Northeast port tour

Eat some Lobstah. Generally better and cheaper the further north you go.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7khQNR7s1Ho

I’m in Boston. Walkable city if you’re inclined to stay around the Downtown/financial/commercialy areas. North end is worth a stroll. I don’t spend a lot of time in downtown so my best recommendations for food or drink etc. are in the towns outside like Winthrop, Chelsea, Cambridge, etc. If you’re spending only a day I recommend having a walk around the Public Garden and maybe just taking the  train from Park St up to Harvard Sq, take in some happy hour priced lunch at Grendel’s Den or Mr. Bartley’s Burgers or what have you.

Since you’re doing this ‘cruising’ theme (are you traveling by boat?) you should definitely take in the downtown sights from the Harbor, maybe take a ferry ride around the Islands, nice way to spend an hour or two. 

Oh, the Public Library in Boston is gorgeous. If you make your way to the Fenway area, the Gardner Museum is awesome, as is the Museum of Fine Arts. Check out the Escher exhibit if you hit the MFA.

There are also some particularly sweet live music events listed around town this week.

For sure. If you're in the city for a few days there's no reason to busy yourself trying to hit everything in Harvard and then everything along Boylston or Newbury Streets all in one afternoon.

I like the architecture that you get along Brattle St. in Harvard. The Longfellow House is there, plus nice haunts like the Brattle Theatre or on the other end of the square Harvard Film Archive if there's anything interesting showing (granted I dunno how active it is in the summer season).

I mean if it's a nice day, you can leisurely do the Harvard Yard thing and then make your way down Brattle Street and further off down to the Charles River. That's a whole afternoon if you bag like a lunch and bottle of wine to break with a picnic along the way. Brattle Street has the Longfellow House, the Brattle Theatre, nice sandwich shops and cafes. On the other side (one T stop away) Mass Ave gets you into "Mental" Central Sq. 

I probably don't know any more than you about Portland or Portsmouth. My experience in those is they're kind of quaint tourist towns, but there are a few great touristy things to in both. Just rambling off the top of my head, Portland has the Portland Architectural Salvage which is like a crazy indoor flea for trendy and off-kilter design; the Cryptozoological Society; lots of little houses scattered along the shore. Portsmouth is a little quainter, even a little too ritzy considering it doesn't have a crazy nightlife. WAY outside of town (like, a couple towns over), if you're coming either way heading north or coming south, the Country View Restaurant in Greenland (maybe 30 mins south of Portsmouth) is one of the best big diner style breakfasts I've ever had.

Think I might kayak in Portsmouth because it's a real calm, beautiful seaside area (that even so somehow gets huge tankers into their harbor). 

And I do love driving up and down the coast around here in the summertime. Sounds like a wonderful trip. If the weather were in my favor, I'd do a day in Newport RI too. Depending on the flexibility of your itinerary. 

Not sure if youre a big baseball fan , Tom, but , the Portland minor league team is the Red Sox AA team, and the New Hampshire team (not sure what town theyre in) has three retired major leagers' kids playing on team. Minor league ball is a great product and an inexpensive family night/day etc. The park they built in Hartford a few years ago is gorgeous and I go alot.

Dont miss Science Museum in Boston, although i havent been there in ages and ages.

The drive down (up and over) the Maine coastline, and then to St Johns etc is just gorgeous in and of itself...

Have a great time! 

If you make it to Newport take the cliff walk. Starts on the east end of First Beach. About a mile (?) walk with the ocean at the bottom of the cliff and huge Victorian mansions on the land side.

Totally agree on Newport suggestion...do the cliff walk/ mansion tour ....then go back in Mid to late December and check out the marinas, w all the sailboats decorated for holidays. Lines strung w christmas lights on the sails etc, its a site to behold. Narragansett area is much quieter and really nice as well. 

Spun out of my mind in the north end and came upon Mikes Pastries

Ugly green pistachio cookies....they were so ugly....looked like an alien poop

The acid told me to buy some and I refused a box and insisted upon a bag.....took them a while to find bags

They are the tastiest cookies I have ever eaten

Boston is a great city to stumble around in

I'm up in Maine. What are your travel dates? Portland has many things to do and see. Bangor is my homebase, Acadia is wonderful (but packed). A trip along Rt 1 up to Nova Scotia is beautiful.

Portland Maine is a wonderful place. Just go and take a walk. One thing will leed to another.

Boston is neat, but a pain in the ass. 

Enjoy. New England is beautiful.

Sweet input, Larry.

Tlach, next weekend is Newport Jazz. Nice lineup, any one day ticket is always worth the price. Might be outside the constraints of what you’re looking to do (and there’s plenty to do in Newport in the summer) but I’m a huge fan of the festival. 

Perfect day to chill up in Maine. I had no idea you were already in-and-out like that; there were a couple of low-key shows (and one or two Radiohead concerts) this past week that I would have mentioned. Plus I didn't realize about that gypsy jazz festival, I was seeing a café show but it's been a long time for me since hearing that kind of music. Sounds like a lot of fun, enjoy your coasting, dude.

I wanna get into Portland but something about it just never sticks. Still a funky little town and I like it, still. Enjoy; lots of good restaurants to choose from, too.

Definitely a beach day. Moderately populated in Southie, not too intense.

The wife and I just got back from a 4 day trip to Maine. Stayed in the Bangor area and did some day trips. You Mainers are a nice bunch, not used to so much civility.

^ cool, say hi to Dino from the zone if you run into him. Are you going to see DSO?

Speaking of Dino, there are some lovely photos of him (and other DSO folks) at Red Rocks by Bob Minkin here:

https://bobminkinphotography.pixieset.com/darkstarorchestra-redrocks/

So, where ya off to now? St. Johns? Sorry, no info of that area from me, but, Id def like to visit that area, let me (us) know how it was etc....

Hope all is well...

Any chance you drivin thru Ct on way home? I may have something for you....;)

Ya, for such a small state, we get some bad freakin traffic jams....worst junction of highway systems in a capitol city in country...ranked that way by both Time, and Newsweek a decade ago...84 and 91 meet, right in downtown htfd...exit ramps, on ramps all over each other...designed by ray charles and stevie wonder, me thinks.....

But, if your plans change..let me know