Visit to the USA - Boston Area

[Chris Jones]

Hi,

As others have asked and got some great ideas, I thought I'd ask.

I am on holiday for 2 weeks in and around Boston, MA. I have 3 days in Boston, and about 6 days travelling to, staying on and travelling back from Cape Cod - with a mates wedding in the middle.

Anyone suggest anything I should see, bearing in mind I will have the wife and a 2 year old with me.

Thanks

Chris

[ThomasPowers]

What kinds of things do you *like*?

[dablacksmith]

ide visit boston harbor and the constitution ... also sturbridge village is kinda neat... havnt been there in quite a few years but that is what i went to ...

[Chris Jones]

To be honest we are pretty flexible, historical would be good, ecology/environment for the wife - something kids will enjoy for the little one.

I've suggested the Woods Hole Institute for one of the days we are in Cape Cod. Boston will probably be museums/aquarium and general walking round.

beaches and maybe a trip over to one of the islands off Cape Cod was another idea.

Really just after thoughts.

Chris

[ThomasPowers]

When is this planned for? Summer is quite a bit different from winter in those parts!

How about "Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea™
Living history museum consisting of a village, ships and 17 acres of exhibits depicting coastal life in New England in the 19th century." www.mysticseaport.org/

Or there are several "summer cottages" open in Newport Rhode Island, if you like to see how the excessively wealthy lived when money could actually buy stuff eg "The Breakers"
http://www.newport-discovery-guide.com/breakers-mansion.html

[Harley]

In Boston, Boston Harbor Cruise, Trolley Tour of the city, Must take the Duck Boat tour, Quincy Market, The freedom trail walk, Boston Naval ship yard tour ....the USS Constitution ...SS Cassin Young. The Prudential center (shops and food particularly Legal Seafood) , The New England Aquarium and Boston Museum of Science and the IMAX Theater. Isabella Gardner Art Museum. In the Italian North end on Hanover Street some of the best Italian food this side of the Atlantic in particular La Dolce Vida restaurante . The oldest seafood establishment in Boston...The Union Oyster House. Best Irish Pub...The Black Rose. Fenway Park for a Boston Red Sox game and after the game go to the Cask and Flagon Pub next to Fenway Park. Travel west and in the Berkshires...... Pittsfield Ma. The Hancock Shaker Village. This should fill a few days. BTW I am from the area (if you couldn't tell) Mark , Black Dog Forge , Royalston, Ma.

[brian.pierson]

If you have a morning, I would go up and visit the Saugus Ironworks. It is a national park and you might find it interesting.

[Glenn]

what are the dates you are going to be in the USA?

[Chris Jones]

We leave in about 3 weeks time - 5th June 2012 - in Boston for 3 days, Billerica for 3 for the wedding and Cape Cod for 6 days.

Thanks for the ideas so far, some I hadn't heard of.

Chris

[ianinsa]

Hi Chris, There are Some great leads/tips here, though based on my experience the best part will be meeting American smiths. Sadly ^_^ they just don't realise how interesting and entertaining they can be. I have found them "better" if you can say that, at their shops they get to be animated and even more "full of life" ( I really loved my last trip to the US meeting "real smiths be it hobby or pro at their homes great guys all)

Enjoy your trip

[danielpiotte]

I grew up in Billerica Ma. and my parents and in laws live there. I wonder if your meeting anyone I know? I am quite surprised that no one mentioned the Higgins Armory Museum in Worchester Ma.( pronounced Wooster) It has the largest collection of arms and armour in this hemisphere. Also the American Revolution began in Concord/ Lexington Ma. which is one town over from Billerica.( bill-rica) Walden Pond of literary fame is also in that area. Lowell Ma.( one town up from Billerica) was the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution and contains a National Park with tours of a rebuilt woolen mill. The machinery is cool. The Hammond Castle in Glouchester Ma.( gl-ow-stir). Rockport Ma. has nifty seaside shopping. Salem Ma. has things to do with our local witch trials and more modern day witches and The Peabody Essex Museum and The House of The Seven Gables of literary fame. The Butterfly Place in Westford Ma. is a walk through butterfly aviary.

Hope this helps and hope you have a good time!

Daniel

[Chris Jones]

Daniel,

Thanks for the info, the Wedding I am going to is my mate from the UK marrying a lovely girl with the surname Ronan - think they are 'locals' to Billerica, you might know of them.

I think we are going to have fun with the placenames - obviously they are all based on or copies of places in the UK, but the USA pronounciation is different - we were thinking of going to Leominster, MA as my wife is from Leominster in the UK, but we decided to head the other direction.

Thanks

Chris

[danielpiotte]

Not a whole lot in Leominster(lemon-stir) anyway.....except the plastics hall of fame I think...Billerica locals are mostly of Irish or Italian descent, so the name fits but it is not one I know. Billerica is by no means a small town. Sorry about the American Revolution stuff, it may be a sore subject, I didn't notice the UK until later. Speaking of sore subjects, the colonies were full of them:) (could not resist) BTW Plimoth Plantation is down on the way to the Cape and is where the Mayflower landed. ( oops! more people running from England)(just kidding) I wish I could point you to a local smith but I can't think of any and I'm 3 hours north of there. Maybe someone else on the board can help.

Hope you have a great trip
Daniel

[danielpiotte]

Okay my wife, the actual local, has deemed my pronunciation key to be flawed. It seems I have a problem with phonetic spelling. So once again

Worcester = wuh-stah
Gloucester = glaw-stah

Say them fast and know that there are no R's in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Daniel

[Chris Jones]

it's not that much difference from the UK pronunciations:

Worcester - wuh-stu
Gloucester - Glo-stu
Leominster - Lem-stu

with the 'u' sound being like in duck

In the local area there are no H's so

Hereford - Ereford

The wonderful world of the Welsh marches

Chris

[Chris Jones]

Well we are back and had a great time in the USA, thanks to everyone who gave us some info and places to visit.

One of the places we visited was Old Sturbridge Village - which has a great Blacksmiths shop, i was dragged away by an irate wife and child after 30 minutes so didn't stay as long as i was hoping. I'll put a photo up when i've downloaded them all as it is a great place and I was very jealous.

I also caught out of the corner of my eye a sign for a blacksmiths shop - somewhere on Cape Cod, but by the time I had seen it and remembered to drive on the correct side of the road i had forgotten where it was again.

Chris