JFK Presidential Library, but if you arrive at opening am thinking half a day is about right -- which would leave you some afternoon time on the 10th for another attraction or two if you wanted. No idea what might suit your fancy here, if so.

Have fun!

yk

Just a minor comment: your boston hotel (the Radisson) is closer to the Downtown Crossing T station for the Red Line than Park Street Station. Plus, if you go all the way to Park Street to get to JFK Library, the next stop after Park St will be Downtown Crossing anyway.

I agree that you won't need an entire day for JFK Library. You can plan for an afternoon site for that day.

What do you mean by "Salem Village"?

roy2moira

Hi yk. Bad grammar by me. It should have read Salem.

roy2moira

We have been intently watching the news concerning Hurricane Irene and almost feel like we're a bad omen. Last year we had a road trip arranged including New Orleans, Destin, Nashville, Memphis,Vicksburg, etc. & cancelled at the last moment due to oil rig disaster in the Gulf and flooding of the Mississippi. The currant trip is all ready to go but we are wondering if the highways, including secondary roads will be passable and things basically back to somewhat normal by time we arrive on Sep 7. Anyone with some knowledge of the situation on our routing, we would appreciate an update.

It is so sad to see folks go through such disasters, some losing their lives. Those that do survive lose some of their lives through the loss of irreplaceable property. We do wish to do this trip very badly but hope that restaurants and shops will not still be boarded up & highways closed. We do not want to cancel another trip due to a disaster.

We know all are busy getting things back in order but if you can provide us some info on the situation in your particular area it would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Ackislander

The situation in the areas where you are going will be fine.

The storm center made landfall 200 miles west. The situation might be different if you were going to Vermont, where roads and bridges are being washed out by terrible flooding.

NorthwestMale

If I understand correctly, on Sept. 18 you will go from Bar Harbor all the way to Halifax??

I should point out that if you happen to take the I-95 path rather than the Hwy #1 path, it only adds about 60 miles and just a few minutes to the overall trip.

Personally, while I could weather 500 miles/8 hours of driving in a day, I don't know if it is a grand idea for those intent upon seeing various things while enroute.

It would seem more comfortable in print if indeed you were stopping for a night in between (lets say "Moncton")... and then getting up and going down to Hopewell Cape in the morning near low tide (NOT that I've checked the tide tables)... before heading back through Moncton and into Nova Scotia... THEN veering off the main drag, down to Parrsboro, and driving toward Truro along the shore of the Bay of Fundy.

Now maybe I AM not seeing something there... and perhaps I don't have it right.

Can you clear that up??

I fear that by the time you get to Moncton, you wouldn't even want to bother with Hopewell Cape... and wouldn't have any interest in a more scenic route once in NS.

soccr

Hope "Gloucaster"was just a typo. In case not: It's spelled Gloucester and pronounced "Gloss-ter." Otherwise, what a great trip. Just note that diversions from Rte. 1 in Maine (e.g., to Pemaquid, which is a very nice lighthouse) add more time than you'd think.

roy2moira

To limit the amount of time expanded we opted for this intinerary. I prefer to keep road trips and vacations within a two week period, if possible. We spent 19 days on the recent Washington DC, NYC, CT, PA, etc road trip and spent 8 weeks in Australia but those were exceptions and 19 days on this one is also an exception. The first plan for this trip was more than 3 weeks, however we did some chopping & decided that the things on this itinerary were our main objectives.

We intend to spend a good part of the journey on HWY 1 but the stops will be limited. We will see plenty of scenic sights on Cape Ann, Acadia National Park, and south of Halifax. Our main objective for that part of the trip is to visit Halifax. I have seen pictures of the Bay of Fundy and many of the scenic locations along the Maine coast and they are something worth seeing, however We have been up & down the West Coast, last visiting Olympic Nat'l Park on road trip out of Seattle, WA last summer. We also live in Alaska and Turnagain Arm has one of the highest tides in the world just down the road from us.

On a first time visit to a location we often opt to return to visit some the sights we missed if we liked the trip so that may be the case on this trip, we'll see. I would have liked to have stopped in Portland, ME for a longer period but as with other places on this trip We had to place a limit of time, otherwise I would be doing a month road trip.

We will be spending more time in the car then we normally do on this road trip, however most of that is on the portion of the trip to and from Halifax. Driving is not a problem for us. We often fly into a place other than the main visit objective, rent a vehicle, and drive.

Thanks for the input ackislander. The trip is on.

dfrostnh

Sounds hectic but you know your travel staminas. Are you really sure you want to spend that much time in Salem MA? Not sure if you meant Salem Willows or Pioneer Village. Since I prefer Maine, I would switch that day out or switch Strawbery Banke Historic area in Portsmouth NH with Pioneer Village. Pemaquid Point is scenic but a distance off Rt 1. Or give more time to Portland and take the mailboat cruise.

Worth the extra time. A quick stop could be the auto road up Mount Battie in Camden if you're traveling Rt 1. Great view overlooking the harbor. I like it better than the view from Cadillac because the harbor is so interesting and you can usually see ships coming along the coast.