Time for a travel round-up yinz!!! This August I went on a 9-day trip throughout New England and WOW I cannot recommend it enough.
Boston, MA
My trip began by flying into Boston early on Saturday morning. I was staying Downtown near China Town which was perfect because it was walkable to the harbor and to Back Bay (the area where Newbury Street and Fenway Park were).
I started with an iced vanilla latte from a local coffee chain, Tatte. After I got that, I headed over to the Boston Commons visitor center to snag a copy of the Freedom Trail walking guide so I could take a self-guided tour. The Freedom Trail walks you through 16 historical sites largely relating to the American Revolution. It took me about 4.5 hours to do the whole thing.
It started at Boston Commons and ended at the Bunker Hill Monument! The north end of the trail is much more condensed into a small area, but as you get closer to the end it gets more spread out. You may want to skip out on the last couple across the bridge to Charlestown, but DON’T. The U.S.S. Constitution was one of my favorite parts of the trail! Touring the naval ship and getting to learn about the ammunition used back in the day was incredible. A perfect mid-trail stop for a bite is near Faneuil Hall at Quincy Market. I stopped for an açaí bowl, which was perfectly refreshing!
After finishing the Freedom Trail, I chilled at my hotel for a bit and planned out my evening. I secured a $6 ticket to do a tasting tour at Harpoon Brewery down by the harbor. I arrived at my tasting and they showed us through the facility and to the back tasting room. Once we arrived, we were able to sample as many beers as we liked. They had Harpoon, UFO, City Roots Cider, and Polar Seltzers. I tried a little bit of everything! My favorite was an item from their secret menu, the fruit salad. It was a combo of the City Roots Cider, UFO Georgia Peach, and Harpoon DragonWeisse. You HAVE to try this. After the tour was completed, I stayed for one of their famous fluffy soft pretzels.
I had late dinner reservations at Legal Sea Foods Harbor, so I headed over a couple of blocks to check in. I sat on the third-floor lounge and enjoyed a couple of glasses of Riesling with the Maguro Sashimi (tuna). The views were beautiful at night time on the water. I decided to call it a night around 11 and head back to my hotel for the night.
The next morning I met two friends at Bostonia Public House. My one regret is not getting their MASSIVE build-your-own Bloody Mary. I opted for the mimosa and peach Bellini instead, and it did not disappoint! For my meal, I ordered the breakfast tacos, YUM. Then it was off to Fenway!!
The Red Sox were hosting the Orioles and the historical Fenway Park. We arrived early to walk around the full park and then headed to our seats. Naturally, I had to snag a Boston hat beforehand so I fit in with the crowd. (Don’t worry yinzers, I would never betray Pittsburgh). The Red Sox crushed it and we had an awesome time with perfect weather. We left at the bottom of the 8th and grabbed a quick drink across the street at Time Out Market. I got the yummiest cocktail that came in a pineapple!
My hotel was about 45 minutes from Fenway so I walked back and made a couple of stops on the way to grab some drinks. I met an awesome friend on the walk back who is traveling across the country. He stuck around with me while we were exploring and looking for a spot to grab a Sunday night drink. Our last stop was Citrus & Salt. It was pretty late and so I headed to my hotel to get some sleep before the next day’s trip to Salem!
Salem, MA
In the morning I met my friend in Salem, home of the famous witch trials! We first stopped at Front Street Coffeehouse. I ordered their turkey panini and no joke this was one of the best meals I had the entire trip. The honey mustard was PERFECTION.
We booked a guided tour with Witch City Walking Tours. We saw the town hall, witch trial memorial, Allison’s house from Hocus Pocus, and more! After the tour, we stopped at Hex, a store run by wicka to see the amazing alter they have in the store. People who visit write a letter to someone who has passed away and leave a small token that reminds them of that person (ex. A cigarette, a bottle cap, etc.). Each year the wicka at the store light a bonfire and read each letter and set it on fire in a ceremony. They say it lasts around 18 hours each time and is so emotionally draining reading each letter aloud. We stopped at some boutiques and shops before heading back to Boston.
Boston, MA
Around dinner time, my whole squad has finally arrived so we went down to Newbury Street to check out the stores and then go to dinner at Joe’s American Bar & Grill. I ordered the five-cheese Mac and added lobster, WOW. It was an early night for me after walking all over Salem.
The next morning was the last couple of hours in Boston. I stopped at Tatte again for an iced vanilla latte and then took a walk with my friends to the famous Mike’s Pastry! There are a couple of locations, but we went to the one down near the harbor. I tried the chocolate chip cannoli and it was MASSIVE AND DELICIOUS. We took a stroll around the harbor before departing for Rhode Island.
Providence & Newport, RI
We stopped to drop our things in Providence at my friend’s apartment and then went to Plant City for lunch! This all-vegan restaurant was so trendy and adorable. We ordered some mocktails and the fried “chicken” sandwich topped with coleslaw, champagne vinegar pickles, and chipotle mayo. It was served with a simple salad and was so refreshing. We walked around a bit to see downtown Providence and then drove to Newport which was around 45 minutes away.
When we arrived in Newport, we went to the Cliff Walk. This was a gorgeous walk that overlooked the water and took us past some of the most stunning mansions like the Breakers. If you want to tour them, you can buy tickets online! The end of the cliff walk led us to a small beach at sunset. Although the beginning of the walk is a paved sidewalk, be warned that it will get a bit rocky and you should wear appropriate footwear. After we finished the walk, we grabbed some ice cream at Kilwin’s and headed out. We grabbed some food and drinks at Hot Club in Providence and then called it a night.
In the morning we stopped at The Shop and I got an iced mocha and a yogurt parfait with local yogurt, berries, jam, and house-made granola. It was DELICIOUS. Then it was off to Portsmouth, New Hampshire!
Portsmouth, NH
In Portsmouth, we shopped around and stopped at Nahcotta, Pretty Little Things, and other small shops! We had brunch at the New England classic, The Friendly Toast. My meal started off with their mimosa flight featuring all 4 of their signature mimosas. For my meal I ordered the John Scrambo with home fries and cinnamon raisin toast. Then we headed to our final stop in Maine!
Newry, ME
Our first stop was at our Airbnb in Newry. We settled in then went to the local brewery, Sunday River Brewing Company. Their Mountain Mamma IPA was what I selected to drink for the evening. For food, we went IN. We ordered soft pretzels, cheese bread, and wings. For my meal, I did the create your own burger and sweet potato fries.
Boothbay, ME
The next day our group split into two and a handful went mountain biking while the other group went to Boothbay! The crew in Boothbay had previously bought tickets for the Cabbage Island Clambakes. THIS IS A MUST-DO EXPERIENCE. For only $79.50 you got a ferry tour of the area, a clambake experience, and a ferry ride back. The clambake started with fresh clam chowder. The main included two lobsters, a baked potato, corn on the cob, steamed clams, a hard-boiled egg, and a full onion. For dessert, we got freshly baked (and still warm) blueberry cake, YUM. If you wanted to drink, alcoholic beverages were available for purchase, but they were cash only as well as the island gift shop. After our meal, we walked down a trail to see some gorgeous views.
The next couple of days, my squad hung out around the Airbnb while the other group hiked Mt. Washington about 45 minutes away. They said it was pretty vigorous and windy, so be wary if you aren’t the hiking type. Otherwise, we went antiquing and I found some awesome Pittsburgh postcards from the old days pictured below! All in all, this trip through New England was absolutely perfect and I wouldn’t have had it any other way!
If you ever have any questions about specifics on the trip that weren’t covered, I’m always happy to help! Adventure on 😊
The 412 Franimal 