Updated Boston Itinary

I have taken on board all the great feedback and updated our itinary accordingly. Hope we%26#39;re not trying to do too much!

Day 1

1000 Whale watching

1330 Water taxi over to Dockyard

1400 Lunch at Navy Yard Bistro

1400 US Constitution

1500 Start Freedom trail from Constitution down to Faniel Hall

1730 Hotel

2000 Blue Man Group

2200 Top of the Hub for Dinner and Jazz

Day 2

0930 Duck Tours

1100 Continue Freedom Trail

1400 Lunch at Hammersleys Bistro (for the Chicken)

1500 T to Harvard

1730 Hotel to take breath!!

1900 Sheer Madness Show

2100 Dinner (TBA)

Day 3

0900 Train to Salem

0930 Peabody Museum

1130 Heritage Walk

1300 Lunch on the Harbor (TBA)

1400 Salem Museum

TBA Cry Freedom show

PM Miscellaneous TBA

2000 Dinner at Grapevine

2200 Return to Boston

Day 4

0900 TBA

1400 Depart

Updated Boston Itinary

It looks pertty good. Just a couple of comments ---

I don%26#39;t know when you%26#39;ll be here or what days of the week you are talking about but I caution you on your trip to Salem that you are taking a train that runs on a set schedule, not a subway that runs continuously.

I%26#39;m sure you are talking in generalities but there is no 9am train and no 10pm train ... there are trains %26#39;around%26#39; that time (20-30 minutes before or after). Check the schedule. http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/?route=NBRYROCK%26amp;direction=I%26amp;timing=W%26amp;RedisplayTime=Redisplay+Time

Also ... there%26#39;s been ideas floated that trains might be completely shut down on Saturday and Sundays as a cost-savings measure. Nothing has been decided and most likely this is a case of presenting the worst case scenario so when we cut half the scheduled runs it won%26#39;t seem so bad%26#39;. This willl not happen without advance notice so if you are coming in the next few weeks don%26#39;t worry. If you are planning a September visit, keep it in mind and watch that schedule.

The USS Constitution is closed on Mondays so if ';day 1'; happens to be a Monday, you%26#39;ll need to rethink that.

One last thing, everybody ';does the freedom trail'; differently. You%26#39;ve got 90 minutes planned to go from the USS Constitution to Fanieul Hall. For some people who walk at a good pace and snap a picture in front of each attraction, it%26#39;s MORE than enough time. For others (like me) who %26#39;stroll%26#39;, looking at whatever strikes my fancy and who would definitely go INSIDE the Old North Church and Paul Revere%26#39;s house, etc ... it might not be enough time.

Do you plan to go to the Bunker Hill Monument at the end of the Freedom trail? Personally, I don%26#39;t see a need to climb to the top of it but the houses around it and leading up to it are intersting to look. That%26#39;s the opposite direction from Fanieul Hall and the walk would add about 20 minutes (round trip) from the Constitution. Add time if you plan to climb the monument or look inside the base ...

Updated Boston Itinary

ooops ... my link didn%26#39;t quite work!

Go to www.mbta.com

On the right of the page, under the date, click on %26#39;rail%26#39;. and below that, click on the words ';Newburport/Rockport';

Coffee is starting to kick in --- I just recognized your user name and remember you%26#39;ll be here in the fall ... watch that train schedule ;)

Sick of hearing from me yet? Another option to salem is the ferry. It runs until Nov 1.

http://www.salemferry.com/schedule.shtml

Thanks for that info, I will watch the train info carefully of time.

I will reschedule some stuff to ensure I have plenty of time to explore every aspect of the trail. No point in coming all that way and miss the history.

I also have a spare morning on departure day to fill with bits that get missed because of timings etc

Great help,thanks again

Just an FYI, Hammersleys doesn%26#39;t serve lunch, just dinner and Sunday brunch.

*sigh* Am I the only one here who thinks that going to Salem is not advisable on such a short trip? I%26#39;ve said this on a couple other ';itinerary'; posts, and no one has backed me up.

Well, just consider this my opinion then, but going to Salem, when you%26#39;re only here a few days, is just not worth it when there is so much to do within the Boston/Cambridge area.

Navy Yard Bistro is great, but opens at 5:00 PM for dinner only.

Rantipole, that%26#39;s certainly a valid opinion, but some people look at the matter a bit differently. In just a few days, there%26#39;s no hope of seeing everything that Boston (or any major city) has to offer. Therefore, why not get a taste of smaller-town colonial America, to go along with the taste of the city? When I went to London for a four-day weekend, did I waste my time by going to Cambridge when I could have been seeing some additional small fraction of London%26#39;s treasures instead? I don%26#39;t think I did.

That said, I might still come down on your side of the discussion in this particular case. I do love Salem, though.

Oh, so Navy yard Bistro not open for lunch. Any suggestions for lunch in that area?

Hamersleys is still OK for Brunch then, but then I cant taste their chicken, damn.

Thanks for all the help though because its better to find out these things now rather than when we get out there.