Alone during Christmas (Washington: movies, elementary school, pub) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

parakeets · 12-13-2009, 08:37 PM

You all have wonderful advice, and ogre, I think you may very well know the town I live in ;-)

All of your suggestions and ideas are good ones and ones that i've thought about since summer, I guess I feel especially down since Xmas is approaching (this is the last week of school for kids) and I am just not "feeling xmas". We are in an apartment and all of my holiday deco is stored away, i'm physically not up to snuf (health has deteriorated during the past year) add to that a family death, loss of my house in my former state of residence, lack of a shoulder to lean on... I know i sound depressed.

I would like to be able to escape with my kids for a few days and DO xmas elsewhere, mabe take the train, but where o where and on such short notice?

ogre · 12-14-2009, 06:04 PM

I'm really sorry to hear about all this happening to you all at once. Knowing this, it is understandable that you would be feeling low these days. There does seem to be something that especially affects people about going through a down time at a time of the year that usually should be a time people are feeling good, such as the holidays.

I think you have a good idea with your thought about taking a Christmas road trip. Doing something a little different could be kind of exciting and especially fun, and it would give you a chance to enjoy the season without as much of the work that usually goes into it, which you would probably rather not be involved with right now.

It seems to me that the obvious choices for places you could get to on the train where there will be some good holiday activities are Boston and NYC. Now, I personally don't know a lot about the Christmas activities in either of those cities. What I would suggest would be to start a new thread on the Boston sub-forum, and another on the NYC sub-forum if Christmas in the Big Apple sounds interesting, and ask people about some suggestions for holiday activities in those cities.

A couple of other cities I would suggest that you might want to ask about in the appropriate C-D forums would be Providence and Portland (Maine, that is--not suggesting you tackle a cross-country trip

). Whether either of those cities would work depends on how far you want to travel. You could change trains in Boston. It would take you about 2-1/2 hours to ride the train from Boston to Portland, or just over an hour to get to Providence. You can get from Boston to Providence on commuter rail, so there is another option in addition to Amtrak. I know nothing about any holiday activities in Portland or Providence, but both are kind of cool, vibrant smaller cities, which leads me to have a sneaking suspicion that they can be fun places to be during the holidays.

So, a few suggestions to check into. Please check back with any more questions, or if you'd feel like passing along any info about what you decide about possible Christmas activities. All the best to you.

Honeycrisp · 12-15-2009, 08:34 AM

A pretty good source to meet people is www.meetup.com . Put in your zip and your interests - there's different group get togethers for a huge variety of interests and hobbies such as hiking, biking, dining out, newcomers, kayaking, board games, dogs etc

in_newengland · 12-15-2009, 08:36 AM

I don't know if my posts are showing up so I'll try again (cookies problem) One time I escaped Christmas and went to Rockport (MA). A train goes there but we drove. We stayed two nights at an inn and it was great -- fireplace, the feeling of being in a house, all decorated for Christmas with a big Christmas tree, breakfast served at a big table with people from all over the country. Fridge to raid. We were in little cottages next to the inn itself, like a little motel almost. Wonderful shops to poke around in and really peaceful there. We stayed two nights and on the day after Christmas lots of people came to town to walk around and look in the shops and the feeling was sort of "merry". The atmosphere was one of peace and joy. It was pricey but I was splitting the cost with someone -- it turned out to be a really good Christmas after all.

parakeets · 12-15-2009, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by in_newengland

I don't know if my posts are showing up so I'll try again (cookies problem) One time I escaped Christmas and went to Rockport (MA). A train goes there but we drove. We stayed two nights at an inn and it was great -- fireplace, the feeling of being in a house, all decorated for Christmas with a big Christmas tree, breakfast served at a big table with people from all over the country. Fridge to raid. We were in little cottages next to the inn itself, like a little motel almost. Wonderful shops to poke around in and really peaceful there. We stayed two nights and on the day after Christmas lots of people came to town to walk around and look in the shops and the feeling was sort of "merry". The atmosphere was one of peace and joy. It was pricey but I was splitting the cost with someone -- it turned out to be a really good Christmas after all.

That sounds exactly where I am looking to escape to! I even think taking the Amtrak train would be especially nice (no driving

) if you remember the name OR if anyone here can personally recommend a similar place, ie: lodge, cottage, I am near the Capitol region, VT. Or even a 'Christmas in Connecticutt' a favorite old movie of mine

ogre · 12-15-2009, 07:54 PM

If you're looking for something quiet and quaint like InNE described, Rockport would be a good location for that. It's a very picturesque coastal town with antique shops and such. I know I kind of like watching the ocean in wintertime. It's different from the summertime ocean, something somehow deep and peaceful about it despite the high surf at times. If Rockport looks like the right place, you can get there from Boston by commuter rail out of North Station (http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/).

felicitev21 · 12-15-2009, 09:05 PM

I LOVE Rockport...would love to live there lol. Yes, a very quaint, beautiful town. Also a great consideration for a summer day trip, especially if you are a lobster fan. Amtrak is $$ btw. You are better off to hop on the greyhound bus to take a trip to NYC or Maine. Granted, the Acela to NY has some beautiful views...but too much especially if you have to pay to bring kids as well.

bluewatergirl888 · 12-16-2009, 07:30 AM

What about "Events and Adventures"? Welcome to Events And Adventures! I have seen the ads on T.V. and it seems like a good way to meet people.

Have a Merry Christmas what ever you decide.

in_newengland · 12-16-2009, 05:50 PM

When I escaped from Christmas and stayed in Rockport, it was at the Tuck Inn. We were very comfortable and we could walk to all the little shops. I was able to stay at someone's house and then drive there the next day so no train expenses, thank goodness. I was in Rockport today doing Christmas shopping and it was totally wonderful.

parakeets · 12-16-2009, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluewatergirl888

What about "Events and Adventures"? Welcome to Events And Adventures! I have seen the ads on T.V. and it seems like a good way to meet people.

Have a Merry Christmas what ever you decide.

hmm, I followed your link and it does interest me. Do you know how much the membership costs?

Thanks