Nice drives within about 2 hours (Boston, Lynn: home, live in, restaurants)

[readymade]

What are some nice drives around the Boston area?

My husband & I want to do some day trips. (we live in Arlington)

Thanks!

[mr2448]

Originally Posted by readymade

What are some nice drives around the Boston area?

My husband & I want to do some day trips. (we live in Arlington)

Thanks!

Take a ride down to Newport and spend the day. Nice drive and good place to visit. Do it before mid June because traffic and Newport itself can get very busy, especially on weekends. Also, try Providence on a Waterfire night. It will surprise you. Waterfire.com

[lrfox]

My first suggestion would be to take 1A, 129 (129 through Lynn and Marblehead) and 127 (Cape Ann/ Rockport and Gloucester) from the Boston area towards Portsmouth NH. In Lynn, take the Lynnway to Lynn Shore Drive to stay along the water's edge. That will put you right onto 129 which will eventually run into 114 for a brief stretch before hooking back up to 1A. Split off onto 127 in Beverly which will take you ALL the way around Cape Ann including the centers of Gloucester and Rockport. You'll be able to get onto Route 133 which will again merge into Route 1A (near Ipswich) and stay on that through Newburyport, Hampton Beach and Rye (one of my favorite parts of the drive) and up on into Portsmouth. It's simple enough if you just glance at google maps (or better yet, have a GPS).

That drive is just beautiful. The views of Massachusetts Bay and the Atlantic combined with all of the little town centers along the way helps you regain an appreciation for the state. Stops in Salem, Gloucester, Rockport, Newburyport are always fun. Portsmouth is a great place to end as there's a lot to see and do in the center of town. Plenty of restaurants and places to visit.

That's close to a 2.5- 3 hour drive via the back roads and not including stops while it's only about an hour from you via highway. Still, I recommend the 1A corridor as the views are tough to beat and the stops are a lot of fun.

If you don't mind spending more time on the highway, Newport RI is great too. A wonderful day trip. If you're in to wine, the Newport, Middletown, Little Compton, Tiverton, Westport (MA) area is about as good as it gets in New England. There are a number of wineries.

Portland, Maine is on the periphery of your drive time(about 2 hours), but worth a visit. Spend an afternoon in the Old Port and head home at night. Like Portsmouth, there are lots of craft breweries in the area to try. Get dinner on the way home at the Blackpoint Inn in Scarborough. The foods good (heard it's better this year, new chef) and it sits on a rocky peninsula so the view is excellent. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Washington, New Hampshire in the distance. Time it for sunset and it's perfect.

Northampton, MA is worth a drive too.

[holden125]

You've gotten some good suggestions. Not far from Northampton are Brattleboro, VT, which is a fun town to check out. Historic Deerfield and Shelburne Falls, where they have the Bridge of Flowers and some nice countryside, are also nice.

There's also far western Mass. It's about 2 hours, maybe a few minutes more, from Arlington to towns like Lee, Lenox, Stockbridge and Great Barrington in the Berkshires. In the very SW corner of the state, in Mt. Washington State Forest, is Bish Bash Falls.

Stonington and Mystic, CT are also under 2 hours and I enjoy going to those towns.

Falmouth and Woods Hole as well.

[readymade]

Thanks guys! Heh, I'm going to Northampton next week, actually. I used to date a guy who lived there, so I've spent a LOT of time there in the past. Love it, though, and I haven't been there in probably 10-15 years or so!

I definitely want to do a drive along the coast maybe this weekend. Thanks Irfox, I'll be doing that drive.

mr2448, I'd like to check out Newport, too. Haven't been there in probably 15-20 years! So, thanks for the suggestion!