I posted this question last fall, but the trip fell thru due to a job I couldn't get away from. I did a search, but couldn't find it.

So now I am asking again. My wife has the hankering to go to the Brimfield Flea Market, and fill out the rest of next week with interesting stuff.

She was just hammering me for ideas of what I wanted to do. Can I get some help? We have a house in Spencer for next week.

Where will you be, how long are you staying, and what are your interests. There are museums, shopping, seacoast, revolutionary war sites, a huge collection of navy ships, good eating, hiking, river and ocean fishing, etc.

Massachusetts is a pain in the ass from a political standpoint, but is a massively beautiful and interesting place for a tourist. I lived there for nearly 30 years.

ETA: Sturbridge colonial village is next door to Brimfield.

The Berkshires are nice. Old Sturbridge Village is a good day trip. I visited the Berkshires in 2013 ( https://www.flickr.com/photos/...s/72157635058623162/ ) and 2014 ( https://www.flickr.com/photos/...s/72157647798250942/ ).

Pictures of Sturbridge Village are in the 2013 Collection.

And in 2011 I spent a few days in the Boston area: https://www.flickr.com/photos/...s/72157627408961253/.

flashguy

There are loads of things to see, but at #1 I'd put the USS Constitution.

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
There are loads of things to see, but at #1 I'd put the USS Constitution.

YES! (See my link for Boston above--several photos of the ship.)

flashguy

I would spend a day at Quincy market. There is a lot of small shops and it's walking distance to the Aquarium, Paul revere's house/museum and a ton of other things in the area.

If you get an early start it will take you all day long and that leaves you primed for a night cap at a really great comedy club there.

Check out the Hancock shaker village in the pittsfield area if you like the old Sturbridge village. Lots of museums in the Worcester area. You will only be about 10 miles away from Spencer.

Walk the Boston Freedom Trail from start to finish. Wonderful tour of the historic city.

I will be there in early June so following this. Can one visit the Springfield Armory easily from Boston? Recommend rent a car or is there a rail option, too far to Uber, worth the trip?
Any recommendations for cheap lobster?

quote:

Originally posted by HK Ag:

...Recommend rent a car or is there a rail option, too far to Uber, worth the trip?
...

Massachusetts is tiny compared to TX, Springfield Armory (the original one) has a nice collection but it was 20+ years ago when I drove there.

I like historical sites (especially military reacted), this is all I can think of for now:

https://www.nps.gov/spar/index.htm

http://battleshipcove.org/

https://www.nps.gov/mima/index.htm

So much to do. Mike’s Pastry on Hanover, the Constitution, day trip to Sig Pro Shop, Quincy Market, Boston Common, game at Fenway?

quote:

Originally posted by HK Ag:
I will be there in early June so following this. Can one visit the Springfield Armory easily from Boston? Recommend rent a car or is there a rail option, too far to Uber, worth the trip?
Any recommendations for cheap lobster?

Springfield is ~90 miles from Boston, faster to drive unless it's rush hour traffic. Springfield Armory is worth most of a day.

pictures from Springfield Armory

Also worth a day is Battleship Cove in Fall River. Pictures from Battleship Cove.

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
There are loads of things to see, but at #1 I'd put the USS Constitution.

Don’t bring a knife. When I visited the USS Constitution about five years ago, I had to go through a metal detector.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris17404:
Walk the Boston Freedom Trail from start to finish. Wonderful tour of the historic city.

Ditto!

Avoid these places,

Lawrence

Chelsea

Roxbury

Grove Hall

Mattapan

Egleston Square


Do not take the orange line subway beyond Back Bay Station.

Avoid the Theatre District after 11:30 pm

Stay out of downtown crossing.

Listening to some of us from the South (in my case Texas) can be hard on the ears with the various hick dialects, but anywhere near Boston listening to the way people speak there would have me wearing range muffs...

Freedom Trail and USS Constitution are fantastic.

North End of Boston for some of the best pizza/Italian food anywhere.

Plymouth Plantation is pretty neat also, about 45 minutes south of Boston.

A game at Fenway is worth the price.

It's about 3 hours north of Boston, but the Mt. Washington auto road is amazing.

quote:

Originally posted by Birdvol:
Listening to some of us from the South (in my case Texas) can be hard on the ears with the various hick dialects, but anywhere near Boston listening to the way people speak there would have me wearing range muffs...

Range muffs? Why? We get get wicked loud?

Get in line now at Neptune Oyster.

quote:

Originally posted by Suppressed:

Don’t bring a knife. When I visited the USS Constitution about five years ago, I had to go through a metal detector.

Springfield Armory had them 20 years ago, but at the time they were unmanned. As I was walking in a worker followed me with a rifle after an outside show and tell, he set off the "alarm" but no one paid any attention.