commute times Acton to Woburn? (Boston, Lowell: houses, living in, restaurant)

[Denycer]

Hi,
I am moving to Acton from California ( LA ) in October.
Any commute time info or suggested routes would be so appreciated. I will be living in Acton and have to be in Woburn by 7:30-7:45 AM

Also, any must see places or things to do here?
Good weekend trip ideas maybe?

Thanks in advance
D

[goyguy]

The main route's pretty straightforward: Route 2 east to 128/I-95, then north. Traffic flow is heavy but steady on 2, OTOH 128 is busy 24-7 and can be a parking lot at peak times. You'll soon find out good shortcuts that'd involve picking up Route 2A, where 2 veers to the right by a big Mobil station on the eastern edge of Concord, and then following local streets once you're into Lexington and 2A turns toward Boston. Allow about 45 minutes until you get acclimated, more during winter.
"Must-see's" would depend on where your interests lie and what your hobbies are. Concord and Lexington have their place in American history, of course, and the towns are filled with Colonial-era houses. Some of them are open for tours. The National Heritage Museum in Lexington is a good (and free) place to while away an afternoon. In addition to Revolution sites, Concord was home to Louisa May Alcott, whose family house can be visited. And Thoreauvians would of course be in hog heaven. Aside from its fame in literature, Walden Pond also happens to be the swimming hole of choice during warmer weather.
Fruitlands in the nearby town of Harvard is an outstanding example of a 19th-century "Utopia" community. Lowell is now a national heritage site with some canals and old mills to poke around in, not to mention their much-touted folk music festival. Waltham, situated where Route 2 and 128/I-95 intersect, is another onetime industrial center. The Charles River Museum of Science & Industry celebrates the bygone era when textiles (and, later, wristwatches) were the local economic engine. Gore Place, along Route 20 on the east side of town, is a 60-some acre preserved farm with an estate house you can be guided through. Downtown Waltham's Moody St has a famed "restaurant row" with everything from Guatemalan to microbrewery to choose from, as well as some popular one-of-a-kind stores like The Compleat Gamester and Woodstuff. And that's just for starters, and just in the local "Metro West" area; Boston is a whole 'nother story.
There's also an abundance of choices for weekend "escapes": Portsmouth, NH; the Berkshires; the North Shore (comprising Newburyport, Ipswich, Rockport, Gloucester, and Marblehead among other towns); Vermont; that list goes on and on too.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by goyguy

The main route's pretty straightforward: Route 2 east to 128/I-95, then north. Traffic flow is heavy but steady on 2, OTOH 128 is busy 24-7 and can be a parking lot at peak times.

Good news is that 128 North from Route 2 to Woburn generally moves faster than traffic going the other way.

[Irena.M]

Originally Posted by Denycer

Hi,
I am moving to Acton from California ( LA ) in October.
Any commute time info or suggested routes would be so appreciated. I will be living in Acton and have to be in Woburn by 7:30-7:45 AM

Also, any must see places or things to do here?
Good weekend trip ideas maybe?

Thanks in advance
D

You will be able to avoid the jam primarily because you will have to leave arround 6:30 ish. 2A through the minuteman is kind of faster (limit 45mph) to 95 North. Snow will cause delays. The Concord rotary is the "evil" part of the commute but again if you leave that early you could be fine with 45 min. to an hour.
Other than that there is really nothing in Acton to see or do, unless you like the historical sites in Concord, or vast farms arround for pick your own everything. Not sure what you like? There are few takeout places, crappy bowling alley, two places to go out and see other people (Jazz caffe and Not your avg. Joe's). For everything else you will have to go via Boston (45 min. to an hour commute).