Hi - I would love advice on trips outside of Boston. I am a student and would probably try to take a train most places, but am open to recommendations of things to do and see. I was thinking about going up to Manchester by the sea sometime soon, but other than the name I don%26#39;t know what to expect. The posts on fall foliage or apple-picking sounded beautiful, but I am without a car...
gettingn out of boston
Manchester is a very walkable little town, and the train station is very conveniently located for visiting... and going to Singing Beach. At the very end of the same line is Rockport... a charming little art colony at the tip of Cape Ann. While the train station is a bit further from the center of activity, it%26#39;s still less than a mile, and the walk from the station to Bearskin Neck is pleasant in itself. This would be my excursion of choice for a sunny day. Another place on the same line is Salem. The train station here is also within walking distance to almost all the popular ';sights';. I think it may be a little more than a mile to the House of Seven Gables.. but not much, and that%26#39;s the furthest you%26#39;d have to go to get a fairly good day of sightseeing in. Salem is also a good alternative for a cloudy (or even rainy) day... the Peabody Essex Museum is fascinating, and most of the other attractions are indoors. From 10/6 through the end of the month, Salem holds ';Haunted Happenings';... a sort of celebration of the town%26#39;s witchcraft-related reputation. If you Google ';Salem Haunted Happenings';, you%26#39;ll get all sorts of info.
In Ipswich... on the same line as Salem, but a different branch from Manchester and Rockport... there is Russell Orchards, where they offer great apple-picking. You can google Russell Orchards and get a posting of what%26#39;s available. It%26#39;s too far to walk from the train station, but worth considering by bicycle, which you can take on MBTA trains (except rush hours)... then again, bring a bike on the train would make a lot of place more accessible where walking might be a bit much... a lot of the small towns don%26#39;t have taxis readily available.
gettingn out of boston
I 2d once agian what jsboston said (I swear js and I must%26#39;ve crossed paths at some point :). That the definitive scoop for the north shore.
An overlooked day-trip ';from'; Boston is the Arnold Arboretum (in Boston) - catch the #39 bus out of Copley to JP center, or the Orange Line to Forest Hills, and it%26#39;s an easy walk -- gorgeous this time of year, bring a picnic, your bike, your dog.
Also, glancing at the commuter rial map at mbta.com, Providence, RI and Concord, MA come to mind, both with stuff to do.
One idea for a nice day trip is to take the Amtrak Downeaster train to Portland ME. It%26#39;s a great little city with lots to see, lots of nice shopping, good restaurants, etc. It%26#39;s about a two hour train ride, and the train ride itself is very pretty. It leaves from North Station.
Another fun idea, even this time of year, is to take the ferry from Boston to Provincetown for the day. It leaves in the morning, takes 3 hours, gives you three hours to wander around P-town, and then returns that same evening.
Beantownman is absolutely right! I have a tendency to forget that public transportation options in Boston don%26#39;t stop with the ';T';.
I have never done the Amtrak Nor%26#39;easter, but that%26#39;s only because I have a car.
On the other hand, the P-Town ferry is so much nicer than the drive that it has been my favorite for years. If you haven%26#39;t been to P-Town, put this at the VERY TOP of your list before the ferries stop running for the season!!!!
Having been woken up to the concept of other transportation, you might also consider a bus to Sturbridge Village... I think you can get a Peter Pan bus there from South Station. This is another place that is absolutley beautiful this time of year.
Go to Salem for the day! It would be perfect right now. It%26#39;s accessible by Commuter rail and the actual station is about 2 blocks from the downtown area. My boyfriend and I went and had a wonderful time. You could also buy a go boston card or something which has tours of new england coast, cape cod, etc. There is also zipcar.com if you are eligible it might be a great idea for you because gas is included in the monthly charge. You could try it for awhile and see if it%26#39;s for you?
Also, you can take the Bus to Cape Cod but if you don%26#39;t have a car it%26#39;s not much fun--also the cape cod season I%26#39;m afraid is at an end.
Fast ferries from Boston to Provincetown and return are one and one half hours each way. You can take a bike for an additonal $5.00 or rent one in P-Town.
bostonharborcruises.com/ptown_schedule.htmlv
and
http://www.boston-ptown.com/schedule.html
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