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4 day getaway, small walkable city suggestions?
Have you been to Philadelphia? It is an easy trip for us and we like to stay in the Rittenhouse neighborhood. We never have a car (we take the train) and you can everything by foot or public transportation. Tons of restaurants.
We had a very nice trip to St. Michael's on Maryland's Eastern Shore several years ago. It is a charming town. I don't know how easy it would be to reach without a car though.
We have Quebec City in mind for just the type of vacation your are talking about. I think we will go next summer.
We had a very nice trip to St. Michael's on Maryland's Eastern Shore several years ago. It is a charming town. I don't know how easy it would be to reach without a car though.
We have Quebec City in mind for just the type of vacation your are talking about. I think we will go next summer.
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BuffaloGal
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- Location: Buffalo, NY
Baltimore – we love it there. Great restaurants, lots of history, terrific waterfront area with shops, easy walk from many hotels – and did I mention great restaurants? DC is fun, too. We just came home from a trip where we combined a day trip to DC with 6 days in Baltimore. Wherever you go, have fun!
Also like Baltimore, if anyone comes, please stay at the 1840's Carrollton Inn. Fantastic bed and breakfast at comparable prices to the chains. Within walking distance to the newest Harboureast area of Bmore.. Lots to do, short cab ride to Canton gives you even more restaurants to choose from. Love the aquarium and science center. Head over to Federal Hill for even more to do. Great walkway along the water from Canton through Fells Point to the Inner Harbour. Summer? Try to come when the O's are in town to see a great stadium. If you do come, PM me for my favorite places.
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BuffaloGal
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- Location: Buffalo, NY
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GraysonDave
- Posts: 479
- Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2010 7:41 am
- Location: Georgia
Here's a sleeper for you - Greenville, SC. Went there for soccer tournaments a couple of times and was pleasantly surprised. No, pleasantly shocked.
Vibrant little downtown area with several good restaurants. Nice architecture, etc. www.pettigruplace.com is a nice B&B a few blocks from downtown. It's about a block from the civic center where they occasionally have some decent concerts.
About 30 miles up the road is some good hiking through the Appalachian foothills.
I also love Charleston.
Vibrant little downtown area with several good restaurants. Nice architecture, etc. www.pettigruplace.com is a nice B&B a few blocks from downtown. It's about a block from the civic center where they occasionally have some decent concerts.
About 30 miles up the road is some good hiking through the Appalachian foothills.
I also love Charleston.
I would second Cape May for a few days. Everything Zero says is true. It's just a very charming, classy, visitor friendly town.Exit Zero wrote:The Southern tip of NJ - Cape May -- totally walkable - more good restaurants than you can eat at in 4 days - many are small BYOB, you can go to some great wine stores and have some fine food and good wine for a fair price - architecturally interesting town with over 500 historic homes of the Victorian era - numerous B & B's and small hotels - good music scene and theater - great bike riding and beach walking - golf - zoo - vineyards - fresh fruit and vegetable stands - lots of artists - antiques and street fairs - epic gardens - easy access via the Garden State Parkway. Totally enjoyable weekend destination.
When you find yourself in a hole.... quit digging.
New Orleans?
Don't know if you've ever been, as I didn't see it mentioned, but NOLA is awesome for that length of trip. Lots of great places to stay in the French Quarter. The dining scene is very nice. Lots of historical architecture, etc. You can take the streetcar to the Audubon Zoo and then take the boat trip back to the Quarter. Great music scene too.
My wife and I will be headed there for 4 nights at the end of the month.
My wife and I will be headed there for 4 nights at the end of the month.
KT
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nothintolose
- Posts: 1960
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:36 pm
- Location: New Orleans, LA
I am with KT just don't come here now unless you want to swim in humidity and experience extreme heat and have to change your clothes several times a day 
This is a GREAT town to visit with lots of great history, music, architecture, and amazing food. You can stay in or near the French Quarter and walk everywhere, or you can venture out of the Quarter on the streetcar and see the rest of the city.
If you are interested in more info, let me know, I will be glad to help out.
I may get info from you on Charleston as that is one of the places I would love to go. A friend went recently and loved it. She also said Savannah, GA was awesome. I want to check that one out.
This is a GREAT town to visit with lots of great history, music, architecture, and amazing food. You can stay in or near the French Quarter and walk everywhere, or you can venture out of the Quarter on the streetcar and see the rest of the city.If you are interested in more info, let me know, I will be glad to help out.
I may get info from you on Charleston as that is one of the places I would love to go. A friend went recently and loved it. She also said Savannah, GA was awesome. I want to check that one out.
"Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die" - Dave Matthews Band
You guys are great with all the suggestions. You've given me lots of ideas.
We (ok, primarily me!) love to travel so we've actually been to many of the suggested places, but always can go back for more. We'd been on a group trip with friends to NO before the hurricane-it was an easy to navigate city via foot/streetcar and the food was awesome. We enjoy flying into a city; just cabbing it to a hotel (preferably b/b or small inn) and walking/walking/walking to work off the eating/eating/eating
Then if we like the place enough we try to re-visit but rent a car and explore the outside areas more.
Charleston was more "cityish" than Savannah, but that's probably because Savannah has all the parks. Both cities had height limits on buildings so that's REALLY nice-actually surprised us at first because we weren't sure if there was another part of the city we were "missing", just expected taller buildings is all. Charleston probably had a lot more restaurants. It was interesting to see how different the architecture was on both cities since they're so close to each other.
I looked more in Baltimore since the idea of a baseball game is always fun, but they're not playing home that weekend we're thinking of going and I'm looking at Boston too for that reason-they are at home, would be fun to catch a game at Fenway-haven't been to Boston in 20 years probably. But I'm definitely going to check out some of the other spots too; our work schedule (farming!) is such that during the good travel months we can usually only get away for 4/5 days so it's fun to catch a flight somewhere and explore.
We (ok, primarily me!) love to travel so we've actually been to many of the suggested places, but always can go back for more. We'd been on a group trip with friends to NO before the hurricane-it was an easy to navigate city via foot/streetcar and the food was awesome. We enjoy flying into a city; just cabbing it to a hotel (preferably b/b or small inn) and walking/walking/walking to work off the eating/eating/eating
Then if we like the place enough we try to re-visit but rent a car and explore the outside areas more.Charleston was more "cityish" than Savannah, but that's probably because Savannah has all the parks. Both cities had height limits on buildings so that's REALLY nice-actually surprised us at first because we weren't sure if there was another part of the city we were "missing", just expected taller buildings is all. Charleston probably had a lot more restaurants. It was interesting to see how different the architecture was on both cities since they're so close to each other.
I looked more in Baltimore since the idea of a baseball game is always fun, but they're not playing home that weekend we're thinking of going and I'm looking at Boston too for that reason-they are at home, would be fun to catch a game at Fenway-haven't been to Boston in 20 years probably. But I'm definitely going to check out some of the other spots too; our work schedule (farming!) is such that during the good travel months we can usually only get away for 4/5 days so it's fun to catch a flight somewhere and explore.
I was thinking about this topic some more, and for me personally there are only three cities that would keep me busy enough for 3-4 days of walking or subways and exploring....that would be NYC, Boston, and D.C. Philly is a close 4th (I'm from there, so maybe slanted viewpoint).
We've been to Baltimore, Charleston....a lot of places like this....but I don't think they're big enough with a wide enough variety of stuff for 3-4 days (I'll probably get bashed on this). For me the city has to be big enough with a great variety of stuff to see, but small enough to walk or have a great subway to get from one end to the other quickly. Only a few meet this criteria.
The reason I'd pick NYC is obvious, its the big apple and tons of shopping, museums, waterfront, restaurants, shows, you name it, it's got it. The reason I'd pick D.C. is the mall....it's just beautiful with all the monuments, congress, history, pure beauty, easy to spend multiple days touring all this stuff. The reason I'd pick Boston is because its a mini version of NYC....ie, residential, historical, food, shopping, parks, waterfront....very cool but small and walk-able.
By the way, if you haven't been to Boston in 20 years, you'd be shocked at the change with the Big Dig. The old raised highway between Fanuel Hall and North End / Waterfront is gone, underground (thank you U.S. taxpayers), and this is now parkland with fountains and gardens.
We've been to Baltimore, Charleston....a lot of places like this....but I don't think they're big enough with a wide enough variety of stuff for 3-4 days (I'll probably get bashed on this). For me the city has to be big enough with a great variety of stuff to see, but small enough to walk or have a great subway to get from one end to the other quickly. Only a few meet this criteria.
The reason I'd pick NYC is obvious, its the big apple and tons of shopping, museums, waterfront, restaurants, shows, you name it, it's got it. The reason I'd pick D.C. is the mall....it's just beautiful with all the monuments, congress, history, pure beauty, easy to spend multiple days touring all this stuff. The reason I'd pick Boston is because its a mini version of NYC....ie, residential, historical, food, shopping, parks, waterfront....very cool but small and walk-able.
By the way, if you haven't been to Boston in 20 years, you'd be shocked at the change with the Big Dig. The old raised highway between Fanuel Hall and North End / Waterfront is gone, underground (thank you U.S. taxpayers), and this is now parkland with fountains and gardens.
John and I are going to Montreal tomorrow for the weekend, so I will report back on that as a possible destination. We are primarily flying in for the U2 shows but are also planning some exploring and dining out. I haven't been up there in about 10 years so it should be interesting.
I do think Boston would be a good choice for you especially if you have not been here in so long. It is totally walkable and beautiful at this time of year. Just know that Red Sox tickets are hard to come by unless you are willing to pay broker prices. If you do pick Boston let me know and I will send you some suggestions.
I do think Boston would be a good choice for you especially if you have not been here in so long. It is totally walkable and beautiful at this time of year. Just know that Red Sox tickets are hard to come by unless you are willing to pay broker prices. If you do pick Boston let me know and I will send you some suggestions.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
Agree with surfnh observations. NYC is certainly not small and maybe not what you are looking for, but, (with apologies for mini-hijack of the thread) just wanted mention a relatively new and very cool thing in Manhattan - the creation of the Highline “Park” along an old abandoned elevated rail line that runs from the Meatpacking District up to around 30th on the West Side.
It is very well designed and offers some really neat views – we need to go back and experience it for a sunset and evening stroll. I was also surprised at the degree of gentrification in the meatpacking district with the fancy shops and restaurants.
See:
http://www.thehighline.org/
Now back to your original program...
It is very well designed and offers some really neat views – we need to go back and experience it for a sunset and evening stroll. I was also surprised at the degree of gentrification in the meatpacking district with the fancy shops and restaurants.
See:
http://www.thehighline.org/
Now back to your original program...
When we come to place where the sea and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
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cool breeze
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- Location: N.H
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Greenskeeper
- Posts: 390
- Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:07 pm
- Location: Cape Cod, MA
I agree if you haven't been to Boston in 10 years it is worth the trip. Much more green space and yes, very walkable.
Chronicle did a great story on the gourmet food trucks that (finally- NYC, LA etc already had them) are around the city (one on the Rose Kennedy Greenway offers picnic blankets to patrons). It looked like a lot of fun.
Chronicle did a great story on the gourmet food trucks that (finally- NYC, LA etc already had them) are around the city (one on the Rose Kennedy Greenway offers picnic blankets to patrons). It looked like a lot of fun.