Woo Hoo! Katnip, now you’re talking about my old stomping ground, including Salem (lived there) and Cambridge (lived there, too.) It WILL be fun!
It’s a very lovely looking, historic city. Streets are former cow paths, so don’t make a grid, or any sense. Stick with the bus or the T if you go off on your own, or take cabs.
(The bus is stopping every 2 hours because the older we get the more often we pee, and need to stretch muscles. Head for the nearest restroom to avoid the bus’ buildup.)
Faneuil Hall – Definitely! Are you a shopper? It has food, gifts, and fresh flower/veggie markets along 3 long buildings so you just walk all around for a few hours. Also, if you’re a beer drinker, Sam Adams is a home style native brand of Boston.
The Aquarium is within walking distance.
The red line on the T goes to Harvard Square, also cool, and go into the Harvard COOP for clothes, books and great posters and prints. Can always have things shipped to your home so they arrive when you get back.
The Boston MFA (Museum of Fine Arts) is possibly my favorite museum, period. It’s on the T line to Symphony Hall. Great permanent collection with Renoirs, Monets, Egyptian mummies, and terrific special exhibits and Contemporary Art. Beautiful gift shop (and lunch spot, but expensive).
Go to Boston Commons, (Green Line on the T) or get off there if bus stops. It’s the Boston Gardens, and they are very beautiful, easy to walk through, and have Swan Boats you can watch or ride. One side faces the former Cheers bar location.
Newbury Street – a great browse of the most upscale shops in Boston, set in traditional buildings. Good eateries, bookstores, and if you make it to the farthest end from the Commons by walking, the shops are a bit more funky and younger.
Salem, MA – a trip unto itself but in October? Halloween Happenings all month! It would have to be a stop on your bus, though, or you’d need to take the train or rent a car. House of 7 Gables, Peabody Essex Museum is excellent, and of course, the witches’ shops. Get a psychic reading. Go to Pickering Wharf. Walk by the old Captain’s stately homes. (Skip the witch museum – totally tacky. It’s easier to just chat with the real witches in the shops.)
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