Travel
Mr. Sammy Dog
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Boston, Montreal and everything in between
We're looking at a trip to Boston late this summer (August), and are thinking about renting a car and driving up to Montreal. We're wondering what's a reasonable about of time to spend in each of these cities that would allow us to see all the major sights without rushing too much. Any suggestions?
Also, what towns between Boston and Montreal are with stopping at ... any suggestions of highlights in New Hampshire or Vermont?
We will be taking at least 10 days, but could take up to 16 days.
If anyone has a list of "must see" sights for any of these places, I'd love to hear them!
Mr. Sammy Dog
Re: Boston, Montreal and everything in between
Ben and Jerry's factory tour? There isnt much between boston and Montreal.
I find the Trip Advisor recommendations for Montreal to be quite accurate, I would check that out for Montreal. Its a fantastic city with lots to see and do.
If there isn't much between Boston and Montreal I'd consider adding 3 days in Quebec City which is a great place to visit.
Stowe, VT is a great town on the way--so pretty--perfect mountain town. Great walking path, good food, a few great spas, Von Trapp Lodge which has some nice hikes and good views. You could stop at the Ben & Jerry's factory, Cider mill, Cabot and green mountain coffee along the way into town.
Also, Burlington, VT is a fun city.
Boston stuff I like: walk the Freedom Trail to see the big historical sites, get dinner or a sweet in the North End, eat a lobster roll at James Hook, visit the New England Aquarium, take the tour of Fenway Park and a guided boat tour of Boston Harbor
Montreal stuff I like: Biodome, dinner at Au Pied de Cochon, brunch at Sparrow, poutine at La Banquise, Jean-Talon outdoor market, go to the top of Mont Royal for the view or a hike, beer at Dieu du Ciel, St. Joseph's Oratory (church), Juliet et Chocolate (sp?) for cocoa or crepes, Canadiens hockey tickets if you can get them
Stuff in between: Lake George/Lake Placid NY are nice but they'd be a bit of a detour. Ditto for Cooperstown NY.
Or you could stop in Portland, Maine.
Here is my standard list of suggested 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 a nice public space to walk through. There's a Make Way for Ducklings bronze statue here that the kiddies might like if you have them. The Swan Boats are also a personal favorite, though not a must do.
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.
SOWA Open Market ? Outdoor artisan market that runs on weekends in the summer and fall. Check the website for dates.
Sam Adams or Harpoon Brewery tours ? self-explanatory
Faneuil Hall ? Historic area now full of shopping and restaurants. Mostly chain places, but can be fun to walk around, see street performers, etc.
Fenway Park ? game tickets are hard to come by but you can sign up to take a tour of the stadium.
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, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art
Whale Watch Tour ? You can leave from the Aquarium downtown or, if you have a car or are willing to take the commuter rail, go up to the one in Gloucester and check out the neighboring Rockport area (very quaint seaside town).
Harvard ? Campus is pretty and Harvard Square is fun to walk around
As for restaurants...so many options.
$$$$$
No. 9 Park (Boston) ? you must have the prune-stuffed gnocchi appetizer if you go. Trust me.
O Ya Sushi (Boston) ? The omakase is very good, but very pricey.
Salts (Cambridge) ? the honey lavender whole-roasted duck for two is amazing. Reserve it in advance; they only offer a few each night.
Blue Ginger (Wellesley) ? Ming Tsai?s Asian fusion restaurant. The butterfish is my favorite dish.
Mooo (Boston) ? steakhouse
$$$
Atlantic Fish Company (Boston) ? As the name implies, seafood is their specialty. There?s no real need to go to a seafood-specific restaurant in Boston as most good restaurants in the area will have excellent seafood options (see Blue Ginger?s butterfish above), but AFC really does a great job. I?ve tried cod, swordfish, haddock, and sea bass there and all were excellent.
Anything in the North End (Boston) ? It?s our Little Italy, located right near Faneuil Hall. I don?t have a favorite restaurant here, but for the most part you can?t go wrong with anything in the area. Just wander around until something strikes your fancy. Then go to one of the pastry shops afterwards (Mike?s is the most famous especially for their cannolis, but others are equally good, like Modern).
$$
Legal Seafood (various locations) ? Get a bowl of clam chowder here. The rest of the food is pretty forgettable though.
Stella (South End, Boston) ? I?ve only had brunch there but I know others like it for dinner. The brunch offers large portions at reasonable prices. You can also walk over to the SOWA Open Market from there (see the things to do list) and those things together can make for a great summer/fall afternoon.
Geoffrey?s Caf? (Boston) ? I?ve never been but a lot of people have raved about their donut muffins....
Cafe Luna (Cambridge) ? also has an amazing brunch menu. It?s small though so call ahead.
East Ocean City (Chinatown, Boston) ? great place for dinner. Everything on its menu is good, but they?re well-known for their seafood and their salted steamed chicken.
Hei La Moon (Chinatown, Boston) ? good Hong Kong-style dim sum restaurant.
$
Dumpling Caf? (Chinatown, Boston) ? the best xiao long bao (soup dumplings) I?ve had in town. I dare say I like them better than the ones I?ve had in Taiwan.
Hong Kong Eatery (Chinatown, Boston) ? wonderful Chinese comfort food (their wonton noodle soup is awesome).
Ho Yuen and Hing Shing (Chinatown, Boston) ? the best bakeries in Chinatown. For egg tarts, though, go to Crown Royal?sooooo good.
Not worth it
These are my personal opinions, of course, but three popular recommendations that I wouldn?t waste my time on are Top of the Hub (horrible service) and Fugakyu and Oishii (average sushi at elevated prices).
It's a very quiet ride but there are some nice places to stop depending on what you're looking for and want to do. If you wanted to do a little detour (not to bad) I would suggest stopping at the Lake Winni/Laconia area. It's definitely fun (sometimes a little crowded on weekends) but there is a bunch of different summer activities to do on the lake. You could also stop in Stowe or Burlington, VT to do the Ben & Jerry's tour, cheese tour, brewery tours, teddy bear tour, etc. I feel like Vermont has a lot of "tours". Haha. You could also do some day trips from Boston while your down there, like Salem MA, P-Town/Cape, Newport, etc. Have fun
I agree. Stop for two nights and rent a tiny place on Lake Winnipeasaukee. Take a lake cruise ride on the Mount Washington and maybe catch the weekly fireworks. Play some arcades games at Funspot, drive some go-karts, and maybe catch a drive-in movie. Out of town, visit Castle in the Clouds on a sunny day.
I also recommend stopping in the NH White Mountains. Visit Cannon Mountain and go up the tram. Walk along The Basin in Franconia National Park. Drive your car up Mount Washington (or take the Cog Railway), visit the historic Mount Washington Hotel. If you want to do any shopping, check out the (tax free) outlet malls in Tilton and/or North Conway.
I'm so sad to see people say that there's not much to do between Boston and Montreal. There are two whole states!!!