North Adams to Boston - LOTS OF QUESTIONS (Concord, Deerfield: rent, hotels)

[SoCalMomma]

I have received so much wonderful info already, but I need some more advice..

We are going on a college search roadtrip this summer. Part of our tour is in MA. We'll be driving from the North Adams area to Boston.

1.Realistically, if we drove straight through, how long would it take (Leaving North Adams about noon or 1:00pm on a Wednesday) Most of the trip appears to be on the 90 East.

2. Is there anything we should try to see along the way? We are not going to be in any hurry. My son loves history, anything of historical importance that wont take HOURS to see? And not too far off the route between the cities?

3. Hotels: I have reservations at 2 places & I cannot decide which would be better overall. Please help! Radisson in the Theater District on Stuart St. Its $250/night including parking & breakfast. Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square. Its $260 per night. Parking is $25 per day and no meals included. Its not all about money, I want to be in a good area, with lots of things within walking distance. I want to be comfortable and safe Its just my son and I going on this trip, so we dont need a HUGE room, but we'll be there 3 nights so we'd like some room to spread out a bit. The Radisson seems to have larger rooms, and a pool, and the price is lower. The Commonwealth looks really neat and that area looks like there is a lot to see & do, but I'll have to pay to park the car. Any suggestions???

4. Universities: We are, as I said, on a college tour. Which colleges/universities in the Boston area do you suggest we go look at. We have already planned to see MIT & possibly Boston College. What schools in the area are breathtaking to see (old historical bldgs, etc)?

5. Places to eat: I already have some suggestions, but if you could list your favorite places, and what sort of restaurant it is, why its special .. that would be great!

Thanks Everyone...

[missionhill]

I suggest Route 2 rather than the Mass Turnpike. Route 2 takes you up over the Hoosac range, very scenic if it's a nice day, and through some lovely New England country along the Deerfield River. This stretch is historic, known as the Mohawk Trail. Stop in Shelburne Falls--charming village with shops, restaurants, an old trolley bridge decked out in flowers. Historic Deerfield is just south of 2 off Route 5-- certainly worth poking around for an hour or so. East of I-91 most of Route 2 becomes a four-lane freeway so you'll be in Boston in two hours or less. Farther east, Rte 2 passes by Concord, which is mucho historico.

[SoCalMomma]

Thank you for the info - sounds like it would be much more scenic to take Route 2. These are things only locals can tell you Thanks!

[ontheroad]

Terrific route, but give yourself lots of extra time. Although mileage may be low, it is a slow going road, and you can encounter some fogged in areas (or at least I have).

But for beauty--it is tops!

Originally Posted by missionhill

I suggest Route 2 rather than the Mass Turnpike. Route 2 takes you up over the Hoosac range, very scenic if it's a nice day, and through some lovely New England country along the Deerfield River. This stretch is historic, known as the Mohawk Trail. Stop in Shelburne Falls--charming village with shops, restaurants, an old trolley bridge decked out in flowers. Historic Deerfield is just south of 2 off Route 5-- certainly worth poking around for an hour or so. East of I-91 most of Route 2 becomes a four-lane freeway so you'll be in Boston in two hours or less. Farther east, Rte 2 passes by Concord, which is mucho historico.

[Parsec]

If you're going to take the whole afternoon to drive and want to stop by some historical/scenic places, I'd also recommend going down Rt-2 (but make sure you rent a GPS or a good map).

[SoCalMomma]

Originally Posted by ontheroad

Terrific route, but give yourself lots of extra time. Although mileage may be low, it is a slow going road, and you can encounter some fogged in areas (or at least I have).

But for beauty--it is tops!

How much 'extra time' are we talking? Do you think we'll hit fog mid-day on a typical day in August?

We wont be in a hurry but I dont want to take all day to get from North Adams to Boston, either. Is it the kind of road where people crawl along, or are there 'spots' of slow traffic?

Parsec: we are bringing our GPS with us Our road trip starts in North Carolina & works all the way up to Boston - we're going to need it! We also have a traffic service on it, so hopefully it will save us some headaches.

Thanks for the info!

[ontheroad]

It is impossible to really think "typical" day anymore, and I was surprised at how fogged in I was (cost me about an hour). If I had known the road better I would have realized that just over the hill I'd have a clearing. Live and learn!

As for how much extra time, well I gave myself two hours to get to North Adams from Brattleboro (taking I91 to rte 2) and it took about 3-1/2 hours.

So I'd add in at least 1-2 hours and that would be based on whether you will stop in places suggested like Shelbourne Falls and Deerfield.

So, bottom line if you use mapquest and they say 1 hour, add about about 20-25% to a secondary road like route 2 until you get to the part of the road that widens out and becomes a 4-lane highway.

And, not much traffic on the west side of rte 2, so it isn't stop and go for other vehicles, but some much loved curves in the road along the river.

Originally Posted by SoCalMomma

How much 'extra time' are we talking? Do you think we'll hit fog mid-day on a typical day in August?

We wont be in a hurry but I dont want to take all day to get from North Adams to Boston, either. Is it the kind of road where people crawl along, or are there 'spots' of slow traffic?

Thanks for the info!