travel to new england - help?

[ladykemma]

any pointers for what to see, do in july? Planning a generic trip for two to new england - I have never been to boston or any part of massachusetts or philadelphia.

As a history buff, and historical reenactor, something "colonial williamsburg-y" would be perfect. can you help me plan my trip? any battles? any reenactments? living history sites?

 

[ep6585]

Date: 6/2/2006 5:55:38 PM
Author:ladykemma
any pointers for what to see, do in july? Planning a generic trip for two to new england - I have never been to boston or any part of massachusetts or philadelphia.

As a history buff, and historical reenactor, something ''colonial williamsburg-y'' would be perfect. can you help me plan my trip? any battles? any reenactments? living history sites?

Newport, RI and all of the guilded age mansions, Mystic Seaport in CT, Plymouth Rock, Old Sturbridge Village in MA, plus all of the Revolutionary War stuff around Boston.

 

[Selkie]

You can''t go wrong no matter where in New England you decide to go. Everything EP already said, plus Concord and Lexington, Minuteman National Park, the Boston Freedom Trail. For historic village recreations, there''s Old Sturbridge, Plimoth Plantation, and Mystic Seaport. On the North Shore of Mass., there''s the historic cities of Newburyport, Gloucester, Rockport, and others. The great thing is, most of these things are within a 3 hour drive. Can you tell this displaced New Englander misses her home? When will you be in the area?

 

[Selkie]

Here''s a tip re: plane travel to New England. In addition to tickets to Boston, look for flights to Providence, RI, Hartford, CT, or Manchester, NH. These are all smaller airports, easier to get into and out of, and relatively close in price.

 

[ladykemma]

gee, thanks. looking at all the things to see -- just in boston, really narrows the scope. all your suggestions are now highlighted on my atlas.

dumd question- where did they film the crucible? the witchcraft stuff? i want to see that...

 

[ep6585]

Date: 6/2/2006 8:12:46 PM
Author: ladykemma

dumd question- where did they film the crucible? the witchcraft stuff? i want to see that...

Hog Island, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA - They made the village for the movie in 1995.

 

[tawn]

Plimoth Plantation

Of course, if you spend a day in Plymouth and see the rock, Cape Cod is very close by and so beautiful! My husband is from the next town over, and his mother is quite a famous artist in Plymouth! Here is one of her pics that you see everywhere in town...

 

[diamondfan]

Philly has a lot of great historical sites, but can be really hot and humid in summer. I happen to love Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha''s Vineyard...and the beach is cooler for sure...we go to the Cape each summer and I love it.

 

[diamondfan]

Another thing that is great is to go to Newport, RI and tour all the old mansions (cottages as they used to call them!) built by all the Robber Barons (Astor, Vanderbilt) before there was any income tax...these homes are AMAZING . Not too far from Boston and on the way to Cape sort of so it makes a nice stop in the middle...

 

[tawn]

Date: 6/3/2006 12:19:39 AM
Author: tawn
Plimoth Plantation

Of course, if you spend a day in Plymouth and see the rock, Cape Cod is very close by and so beautiful! My husband is from the next town over, and his mother is quite a famous artist in Plymouth! Here is one of her pics that you see everywhere in town...

Let me try the pic again!

 

[AGBF]

The witchcraft trials actually took place in Salem, Massachusets and I have heard that Hallowe'en celebrations there are absolutely incredilble. (But no one celebrates Hallowe'en in July.)

Boston is a truly wonderful city, but it (like all of the US west of the California coast) is hot and humid in the summer. I would treat myself to some time in Maine, although I must admit that the driving takes up some time since it is so large.

The Bar Harbor area is truly unique. It was once a summer playground for the rich, although nowhere close to Newport in importance. Acadia National Park in Bar Harbour is awesome! It has incredible natural features, but also history. The park was once private land (the Rockefellers' land) and has trails where only carriages and horses are allowed and a green lawn overlooking Jordan Pond where one can order popovers and lemonade (the specialty of the house!). My husband loves the popovers. I love the lemonade which is freshly squeezed lemon juice and water. Sugar is served on the side, so that one may decide how much to take.

Maine is usually fresher and cooler, although I have been on top of Cadillac Mountain (that is in Acadia) in 90 degree weather! One can take a whale watching trip from Bar Harbor (which is fairly small and charming). Lobster dinners are very cheap.

I grew up in New England. If I have any further thoughts, I will chime in!

Here is an excerpt about the carriage roads in Acadia:

"Wildwood Stables provides a variety of carriage tours along the scenic carriage roads in Acadia daily from mid-June to early October. The roads were built between 1913 and 1940 by John D. Rockefeller Jr. and are the best example of broken stone roads in the United States. Wildwood Stables also offers a horse camp for visitors wishing to bring their horses with them. No horseback riding is offered through Wildwood. Wildwood Stables is located on the Park Loop Road, one-half mile south of the Jordan Pond House Restaurant."

Acadia National Park

Deb

 

[AGBF]

Here is another excerpt from the site above. I thought you might be interested in it because it gives some of the history of the area.



What is the origin of "Acadia"?

Acadia probably stems from a name given to the area by the explorer, Giovanni Verrazano, when he sailed by in 1524. The shoreline reminded him of a part of Greece named Arcadia.

Where does the term "Downeast" come from?

During the 18th and 19th centuries, Maine was a shipping capital. When schooners sailed from Boston to ports in Maine, they traveled to the east. They also sailed downwind (with the wind at their backs). This led to the expression "Downeast."

Is it Mount Desert Island or Mount Dessert Island?

Samuel Champlain, a French navigator and cartographer, sailed by Mount Desert Island in 1604. He named it "Isles des Monts Desert," with the accent on the last syllable, as it is in the French language. He wasn''t implying that it was a desert. The phrase means "island of barren mountains." That''s why it''s pronounced both as it is spelled and as the French meaning would be pronounced (dessert)."


Deb

 

[ladykemma]

Date: 6/2/2006 9:44:59 PM
Author: ep6585

Date: 6/2/2006 8:12:46 PM
Author: ladykemma

dumd question- where did they film the crucible? the witchcraft stuff? i want to see that...

Hog Island, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA - They made the village for the movie in 1995.

ok, so it WAS a movie set. I thought it was a real place like colonial willamsburg. thanks.

I can''t locate sturbridge viallge on a map, where is it exactly?

to answer the questions:
we will be one week in july, not yet determined.

how hot is hot? texas hot or boston hot? (evil grin) is a/c available?

you can get to everthing in a three hour drive? gee! transplanted texan has very warped ideas of distance! it takes one hour to get across houston!

Based on your suggestions, i think providence would be a good starting point.

 

[Cind11]

I second the idea of trying to get to Maine and visiting Acadia National Park. We went to Acadia on a trip to New England quite a few years ago and loved it. The scenery was beautiful. A must-see I believe.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 6/3/2006 9:47:17 AM
Author: ladykemma

I can''t locate sturbridge viallge on a map, where is it exactly?

how hot is hot? texas hot or boston hot? (evil grin) is a/c available?

you can get to everthing in a three hour drive? gee! transplanted texan has very warped ideas of distance! it takes one hour to get across houston!

Based on your suggestions, i think providence would be a good starting point.

I would not waste any time on Providence, although if it is convenient for you to fly into it to start your trip, that''s another matter!

Summer in Newport is great (although hot), because it is on the water. You definitely want to see the "summer cottages" (palaces) of the rich!

Boston might be worth a day or two (although the weather can ruin sightseeing). Sturbridge Village is at the start of the Massachusetts Turnpike if you are coming from Connecticut. (I will get you a map.) It is a re-creation of a village, not a town.

Maine is great in summer.

You cannot do everything in a week. If I were you, I''d stay near the water (Newport, Maine) this trip and see Boston in the fall when the leaves are changing on another trip! Cambridge in the fall-Harvard Yard-is just gorgeous!

"Hot" in southern New England (including Boston) can be hot as hell...just a bit better than Houston in summer. Well...maybe more than a bit better. I still have nightmares about Houston in the summer! The East Coast has a lot of weather extremes.

Deb

 

[AGBF]

Date: 6/3/2006 12:30:26 PM
Author: AGBF
Sturbridge Village is at the start of the Massachusetts Turnpike if you are coming from Connecticut. (I will get you a map.) It is a re-creation of a village, not a town.

Here is a map showing where Sturbridge Village is located:

Sturbridge Village

Deb

 

[AGBF]

Here is the map (available to you without your having to click on a link.)

 

[AGBF]

Here is a site with some information about how Hallowe''en is celebrated in Salem, Massachusetts. Just for fun .

Salem Witch House

Deb

 

[AGBF]

Salem is also on the water. (Please note the constant refrain: on the water, on the water, on the water!)

Besides the "Witch House" it offers the house that inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables. One can tour that as well as the "Witch House".


"Caroline Emmerton, a philanthropist and preservationist, founded The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association to assist immigrant families who were settling in Salem. Inspired by Jane Adam’s Hull House, she purchased what was the old Turner Mansion in 1908 and worked with architect, Joseph Everett Chandler to restore it to its original seven gables. Chandler was a central figure in the early 20th century historic preservation movement and his philosophy influenced the way the house was preserved.

Emmerton’s goal was to preserve the house for future generations, to provide educational opportunities for visitors, and to use the proceeds from the tours to fund her settlement programs. Thanks to Emmerton and Chandler, the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, known popularly as The House of the Seven Gables, has survived with many of its original period features from the 17th and 18th century! This first period and Georgian architectural “fabric” is today considered significant to American architectural, maritime, and cultural history.

Over time Emmerton and the organization’s trustees acquired and moved to the site five additional 17th, 18th and 19th century structures: The Retire Becket House (1655); The Hooper Hathaway House (1682); Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Birthplace (c1750); The Phippen House (c1782); and The Counting House (c 1830). The House of the Seven Gables’ campus constitutes is own national historic district on The National Register of Historic Places.

The House of the Seven Gables’ mission has continued to focus on education, preservation and community service."


Deb

 

[ladykemma]

"on the water" (laughing) ok I hear you....

thank you!

 

[diamondfan]

AGBF, how right you are! Fall in the New England area with the leaves changing is INCREDIBLE. In summer I would stay near water...cooler...

 

[AGBF]

Date: 6/3/2006 1:25:40 PM
Author: ladykemma
''on the water'' (laughing) ok I hear you....

thank you!

Oh, good! I was afraid I might have been too subtle!

Deb

 

[AGBF]

Don't miss Newport! These are some of the "summer cottages" open for tours, but there is far, far more to Newport than the cottages! The entire town is beautiful and refreshing. You will enjoy walking on the Cliff Walk by day and walking around town (by day and night); eating (at any time); and dancing at night.


Deb

 

[Selkie]

Boston CAN be hot in the summer, and VERY humid, but it can also be cold and rainy. It''s not consistently hot from May through September like Texas. Come prepared for anything. As they say, if you don''t like the weather in New England, wait a minute.

 

[Selkie]

If you are into historic houses, the Society for the Protection of New England Antiquities maintains quite a few of them as museums. They are all over the place.

 

[diamondsrock]

I''ll give another yes! for Newport, RI. The Cliff walk is amazing and the mansions are something to see. There are a lot of little shops there as well. Brick Alley Pub is my favorite for lunch and dinner. The food is so good! Across the street is Portobello Jewelers (which is a great jewelry store, beautiful stuff!) in the Brick Alley marketplace. A lot of other restaurants down there are awesome, too. Castle Hill Inn is my personal favorite place to stay, although there are a lot of places I''d like to try. There''s a little lighthouse nearby which is adorable and the view of the harbor is unbelievable. Newport is probabaly my favorite place on earth. I try to go at least once a year. I live in Mass. so it''s not too far of a ride.
Boston is fun too but there is so much to do it would take more than a day. Fanueil Hall marketplace, Museum of fine art and science museum are my favorite places there. Oh, and the aquarium is awesome. I''ve never been on one but someday I would like to go with Boston Duck Tours. They have land vehicles that go into the water and it looks like a lot of fun. Have a great time on your trip!!

 

[AGBF]

Date: 6/3/2006 9:45:28 PM
Author: diamondsrock
Boston is fun too but there is so much to do it would take more than a day.

I agree. Boston is worth one week in the autumn. Another week of that same trip should be scheduled for visiting other neighboring areas as the leaves change. Many states have foliage tours scheduled for when the trees in their regions reach their peak of color!

Deb

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Hi Ladykemma,

Lexington and Concord are slightly north of Boston. Lots of history there and they do have soldier re-enactments. If you get lost while you''re visting Boston, give me a call for directions. We''re 5 miles north of Boston. Currently we are going through a miserable stretch of rainy weather (May and now June). I''ve never seen it so rainy in my entire life!! Enjoy your trip!.

www.metrojewelryappraisers.com

 

[wonderfultimes]

If it''s just two day, i would spend them in boston. Do the freedom trail, move around the town, party at night, visit fanueil hall, harvard sq, have sangria n tapas at tapeo on newbury st.

 

[Scintillating]

USS Constitution

Old North Church - Have dinner in the north end, fabulous italian neighborhood filled with great restaurants, and save room for Cannoli at Mike's pastry or Modern pastry.

Paul Revere's House

The Freedom Trail

Bunker Hill (Battle) Monument

Boston is a great city, a great city for walking and exploring. If I were coming for the first time, I'd skip Plymouth Plantation and Sturbridge Village - largely because they are a LONG drive from Boston - and there is plenty to do and see here and just around Boston. (But if that's really what you want to see and do - it's worth the trip.)

Jeff's (Averbook - Modified brillant) suggestion, Concord and Lexington are good suggestions.
They are a short drive outside the city, and plenty to see and do there.

Concord MA - Link
(Emerson, Hawthorne, and Thoreau - three great American writers who helped to define American culture. Walden Pond)

Scintillating...

There's also Salem, MA, a very pretty interesting town -
Salem Witch Museum