Side trips from Boston?

[bananapancakes]

My H and I are going to be in Boston for a few days next week. We'd like to take a side day trip at some point. We've already been to Salem, Provincetown, and Plymouth. Any recommendations?

[Deleted]

Gloucester, though it's a little farther. Even farther is Portsmouth, NH, but it's well worth it -- quaint little town, lots to do for a day (brewery tour etc).

[balletofangels]

Newport, RI. Amherst, MA.

[lightbulbsun]

Go to Rockport, not Gloucester. It's nicer

[hellfreezesovertour]

Rockport vs. Gloucester (Tuna Wharf!), Kittery, ME, or shopping in Wrentham, MA (outlets! no tax on clothes!)

Lowell, MA also has the textile museum which is amazing for a fabric geek, and old mills yadda yadda.

Essex, MA for antiquing. er, however you spell that.

[firedancer49]

I'd go to Newport!!

[janegold]

Rockport, Newport, Ogunquit, Portland, Provincetown on the ferry, Mystic, Lenox/Tanglewood (the last one is a bit far but plenty of people do afternoon Tanglewood performances as a day trip.) 

[piper]

Head up Route 1 to the North Shore. Newburyport is an adorable town with great shopping and restaurants.

From there, go to Portsmouth and Kittery. 

[auntie]

I love Gloucester. It's authentic gritty as opposed to Rockport which is sort of Disneyfied and very cute. It's a matter of taste. I have family in both places. Love Newburyport, too, (my mother's family is from there) but it's sort of Salem without the literary and witch vibe.

Do have dinner in the rough in Essex. I am fond of the fried clams at Farnhams- they're smaller and sweeter than the more famous Woodmans.

[Deleted]

Newburyport is very very cute, too, I agree w that added rec.

Basically the cute coastal towns on the North Shore are great.

[piper]

Jul 18, 2013 14:23:54 GMT -5 auntie said:

. Love Newburyport, too, (my mother's family is from there) -

that's where I grew up!

I second the Woodman's rec.

[cinnamoncox]

Jul 18, 2013 12:18:48 GMT -5 lightbulbsun said:

Go to Rockport, not Gloucester. It's nicer

Just popping in to say this times a miiiiilion!
Rockport is so nice you'll never regret going.
Gloucester has nice areas don't get me wrong, but the not so great areas bring it down

[shopgirl07]

Newport RI
Portsmouth NH
Kennebunkport ME

All cute harbor towns with great shops and restaurants. Portsmouth is the closest, it's an hour from Boston and an easy ride.

[sa]

Some repeats here, but:

Newburyport, MA
Rockport, MA
Ogunquit, ME
Newport, RI

or you could take a ferry to Provincetown.

[bananapancakes]

Okay so Newburyport, Rockport, Gloucester, Newport, and Portsmouth keep coming up. How feasible is it to combine a couple of these towns in a day?

[Deleted]

Jul 18, 2013 15:11:01 GMT -5 bananapancakes said:

Okay so Newburyport, Rockport, Gloucester, Newport, and Portsmouth keep coming up. How feasible is it to combine a couple of these towns in a day?

You could do Newburyport and Rockport together in a day.  I don't know about where Gloucester would fit in.

Newport and Portsmouth are on-their-own trips but you could totally do Newport and Providence together in one day.  That's actually fun, I've done that before.

[speckledfrog]

Jul 18, 2013 14:23:54 GMT -5 auntie said:

I love Gloucester. It's authentic gritty as opposed to Rockport which is sort of Disneyfied and very cute. It's a matter of taste. I have family in both places. Love Newburyport, too, (my mother's family is from there) but it's sort of Salem without the literary and witch vibe.

Do have dinner in the rough in Essex. I am fond of the fried clams at Farnhams- they're smaller and sweeter than the more famous Woodmans.

Lol.  This is not making me want to visit Gloucester. 

[shopgirl07]

Jul 18, 2013 15:11:01 GMT -5 bananapancakes said:

Okay so Newburyport, Rockport, Gloucester, Newport, and Portsmouth keep coming up. How feasible is it to combine a couple of these towns in a day?

Rockport and Gloucester are super close together, Newburyport is about 20 min away and then Portsmouth is 20 min from Newburyport.

I really like Newburyport, half of my family is from there so I am familiar with it. But I'd choose Portsmouth over Newburyport. Portsmouth has a row of about 8 restaurants that all have decks on the water and it's a very happening place in the summer.

[shopgirl07]

Oh and, yes, Newport would be it's own trip. But Newport is fabulous. You have to tour the Breakers mansion.

[bananapancakes]

Thanks for all the recs! I will share them with my H tonight. I'm excited!