Boston Summer Vacation - Update post #31 page 3

[ColoradoMom!!]

We are planning a vacation to Boston for late July. I know we will wilt in the heat and humidity - but we'll survive!

Need suggestions on places to stay, and a beach to visit. We will be there for about a week, and want to rent a car so we can visit RI or possibly Maine. I know it is a bad idea to drive in the city - let alone park, so we've been looking at places to stay outside the city. The best bang for the buck is in Norwood because they have a Residence Inn where the boys can have their own bed. We could take the subway in from there. Any other ideas?

Also - where would a good day at the beach be had?

Thanks!!

 

[disbridemimi]

I would prob recommend that you stay on the North Shore at the beach,in the Rockport or Gloucester area, or in Salem. Then you can take the Commuter rail or train right into the city. It would be less expensive than staying in the city and you can go visit Salem Ma (have you read the Crucible?) and see the witch museum etc. You could also stay in Salem, its a fun town, but youd prob end up driving to Gloucester or Rockport to go to the beach. There is parking in Salem, but you could take the train into Boston without worrying about parking issues. You metioned wanting to go to Maine & RI, the North SHore would be easier to get to Maine, the South Shore also has beaches and is closer to RI. You could do two birds with one stone if you do a beach day in RI.

I am a huge fan of the Omni theater at the Museum of Science, so I def recommend you visit there, and definately take a DUCK TOUR! I live here and still love the Duck tours.

I am sure some other Mass people will chime in.

 

[Disney Doll]

I'd probably head up to Maine...maybe Ogunquit? Or, there may be a ferry you can take from Boston to Cape Cod.

 

[kpm76]

I'm from RI so I'm going to put in my plug on behalf of our tourism industry If you stay in Providence, you are under and hour from Boston and you can take the commuter rail in from Prov during the week. You can walk to the train station from all of the downtown hotels. You would be about 30-40 min from the beaches (which are amazing). If visiting CT interests you, you could do a day trip to Mystic CT and visit the aquarium and/or Seaport. Again, this would be about an hour from Prov. Of course, there is plenty to keep you busy in Boston for a week so it really all depends how you want to spend your time. If a little tour of a few NE states interests you, Providence is a good location to use as a base. I love visiting college campuses so you could easily visit Brown, which is beautiful. Have fun!!

 

[KAMLEM]

You cannot take the subway from Norwood, the subway does not go that far south.

 

[debster812]

You cannot take the subway from Norwood, the subway does not go that far south.

But can probably take commuter rail from Norwood, and the hotel website may not have specified that it was commuter rail versus subway.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

I'm from RI so I'm going to put in my plug on behalf of our tourism industry If you stay in Providence, you are under and hour from Boston and you can take the commuter rail in from Prov during the week. You can walk to the train station from all of the downtown hotels. You would be about 30-40 min from the beaches (which are amazing).

Which beaches are your favorite?

 

[luvflorida]

Amtrak's Downeaster train runs daily from Boston (North Station) to Portland, Maine. It makes stops along the way in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Two of the stops in Maine are in coastal communities with beautiful beaches- Wells and Old Orchard Beach. I believe both stops have trolley service that runs to the beaches and local restaurants, although the train station in Old Orchard Beach is just steps away from the beach anyway. The Downeaster only stops in OOB during the summer months.

The train trip to Wells is around two hours, just a bit more for OOB. It's really a fun way to travel! I highly recommend the train over driving in and around Boston!

 

[java]

Just don't go to Revere!
although that is based from my experiences in the 80's so maybe it's nicer now?

When we go we stay somewhere along the Green Line- usually around Newton(I went to bc so I am comfortable getting around from there.) The T is so easy from here to get right into the heart of Boston.
Personally I would stay on the Cape and spend a day in Boston- vs. A week in Boston and a day on the beach. jmho.

 

[clori]

Even though amtrak doesn't have a great reputation the downeaster is a nice branch.

Norwood isn't what I consider close to the commuter rail. The nearest commuter rail is 6 miles away in Dedham. I would also go to mbta.com and check the commuter rail schedule out and see if it works well for you. The Residence Inn in Cambridge would be a lot more convenient location but I'm guessing much pricier.

I second avoiding Revere Beach. It was once a beautiful beach (according to my 85 year old father) but it had its heyday many years ago. I love Old Orchard Beach and York Beach can be a lot of fun.

 

[Enchanted_Mama]

you can take the commuter rail in from Norwood, or drive to the Riverside MBTA station and take the green line (subway) in to the city.

As for beaches - while North Shore beaches are stunningly scenic, when I lived in Boston, I usually opted to drive to the Mass/RI border to hit a beach where the water was warm enough to swim: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/southeast/hbch.htm

 

[lil mermaid]

We are planning a vacation to Boston for late July. I know we will wilt in the heat and humidity - but we'll survive!

Thanks!!

Just wanted to say that I wouldn't assume that there will be heat and humidity! It could be cold and rainy - really, you could have any kind of weather, so plan accordingly!

 

[daisax]

It probably will be hot and humid, but the water will definitely be icy!

 

[bicker]

We are planning a vacation to Boston for late July. I know we will wilt in the heat and humidity - but we'll survive!

I suspect this was a joke, but just in case it wasn't.... We moved to Salem, MA about ten years ago. The first week we were there, we went to a July 4 picnic barbecue on the beach. We were sure glad we had our sweaters and jackets on; it was so cold that we could see our breath.

Sometimes it is warm; sometimes it is cold. Pack for both.

 

[KAMLEM]

Norwood isn't what I consider close to the commuter rail. The nearest commuter rail is 6 miles away in Dedham

There is a commuter rail station right in downtown Norwood, not just in Dedham. The Residence Inn is on Route 1, though, so it's not near Norwood center.

I suspect this was a joke, but just in case it wasn't.... We moved to Salem, MA about ten years ago. The first week we were there, we went to a July 4 picnic barbecue on the beach. We were sure glad we had our sweaters and jackets on; it was so cold that we could see our breath.

Why would you think this is a joke? 90% of the time it is hot and humid in July.

 

[bicker]

I thought it was a joke because of the experience I related in the message you replied to, i.e., that in Boston, unlike parts of the country further south, in July it can be either cold or warm.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I would reconsider staying in Norwood if you're coming to visit Boston from Colorado. Norwood is a fine town, don't get me wrong; it just not they type of place I would want to spend time on vacation. You could do a lot better in a suburban city or town that has, or is closer to, a beach. There are many. Two that come to mind are the Marriott in Quincy (with the Quincy T station nearby, with shuttle to hotel); or the John Carver Inn in Plymouth, which has a commuter rail to Boston and a shuttle to the train. Plymouth, actually, is a destination unto itself, you'd have a lot of fun there and there's plenty to do, gorgeous beaches, too, and is not far to the Cape, Boston, and Providence.

 

[npmommie]

Which beaches are your favorite?

I can pipe in on RI beaches..........south county. our favorites are in narragansett ( in galilee), roger wheeler state beach, and also in narragansett scarborough, the difference being scarborough has rougher surf than roger wheeler.

Two that come to mind are the Marriott in Quincy (with the Quincy T station nearby, with shuttle to hotel); or the John Carver Inn in Plymouth, which has a commuter rail to Boston and a shuttle to the train. Plymouth, actually, is a destination unto itself, you'd have a lot of fun there and there's plenty to do, gorgeous beaches, too, and is not far to the Cape, Boston, and Providence.

I agree with Pea, Plymouth is a fun destination in itself, the beaches are very nice and there is tons to do, and its very easy to get into boston from there and even to cape cod.

if you want to do the north shore, i would suggest gloucester or rockport, the area of gloucester by Good Harbor Beach has some very nice hotels along the waterfront, and you are minutes from Rockport, which has nice restaurants and shops. you can also get the commuter rail in to boston from the north shore very easily.

If you really want to spend the vacation in the city I would personally spring for the hotel in the city, preferably the back bay area,
the colonnade hotel is nice, and they have a rooftop swimming pool

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

Thanks everyone for the great advice.

Sorry about the whole heat and humidity comment, but honestly I just didn't want people telling me not to come in July because of it.

I know Norwood isn't a great vacation desitination but we plan to drive/subway ourselves to where we want to go. The price for hotels even in Cambridge are through the roof. We can get a separate bedroom - kids each have their own bed, and a little kitchen for $119 at a night in a nice new place in Norwood. I did find another good alternative in Lexington - the Element Hotel?? I'll check out Quincy and Plymouth too! We will have a car, and don't mind driving to a subway/communter station.

Also - tell me the scoop on the ferry from Boston to Provincetown in Cape Cod. Should we do that or drive?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The only thing about taking the ferry to Cape Cod (or elsewhere) is that you won't have a car once you get there, and you have to be back in time to get back. (Say this having gotten stranded on Martha's Vineyard once after missing the last ferry of the day.)

Understand why you picked Norwood. Still would recommend staying near the beach somewhere. If it was the middle of January or something, it wouldn't matter much. But July is prime beach season and we have lots of beautiful ones. In Norwood, you are quite a ways away from any beaches or beach towns. Look along the coast.