Back from Boston.. thanks for the help!

We had a great mini trip to Boston. Hotel Marlowe was lovely, and the staff was great. Location was great too. Loved the Museum of Science, and the Duck Tours. I wish we%26#39;d had more time, so we%26#39;ll have to plan another trip up soon.

Back from Boston.. thanks for the help!

Glad to hear you had a nice trip.

It must have been a little cold on the Duck Tours?

Back from Boston.. thanks for the help!

Glad you enjoyed yourselves in Boston.

Thanks for the report. I love it at The Marlowe.

Hope to see you back here some day soon! Did you end up using the %26#39;T%26#39;?

Driving out of Boston on Thursday B4 Good Friday

Hi there,

We%26#39;re in Boston now and LOVING IT! Such a gorgeous place and we had lovely weather yesterday to enjoy our first day here.

We were thinking of driving out of Boston on Thursday and was wondering, with Friday being Good friday, is traffic going to be particularly heavy going out of Boston in the morning and coming in on Thursday evening.

Please advise.

Many thanks for your help in advance.

Driving out of Boston on Thursday B4 Good Friday

Just a guess on my part:

Most people who work in businesses other than those tied to the stock exchange or some government offices do not get Good Friday off. It%26#39;s my guess that many more people will ';skip out'; early on Friday than take the entire day off, making the Friday commute the worse of the two days.

Driving out of Boston on Thursday B4 Good Friday

Thank you very much for your response! :) Looks like its ok to drive then on Thursday if you guess is correct.

Except for schools (and not even all public schools), Good Friday is not a big ';day off'; holiday in the U.S. Most businesses are open as usual. I think in England you might even get Easter Monday off? Not here.

Thanks everyone for your help.

Very useful info.

Cheers.

Boston trip in April 2009

Please give suggestions for trip for 6 ladies.

We love history, food, shopping.

Will arrive in Boston on Wed. PM April 22.

We will have 3 full days, leaving on Sunday.

Would consider a day trip outside Boston, what would you suggest? We plan on doing the Freedom Trail, either on our own or with tour guide. Any ideas on which is best. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Boston trip in April 2009

Hi, there is enough to keep you busy in Boston for 3 days! One thing to consider - the week you are here is a vacation week for public school so family attractions are likely to be crowded. The Freedom Trail is a great way to experience history. Shopping - high end - Newbury Street; Shops at Copley Place and the Prudential Center Mall linked by skywalks and are anchored by 3 major hotels - The Westin, The Marriott %26amp; The Sheration - lots of other hotles nearby. Good central place to be - walking distance to Newbury St as well. Restaurants, the Symphony Hall, the Museums all close by.

Boston trip in April 2009

Boston will keep you busy for three days. If you need more places to shop you can go to Chestnut Hill. The Chestnut Hill Mall and Atrium Mall are across from each other.

Thanks so much for quick responses. Will check out the Westin, Sheraton, and Mariott. Would like to stay in a place with larger rooms, you know 3 ladies in each room, sharing the bathroom! I realize there is so much to see in three short days, but if we did venture out of town, what would be the suggestions? Can you visit Salem, Martha%26#39;s Vineyard, in one day?

Salem, yes. Martha%26#39;s Vineyard, not as a practical matter. Both, no.

Salem would be a good choice. Another would be Lexington %26amp; Concord.

Shopping for what? And what kind of food?

Wow! Great feedback!

We just love any food, but especially want to experience lobster and chowder. We plan one ';extravegant meal';, any suggestions?

We are from rural Texas, so don%26#39;t get around any big shopping except on rare occassions. We do want to check out antiques.

Thanks so much!

Charles Street on Beacon Hill would be a place to go for antiques.

There are many hundreds of choices for food. If you give a little guidance as to type and price range you are looking for we might be able to help more. Also, how ';extravagant'; do you want to go on that one meal -- dressed to the nines and $100+ each or something not as high-end?

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic

There are plenty of places to get Chowder.

Yankee Lobster is my favorite place.

How much do you want to spend on this ';extravagant'; meal? What kind of atmosphere would you prefer?

On extravagant meal, $75 to $100

Not formal dress, just ';special Sunday church clothes';. Seafood, Steak, Gourmet food, Quiet atmosphere, Good service.

this works

4th July 2009

Will be in Hyannis for a few days on and around 4th July and wonder if anyone can recommend a restaurant with a good atmosphere on 4th July, I assume I will have to book ahead?

Also I have noticed that there are two parades, one in Hyannis itself and the other Hyannisport, was wondering which would be best to see.

4th July 2009

The parade in Hyannis in Hyannis Center is a typical parade with floats and marching bands etc. The Hyannisport parade is a local neighborhood parade. Kids decorate bicycles. Neighbors create floats. It is small, informal and charming.

4th July 2009

Thanks for the reply. In Hyannisport do they prefer %26#39;tourists%26#39; to keep away do you think?

No, you%26#39;ll be welcome there. Usually most of the town is %26#39;marching%26#39; so it%26#39;s nice if there are a few clapping spectators!!

For fireworks you may want to go to the Flying Bridge in Falmouth. You will get an amazing view of the fireworks. I think there are some in other towns as well. Maybe the regulars on this thread have some knowledge of that. What say you...Fussyguest? Kendrick? Cape Cod Charlie? Senior?

4th of July: Nice fireworks in Provincetown. I like Thumpertown beach on the Bay in Eastham for viewing.

The fireworks shows on the Cape are typically staggered so, for example, the rockets being shot off of Lewis Bay in Hyannis are a different night than the ones in neighboring towns. The Parade in Hyannis is your typical small town Fourth of July Parade. It will NOT make you forget Macy%26#39;s or Pasadena.... LOL For local restaurants....you might want to consider Tugboats...it%26#39;s on the water on Hyannis Marina. There is also Baxters...Trader Ed%26#39;s... all on the Marina. No reservations required typically...just beware that if it is the night of the fireworks...the traffic is bad...as many streets are closed. If you are in Hyannis...park off of Mainstreet. There are a dozen decent restaurants on Mainstreet...and they will all be festive.

Chip

Thanks for the replies, I hadn%26#39;t considered watching the fireworks elsewhere, we are staying in Hyannis and I thought the traffic would be bad so planned on staying in Hyannis. If we went to the parade at Hyannisport any advice on where to park? We are coming from the UK and would like to see a typical American parade but we have been to the area before and know what the area is like around Hyannisport and can%26#39;t imagine where we would park, is it perhaps walkable from Kalmus Beach car park? Glad to know that reservations aren%26#39;t particularly necessary either for dinner and haven%26#39;t tried Baxters before so may look at that one.

Hyannis and Hyannisport will be zoos on the 4th. If you want to eat at Baxters give them a call and see if they%26#39;ll take a ressie. Also: Some places that don%26#39;t take reservations will let you call ahead and put your name on the wait list.

I can assure you Hyannisport will NOT be a zoo on the Fourth. The parade in Hyannisport is nothing more than a bunch of neighborhood kids with decorated bikes. If that is the one you want to go to...it is walkable from Kalmus beach. There really isn%26#39;t any parking in Hyannisport...as it is just a neighborhood. Truly if you want to see a parade more typical of most towns in the USA, go to the one that goes down Main Street in Hyannis. Get there about 2 hours before the parade....park in one of the many free lots that line North Street (which runs parallel to Main Street. I have been doing this for 20 years (I skipped last year...spent the day at the beach instead). There will be about 10 or so floats...a half a dozen marching bands...some politicians....clowns...little league kids...and fire trucks. It is not HUGE...but it is typical Americana. I am sure you will enjoy.

I stand corrected: Travel to that area will indeed be a zoo. I would venture to say that spots of rte. 28 will resemble a parking lot. Hyannisport is indeed a separate neighborhood from Hyannis and has a completely different atmosphere. :)

Itinery Check - Trip in Early May

Hi,

My husband and I are visiting the states from the 4th-16th May.

We are planning to hire a car for part of the trip.

We enjoy sightseeing, shopping (ME), photography, cycling, walking and eating.

We had been thinking

Boston 5 nights (with day trip to Salem on the train)

then hire a car

possibly 5 nights in Cape Cod

possibly couple of nights in Newport, or somewhere else if anyone out there has good idea?

All help would be great - had been planning for June trip but had to bring it forward, and now don%26#39;t have much time to organise stuff.

Cheers

Itinery Check - Trip in Early May

You haven%26#39;t asked what you want fromus, but I will comment that 5 nights in Cape Cod in May perhaps is not what you expect. The Cape is a great place to relax, especially with days at the beach. In May, you definitely won%26#39;t be able to swim and most of the time it will be too cool to spend any appreciable time near the ocean. There are some antique shops, although all will not be open, so shopping is limited. What were your expectations for there?

Itinery Check - Trip in Early May

We had hoped to go walking, hire bikes maybe, go out on a whale trip, swim in the hotel pool (if warm enough?). It looks so picturesque and we had decided to go there when planning our trip in June - hadn%26#39;t really considered not going now we%26#39;re going in May.

If people don%26#39;t think Cape Cod is a good option, we%26#39;re open to suggestions.

Really just looking to relax, see a bit more of America and do some sightseeing. Maybe we would be better going to another city?

Also, was thinking about Boston when I mentioned shopping, not Cape Cod.

Now wondering about a few nights to New York instead of spending as long in the countryside around Boston. Would maybe get the train down?

Running out of time to decided what to do, so any advice would be appreciated.

Within the five days in Boston, you can get a whale watching tour right from the New England Aquarium. Salem day trip a great idea. I hope you visit the Peabody Essex Museum, it is quite impressive. Newport for a couple of nights is a great idea. You can do the cliff walk, visit the mansions, and go shopping. The hesitation with the Cape is your timing. The season gets going toward the end of May (Memorial Day), the ocean will be too cold to swim in as will any outdoor pools. The one thought I had based on your interests is heading west toward the Berkshires.

what is the meaning of the name

tipping in the usa

whats the usual amount to tip in restaurants in the usa?

tipping in the usa

15-20 percent before tax.

tipping in the usa

Fifteen to twenty percent.

Good point by Eileen. I always base my tips on the pre-tax total (the actual cost of the food ordered).

thanks for that. ill base it on the pre tax cost as well. wouldnt have thought of doing that before.

It actualy doesn%26#39;t make much of a difference, pre or post tax. Since the tax rate is only 5%, the difference becomes rounding error.

You can also do three times the tax. That%26#39;ll give you a rough idea.

May I suggest instead 20% - 2 X 10% - is a much more reasonable first ';cut';. And it%26#39;s so easy!

yes thanks for that. ill just round it off at 20%. much easier and quicker in the long run.

Booking Park n Fly thru Hotwire or Priceline

Anyone book their sleep and stay at Sheraton or Holiday Inn at Logan thru Hotwire or Priceline? If so, did it include the parking portion? and how much did you save? I am paying $160. to stay one night and park one week at Sheraton at Logan....any thoughts?

Booking Park n Fly thru Hotwire or Priceline

i always book the park stay fly package at Sheraton FourPoints in Revere. Its always a lower rate if you call the hotel chain%26#39;s reservation line and tell them you have AAA. We have a rate for 1 night plus 10 days parking and breakfast for 2 for 156.00 includes tax..

Booking Park n Fly thru Hotwire or Priceline

we have gotten rates as low as $99.0/night including breakfast for 2 at that same Fourpoints Sheraton in Revere. But the rates are somehow higher if you call the hotel directly - they get confused and say there is no discount for AAA - its better to call the main #..

Good Morning Lori!

How exactly did you get the $99. rate? Did you go thru AAA? Did it include parking for a week?

We do not have AAA but we have AARP or maybe it would be worth it to join? Do they ask you for your AAA number?

Thanks for any info you could give!

Oceangirl

i just called and asked for those rates - they didn%26#39;t ask for our membership numbers.. try it - the 99.00 rate was in January - we booked for May and the rate was 156.00 with breakfast included. I usually call both the hotel directly and the main reservation number to see which one gives the best rate. - it changes often so it depends when you call - good luck! (also try www.buyreservations.com - we%26#39;ve used them in the past with no problems.)

Trying to squeeze in a park and fly rather than drive from RI at 5 am with 2 little ones. Any suggestions at the 99.00 for tomorrow? Appreciate any suggestions.

i never did figure it out thru the opaque sites - better to call the hotels directly...or check their websites.. i still like the sheraton Revere or www.buyreservations.com...

I think your best bet is Comfort Inn and speak with Kris. She is the manager. Let her know you have found a deal on Priceline or Hotwire and she will match it and add a few dollars per night for parking. The Hotwire/Priceline rate doesn%26#39;t include the parking....too bad. but the Comfort Inn is quite nice.