Weekend trip from Boston?
 

Hi, <BR>I'm attending a class in Boston (actually Waltham)the last week in July, and my husband and I would like to tour around the area for the weekend before the class starts (we've been to downtown Boston and want to try to see something else this time). Any suggestions for where to go that's within a few hours drive? Or any places to avoid? I've always wanted to see Cape Cod, but am afraid that the traffic will be too much for a summer weekend trip. TIA!

newport RI....only two hours max from boston.

Go North! Gloucester, Cape Ann, Rockport, Crane's Beach. My favorite places!

JC, your instinct is correct that heading for Cape Cod on a summer weekend would be a headache -- a couple of hours in traffic each way because of bridge bottlenecks. <BR> <BR>A few suggestions: Stonington, Connecticut or Watch Hill, RI (about ten miles apart from one another, two hours or less from Boston). Very pretty seaside towns that invite walking, window shopping, or just taking in the summer breezes. <BR> <BR>The Berkshires, two hours to the west of Waltham via the Mass Pike or Route 2. Poke around Lenox, Stockbridge, Great Barrington or Williamstown. Picturesque, wonderful for a weekend. If you're staying overnight, Pittsfield offers the widest selection. <BR> <BR>Enjoy the visit. Late July can be iffy: it may be mild and pleasant; it can also be stultifying.

JC, if you find you have a small amount of time on your hands, and want to see some interesting things very close to Waltham, do try to get to Lexington and Concord. See the Museum of Our National History in Lexington. It's free and within about ten min of where you'll be. <BR>If you have a few hours, get up to see the National Park in Lowell, Mass. It's the home of the industrial revolution and is full of museums (including the quilt museum and the American Textile museum, both private) and tours of the old, restored mills run by our national park system. It's about a 30 min. drive from Waltham. The DaCordova Museum in Loncoln, MA is a great place to spend an hour, in the town next to Waltham. If you're a fan of the PBS TV show Victory Garden, you could visit the Lexington Gardens nursery where they have the second original TV garden (the first one was at the station in Allston and was distroyed years ago to make room for expansion of the studio). <BR> <BR>There are lots of places to visit within an hour (or much less) of Waltham, so you should try to make short visits as well as your weekend plan, which I'd suggest a visit to the north shore. Traffic is not as daunting as trying to reach the Cape on a weekend, and the area is unexpectedly beautiful. <BR> <BR>You might also want to keep in mind that Waltham itself is full of small, interesting ethnic restaurants on Moody Street. Ask the locals at your class for input, but it might be a good alternative to the chain restaurants on Rt. 128 (where, no doubt, you'll be attending your class). Enjoy your stay in this area.

JC- <BR>If you've always wanted to do Cape Cod -then do it! It can be very beautiful and relaxing. Yes, the traffic is bad, but if you can travel down late Thursday or before noon on Friday and back early Sunday, you won't have a problem. <BR>Class in Waltham - Bentley perhaps??? <BR>Great school, nice grounds. <BR>What part of the Cape, were you thinking of going to?? If you plan on the Cape, make reservations soon. Newport, RI is nice too, but more of a college hangout. <BR>Good Luck!

Just a quick warning about Cape traffic this summer. I'm not sure what the expected completion date is, but the Bourne Bridge is currently under construction and is down to one lane of traffic in each direction. This past weekend we added 30 minutes to our trip down from the Boston area on Saturday AM and TWO HOURS on our return Sunday evening due to back ups at the bridge. Be sure to check the status of the project before venturing down this summer. <BR>If you enjoy touring historic homes, Deerfield, MA is a nice day trip from Waltham - the Yankee Candle Factory store is located very near to historic Deerfield and is more fun that you might think - they've got a fabulous antique car museum on the premises and the sheer volume of candles and humans scooping them up is really something to see!

All the above advice is good. Also, a bit further afield (2 1/2 hour drive) you might consider the Woodstock Vt/ Hanover NH area.

With the strong economy, tourists are expected in record numbers everywhere this year. I would also recommend Salem, Newburyport, Rockport, Portsmouth, and the coast of Maine (Ogunquit, Kennebunkport, Boothbay Harbor). All are lovely in the nice weather. We never go to the Cape in July or August. An otherwise nice time is completely destroyed by the traffic and mobs of tourists. Stockbridge and Lenox, MA are also fabulous destinations. Another fine destination would be the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Beautiful and relatively quiet in the height of summer (but stay away from North Conway unless you really like outlets and appreciate no sales tax). If you'd be interested in touring amazing mansions, Newport is wonderful.

I agree with many of the above recommendations--there's so much to see within the Boston area: Lexington & Concord, the Old Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Cambridge, Salem, etc., etc. <BR> <BR>If you really want to go to the Cape, though, I wonder about taking the boat from Boston to Provincetown. I've never done it--perhaps other people visiting this forum have?

On a beautiful day, the "cruise" from Boston Harbor to Provincetown is magnificent. Provincetown is gorgeous, full of shops, restaurants of every variety, historical sights and beautiful scenery. Be advised that Provincetown is very popular with the gay community. This is no big deal, unless you'd rather not observe public displays of affection between same sex couples. On a really hot day, this is a wonderful destination. Much cooler on the water and the ocean breezes are delightful.