Hi, my mother, daughter and I will be visiting B. for the very first time this Oct. We are staying at the Radisson in the theatrer district. I%26#39;ve been trying to find out as much info. on what we should do during our 4 full days. Besides the museums, aquarium,duck tours, swan boats, we were thinking about doing a whale watching tour. I noticed that most of the tours were for the summer mo. only. Any whale excursions in Oct? Is there ice skating at the Boston Commons this time of year? And, what would anyone suggest to pack for a touring family that dosen%26#39;t want to bring everything but the kitchen sink.
Thank you
first time to Boston --several questions
liveforelove,
There are indeed whale watches in October -- but watch out, it gets kind of cold here out on the water at that time of year! Check out the New England Aquarium website, at http://www.neaq.org -- they have whale watches and according to the site they do them through October 31.
The Frog Pond (on the Boston Common) ice skating doesn%26#39;t open until mid-November.
What kinds of things do you like to do? You%26#39;ll be in the theater district, so you should try to see a show while you%26#39;re here. If you want to see the city, bring a warm jacket and walk around. The Freedom Trail is a nice way to walk through many neighborhoods, and you can choose to go in/skip a number of historical sites like Paul Rever%26#39;s House and the USS Constitution along the way. I%26#39;d also recommend the Black Heritage Tour -- it%26#39;s tremendous if you have any interest in history. There%26#39;s great shopping in the Copley and Prudential malls, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, and Newbury Street. Harvard Square is fun, lots of little shops and it%26#39;s nice to wander around that area. Dinner in the North End can be great...but don%26#39;t eat dessert at the restaurant, instead wander over to Mike%26#39;s Pastry for a cannoli (you won%26#39;t regret it!).
As far as packing goes, it%26#39;ll be chilly, but the weather can change in the blink of an eye around here, so pack layers that you can put on/remove for maximum comfort. And good walking shoes! This is a walking city, and the best way to see it is to walk around.
I%26#39;m happy to give more specific suggestions if you have specific questions.
first time to Boston --several questions
Thank you johnarc4! Sorry I have not responded in so long. I do have more specific questions to come. I have just been preoccupied with my upcomming trip to the grand bahama island. I have posted some questions on the freeport, bahama, and grand bahama forums if you have any tips for this area. Please watch for more boston questions after the 20th of Sept. I will be focusing on this trip then. Thanks again! I really appreciate any info. God Bless.
I enjoyed a whale watch 2 days ago, and saw a bunch of whales...but while it was in the 70%26#39;s on land, we were cold in the wind on the ocean, with jeans, a fleece, and a coat. so just bundle up if you go. The Isabelle Stewart Gardner museum is a hidden gem, and you will fill your days with everything else that was mentioned- leave some down time so everyone is not completely worn out from all the walking. have a great trip!
There are lots of things to do, for the stuff that you listed you might want to get a Go Boston Card or an Boston Explorer Pass for your family. If your kids are under 13 they get a discount too, so be aware of that but those cards include tours, museums, whale watches. I know most whale watches go until September but I don%26#39;t know which ones will remain open through October. I suggest you bring one light jacket, jeans that can be dressed up or down and a pair of flats for the evening wear and walking shoes for the daytime. Oh and Ice skating usually doesn%26#39;t start up until November/December unless you go outside the city to an iceskating rink.
However, your family may love a trip to salem, you should go if you get a go card on a day trip because there are number of witch tours and halloween type activities. You can get there by commuter rail or renting a car might be an option. It%26#39;s a really really short day trip and can be easily done then return home at a resonable hour. I love Salem in October!
Since you%26#39;re in the theater district, consider going as a family to see Blue Man Group--it can be a bit pricey online (45 dollars each) but if you go to Bostix in Fanuiel Hall around 11pm (get there earlier to get the best selection) you can get the same tickets half price.
You might also want to go to the Museum of Science if your kids like Star Wars because the Star Wars exhibit opens that month.
fyi -- Swan Boats won%26#39;t be running in October.
Thanks everyone, I%26#39;m sure I will have more questions soon as the date gets closer. Appreciate you all.
agreed whatever you do, they say, ';if you dont like boston weather, wait a minute.'; esp. in october the temp could be anywhere from almost hot (80s) to quite cold (40s). layers, layers, layers. you wont need a parka, but you%26#39;ll prolly need a sweater-jacket combo.
you dont say how old your daughter is, but the ';childrens museum'; -- right near many other attractions -- faneuil hall, tea party ship etc. -- is a lot of fun for all ages.
also, and a lot of locals might cringe when they hear this -- this destination is a little tacky, but -- I dont know where ';griffin'; GA is, but if you%26#39;re looking a little seaside experience, our pre-teen just LOVES Hampton Beach (NH) -- a little over a hour drive from Boston, a seaside boardwalk with video arcades, junk food, kitchy souenirs, etc. -- might be partly shut down by october -- cetainly no actual ';beaching'; except to walk along in a jacket -- but worth a look-see (maybe call their Chamber of Commerce first to see if enough%26#39;s still open).
Hello Liveforlove,
Just a thought....
You%26#39;ll be at a really nice hotel. It%26#39;s in a great location for everything going on. Really nice time of year too to be in Boston. You%26#39;ll really have a great time. Dress in layers, bring sweatshirts and a sweater or two! Not a lot, because it just gets windy at night quite a bit walking around and during the day later on in the afternoon you%26#39;ll feel it, the temperature starts dropping!
They don%26#39;t have Ice Skating at Frog Pond in the Boston Common until early November unfortunately. One thing you could consider doing with your daughter IF it%26#39;s a rainy day or you just want to chill from all the touring? Is take a walk from your hotel to the Loews Theater-Boston Common, it%26#39;s at 175 Tremont St., it has stadium seating, with very comfortable seats, it%26#39;s busy on weekends, it would probably be really good during the week without the crowds and teenagers. If there%26#39;s a good movie that you and your daughter want to see while you%26#39;re here, check out this theater, it%26#39;s pretty nice. It reminds you of Disney World the way it%26#39;s set up! You%26#39;ll really like it. My nieces and nephews love this theater, any time we go in to Boston? They absolutely love to check out what%26#39;s playing there, they crack us up! Here%26#39;s the # so you can see what%26#39;s playing when you get in to Boston. 800 326-3264.
All the other ideas you have and what the other posters gave you are all very good, we know you%26#39;re going to have a great time!
Enjoy your trip!
You may also get a kick out of the ';Haunted Happenings'; going on in Salem (famous for the witch trials of 1692) throughout the month. Salem is about 15 miles north of Boston... about a 25 minute ride on the commuter trains from North Station, or a half hour drive (But I wouldn%26#39;t recommend driving).
This suggestion depends to a great degree on your inclination to enjoy stuff like Mardis Gras, Carnivale or Fasching... the streets get FULL of people in costume attending the various events... especially as Halloween nears...
http://www.hauntedhappenings.org/
Thank you all so much for the info. Sorry I did not mention that my daughter is 8. She loves anything exciting and will just be excited to be in a new city. I think she would enjoy all of your suggestions as well as my mother and I.
This is such a neat site with great people who take the time to help others. I hope I will be able to do the same for some other travelers also. Guess I should check the Ga forums for people who are visiting here. I will. Thanks again YALL!
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