Visiting from PA

JessMike07 · February 2010

Hi ladies! I'm hoping I came to the right place for some suggestions this summer. My best friend growing up is getting married in Wareham, MA in June. We're planning on making a family vacation out of it so I'm looking for specific rec's. We will be spending a few days on the Cape but again I'm looking for specific rec's and will def be visiting Boston but I'm up for other suggestions. This may be a really dumb question but is it a good time to go whale watching?? Thanks so much!!!

daisy055202 · February 2010

It's a great time for a whale watch. If you're in Wareham, you can go out of Hyannis for a Whale Watch. Near Wareham, you can go for a bike ride along the Cape Cod Canal. It's a fairly flat trail. Also, you can visit Plimouth Plantation and the Mayflower (Plymouth rock is near there too and hilariously small). You are going to be closet to the upper cape.

I personally prefer lower cape (Eastham, Welfleet, Truro, and Provincetown) because it's a lot quieter, less busy. That area is about an hour, hour and half past the bridges though (you have to go over the sagamore or bourne bridge over the canal to get "on" the cape, Wareham is by the Bourne bridge). It's really pretty if you're up for the drive.

Chatham has a fun downtown area, it's on the elbow. Hyannis has some cute shopping too, home to the Kennedy compound. The National Sea Shore National Park is out in Eastham, think the forearm of the cape (45 minutes over the sagamore). There is a visitor center there, with some walking trails, the famed (in my household) sands of time video guided tours, Coast Guard Beach. Down a bit from there is the Nauset Light House Beach, and then Marconi Beach (in Welfleet). Marconi Beach is neat because that's where the first wireless telegraph was sent out, of course the actual site of the telegraph is a couple hundred yards out into the ocean at this point.

Hope you enjoy your visit in June. The Cape is my favorite place in the whole wide world, seriously. Just got back from my birthday weekend down there.

mmeloy · February 2010

PP knows the cape a lot better than I do, but if you're looking for a Pan-Mass tour, you may want to take the Ferry to either Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket for a day. Either Island is totally do-able as a day-trip. Your best bet might be http://www.islandferry.com/ssa/ (The Steamship Authority) as they leave out of Woods Hole, which is kinda just over the Borne Bridge. Martha's Vineyard is the larger, more commercial Island. Nantucket is smaller and more artsy.

Are you looking for Boston recs at all? There are some good Whale Watching tours that leave from Boston Harbor, by the aquarium. So, you could hit the aquarium the same day. Also, you can't miss Fenway. If you can't get tickets to a game, you could probably at least go on a tour. And, another can't miss for Boston is the North End - any restaurant is good. And, hit up Mike's or Modern for a cannoli.

Also, for a general tour of Boston, I always get a kick out of the Duck Tours (http://bostonducktours.com/). They leave from the Museum of Science as well as the Prudential Center. They're a nice mix of humor and history, in my opinion.

June should be a great time to visit the area. Have fun!

Rock-n-Voll · February 2010

I'm sure the regulars on this board are tired of seeing my list, but here it is again:

Things to Do in Boston

Duck Tour - http://www.bostonducktours.com. Fun tour that provides a good overview of the city and its history via an amphibious vehicle. Book tix in advance via the web site

Freedom Trail - This walking tour will take you through most of the historic sites of Boston. You can do a guided tour or I've heard there's a downloadable iPod tour so you can do a self-guided thing.

Public Gardens/Boston Common ? Not such a great visit in the winter, but otherwise nice. There's a Make Way for Ducklings bronze statue here that the kiddies might like if you have them.

Beacon Hill/Charles St. ? Quintessential old New England neighborhood with great architecture and quaint little boutiques to shop in. Just a few minutes walk from the Common.

Newbury Street (shopping) ? Just across the street from the Commons. Great for people watching and grabbing a bite to eat too.

Sam Adams or Harpoon Brewery tours

Faneuil Hall ? Historic area now full of shopping and restaurants.

North End ? our Little Italy. Mike's Pastry's cannolis are famous but be prepared for a huge crowd. Modern is another local bakery favorite

Fenway Park

Museum of Science - great exhibits and a domed IMAX theater that's amazing and shows lots of great documentary-style films.

JFK Museum

Children?s Museum ? Really fun for the kids

Art museums ? We have top-notch art museums: Museum of Fine Art, Isebella Stewart Gardner Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art

Whale Watch Tour

Harvard ? Campus is pretty and Harvard Square is fun to walk around

JessMike07 · February 2010

Thank you so much to everyone that responded!! Great info and exactly what I wanted. Thanks!!!!

Visiting from PA

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