Places to see between Manchester (Vermont, USA) and Boston
June 26, 2017 2:04 PM   Subscribe

I'm going on a road trip in August from Manchester VT to Boston MA, but where should I stop?

Me and my partner have three nights and four days of travel in which to get from Manchester to Boston (using a car), in August. We're going to do some walking around the finger lakes, but after that our plans are hazy.

So far we're considering:
  • Visiting / staying a night or two in Brattleboro
  • Going to walk up Mount Monadnock
However, that still leaves a bit of time to travel to Boston - knowledgeable Mefites, where should we go and what should we look at in between these places? Things we like: the outdoors, although preferably with some shade, cycling, museums, nice beer, maybe a bit of history. Things that aren't so interesting: shopping, Amusement parks.

I've had a look at a couple of other questions about tourism in the area, but I'd like to have a specific focus on combinations of things that work with the itinerary of heading vaguely East and not spending too many hours driving in one go.

Many thanks!
posted by larkery to Travel & Transportation around United States (11 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Come to the Berkshires! I can vouch for the Clark art museum in Williamstown and Mass MoCA in North Adams for art, but there are some nice historical places farther south. That's a long time to go a short distance so I think you should wander- the Berkshires to Boston is less than 3 hours.
posted by MadamM at 2:52 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]


Are you doing Hildene? I hope so.

Don't use the pike. I'd go through Peterborough and Keene. An an hour and a half before you are home in Boston is Pickity Place, a favorite lunch spot of mine. Make reservations.

In Brattleboro make a reservation for TJ Buckleys. I also love Peter Havens. They both are special event kind of restaurants and a splurge but 2 of my favorite meals ever.

Montague Book mill is a detour that's worth it.

My favorite destination is ALL of New England is Shelburne Museum. It's a couple hours from Manchester but, I sure think it's worth it. (I LOVE Brattleboro but I don't know if you need 2 nights there - you could do this instead). You could go up there and stop in Vergennes. A charming little town near Lake Champlain. Vergennes has French Laundry which is an amazing bakery and the Black Sheep restaurant. Vergennes is a great food town. I'd actually stay the night there and do Shelburne Museum from there. ANd drive up Mt Philo with a bottle of wine? Ot hike it. It's a fun little hike.

So back to the museum - assuming you haven't been there. Beautiful grounds, art, history, - it's a museum that has it all! I go almost every year and feel so lucky I can. It's a one of a kind place. You can be there ALL DAY.

While you are there I'd have a meal at the Shelburne Inn. It's beautiful and historic and worth seeing.
posted by beccaj at 4:36 PM on June 26, 2017


In Boston, you should definitely walk the freedom trail if you haven't yet. Even though I was born in central MA not to far from Boston, I still enjoyed doing that and doesn't feel touristy. It's a good walk through most of Boston that's worth seeing. It ends at the U.S.S. Constitution which is definitely worth a tour.

If you go to the Italian section, you can skip Mike's pastries. Yeah they are good but not worth waiting in line for an hour when there are pastry shops on the same street that are just as good or better in some cases with no wait.

You probably already know this but the subway closes earlier than other cities. Many places do not stay open late, especially in Cambridge for some reason; most every shop closes by 9pm. Considering it's mostly young people I don't really get it but there you go.
posted by WhitenoisE at 5:43 PM on June 26, 2017


Seconding the Book Mill! It's technically shopping, but really it's just a lovely place to spend an afternoon, browsing books, having lunch outside, etc. You can combine it with an overnight in Northampton or Amherst or Brattleboro, all lovely towns.

There are also lots of places in Vermont where you can do day-hike portions of the Appalachian Trail. It's been forever so I can't recommend a specific hike, sorry.

If you want a bit of beach, there's a nice state park in Rye, NH with a swimmable beach. Get a lobster roll nearby and bring it to the beach!
posted by lunasol at 5:44 PM on June 26, 2017


If you think you might like to take a swim and you're into nude beaches, The Ledges at Harriman Reservoir near Wilmington is delightful.
posted by Sublimity at 5:53 PM on June 26, 2017


I would second going through Keene and Peterborough (NH) route. Stop at the Harrisville General Store for breakfast if you are there then! If you're into beer, try Elm City Brewing and take away shopping at BrewTopia in Keene, and Harlow's in Peterborough. Monadnock's a good hike, though sometimes the trails are crowded.

Brattleboro's fun; you could try Whetstone Station near downtown and there's a walking trail over the bridge to NH there. You could also get a good sandwich and look at the craft beers at the co-op nearby. The Marina up Rt. 5 is also good.

If you wanted to go a bit out of your way and like contemporary art, try Mass MoCA in North Adams MA. It is a famous art and performance center.
posted by transient at 7:01 PM on June 26, 2017


Oh, and Hazel in Brattleboro is a good dinner spot too, and Mount Greylock is a good hiking spot in Western Mass if you're there.
posted by transient at 7:12 PM on June 26, 2017 [1 favorite]


We also love eating at Hazel in Brattleboro. They somehow manage to have good barbecue AND good pizza. The collards are excellent!
posted by faineg at 7:43 PM on June 26, 2017


Agreed with all the above. Mass MoCA is one of my favorite local museums. Brattleboro is nice, but I would recommend the Pioneer Valley (Northampton MA, in particular) as another option. The Montague Book Mill is great, too.

Also, maybe I'm misreading the question, but the finger lakes are not on the way from Manchester to Boston. They are basically a similar distance from Manchester, but in the exact opposite direction. If you're going out that way, consider the Corning Museum of Glass, along with all the things that Ithaca, NY has to offer. But just know that you'll be 4+ hours west of Manchester, while Boston is ~3.5 hours east.
posted by Betelgeuse at 8:06 PM on June 26, 2017


Also great walks in Pisgah State Park if you're on the way from Brattleboro to Keene.
posted by transient at 8:13 PM on June 26, 2017


If you do come down to the Berkshires, don't take the Pike take Route 2! It's a much smaller road for most of the route and is less out of your way.
posted by MadamM at 8:13 PM on June 27, 2017


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