r/travel • u/[deleted] • Jan 26 '14
Images So you want to come to Massachusetts?
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u/AmericanMustache Colorado Jan 26 '14 edited May 13 '16
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u/CupBeEmpty Jan 26 '14
Also the Mass MoCA is a great modern art museum in North Adams.
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u/AmericanMustache Colorado Jan 26 '14 edited May 13 '16
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u/CupBeEmpty Jan 26 '14
Also, if you want to stay someplace really cool nearby and have the cash for it, Porches is a pretty amazing hotel and it isn't all that expensive.
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Jan 26 '14
Everyone forgets about us out here in the wild lands...I mean come on, the Berkshire mountains are prime land for camping and hiking and we've got great views from the highest point of elevation in the state!
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u/16semesters Jan 26 '14
Amherst/Northampton area is great. If you want to experience a more true Massachusetts experience go west. So much of big cities gets homogenized.
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Jan 26 '14
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Jan 27 '14
Mountain skiing, minutes away! Except that it's a 14 hour plane ride now. :( I am homesick and want Friendly's.
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u/yatpay Jan 26 '14
Yeah, I just got pretty homesick, which doesn't really happen.. Luckily it's a pretty short bus ride from NYC!
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Jan 27 '14
Same boat. Getting more and more tired of Florida's shit the longer I stay here. I want to move back. I miss it.
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u/hockeyrugby Jan 26 '14
No mention of seafood or the Bruins? Or the ice skating you can do in park?
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u/Amarowar Jan 26 '14
The iceskating is meh, to be honest. Its packed a lot, so if you're really into iceskating its best to go to an indoor hockey rink. Bigger and isn't as crowded. But the frog pond is great for romance.
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u/MrInRageous Jan 27 '14
Well, the sites in the OP are unique to Boston. Decent seafood is at any coastal city, and, hell, even South Carolina had a professional hockey team.
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u/sir_mrej Path less traveled Jan 27 '14
Yes, yes it does. And it stoles it from us! Filthy South Carolinans!
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u/hockeyrugby Jan 27 '14
Carolina does not have an original 6 team that is almost as good as the Habs like Boston. Also oysters shucked on the street is old school boston
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u/MrInRageous Jan 27 '14
With a username like yours, who am I to argue? Clearly I'm out of my depth concerning hockey. ;)
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u/TheRareMichelefish Jan 26 '14 edited Jan 26 '14
Ummm... That is actually my dumb cat.
Edit: tricky husband has alt account I was unaware of. It is in fact his dumb cat too.
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u/Deaky Australia Jan 26 '14
Yes. Yes, I do. But every single time I've thought about going there I get intimidated and never do anything about it. I'm an Australian bloke living up in Ontario at the moment so I know that I'm tantalisingly close.
I'd love to eat up all the history that Boston has to offer. What's the summer like in Boston? Also I imagine the beer scene to be healthy and flourishing. So there's at least one thing to draw me to your fine state. I've been told that the Bostonian accent is kinda similar to the broad Australian accent?
In any case, you have definitely whet my appetite for travel to New England. Cheers!
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u/macado Wishing I was in Mexico.. Jan 26 '14
Summer is hot and humid; it's great. Like 80f-90f (26c-33c). Nice for going to beach/ocean/swimming/boating. Water doesn't get very warm though. Great beer scene, lots of craft beer, decent pubs. Very good food.
In regards to accents, I guess that kind of makes scene. Most people make fun of a heavy Boston accent. Similar to Australian accent, a really thick Boston accent will tend to drop it's R's so in a way it can sound a bit Australian I guess (car>cah, bar>bah, park>pahk, far>fah).
I did have people ask me where I was from when in Australia/New Zealand and I do have a pretty heavy Boston accent at times.
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u/Deaky Australia Jan 26 '14
It's a shorts and t-shirt kinda weather, yeah?. Sounds delightful! Wow. I'm very much up for all those things. Especially the good food and craft beer. Delish!
If I'm not mistaken you can't park your car in Harvard Yard, right? If there's one thing that NPR has educated me in, I hope it's that!
Well I'll see what's going on with the funds around that time and see if I can slide on down your way. I reckon Greyhound goes that way. I don't mind it really. Just don't look anyone else in the eye.
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u/macado Wishing I was in Mexico.. Jan 26 '14
Definitely shorts and t-shirt weather from most June-September. We're very close to beaches, good hiking, all sorts of summer fun, good seafood, etc.
People here are pretty friendly despite the reputation. Boston doesn't have that fake "niceness" that other places have. The difference here is people generally tell you if they don't like you.
I doubt you'll have that problem though; Like most places in the US, people really like the Australian accent. You could be an uneducated bogan and you'd probably come off as sophisticated due to the fascination with accents here.Either way I'd recommend it. I'm biased because I'm from and live here but it's different from a lot of US cities.
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u/Deaky Australia Jan 26 '14
Brilliant. That sounds like my kind of place. Gimme a good hostel nearby some bars and I think I'm set!
A majority of my time spent in the US has been in Tennessee. I figure they're kind of similar when you mention fake niceness. They either think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread or can't figure you out. Either way, this seems exciting to me!
I guess I am fortunate in that I don't really have too heavy an Australian accent like one you might find in a bogan. I think I will plan to be there in the arse-end of August/very early September. Care to meet up for a frothy beverage at some stage?
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u/macado Wishing I was in Mexico.. Jan 26 '14
Absolutely; I'm always up for pints. If you happen to be home sick for Australian stuff we have a nice little place that does really good meat pies/Australian stuff. http://kocateringandpies.com/east-boston/
Of course I'm sure you'd rather experience more Boston stuff. Shoot me a message when you're in town. I'd say late August is better. September is end of summer so it could either be really hot or starting to cold down a bit.
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u/meeooww Jan 26 '14
If you come in the summer, also hop down to Rhode Island (Providence is about an hour from Boston). Beaches, seafood, swing down to Newport for the Mansions and a polo game.
Boston/Mass is very Puritan/Damn Yankee, Rhodie is this very laid back Mediterranean "to each his own" and it's interesting how they're the same and totally not.
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u/Deaky Australia Jan 26 '14
I'd definitely like to do something of a tour around New England. Rhode Island also has this stranglehold on me. All in good time, I'd imagine.
Cheers.
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u/eyes_on_the_sky 11 countries visited Jan 26 '14
Might as well stop in Maine on the way down too! My family's spent a couple of summers in Bar Harbor, a quaint touristy little town with easy access to Acadia National Park and lots of other nature.
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u/Deaky Australia Jan 26 '14
I almost went to Maine accidentally once. In fact it was the time that I thought I'd booked a flight to Boston, Massachusetts but had in fact, like a real plum, booked a flight to Bangor, Maine. When I went to the Nashville airport to book in, I went up to the counter and expected to be told I'm going to Boston. In fact I said "I'll be travelling to Boston". The lady looked at me as if I'd had a few too many breakfast brandies and said "Honey, you're going to Bangor, Maine. Not Boston, Massachusetts". I had one of those "Oh, I really am a dodo" moments.
So instead of going to MA, ME or anywhere, I jumped back in my ride and went back to the Mellow Mushroom in Franklin, Tennessee.
I am silly sausage. But I won't let that put a crimp on my plans to come there this summer.
You're all having an amazingly fun time with the snow at the moment, I take it? Yay!
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u/CullenJames Jan 27 '14
Although if you're looking for beaches and seafood, you can stay in Massachusetts - the North Shore has some great beaches. Manchester has Singing Beach (which has sand that "sings" when you walk on it), Gloucester has Good Harbor (the biggest beach in the area, popular with families, tourists, and surfers) and is America's Oldest Seaport (whatever that means), Rockport has... well, I don't know if their beaches are all that great, but they have Bearskin Neck, a cute downtown area to walk through. (Added bonus is that this area is easily accessible by train - I think you'd need a car to get to Providence.)
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Jan 26 '14
I didn't want to, but I sorta do now. Well done.
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u/Amarowar Jan 26 '14
Also, if you're coming here, take the duck tours. A tour of Boston, on a duck? What else could you ask for?
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u/postitpad Jan 26 '14
I know, with all the quacking and crap it seems so lame, esp if you're stuck next to one of those guys in traffic. But I have done it twice when people are in town, and it's a lot of fun.
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u/KallistiEngel United States Jan 27 '14
Apparently duck tours are a thing like everywhere. I first saw them in Seattle this summer. And again in San Francisco. I thought maybe it was a West Coast thing. I guess not.
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u/whattaWEIRDO Jan 26 '14
Don't forget the northern coast area! There are some great beaches/views from Marblehead up through Gloucester (especially Singing Beach).
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u/Rielos Jan 26 '14
I just visited for the first time last summer! Love your album and it sums things up nicely!
Watching the fireworks in Boston from the Longfellow Bridge was a pretty special moment!
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u/thehighground Jan 26 '14
You forgot Concord, where the 'shot heard round the world' was fired!!!! It was weird for me since I had a strong deja vu sensation while being there, Boston's a lot of fun especially if you like history.
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Jan 26 '14
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Jan 26 '14
There's lots in Concord if you love history: Walden, North Bridge & Old Manse, Battle Road, Orchard House (home of the Alcotts), the home of Emerson, the Wayside (home of Hawthorne), Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (burial place of Alcotts, Emersons, Thoreaus, Daniel Chester French, and more) and the Concord Museum all within a few miles of of each other. There's also Great Meadows, a national wildlife refuge.
If you're there around lunchtime, stop at Country Kitchen to get one of the best sandwiches you'll ever eat.
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u/Tory_Rox Jan 26 '14
I loved Boston and definitely want to go back. Maybe this summer I'll drive down again. I wish I knew about the red path the last time I went. Thanks for this!
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u/Wings_of_Integrity 10 Countries Visited Jan 26 '14
I was waiting for the day someone would do our state! Thanks dude
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u/Nogodsnomasters Jan 26 '14 edited Jan 26 '14
You did the east coast of Massachusetts justice, but you forgot the rest! Western Mass is wicked cool. Check out the lively arts scene in Northampton and Amherst, bask in the beauty of the hilltowns and the Berkshires. Visit the Norman Rockwell museum in Stockbridge and then drop by the Guthrie Center in Housatonic to see where Alice's Restaurant Massacre began and say hi to Arlo. Check out Mass MoCA in North Adams (and if you time it right, enjoy a 3 day music festival curated by Wilco). After the Berkshires, head east and go back in time at Old Sturbridge Village. Like sports? Fenway rules, but Holyoke is the birthplace of volleyball and Springfield the birthplace of basketball. Into kid lit? Dr. Seuss was from Springfield, the Teenaged Mutant turtles from Northampton, and Eric Carle has his museum in Amherst. Feeling radical? Walk the streets of Worcester and try to channel Abbie Hoffman.
Finally, here are the the REAL theme songs for Massachusetts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy88-5pc7c8
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u/ni_higim Jan 26 '14
I feel like MA tourism would be better served if we cut out the middle of the state. West of Concord is nothing great until you get out towards Amherst/North Hampton. Source: I live in central MA...
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u/Schadenfreudian_slip Round the World in 80 Years Jan 26 '14
Massachusetts is a tiny United States. the eastern part is rich, educated, urban, and liberal. The middle is pretty conservative and a bit dirty. We've got Lowell and Worcester as our rust belt. The west is sparsely populated, mountainous, and full of artistic hippies. We have Florida (the cape) and even our own "tropical islands" of MV and Nantucket.
We even have New Hamsphire as our little Canada.
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u/ni_higim Jan 26 '14
I love this! How have I not realized this before? Also, you have the best username I've come across.
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Jan 26 '14
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u/donkeyrocket Boston, St. Louis Jan 26 '14
And Codzilla. Honestly who wouldnt want to tear through the harbor on a monster speed boat.
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u/GeneraLeeStoned United States Jan 26 '14
I love threads like this. I think boston just bumped higher up my list!
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u/eyes_on_the_sky 11 countries visited Jan 26 '14
I'd like to add to the part about skiing in Vermont/New Hampshire that if you go during the summer there's lots of great hiking up there too, such as Mt. Washington, Mt. Monadnock, etc. (The White Mountains in New Hampshire are nice)
I love to travel but I was born and raised in Massachusetts so Boston will always be my hometown.
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Jan 26 '14
If you only go to one museum while you're in Boston, make it the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
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u/autowikibot Jan 26 '14
Here's a bit from linked Wikipedia article about Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum :
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum or Fenway Court, as the museum was known during Isabella Stewart Gardner's lifetime, is a museum in the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located within walking distance of the Museum of Fine Arts and near the Back Bay Fens. The museum houses an art collection of world importance, including significant examples of European, Asian, and American art, from paintings and sculpture to tapestries and decorative arts. In 1990, thirteen of the museum's works were stolen; the high-profile crime remains unsolved and the artwork's location is still unknown.
Interesting: Isabella Stewart Gardner | John Singer Sargent | Rembrandt | The Storm on the Sea of Galilee
image source | about | /u/garfunkelle can reply with 'delete'. Will delete if comment's score is -1 or less. | Summon | flag for glitch
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u/osux Jan 26 '14
Also, The Official song of Massachusetts
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u/endubs Jan 26 '14
No, THIS is the official song of Massachusetts..
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u/kcman011 United States Jan 26 '14
My thought before clicking: 'I bet this is going to be Dropkick Murphys.'
Yep.
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u/CupBeEmpty Jan 26 '14
You mention Boston and forget about BEER!?!? Sam Adams was one of the early players in the US craft beer revolution. It has a great tour and tasting. Harpoon also does a tour and tasting right down by the convention center. There are also smaller local breweries such as the brand new Night Shift brewery (it is harder to get to than the others but not that bad).
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u/dreiter Jan 26 '14
What do those houses cost?
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Jan 26 '14
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Jan 26 '14
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u/Schadenfreudian_slip Round the World in 80 Years Jan 26 '14
My ex's family had a beautiful manor house on the beach near Hyannis.
I miss it more than her.
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u/dreiter Jan 26 '14
Ah, so it's like LA beach front property! Not surprising I suppose, but still a shame.
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u/vaticanCAME0S US Expat in Sweden Jan 26 '14
Superb.
I was wondering if you'd say something about Plimoth and was not disappointed. That rock is the biggest waste around.
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u/rickitycricketx Jan 26 '14
Absolutely love Massachusetts and Boston. I would recommend visiting Cape Cod in the summer. Grew up on the Cape and it is very quiet in the winter. That said Massachusetts is awesome and I miss it so much.
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u/CupBeEmpty Jan 26 '14
If the weather is still pleasant I prefer all the seaside tourist areas of New England in the offseason. Of course they are great in the height of summer but they are so much more quaint and quiet just out of season.
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u/tacokat Jan 26 '14
I love this. Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to live in Boston (especially during the winter since I avoid going out of my way to do/see anything due to the freezing weather).
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Jan 26 '14
Salem is really pretty all year long, but in my opinion it is best in Fall. The old style buildings just look great with autumn colors. That and it's pretty intense around Halloween. I live in the next town over and I go there every weekend in October just to people watch.
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Jan 26 '14
Yeah, the entire month of October is crazy town for Salem. I'd definitely recommend going another month; it is a completely different place when it's not Halloween time.
If people go, you should check out the Peabody Essex Museum if you like art. Really nice museum.
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u/Locrian14 Jan 26 '14
I feel lucky to be part of the not so exclusive club of students who went to college in this world class town. I've since recently graduated and moved, but I'll never forget all the memories Boston gave me.
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u/MrF33n3y 42 countries, 34 US states Jan 27 '14
Nice album. Boston is easily in my top 5 favorite US cities, I visit at least once each year.
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Jan 26 '14
Phenomenally done. It was brilliant to match well known places and events with their lesser known images. It's clear that a lot of thought went into this. I was honestly enthralled from start to finish, and I know Greater Boston quite well.
You have set a very high bar for /r/travel. I just wish that I had more than one upvote to give.
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u/jessjess87 New England Jan 26 '14
This was a great summary! Found it interesting you chose MIT over Harvard. I might putting a warning for Faneuil Hall that it is a bit of a tourist trap. Get a free map guide to Freedom Trail, maybe some Cheers souvenirs and get out.
But I loved that you showed the Cape AND winter options, so people can see the multitude of options in every season. Also autumn foliage/apple picking is such a New England thing
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u/zeale Missouri Jan 27 '14
Posting not only to tag this for future use, but to thank you! I am taking a trip to Boston in April this year to go to PAX East and will be staying by myself for a week there to check out the sights. I was originally going to road trip but I've decided instead to fly in and spend my whole week in Boston. It looks like I'll have no problem finding things to do!
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u/hotre_editor Jan 26 '14
this is a fun post! the kitty at the end actually elicited an out-loud laugh. i like massachusetts and i think you did the state some justice!
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u/Twocann Jan 26 '14
As someone from Western Mass, i'm disappointed in you. I know there's not much out here but you could have atleast put a fall maple or something in there. :(
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u/lucasorion Jan 26 '14
there's plenty out there - though most easterners say, "Oh you mean like Worcester?" when I tell them I grew up in W. Mass.
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u/tonivoador Jan 26 '14
Why are there so many portuguese flags in the picture of the decorated street?
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u/Schadenfreudian_slip Round the World in 80 Years Jan 26 '14
Massachusetts has one of the biggest Portuguese populations anywhere outside of Portugal. In fact, I've heard (not sure if it's true) that there are more Azoreans living in MA than there are in the Azores.
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u/WellMeaningBrit Jan 26 '14
When/if I make it across the Atlantic, Boston will definitely be the first place I visit. Seems the perfect city for me; I plan to study for a masters in American history, the climate is reasonably comparable to the UK and it looks so damn pretty.
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u/sunnyk879 United States Jan 26 '14
Love MA! :D My new home away from my actual home! Boston is pretty great.
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u/PamPooveyIsTheTits Jan 27 '14
Boston is rad! My husband and I spent a few days there in October and had a great time. I agree about not getting a cab; the MBTA line is easy to navigate and cheap as chips.
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u/Coerced_onto_reddit Jan 27 '14
makes me want to go back home. lived in the boston area and spent my summers on the cape until i was 27, but i've never heard of the cape referred to as florida
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u/Stareons Jan 27 '14
For showing Boston I'm surprised to not see more rowing on the Charles. They only have the largest race in North America.
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u/the_emptier Jan 27 '14
Awesome awesome awesome, I'm going to Boston to visit a grad school in a month i'm so excited!!
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u/epoepo Jan 27 '14
Nicely done and I agree on most of it.
I've been on an east coast road trip (NYC, Boston and all the way down to Miami) last May and I really enjoyed Plymouth. Nice place and such nice people there. We wanted to visit the Mayflower. When we arrived at the sea side we were looking for old ship masts going up and down the coast, nothing to be found so we asked. Locals pointed us in the direction and soon we've found that the ship wasn't there because it was restaurated. Nevertheless one of the best nights in the US there.
Salem on the other hand was quite disappointing. We went there to learn about the American version of witch hunts and visited the local museum. The presentation was nice but in contrast to the witch hunt history in Europe it's interesting that the whole town lives of those 20 witches. But the burger were great.
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u/protox88 Do NOT DM me for mod questions Jan 27 '14
I enjoyed this post. I've added it to the sidebar!
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u/sparklezombie Jan 26 '14
i live about 2 hours from boston but i never knew it had the 2nd largest library system in the country! also what is the deal with "sweet caroline"?
the museum of fine arts is incredible. great picture of fenway and the famous citgo sign! salem is a super fun place, too, and you shouldn't miss the whale watches in glouchester!!
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Jan 26 '14 edited Jan 26 '14
I am living in Ludlow VT for the winter, and literally just got back from visiting my friend in Boston. She's really rich so all we did was go to expensive restaurants, and meet a lot of her friends who are divorcee trophy ex wives who can't move their faces because of all the botox they've had. I wish I would have seen this before I went!
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u/Baker_Company Jan 26 '14
And last but not least, visit Wahlburgers in Hingham! Owned by a former member of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.
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u/Mokelachild Jan 26 '14
I'm pretty sure that the silver line from Logan to South Station is NOT free, you have to pay the rate for it. If you are on the Red Line going from SS to Logan, then the transfer is free. If you get on at the airport, they will charge you. (Or they've been charging my Charlie Card without cause for years)
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u/ct999 Jan 26 '14
Nah, it's free now from the airport, starting about 1-2 years ago. I've done it a few times, including last week. I think initially it was supposed to just be a trial period... was surprised to see it's still free!
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u/jewdai Jan 27 '14 edited Jan 27 '14
"So You want to come to Massachusettes?"
As a redditor from NY who moved to MA for a year. You dont want to visit mass. Its nothing but massholes, bad food and a small town that wants to pretend its a big city.
I lived in Salem. Whatever you do DO NOT GO THERE FOR HALLOWEEN! The month of october is a nightmare to visit the city. There is not even that much to do there.
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u/thisisbulll Jan 26 '14
Redditors should cover the US more, I would like to cherish what each state has to offer