If you were to split 3 nights in Boston (with day trips) and 3 nights somewhere else (with day trips) where would that be?
@TheFrenchChef BTW since I know that you’re into food, I forgot to mention that UMass has hands down the best cafeteria food in the country. Not sure how important that is to you, but some food for thought (pun intended).
@ProfessorPlum168 food is very, very important to my boys. Being 6’3" and athletes they are constantly hungry and I guess one of the few positive things I instilled in them (since they did not get my study skills lol) is a love of good, varied food. One of the main things my senior and I checked out was the quality and variety of food in the area when we visited schools. I’m worried that he decided he did not like U. of Illinois becuase it took us a long time to fine a place to have dinner 
And their definition of “good” is anywhere from having Ethiopian food nearby to having a Chipotle in the dining hall lol.
If you go to Portsmouth, and lobster is a goal, head to Newick’s in Dover (15 minutes and very close to UNH). Nothing fancy but great lobster, scallops, clams, etc.
Of course if you go to Maine, basically any lobster pound or co-op will do. That’s the least expensive way to go. Lobster pound gets them right off the boat and will steam them for you. Eat on picnic table, plastic forks, etc. A lot less expensive than a restaurant and very fun!
@TheFrenchChef from what you describe your kid sounds like the type of kid that would love UVM in Burlington.
He has a good SAT score and would likely receive some merit $$. They have a new STEM facility being built right now and is scheduled to open next year. New dorms. Good food. Lots of eateries in downtown Burlington. The culinary and craft brew scene in VT is quite good. Burlington has shopping, dining, sightseeing, beautiful views. UVM campus is walkable, is pretty nice. Education is decent, there is a hospital next to the campus. The airport is close by too.
There are lots of opportunities to do outdoor stuff like hiking, fishing, skiing, biking, camping. The school has outdoor club/ski club etc. UVM is not too big. nor too small. I really like it there. I always thought my kids would end up there, and would not hesitate to send them there, but it didn’t play out that way,
You should consider having your S take the SAT another time. His score is solid, it’s quite good actually. For the Boston area schools he is right on the cusp of admissions at places like BU,NEU, Tufts,BC. Brandeis. He may get into any of them, or not. Depending on your financial situation you may get some $$ or nothing at all, so you have to run the NPC at those schools to see if you want to pay the $$ associated with going to school in Boston. I think you should visit Boston regardless of whether you want to look at schools or not. Like I said you could even informally visit some schools like BU/NEU by just walking around them on your visit, just to get a feel for the place.
If your son likes Biology I would check out URI, nice campus, decent program, your son would likely get some merit $$, close to the beach and some state parks/nature. Rhode Island is a nice place, not as cold and snowy as Burlington, but still chilly enough lol. Great seafood nearby!!
If your son is good football player ( which it sounds ilke he is) he might be able to play DIII at some of the tech schools in the Northeast. like WPI/RPI. Those schools offer a different kind of vibe than UVM/URI. They are more tech/science oriented and filled with smart students. The kids do very well in terms of job opportunities coming out of those schools. If he played sports there it’s a nice balance of sports/learning. Both of my kids liked these schools for that mix, but wanted to go to school in Boston, so they fell off the list.
On a personal note, I am very familiar with most schools in the Boston area as I live right here, and have visited a lot of them frequently. I’d be happy to answer any questions if you want to PM me anytime.
@RightCoaster wow you gave some great input! I’m going to see if we can fly into Vermont and then out of Boston. I like the idea of the tech schools, not sure if I want him playing college football though…He is also a really good pole vaulter, maybe he could do that. I know he wants to continue his sports in some fashion.
***** UPDATE *****
I booked our plane tickets, round trip into and out of Boston.
I’ve also spent some time with my junior looking at the virtual campus tours for all the schools which really helped. He was super impressed with BU…but not so much with UMass and UConn…mainly due to the location (the cows in the video did not impress him lol). We will still consider them, but perhaps not this trip.
He also would like to see some picturesque parts of the area…we can’t do everything so we settled on the following road trip:
Saturday: Fly into Boston
Sunday: Tour Boston, walk around Northeastern, Faneuil Hall, eat at North End
Monday: Official Campus tour of BU. Its over at 1:30 at which point we will drive to Providence, RI
Tuesday: Official tour at Roger Williams, eat lunch in Bristol, drive to Newport, walk around Newport, stay in Newport
Wednesday: Official tour at URI in morning. Eat lunch then head to Burlington
Thursday: Official tour at UVM then hang out in Burlington
Friday: head back to Boston
Saturday early: fly back to SFO
Any general comments or recommendations for specific places to eat, things to do etc appreciated!
Hi! 1) The northeast snow can be great, but depending on the weather you may need to plan extra driving time between states. We can get snowstorms through mid-late April during a bad season, and that can add 1-2 hours of driving time (esp. to VT).
2) The North End has lots of Italian restaurants, so be sure to look up reviews beforehand because a lot of it is mediocre but expensive tourist trap Pizza. Most of the places are very delicious and authentic, but it’s good to make sure you’re getting a good experience.
3) Don’t bother waiting in the 45-minute line for Mike’s Pastries. There are family owned pastry shops on every corner and they are all just as good.
4) Not sure what the hours are, but Chicken Lou’s on the Northeastern campus was my after-school snack for about 2 years when I was in high school. It is my favorite campus food in the world. If you get a chance, I would recommend checking it out.
5) Faneuil Hall will be packed, just be prepared for that.
6) Church St. in Burlington is like an artsy version of Newbury St., and they have a Ben and Jerry’s with a whole van inside that can be used as a table (it’s very cool). Lots of cute little indie stores.
7) There’s endless touristy stuff to do in Boston - One thing I absolutely do not recommend is our aquarium. It’s very expensive and has like 3 exhibits. The seals outside are cute, though (and free to go look at!). Most of the historical stuff is cool, depending on what your family likes, so things like Old North Church, Paul Revere House, etc, are all fun to visit. The Copley Library and top of the Pru are also great.
Enjoy your trip!
In the Faneuil area, Durgin Park dates back to colonial times and much less expensive for lunch than dinner. Look it up, it’s an experience. I don’t necessarily recommend official tourist sites that may be time robbers. Walk through the North End. If you get a serious hankering for the 180 degree view, you can ride the elevator up to the top of the Prudential and just look for a few minutes, not pay for any official time there. The Pru Center is a destination on its own, shops and restaurants, though not a stop I’d prioritize for a kid.
URI to UVM is serious, 5 hours. I highly recommend you take the route through Worcester. Not the route closer to Boston, where you can hit every traffic jam where larger routes merge.
And drive the back route to Roger Williams. Unless you need to specifically be in Providence, look at Rt 93 to Rt 24.
Sure hope the weather is good when you do this and you time your driving right. It’s 4am now and half this route is solid red on my map. And there’s 8+ inches of snow outside and it’s still going.
So other than the drive times, your itinerary looks fine.
@lookingforward - Durgin Park just closed https://boston.eater.com/2019/1/4/18168447/durgin-park-closing-boston-landmark
Lots of great restaurant choices in the North End - I like Giacomos or Bricco for dinner. Mamma Maria is a little fancier but has the best veal ossobucco (in my opinion).
Nothing better than walking through the city on a beautiful day…fingers crossed you have good weather when you tour Boston. Boston is a walking city, meant to be appreciated on foot. If you have time, stroll down Newbury Street or Charles Street. Eat breakfast at Trident Booksellers. Walk around Beacon hill by the State House, look at the brownstowns of Louisburg Square, walk through Boston Commons and the Public Gardens, find Frog Pond. See the Swan Boats (if they’re in the water when you go), find the Make Way for Ducklings sculpture. Go to Bova’s Bakery or Modern Pastry (considered less touristy), Caffe Vitoria for a cappuccino when in the North End. Walk down the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Remember Faneuil Hall is not the Quincy Marketplace (go into the actual hall!). Find the Old State House and the plaque marking the Boston Massacre. I could go on and on but your time will fly! Each one of the cities you are visiting is unique. Newport has the ocean walk and mansions to tour. Burlington has funky stores and restaurants near beautiful lake Champlain. You will probably find something you like (and don’t like) at each place. Have fun!!
Durgin Park closed?!?!
@MaineLonghorn Yes, a victim of changing tastes and some claim the rise in the minimum wage.
Momma2018, Oh, No! Nearly 300 years old.
Maybe it makes more sense to cut out UVM on this trip and do UMass and UConn instead.
Will roads from Boston to Rhode Island be bad? Traffic is ok - I’m used to horrific traffic in the Bay Area…but slushy or icy roads are something else…
April snow can happen. It’s awfully rare though. I wouldn’t overly worry about it. And if you’re past the first week or two of April, I wouldn’t worry at all. (And watch the weather gods prove me wrong).
We are there the very first week of April…
I would not miss the University of Vermont & Burlington, Vermont.
Also, do some research on URI. I have read & heard a lot of negatives, but that was a few years ago so maybe things have changed.
The rocky coast in Newport is some of the most beautiful shoreline in the world, especially when the weather is nice or the surf is up.
@TheFrenchChef For Sunday, here’s a great walking route option to get a great taste of Boston if you’re up to really trek it.
- Start at Copley, Check out the Boston Public Library
- Walk to Northeastern via the prudential center, reflecting pool, and Symphony. Explore around.
- Walk to Fenway and head to Kenmore station (will get you to the near end of BU's campus).
- Walk / Take the T to Hynes Convention Center (not the most exciting walk but also only one stop on the T so dealers choice) to start at Newbury Street and walk down to the Boston Commons
- Optional: Check out Charles Street near the commons and walk up Beacon Hill to the State House
- Walk to the North End from the Commons, stopping at the Boston Public Market
(Two map links because they limit the number of custom points)
Stage 2:
Food Notes:
Coffee/Snacks:
Stop at one of three options, all local or local chains:
Tatte (Northeastern, Charles St)
Pavement (Symphony, Newbury)
Neighborhoods (Fenway) - also servers crepes
Breakfast options:
Neighborhoods (Fenway) or Trident (Newbury). You’ll need a reservation at Trident for Sunday likely but go inside even if you don’t eat there.
Lunch options:
Tatte (Charles St)
Boston Public Market Stalls (if you get there quicker than expected or if someone wants a pre-dinner bite)
Dinner:
Literally throw a dart at the north end, you can’t go wrong
Dessert:
Mike’s is the tourist trap cannolis but they are good. Modern Pastry is just as good and won’t be mobbed though and is 2 blocks away. Both are cash only. Both also close at 10 but there’s a 24 hour bakery not far with great stuff as well if you miss 10PM.
Avoids:
Don’t eat at Faneuil Hall, it’s a tourist trap and not that good. If you want Reginas (pizza), go to the original in the north end for high quality or somewhere like Locale for a reasonably priced good pie in a more fancy/modern feel.