My niece and I have been planning a trip to Fall River... looking at May 2007. We would like to go to Boston, Salem, Gloucester (whale watching) and Fall River. I would welcome any and all suggestions regarding travel plans, hotels, transportation, sites, agendas, *don't misses* and *don't bothers*, any *rough* parts of town to avoid, should I rent a car or go by trolley, train, bus, or cab... that sort of thing. I was thinking maybe 3-4 days in Boston... and 2- 3 days for Salem-Gloucester... and another 2 days for Fall River. Does that sound unrealistic?
Also -- we want to stay at the Borden B&B --- any suggestions in that arena? :)
Maybe we should do Boston --then Fall River ---Then Salem and Gloucester? Or...Boston --Salem --Gloucester ---Fall River?
I am not terribly travel savvy --- any suggestions would be appreciated :)
Thanks!
planning a trip
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terrie
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Audrey
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How old is your niece?
In Boston...
The New England Aquarium is wonderful for adults and children to see. http://www.neaq.org/index.flash4.html
You can also take 'The Duck Tour' http://www.bostonducktours.com/pages/whatpeople.html
Avoid The Quincy Market... It has become too commercialized and "Abercrombied"
I really do think The Duck Tour is your best bet.. Reserve your tickets as it generally sells out.
Also, Plymouth Rock is just about a half an hour away. Will you rent a car?
In Boston...
The New England Aquarium is wonderful for adults and children to see. http://www.neaq.org/index.flash4.html
You can also take 'The Duck Tour' http://www.bostonducktours.com/pages/whatpeople.html
Avoid The Quincy Market... It has become too commercialized and "Abercrombied"
I really do think The Duck Tour is your best bet.. Reserve your tickets as it generally sells out.
Also, Plymouth Rock is just about a half an hour away. Will you rent a car?
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Allen
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Well I know that everyone's idea of what is interesting isn't the same as mine, but here are a few of the attractions in the Fall River area that I really enjoyed.
I recommend eating at The Abbey Grill, that is a must.
Definitely any visit to Fall River wouldn't be complete without a visit to The Fall River Historical Society.
Within a short distance of the B&B are Battleship Cover, The Old Colony Railroad Museum, the Marine Museum, and Heritage State Park where you can rent sailboats. I don't much like boats so I didn't take advantage of this opportunity. There is also a lovely old carousel. These are all within easy walking distance of each other so you don't have to worry about parking but once really, if you decide to rent a car. We walked from the B&B to these sites the first time, and drove the second time. Those streets can be steep!
The Zoo in New Bedford was pretty nice, but many of the things they have in the Zoo there are things that I see running wild here. It was kind of small also compared to what I'm used to when I go to the Zoo's around here.
The Whaling Museum and Seamen's Bethel are very nice attractions in New Bedford, which is about 10-15 minutes down the road from Fall River.
I had directions to everything I wanted to see beforehand. I am always afraid of getting lost in a place I don't know. So I map out everything before I even get in the car to go using online driving directions. I do not recommend anyone use Yahoo driving directions. Some good ones to use are Google and Switchboard.com. We drove the entire way both times we went. So I'm not sure about the trolley's buses and cabs.
I recommend eating at The Abbey Grill, that is a must.
Definitely any visit to Fall River wouldn't be complete without a visit to The Fall River Historical Society.
Within a short distance of the B&B are Battleship Cover, The Old Colony Railroad Museum, the Marine Museum, and Heritage State Park where you can rent sailboats. I don't much like boats so I didn't take advantage of this opportunity. There is also a lovely old carousel. These are all within easy walking distance of each other so you don't have to worry about parking but once really, if you decide to rent a car. We walked from the B&B to these sites the first time, and drove the second time. Those streets can be steep!
The Zoo in New Bedford was pretty nice, but many of the things they have in the Zoo there are things that I see running wild here. It was kind of small also compared to what I'm used to when I go to the Zoo's around here.
The Whaling Museum and Seamen's Bethel are very nice attractions in New Bedford, which is about 10-15 minutes down the road from Fall River.
I had directions to everything I wanted to see beforehand. I am always afraid of getting lost in a place I don't know. So I map out everything before I even get in the car to go using online driving directions. I do not recommend anyone use Yahoo driving directions. Some good ones to use are Google and Switchboard.com. We drove the entire way both times we went. So I'm not sure about the trolley's buses and cabs.
"He who cannot put his thoughts on ice should not enter into the head of dispute." - Friedrich Nietzsche
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DWilly
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I was in the Rhode Island/Massachusetts area last August for my vacation. Great area and I really enjoyed the people. They were very friendly and helpful. Which was great since I kept getting lost.
When I went I didn't go with Lizzie Borden all that much in mind as I was just starting to really read about her. What I did was stay in Middletown, Rhode Island and I first went to the Tennis Hall of Fame. Now, unless you're a huge tennis fan like me I wouldn't go there. I did enjoy walking the Cliffs at Newport and seeing all of those beautiful Mansions.
The place I was staying was only about a 20 minute drive from Fall Rivers. I rented a car and drove up. The thing is you do have to find out what time a lot of the places are open. I just took a walk through trip of the Borden House and I don't think that started until later in the day. I could kick myself for not taking the Fall Rivers Historical Society tour. I should have done that. You can also drive by Lizzie's Maplecroft home and go to her grave. I thought it was rather strange that they had these little black cut out feet that lead you to where she is buried. Next time I go I would love to see the church she went to and where the trial was held. My understanding is the courtroom hasn't changed that much.
Now for the rest of Massachusetts. There is so much to see and frankly I doubt you can do it all in 3-5 days. The state really is beautiful with so much to see. After Fall Rivers I drove up to Boston which was a mistake. I didn't know my way around all of those convoluted streets and so of course I got lost. There's so much history there. Depending on how much you want to see, Boston is either a one or two day adventure. My advice is not to drive in Boston Besides, the parking prices are outrages. I thought LA was bad.
Now I didn't make it to Salem, although I would love to go next time. You do have to consider all of the travel time and it can be tiring. I went to Plymouth which was nice. Saw the fake Mayflower. One really nice trip was my going out to Martha's Vineyard. Now that takes easily a whole day if not two days. I went to the beach where they filmed the movie Jaws.
When I went I didn't go with Lizzie Borden all that much in mind as I was just starting to really read about her. What I did was stay in Middletown, Rhode Island and I first went to the Tennis Hall of Fame. Now, unless you're a huge tennis fan like me I wouldn't go there. I did enjoy walking the Cliffs at Newport and seeing all of those beautiful Mansions.
The place I was staying was only about a 20 minute drive from Fall Rivers. I rented a car and drove up. The thing is you do have to find out what time a lot of the places are open. I just took a walk through trip of the Borden House and I don't think that started until later in the day. I could kick myself for not taking the Fall Rivers Historical Society tour. I should have done that. You can also drive by Lizzie's Maplecroft home and go to her grave. I thought it was rather strange that they had these little black cut out feet that lead you to where she is buried. Next time I go I would love to see the church she went to and where the trial was held. My understanding is the courtroom hasn't changed that much.
Now for the rest of Massachusetts. There is so much to see and frankly I doubt you can do it all in 3-5 days. The state really is beautiful with so much to see. After Fall Rivers I drove up to Boston which was a mistake. I didn't know my way around all of those convoluted streets and so of course I got lost. There's so much history there. Depending on how much you want to see, Boston is either a one or two day adventure. My advice is not to drive in Boston
Besides, the parking prices are outrages. I thought LA was bad.Now I didn't make it to Salem, although I would love to go next time. You do have to consider all of the travel time and it can be tiring. I went to Plymouth which was nice. Saw the fake Mayflower. One really nice trip was my going out to Martha's Vineyard. Now that takes easily a whole day if not two days. I went to the beach where they filmed the movie Jaws.
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FairhavenGuy
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If you, or anyone else, emails me at the Fairhaven Office of Tourism with your name and mailing address, I'll send you the visitors guide to my town. (Fairhaven is roughly 15 to 20 minutes east of Fall River.) If you mention you're from the Lizzie forum, I'll toss in a few Fall River brochures, too.
My office email is FairhavenTours@aol.com
My office email is FairhavenTours@aol.com
I've met Kat and Harry and Stef, oh my!
(And Diana, Richard, nbcatlover, Doug Parkhurst and Marilou, Shelley, "Cemetery" Jeff, Nadzieja, kfactor, Barbara, JoAnne, Michael, Katrina and my 255 character limit is up.)
(And Diana, Richard, nbcatlover, Doug Parkhurst and Marilou, Shelley, "Cemetery" Jeff, Nadzieja, kfactor, Barbara, JoAnne, Michael, Katrina and my 255 character limit is up.)
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Allen
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I've gotten the brochure myself, and I think it was really interesting and very well put together. The one I received was filled with so much information! I think it's filled with all the information a tourist could possibly want about the city. It describes the attractions, the historical walking tours, famous people from Fairhaven, etc. It made me want to visit Fairhaven and take the tour, that's for sure!FairhavenGuy @ Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:29 pm wrote:If you, or anyone else, emails me at the Fairhaven Office of Tourism with your name and mailing address, I'll send you the visitors guide to my town. (Fairhaven is roughly 15 to 20 minutes east of Fall River.) If you mention you're from the Lizzie forum, I'll toss in a few Fall River brochures, too.
My office email is FairhavenTours@aol.com
"He who cannot put his thoughts on ice should not enter into the head of dispute." - Friedrich Nietzsche
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terrie
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wow ---thanks for the replies :)
My niece will be 18 by the time we go.
Can we see Boston in 2 days? that would be great... I have a tour book for Boston... and it looks like Salem and Gloucester are pretty nearby --- an hours drive to Salem, maybe another to Gloucester. I see that there is a train that runs to each place..maybe a good idea. I, too, get lost soooooo easily.... no sense of direction at all.....
Fairhaven Guy -- I have sent you an email for the info. Thanks! and thanks everyone :)
My niece will be 18 by the time we go.
Can we see Boston in 2 days? that would be great... I have a tour book for Boston... and it looks like Salem and Gloucester are pretty nearby --- an hours drive to Salem, maybe another to Gloucester. I see that there is a train that runs to each place..maybe a good idea. I, too, get lost soooooo easily.... no sense of direction at all.....
Fairhaven Guy -- I have sent you an email for the info. Thanks! and thanks everyone :)
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theebmonique
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When I took my niece a couple of years ago, we spent 2 days doing as much as we could in Boston
The aquarium is a definite must see.
Legal Seafood is a divine place for lunch/dinner.
We stayed at a hotel in Braintree and took the "T" into Boston. You can take it all the way out to Harvard...a beautiful ride.
Down the street and around the corner from the Old North Church is THE THE THE BEST bakery in the galaxy. The canolli's are to die for, and the pink coconut cookies are MY FAVORITE.
Link for "Mike's"
http://www.mikespastry.com/
The pink cookies:
http://www.mikespastry.com/Merchant2/me ... y_Code=COO
Contacting FairhavenGuy was a wonderful thing to do !
We spent 2 nights at the B&B. Eat at The Abbey Grill in Fall River. There are a couple of other great places too. A Portuguese place within walking distance of the B&B, and a nice place called Magoni's.
I hope you have as much fun as my niece and I !!
Tracy...
The aquarium is a definite must see.
Legal Seafood is a divine place for lunch/dinner.
We stayed at a hotel in Braintree and took the "T" into Boston. You can take it all the way out to Harvard...a beautiful ride.
Down the street and around the corner from the Old North Church is THE THE THE BEST bakery in the galaxy. The canolli's are to die for, and the pink coconut cookies are MY FAVORITE.
Link for "Mike's"
http://www.mikespastry.com/
The pink cookies:
http://www.mikespastry.com/Merchant2/me ... y_Code=COO
Contacting FairhavenGuy was a wonderful thing to do !
We spent 2 nights at the B&B. Eat at The Abbey Grill in Fall River. There are a couple of other great places too. A Portuguese place within walking distance of the B&B, and a nice place called Magoni's.
I hope you have as much fun as my niece and I !!
Tracy...
I'm defying gravity and you can't pull me down.
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Allen
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terrie
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cool! We are going to stay somewhere in Boston... and definately at the B&B in Fall River ---though I don't know which room. I don't think we want the room where Abby was found...is that the guest room? It feels too creepy to me... but maybe Lizzie's room...or...they will combine Lizzie's and Emma's with a bathroom.
I'll look around the site for more descriptions about the B&B.
It's a long way off (over a year) but I am excited!
Terrie
I'll look around the site for more descriptions about the B&B.
It's a long way off (over a year) but I am excited!
Terrie
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KT72
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Hi Terrie, nice to meet you
I have not stayed overnight at the B&B but I have been to the house twice. The room in which Abby was murdered is called the John Morse Room. I'd say Lizzie's room would be perfect; but of course Emma's is adjacent to it, and unless things have changed they share a bathroom, which is outside on the landing. Now, staying in a house with a reputation for paranormal phenomena, I'd be pretty freaked if, in the middle of the night, the occupants of Emma's room came strolling through my room on their way to the W.C.
Of course, Lizzie's and Emma's rooms can be rented as a suite, so if you want to spend the extra money you and your niece can each have one of those rooms.
Then of course there are always the attic rooms, one of which belonged to Bridget Sullivan. The attic is supposed to be quite haunted, though, so it depends on your attraction to the unknown
If you take a side trip to Newport, see Fort Adams and eat at the Brick Alley Pub.
Hope this helps
I have not stayed overnight at the B&B but I have been to the house twice. The room in which Abby was murdered is called the John Morse Room. I'd say Lizzie's room would be perfect; but of course Emma's is adjacent to it, and unless things have changed they share a bathroom, which is outside on the landing. Now, staying in a house with a reputation for paranormal phenomena, I'd be pretty freaked if, in the middle of the night, the occupants of Emma's room came strolling through my room on their way to the W.C.
Of course, Lizzie's and Emma's rooms can be rented as a suite, so if you want to spend the extra money you and your niece can each have one of those rooms.
Then of course there are always the attic rooms, one of which belonged to Bridget Sullivan. The attic is supposed to be quite haunted, though, so it depends on your attraction to the unknown
If you take a side trip to Newport, see Fort Adams and eat at the Brick Alley Pub.
Hope this helps
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terrie
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Well -- I have been emailing a woman at the Fall River Historical Society named Connie Mendes. She has been very generous in her help (as have been all of you). She recommends that I fly into Providence RI instead of Boston --- and now I am thinking --- maybe we should stay in that area and take day trips to Boston, Salem and Gloucester. Does that sound do-able, realistically? Anyone have any suggestions about hotels, B&B's, or any other amenities?
I am already reading up on LB... even though it's over a year away :)
I am already reading up on LB... even though it's over a year away :)
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FairhavenGuy
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I think that Kat, Stef and Harry flew in to T.F. Green Airport in Providence instead of Logan in Boston. I'm sure they'll be along to share their experiences.
I've met Kat and Harry and Stef, oh my!
(And Diana, Richard, nbcatlover, Doug Parkhurst and Marilou, Shelley, "Cemetery" Jeff, Nadzieja, kfactor, Barbara, JoAnne, Michael, Katrina and my 255 character limit is up.)
(And Diana, Richard, nbcatlover, Doug Parkhurst and Marilou, Shelley, "Cemetery" Jeff, Nadzieja, kfactor, Barbara, JoAnne, Michael, Katrina and my 255 character limit is up.)
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Harry
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Absolutely Terrie, Providence is the way to go for us. However, we were staying at a hotel in the Fall River area.
On the last two trips we made, the first was to Boston and the second to Providence. The difference was like night and day. The traffic in and out of Logan Airport in Boston is VERY heavy. If you stay in the Fall River area you'll treasure the Providence airport even more when you don't have to leave several hours earlier to compete with the traffic. And the car rental was nearer as well. On the trip over from the airport you get to pass Swansea as a bonus.
We had no trouble getting from Fall River to Newmarket, NH and back in one day, and we were in no hurry. Fall River is convenient to New Bedford, Fairhaven, Swansea and Newport, RI as well.
Definitely consider T. F. Green airport in Providence. It's a lot smaller and far less hectic in checking in. The symbol for the airport is PVD.
http://www.pvdairport.com/
On the last two trips we made, the first was to Boston and the second to Providence. The difference was like night and day. The traffic in and out of Logan Airport in Boston is VERY heavy. If you stay in the Fall River area you'll treasure the Providence airport even more when you don't have to leave several hours earlier to compete with the traffic. And the car rental was nearer as well. On the trip over from the airport you get to pass Swansea as a bonus.
We had no trouble getting from Fall River to Newmarket, NH and back in one day, and we were in no hurry. Fall River is convenient to New Bedford, Fairhaven, Swansea and Newport, RI as well.
Definitely consider T. F. Green airport in Providence. It's a lot smaller and far less hectic in checking in. The symbol for the airport is PVD.
http://www.pvdairport.com/
I know I ask perfection of a quite imperfect world
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And fool enough to think that's what I'll find
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terrie
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nbcatlover
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Lots of great suggestions. If you do come to New Bedford, do a drive-by of the Superior Court House on County Street, where Lizzie was tried.
Also, a 10-15 minute drive from Fall River is the Borden farm on Gardner's Neck Rd. in Swansea. I found it help give me perspectives on distance and living conditions of the time.
Also, a 10-15 minute drive from Fall River is the Borden farm on Gardner's Neck Rd. in Swansea. I found it help give me perspectives on distance and living conditions of the time.
