Bob

I'm from Oxford, and I know what you mean...but you do get good at spotting the stereotypes

krizzy

If you want to stay in a nice Victorian hotel in Vermont...I know an English lady that owns one...its not cheap....but its very nice...

Patrick Hasler

Would that be Canterbury house in Woodstock by any chance ?
She always has the union fleg flying out front, but I see it has vanished over the past week ?

Yet another very pretty town

tonrob

I live just outside Springfield - it has the Basketball Hall of Fame, Dr Seuss sculpute garden (Springfield is birthplace of said writer), a few museums and the large Forest Park which hosts "Bright Nights" (drive through light display) in December. Crime exists as it does in Boston but it's no real risk to the casual visitor I think. Nevertheless, Springfield isn't a wander-around-downtown kind of place mainly because it's ugly rather than terribly unsafe.

Places I've visited around NE and would recommend;

Northampton, MA (Great restuarants, interesting shops and lesbians on tap)
Salem, Marblehead, Rockport, Newburyport, MA (quaint and coastal)
Providence, RI (shopping, great architechture, Little Italy, food)
Newport, RI (walking, mansion-perusing)
Shelburne Falls/Mowhawk Trail area, MA (quaint towns, nice scenery)
Brattleboro/Bennington, VT (quaint towns, nice scenery)
Burlington, VT (quaint towns, nice scenery, big lake, proximity to Ben & Jerrys)
Portsmouth, NH (architecture, food, nearby outlet shopping and beaches)
White Mountains (We stayed in Littleton), NH (walking, wildlife, Mt Washington Cog Railway)
Mid-coast Maine (fab scenery, quaint coastal towns)

Also did a weekend trip to Montreal which was really, really fab. Quite a European vibe. Best bit - sitting outside on pavement seating by a brewpub Friday evening, relaxing with a pint of real ale in my hand (after the 5-hr drive from MA) just watching the world go by.

Bob

Those are some places I've seen, and yeah White Mountains are lovely...and coastal maine ain't bad....also concorde, NH ain't bad for shopping...and a bit further up, Bridgeton, ME...superb little town, near the whole Casco lakes, lovely place, loads of antique stores, and also a very cute drive in movie theatre

Bob

well we're off to beantown on saturday to catch the lighting ceremony at faneuil hall...anyone else going to check it out?

and we're planning on checking out plymouth on sunday, maybe...so still nice out there, before we bother?

and what else to see other than the rock thingy?

krizzy

http://www.visit-plymouth.com/

Bob

cool...cheers for the link

so any recommendations for places to go eat? quite the list there...

krizzy

We use a place called the keywest or somesuch...if you go up the road opposite the rock by the waxworks I think...park at the top and turn left.. if its still there its not that bad...but not posh....if you turn right you'll come across the Brit shop...I've not been around there this year...so I'm not sure if everything is still there...

Rushman

makes a change from the rest of the population getting nervous when you get IN the cab!!

Bob

well beantown, the lighting ceremony was a bit of an anti-climax...nice weather for it though.

Met up with cousin and co for lunch, at cheers, at FH....it was utterly crap tbh, maybe because it wasn't the original, but the price was average, but portions were small, the fish & chips, soggy chips, soggy fish and bland coleslaw....the ruebans sandwich, beef was tough, the salad wrap was soggy and dressing was on the side...so wouldn't go there again.

Did have dinner on the other side at Ned Devines, a cheesy pub, there's 4 of them of different names across the state, in-laws ate at another one before and liked it, so we tried this...it was really nice, nice ambience inside, the food came out really quickly and was lovely, the missus had the mac and cheese, which was really nice, sharp cheese, and lovely side salad with balsamic vinaigrette...I had the bangers and mash and it was huge, great bangers too....and the house streak fries were superb, nice and crispy with fluffy centres, the nacho's were huge too...so I'd recommend them.

From past visit's to bean town, would recommend Cafe Marliave, just off franklin st, on beacon hill....it's a hole in the wall looking place, but superb italian food, great drinks on tap, and in summer, on the deck, great views, good prices....very old school feel to the place.

Patrick Hasler

You Bastard

I wouldn't want to step out infront of your Beemer