| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 17/04/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 53 |
| Copyright: Other |
Boston city breaks by Alan Moore
On the waterfront:all of Boston’s main sites, including the harbour, are all within easy walking distanceSet foot in the past by touring Boston’s sights
Destination offers something for all tastes
IF YOUfancy a city-break destination rivalling New York for theatre, music, nightlife, dining, sporting events and shopping, then neighbouring Boston is the ideal place.Unlike many US cities, Boston is very easy to walk around. Its harbourfront and historic buildings, shopping, theatre and entertainment districts are all accessible on foot or mostly linked by the ‘T’ light rail and subway system.
These areas include Beacon Hill and downtown; the North End and Charlestown, which takes in the city’s colourful Italian quarter; the central Back Bay area and historic Copley Square; Victorian South End; Chinatown; Boston Harbour and the Islands; and Cambridge and Harvard University.
To achieve an insight into Boston’s colourful past, take the Freedom Trail – a three-mile walk featuring 16 historic sites from the city’s colonial and revolutionary period via a red-brick route through the North End to Charlestown.
Other highlights include the Museum Wharf, the Commonwealth Museum and, although it is out of town at Columbia Point, the fascinating John F Kennedy Library and Museum, which is a must.
A fun excursion is the Boston Duck Tour on an amphibious trolleybus, which covers the historic area of Boston and then launches into the Charles River for an animated commentary and glimpse of the Back Bay area and skyline as well as views of Cambridge.
Old Town Trolley Tours take in seafood tastings and restaurant visits and a Brew-Pub Tour features three of the city’s micro-breweries. On Sundays, try the Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues Restaurant and Music Hall in Cambridge, for around $25; browse the Outsiders gallery of southern artists’ work and check out the Cheers pub from the famous TV series at Beacon Street.
There are numerous theatres and comedy clubs, while most nightclubs are located along Landsdown Street near Kenmore Square and the Fenway.
Other excursions include the Boston Spirits Walking Tour, which explores the city’s so-called haunted sites; the Jewish immigrant neighbourhoods of West and North End; and a culinary insight into the historic Italian district with a market tour.
Boston is also an easy stepping-off point to various towns and attractions within easy reach by car or public transport.
These include Plymouth, a 1hr drive or easy train or bus journey, to see Plimoth Plantation – a replica of the first settlement built by the Pilgrims in 1620.
Cape Cod is 75 miles from Boston, where the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard can be reached by ferry. Newport on Rhode Island takes about 1hr 30mins by car from Boston and is worth the trip if only to see its grand collection of 19th-century mansions.
Worcester County is another worthwhile excursion from Boston, where the towns of Lexington and Concord, and Old Sturbridge Village, portray the lifestyles of the state’s colonial past.
Although these areas and attractions are accessible within a day’s outing from Boston, the many historic bed and breakfast inns dotted throughout Massachusetts offer the chance to stay over. Clients can then spend two or three days exploring the state at a more leisurely pace.
Latest Boston itineraries
North America Travel Service: features three and seven-night room-only stays in a choice of three hotels in Boston from £261 and £609 respectively during April-November. It also features overnights in Massachusetts.
Osprey Holidays: brochures nine hotels in Boston. These include the four-star, turn-of-the-century character hotel, The Lenox, for £94 per person per night until October 31. Osprey also features stays in Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, and 10 properties around the state.
Virgin Holidays: three-night Boston breaks cost from £379, including flights. Three nights based at the John Carver Inn at Townbrook in Massachusetts costs £449 in May-June, including flights and car hire. Also features inclusive breaks in Cape Cod, Falmouth, Hyannis and Sturbridge, among other towns.
United Vacations: features Boston city breaks and other overnights, including the Williams Inn in the Berkshires from £46 per person per night. Pre-bookable sightseeing trips from Boston include the Old Town Trolley Tour for £19 for adults and £8 for children, and a 3hr whale-watching trip for £16 and £12 respectively.