Wally434

We are flying to Boston at the end of September and plan to explore the city for 3-4 days. We would then like to rent a car and explore some of the surrounding towns for a couple of days before flying home. We have been to Cape Cod before. Any suggestions? We like history and hiking. Which town would serve as a good base?

CJC

Do you want to stay in MA? If so, for history you might enjoy Concord and Salem, MA. If you don't mind driving an hour north, there is a lovely place to stay in Bedford, NH, called Bedford Village Inn. As a matter of fact, this Inn is only 10 mins. from Manchester-Boston Airport which you could easily fly in and out of with much less hassle than Logan! Rental cars are available there as well. In Bedford you are within a reasonable drive to the ocean, lakes and mountains. There are some easy local hiking trails, or you can drive to Mt. Monadnock for more of a challenge.

Ackislander

End of September is a really good time to head north looking for color. It may be hard to find a place to stay, but you can drive all the way to the White Mountains and back to Boston in a day and have time for lunch and a little shopping! Or you could drive up to the Monadnock-Keene area of NH, then west to the Connecticut River. One side has an Interstate, on the other are rural highways through small towns.

Or, you could go to the North Shore (Salem, Marblehead, Gloucester, Ipswich, Newburyport), all seaport towns or up to Portsmouth, NH, a charming small city with a vibrant downtown, an interesting historic district (Strawberry Banke) and waterfront restaurants and brewpubs.

Wally434

Thanks. Staying along the coast has the most appeal to us. We don't have to stay in MA, however, we will have to get back to Boston for the flight out (flying on points). Portsmouth sounds great - I'll look into that.

CJC

The coast will not offer as many hiking options, but it's a lovely spot. You might want to check out Wentworth-by-the-Sea which is a lovely old inn restored and run now by Marriot; it is in Newcastle, NH, on the coast (near Portsmouth). You will need to book something soon for that time of year. Driving up the coast from Boston to Portland, Maine would be very easy to do in that time period. There is also a place in Prouts Neck, Maine, on the coast called Blackpoint Inn which is right on the ocean and lovely.

cigalechanta

Rockport at Halibut Point has a beautiful State Park where you can climb rocks facing the ocean.

Shandy1977

North Shore spots such as Gloucester or South Shore spots such as Plymouth will offer a lot for fun on the shore. In both areas you can find fishing, whale watching, nice shops, history, and good food. I am partial to South Shore areas such as Plymouth, Duxbury, Marshfield, and Scituate myself... some great coastal scenes, some nie beaches, and a lot of fun things to do.

tovarich

Jackson NH in the heart of the White mountains.PAul

thurstonbb

York Maine area!!! It is right next to Portsmouth and offers lots of historical things, beaches and even a mountain to climb that overlooks the ocean...beautifil! Look at www.gatewaytomaine.org . I am actually there now and head to Logan airport around 11am. It usually takes me about 1-1/2 hours to get to Thrifty car rental after gassing it up nearby. I fly in and out of there and come to our place here at least a few times a year and it is a wonderful choice!

anzie

Try Newburyport. www.newburyportchamber.com It is a charming historic town 45 minutes north of Boston, filled with art galleries and restaurants. A national bird sancturay and ocean are 3 miles away. A great and inexpensive B&B is 167 Water www.167water.com