Do you have a travel bucket list? Daniel and I have had an international list of places we would like to go, but a few years ago, we added a list of places in the United States that we would love to visit. We were planning to go to Europe this fall, but Covid made that pretty much impossible. So, we decided to knock a trip off of our US list – New England in the fall – and it was absolutely wonderful!
Planning trips is so much fun to me! I genuinely enjoy finding good places to stay, local restaurants to check out, and things to do in each city. I started planning this trip months ago and I have some great tips for you!
We wanted to try to go to as many states as possible, but we didn’t have a ton of vacation days, so I researched and came up with an itinerary that worked really well for us.
Day 1 and 2 – Boston. We flew into Boston and rented our car. There is really so much to see and do in Boston that it was hard to narrow down what we wanted to make a priority. Here are my recommendations for some really great things to do and places to get great food.
- Boston Common. Dating back to 1634, this is the oldest park in the United States and it is beautiful! They have swan boats that have been in operation since 1877. They operate from the second weekend of April through the third week in September. There’s also the “Make Way for Ducklings” statue based on the children’s book, which is very popular. You can just walk around the park, or enjoy a picnic. Watch out for the very brave squirrels who will literally walk right up to you begging for food.
- Freedom Trail. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile trail through the city that tells the story of the American Revolution. You’ll see the U.S.S. Constitution, Faneuil Hall, The Paul Revere House, the old North Church, and more. You can do a guided tour, but you can also walk it yourself and still see all the sites.
- Faneuil Hall. This is a marketplace and one of the stops on the freedom trail. There are lots of restaurants and shops to explore.
- Cheers! It’s just very cool to go get your picture taken in front of the Cheers sign and to see the inspiration for the show. The actual bar is very small and very crowded, so we didn’t eat there, we just peeked inside.
- Fenway Park. If you are a baseball fan, you’ll want to at least walk by and see Fenway, or maybe you could catch a game! They also have tours.
- Boston Sail Loft. We had amazing clam chowder at Boston Sail Loft with a beautiful view of the water. If you’re looking for great clam chowder, this is a great place to go!
- Mike’s Pastry. Do not leave Boston without going to Mike’s Pastry. They have SO MANY CANNOLI flavors, plus cakes, pies, and all kinds of Italian pastries and cookies. They’ve been open since 1946, so they must be doing something right. Be prepared, because they only take cash.
- Regina’s Pizzeria. This place has been around since 1926 . It has multiple awards and is the official pizza of the Boston Red Sox. You can get it by the slice too!
Day 2 – half day trip to Newport, Rhode Island. Our second day was split between Boston and Newport. It’s only about a 45 minute drive, so we spent the morning in Newport and late afternoon/evening in Boston. That worked really well for us, but you could for sure find so much to do in beautiful Newport. Here are some recommendations for Newport.
- Newport Trolley Mansion Tour. We took this lovely tour and had a blast! It was so informative and beautiful! Most of the mansions were built between 1850-1900 by some of the wealthiest people in America. But you learn about much more than the mansions on this tour. You can pay a little extra and get admission to one of the houses if you’d like. Shout out to our guide, Carlos! He was amazing.
- Newport Cliff Walk. The cliff walk is a National Recreation Trail. It offers absolutely breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and the mansions of Newport. There are different segments and you can do as much or as little as you want. There are some areas that are pretty treacherous, so do your research before you decide which parts you’d like to walk unless you are feeling adventurous!
- Downtown Shopping Area. Newport has the cutest areas to shop. There are cobblestone streets with tons of eclectic shops and restaurants. It’s worth just taking a stroll if you enjoy shopping.
- Belle’s Cafe. We were told that Belle’s had one of the best lobster rolls in town, and I am here to say that they were fantastic! Plus, Belle’s is in the Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard, so you have dockside dining, which was so lovely!
- Brick Alley Pub and Restaurant. Voted best restaurant in Rhode Island, this place is amazing for fish and chips, lobster rolls, and burgers. They also have 25 beers on tap!
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