Itinerary opinions/help?

I am visiting Boston the beginning of June. I am traveling solo taking a history class on the American Revolution and Boston. Here%26#39;s my tentative itinerary:

Sunday: Arrive Logan from OH in morning, take T to Sheraton Boston (great deal on priceline). Eat lunch in Prudential (I%26#39;m on WW and counting points, so I thought I%26#39;d try Tossed, Qdoba, or Panda Express which all list nutritional info so that I can splurge later!)

Sunday afternoon: Isabella Stewart Gardner museum and then take the Duck tour at 4 or 5. Is there enough to see on Newbury street in the evening if I want to shop on a Sunday night? I may try Jae%26#39;s cafe-any thoughts?

MOnday: Freedom Trail-I plan to take my time, see the shops/touristy things. Lunch: TBD Milk Street Cafe? Shop/see Beacon hill in late afternoon,

Big question: Which North End restaurant for a casual solo female diner. I don%26#39;t really care for seafood, but would love a great old Italian red sauce pasta, salad, glass of decent wine for under $40. Suggestions on a place that isn%26#39;t too fancy? I%26#39;d like to find the Modern pastry shop and grab dessert to take back to the room for later.

Tuesday: Lexington/concord in the morning for my class. Should I rent a car from the airport and then travel to Salem? Option 2: rent car from Sheraton and skip Salem so car is back on time before 4 and no parking fees. Option 3: Take T and then pick up a trolley tour (do they go to Lexington too?)

Wednesday: Ferry from LOng Wharf to Charlestown, USS Constitution, Bunker Hill, Take T to Harvard, Eat lunch at Bombay club lunch buffet, see Harvard, T back to hotel, Eat dinner??? Go to Museum of Art in evening

Thursday: T to JFK library, eat Orinoco, catch flight in afternoon

Any suggestions for other attractions/must see/dining? In general I%26#39;m looking for casual good food in a safe area under $30 a meal unless I%26#39;m splurging for a night in the North End. Any help would be appreciated!

Itinerary opinions/help?

Good heavens, do you plan to sleep and do you plan to allow time for late Ts, for just stopping and enjoying the view? No offense, but boy, is this rushed! I can%26#39;t speak to any of the food places since its all personal opinion anyway, but for example, you plan to go to the Isabella Gardner Museum once it opens, truly enjoy this unusual spot then zip out of there, transport yourself over to where the Duck Tours start and then do that and then do Newbury Street (most shops close at 5 on Sundays)? I would cut all of this on every day in half if it were me as you aren%26#39;t allowing any time to take your time and no time to account for stalled traffic via the T or cab or whatever, no time to actually transport yourself to the starting points or buildings, never mind allow enough time to actually enjoy the food at these places you want opinions on. Slow down, make it a first of several trips, Boston isn%26#39;t going anywhere but you will likely miss alot with this crazy schedule! All of these spots take some to get there for starters and deserve being enjoyed individually.

Itinerary opinions/help?

I agree with Karrieb%26#39;s comments. They%26#39;re right on. For example, the Freedom Trail can easily take a full day, and you plan to ';take advantage'; of all the shopping on the way in your half a day Freedom Trail ';allowance';. I know you%26#39;ve planned to see Old Ironsides later, but still.... Boston is such a great place to just walk around and literally ';feel'; the city. You%26#39;ve got to slow down and enjoy it. Play a little by ear.

It%26#39;s a lot ... but additionally, I%26#39;m confused!

When do you take your class? And when you say ';Lexington/Concord for your class'; do you need to get to Lexington or Concord on your own? Where exactly is the class? Once there, will they cart you arround to the various sites (Lexington and Concord are separate towns and the historic sites are not within walking distance of each other.

Ok, I%26#39;ll stop and smell the roses, lol. I%26#39;m a pretty strict planner and I guess I figured it would be easier to subtract something from the plan if I wanted to stay longer somewhere. I hate to miss things and as a solo female traveller I like to overplan so that I know exactly where I%26#39;m going.

My class is a travel class that doesn%26#39;t physically meet. We are on our own and given places we must visit. I need to get to Lexington and Concord, but I%26#39;m not sure what is my best method. I originally thought I would rent a car and see Salem also, but from the forum I see mixed reviews on whether a first-timer should see Salem or skip it and stick with stuff in Boston. If I skip it, should I skip the car too and take a tour or still rent the car and go on my own pace? Thanks for your help.

So basically your %26#39;class%26#39; is a list of sites to visit?

I%26#39;d defintiely hook up w/ Liberty Tours for Lexington and Concord. You%26#39;ll get to interact w/ other people and hear the patter of the tour guide

As for Salem .. differing opinions are neither right or wrong, just different. You don%26#39;t need a car to get to Salem. You can go by train or boat. Both stop within walkig distance of the visitors center. However, you really can%26#39;t do Lexington/Concord AND Salem in one day if you are relying on public transportation because you need to get back into Boston to head out to Salem.

Hi squirrelfriend,

If Lexington/Concord is a very important part of your trip, which it appears to be, I would strongly urge you to rent a car for that trip. It will be much easier for you to visit all the places you wish, and enjoy them at your own leisure. You can also use the Liberty Ride if you feel that it will suffice. I%26#39;ll leave you the link. Just be advised that you will have to take the subway to the last stop on the Red Line (ALEWIFE), then take a bus to the meeting place to buy tickets and hop on the trolley.

http://www.libertyride.us/libertyride.html

Since you%26#39;re staying at the Sheraton, try and fit in a visit to the Mary Baker Eddy Library and see the Mapparium there. It%26#39;s right on Massachusetts Ave (Mass Ave) a 5 minute walk from the hotel.

marybakereddylibrary.org/exhibits/mapparium

A few places to eat that won%26#39;t break your bank, but are within walking distance from the Sheraton are Laurel Grill, Vlora and Cottonwood Cafe.

http://www.laurelgrillandbar.com/

http://www.vloraboston.com/

http://www.cottonwoodboston.com/home.php

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