Need suggestions on a trip to Boston.

[MissMet]

I am in the beginning stages of planning a suprise trip to Boston for my mom's 60th birthday & I cannot for the life of me get it together. I'm totally overwhelmed! I have been to Boston before, but it was a whirlwind, day & a half trip of trolley tours & a sox/mets game. (Pedro's 1st return). I don't remember much, except I LOVED it & my mom has wanted to go ever since I got back.

This is all I got so far & I'm not even sure of all of it!

We would be going Thurs, Nov 5 - Sat, Nov 7.

We would drive in as we are from NY.

I want to do the trolley tour as our transportation, she has loved the trolley tours in DC & Key West.

I definitely want to do the Fenway tour.

I was also thinking of staying at the Mariott Long Warf. I had been to Boston a few years ago & really liked the area. Is that a good area?

Do you guys have any suggestions?? Good restaurants, a better hotel, must see attractions, special things to do for/on her birthday??? I need all the info I can get.

TIA!!!

 

[MissMet]

bump

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

The Marriott Long Wharf is perfectly placed. Right next to the aquarium, and right across from Quincy Market.

If you are all in good shape, I highly recommend walking the Freedom Trail.

We love visiting Boston, but I wouldn't want to live there...

 

[brp]

If you are all in good shape, I highly recommend walking the Freedom Trail.

We love visiting Boston, but I wouldn't want to live there...

So funny. The first thing I was going to recommend was walking the Freedom Trail when I saw this thread.

I used to live there (it really is a great place to live, especially as I was in grad school) and we go back yearly. Some other ideas:

The Sam Adams Brewery tour is really great.
Wandering on Newbury Street
Museum of Science
The Harvard Museum of Natural History has a phenomenal collection
Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Restaurants:

Legal Seafoods is a chain,but it's actually quite good
B & G Oysters is a bit overpriced,but very good, even if not an oyster fan.

Enjoy!

Cheers.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

So funny. The first thing I was going to recommend was walking the Freedom Trail when I saw this thread.

I used to live there (it really is a great place to live, especially as I was in grad school) and we go back yearly. Some other ideas:

The Sam Adams Brewery tour is really great.
Wandering on Newbury Street
Museum of Science
The Harvard Museum of Natural History has a phenomenal collection
Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Restaurants:

Legal Seafoods is a chain,but it's actually quite good
B & G Oysters is a bit overpriced,but very good, even if not an oyster fan.

Enjoy!

Cheers.

I love Boston, but MA laws are too liberal for my tastes.

I love the Legal Seafood near the John Hancock building (or whatever it is called now).

Also, try the chowder in as many places as you can. The best chowder in the world...

A slow walk through Boston Commons is a must do for us, too. We usually pack a lunch and picnic there...

 

[merrily]

How about seeing a show while you are there. Fiddler on the Roof is playing at the Opera House while you are there. You can always get tickets to see the Blue Man Group as well.

 

[DisneyMim]

Yes the Mariott Long Wharf is a good hotel. I was going to tell you to expect to spend $$$ but you are from New York so you already know that!! LOL!! Sometimes people are quite surprised to see what our prices are. The aquarium will cost you $21 a person and in my opinion (long time Boston girl here, but...) the Living Seas in Epcot is better. I actually am embarrassed that admission is so much and people are always saying "Is that all?". The Museum of Science in Cambridge (my hometown!) is good. Omni sometimes runs good movies. I heard that the Museum is having a Harry Potter exhibit but not sure when it is. I love Legal Seafood, been going since it started in Cambridge. Cape Cod is always nice to visit. Also speaking of Cambridge people seem to love walking through the Harvard Yard (and no you actually cannot park a car in there!). Harvard Square is always interesting. There are many restaurants in and around Boston, some expensive, some more reasonable. The tour of Fenway is good, I've done that. Boston is a great college town. Lots of pubs, etc.

ENJOY!!

 

[dakcp2001]

I would highly suggest spending a day at the Museum of Science, they have an Omnimax theater that is spectacular!!! And you can pick up a Duck Tour (not to be confused with Superducks, the original DUCKTOURS are the best) but the Duck boats pick you up right at the Museum of SCience. I am not sure if they run in November?

That might also be a nice time to take a trip to the North Shore to visit Salem Ma, have you read the Crucible? By Nov the Halloween madness will have passed, but there will still be lots running to go see, and I think you can take a ferry back & forth from Boston. The Witch museum is cool!

I would also suggest going to the Omni Parker house to try the original "Boston Cream Pie" and the famous rolls.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

I love Boston, but MA laws are too liberal for my tastes.
I love the Legal Seafood near the John Hancock building (or whatever it is called now).

Also, try the chowder in as many places as you can. The best chowder in the world...

A slow walk through Boston Commons is a must do for us, too. We usually pack a lunch and picnic there...

What an odd thing to say...

Union Bay Oyster House near Quincy Market is a great place to visit. It's the oldest continuously serving restaurant in the country and the food is wicked good. Daurghty Nellie's is behind it and a fun place to stick your nose in, too.

The Freedom Trail is well worth doing.

There's always the South End and the North End... both with their own great places to visit.

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

we loved the Barking Crab restaurant...you eat right over the water at picnic tables, roll up your sleeves kind of stuff. Best crab legs I've ever had. Fun atmosphere.

I liked the freedom trail too, even if you can just do part of it. Walk thru the part w/ Italian restaurants and shops and grab some italian chocolate or a dessert

 

[pixiegoose]

I'll second suggestions that previous posters mentioned:

Sam Adams Brewery Tour (it's FREE and you get FREE beer and tasting glasses- did I mention it's FREE? )

Museum of Science (but I may be biased since I work there ) and yes, the Harry Potter exhibit will be there starting in September

Freedom Trail (but I'd cut out Bunker Hill- it's quite the hike and pretty much out of the way of the rest of the trail)


As for Salem, someone mentioned that there's a ferry. There is indeed a ferry that leaves from the aquarium and drops you off a few blocks from the House of Seven Gables. But you'll want to check the ferry schedule before deciding on that because it's pretty limited (we looked into doing it with visiting family before and it wasn't worth it to us to have such limitations on when we'd have to leave, so we just drove). Once you park, you can walk everywhere you'd want to see.



Have fun planning!

 

[brp]

I love Boston, but MA laws are too liberal for my tastes.

What an odd thing to say...

I disagree. Some people have a liberal bent,others not. I find a number of the more liberal laws in MA to be "simply the right thing to do," but others will disagree. I live in California, and find much of what goes on here far too conservative, so that shows where I stand

I may not agree with DisneyBamaFan by a long shot,but I respect the viewpoint.

Cheers.

 

[MissMet]

Wow! Thank you guys for all this info. For whatever reason DIS didn't e-mail me that anyone had replied until today & now I'm playing major catch up!!

So I just wanted to say a quick thank you, before reading through all these helpful posts.

 

[brp]

Wow! Thank you guys for all this info. For whatever reason DIS didn't e-mail me that anyone had replied until today & now I'm playing major catch up!!

So I just wanted to say a quick thank you, before reading through all these helpful posts.

Did you subscribe to the thread and request email notification?

Cheers.

 

[MissMet]

Did you subscribe to the thread and request email notification?

Cheers.

Yeah, but for whatever reason I received my first e-mail today & then when I opened the forum I couldn't believe how many responses there were!

 

[disneynikon]

go to mbta.com they have a day pass you can take the subway and the buses.

go to boston.com and they have some things to do.
Duck tours, cheers, top of the Pru. (good resturant up there)
Legal seafood, farmers market, and the trolly tours.

Lots to do.

 

[MissMet]

If you guys had to pick the aquarium or the museum of science, which do you think would be better for three adults?

And do you think either of them are worth it?

TIA

 

[kaytieeldr]

Museum of Science. Hold on, more coming...

Okay - just because there's more to see/do/learn there.

 

[dakcp2001]

Definately the Museum of Science would be better for adults the Aquarium is small and a not worth the money! The Museum has an Omni Theater (do not miss that! it is AWESOME!) and a planetarium and they have laser shows that are fun! You can spend a lot of time in the MOS, the Aquarium is like 1 hour maybe two if you go really slow.


Def go to the MOS!! Check out their website for showtimes for the Omni, and the Harry Potter exhibit will be in the museum I think when you are in town.

 

[phorsenuf]

Definitely the Museum of Science. I went to the aquarium a couple years ago and was very disappointed, although the movie at the Imax was pretty cool. Make sure to go to the North End to Mikes Pastries for canollis!! Absolutely the best.
The Constitution is pretty cool to see too. Make sure to hit Quincy Market and keep an eye out for the street performers. Some are awesome.