Long Weekend Somewhere - Suggestions | The Boneyard

Long Weekend Somewhere - Suggestions

HuskyHawk

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I feel stir crazy. I'll probably go visit my parents in South Carolina in November. I have 12 days of vacation left and need a break with my wife. Preference is to fly non-stop from Providence, or drive less than 5 hours or so. Could possibly consider a flight with a stop or flying from Boston, but that eats a lot of time on a short trip and is a hassle with all the flight related issues going on. Probably in October, possibly late September. Don't want to drive much once there, but a little isn't fatal. Stay Thurs-Sunday mostly likely.
Out: Charleston and Savannah are out because that's where my parents are and we've been several times. We did Newport last year. Portsmouth too...was boring. Baltimore, DC, NYC. Vermont. Chicago (went a couple of years ago).
Ideal if travel was easier: New Orleans, Galway, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff. Montreal. Will probably do New Orleans with some friends in the spring.

Things we like:
History (including locations and history themed museums), live rock/jazz/blues music, breweries, wineries, distilleries, pubs, outdoor scenery and nice walks, good but casual food. Seeing new places both man made and natural.
Things we don't much like:
Fancy expensive restaurants with more exotic food, shopping for pricey boutique items, loud crowded places, modern urban spaces, nightclubs, skyscrapers. I'm too hard of hearing for plays.

Early Contenders:
Nashville: Flights are spotty. Never been. Relatively warm. Great bar and music scene (I assume). Some history.
Nantucket: Never been, some history, could be boring as hell. Feel like having another couple would help. Heavy food/shopping. Easy travel.
Portland: Easy travel. Good breweries. Some history. Might wind up just drinking beer the whole time. Is there a music scene? Could maybe get another couple to come.
Philadelphia: Never really been. Lots of history. Big city negatives. Don't know much about it.
Tampa: Far. Warm. Don't know it. Old Cuban area might be cool. Could go to the beach.
Suggestions? What am I missing?
 

HuskyHawk

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Nashville is next on our list because of the Avelo flights.
I haven't looked into Tampa, but Nashville and Philly are standing out to me right now.

I really know nothing about Philly, where to stay, how to get around etc. Nashville I think I can walk to most everything.
 

SubbaBub

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Portland has a strong local music scene. Upstate NY (Saratoga or Lake George, maybe the Finger Lakes (Skaneateles) sound like they might be your speed. Oct is slightly past peak season, but that sounds like your aim.
 
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Portland has a strong local music scene. Upstate NY (Saratoga or Lake George, maybe the Finger Lakes (Skaneateles) sound like they might be your speed. Oct is slightly past peak season, but that sounds like your aim.
Going to lake George next mouth for a long weekend for our 1 year Anniversary
 
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Tampa is pretty cool these days. I’d stay at Riverwalk downtown. The Marriot is nice as are several others. The only issue is it may still be hot out. Tampa is now an underrated city. It has really cleaned up.

Nashville has some cool things to do besides go to the touristy bars. There is some decent history and some great restaurants. East Nashville has some good food too. I’d probably go there on this trip. Fall is nice in Nashville and you like live music anyway. I think it is a can’t miss trip based on your likes. I also think 5 days is about right for Nashville. I’ve been 3 times but never for more than 4-5 nights and I was usually ready go home. It takes a lot of energy eating, drinking and listening to loud music. It wears a man down.
 

storrsroars

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Tampa isn't really a "beach town". And if you aren't a fan of Cuban food, there's not much of note to eat. Some breweries. You and your wife might enjoy Sarasota more, easy to get around, beaches, some cool local eats in Cortez and St. Armands.is a fun place for nightlife. Lots of brewpubs. You can always drive up to Ybor if you want. Wife and I used to often go down to Pirates spring training for a few days. I'm not a Florida fan, but if I had to retire there, Sarasota/Bradenton would be the spot.

If Nashville, do not stay at Opryland. It's too damned big and much farther away from downtown than it seems. It doesn't do a ton for me

Philly is fairly easy to get around on SEPTA. There is a lot of history, some cool neighborhoods, and Reading Market, which is a must.

Of course, there's always Pittsburgh! :D
 

HuskyHawk

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Seems Savannah and Charleston are back on the list, so I could potentially combine it with a trip to see my parents. Flights are quite expensive. Lake George is a bit too Vermont like I suspect. Had a house there many years.
 
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Philly is a great walking city so if you and your wife are walkers the best way to get around is on your own two feet. There are a lot of nice neighborhoods and although its considered a big city, it doesn't feel that way and is generally pretty quiet. If you go further afoot there's UBER or SEPTA (subway, trolley and busses). It tends to get hot here in the Summer but is really nice in the fall and spring.

There's a ton of old streets and history as well as the Museum of the American Revolution, and Constitution Hall. Can't really speak to either, but Mrs. Mussels went to the Museum of the American Revolution and said it was surprisingly moving.

All of the constitution related history is on the east side of town and on the west side you have the Art Museum (Rocky Steps), Boathouse Row and Fairmont Park, which goes up the Schuylkill River.

There are a lot of hotels in Philly, and the rates tend to be lower than other big cities. I asked Mrs. Mussels for recommendations, and she rattled off a bunch so if you do want to come here PM me and I'm sure she can recommend something to meet your needs and budget.

some local art:

1663211726349.png
 

HuskyHawk

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How about Montreal? Great city, same distance as Philly and much closer than some of the other stuff you named.
It’s on the eventual list for sure. Question is the right now list.
 

Monte

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How about Gettysburg? Hershey Park is also nearby. At night, horse racing at Penn National......quite rural area, but Harrisburg is not far away.
 

ClifSpliffy

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people often say summer goes by too quickly. stretch it out.
weather looking solid summer for a few more weeks, soo,
pack one bigger bag each.
hop the train to New London.
walk a short distance to the Block Island ferry. get on.
after checking in, rent bicycles or mopeds.
bop around for few days. lie around like a lox. be like that beach commercial where the guy places his phone in his mixed drink.

Nantucket is awesome, too. mellow on ice, unless you're there to fish, then it could become exciting, dangerous, and wild.
anybody else watching all those stories this year with giant fish being caught? giant fish jumping into boats? giant whales circling and bumping boats? and then, there's this!

iffn you go to fish, bring some extra drawers. folks tend to soil the ones they got on when the crazy waves hit.

las vegas is always nice, too, unless its all africa hot. then it becomes all kinds of melty, and everything goes into slo-motion.
killer waves or hot tar, tough choice.
i'd choose the Block.
 
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Chin Diesel

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I would avoid Nashville and New Orleans due to not liking crowds, noise and whatnot. The places to be are all packed. Especially early fall when temps and humidity have started to go down a bit.

Instead of Charleston and Savannah what about going a bit further south in to Florida along Amelia Island and St Augustine? Stay either north of Jax or south of Jax.

Amelia Island has plenty of beaches and inland marshes for walking or canoeing or kayaking. Some resort type amenities for spa and treatments and not to worry about overpriced small sized portions on your meals?

I would also be wary of going to Europe. It's a show over there with transportation.

Montreal could be fun.
 

HuskyHawk

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How about Gettysburg? Hershey Park is also nearby. At night, horse racing at Penn National......quite rural area, but Harrisburg is not far away.
DId that with the kid years ago. It was good, enjoyed it. Don't need to repeat it. :) Slightly too far to drive.

@Chin Diesel We have neighbors with a house on Amelia Island (I think), I may just go down for a golf weekend with them. I do want to visit St. Augustine at some point. Not sure I want to drive there from Beaufort. Looks like 3.5 hours, probably 4 from the St. Helena. Amelia Island is closer. Hmmm. It could be worth checking the flights to see if it is viable. I do like the idea of seeing something new. Honestly, I hadn't considered Hilton Head either, and I probably should. WIfe has never been.
 

8893

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Charlottesville, VA checks a lot of your boxes, but five days might be a bit much if you are flying. When we were there over Labor Day weekend one of our Uber drivers said they have the second most micro-breweries in the country, and they also have a lot of cider mills and vineyards. Beautiful area. Lots of history obviously, with Monticello and Montpelier nearby. The pedestrian mall downtown is really nice, and they have a few music venues that seem to get national acts every week, including the Ting Pavilion (stumbled into a Jason Isbell show there by chance, and you can hear perfectly from the mall without even going in), the Jefferson Theater and the Southern Cafe & Music Hall. Lots of good restaurants, UVA is right there. Residence Inn is well-located, reasonably priced and pretty nice.

If you are driving, you could combine it with a trip to Philadelphia.
 

Chin Diesel

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DId that with the kid years ago. It was good, enjoyed it. Don't need to repeat it. :) Slightly too far to drive.

@Chin Diesel We have neighbors with a house on Amelia Island (I think), I may just go down for a golf weekend with them. I do want to visit St. Augustine at some point. Not sure I want to drive there from Beaufort. Looks like 3.5 hours, probably 4 from the St. Helena. Amelia Island is closer. Hmmm. It could be worth checking the flights to see if it is viable. I do like the idea of seeing something new. Honestly, I hadn't considered Hilton Head either, and I probably should. WIfe has never been.

Tybee Island just east of Savannah or St Simon's have plenty enough for a long weekend.
 

HuskyHawk

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Tybee Island just east of Savannah or St Simon's have plenty enough for a long weekend.
My wife likes the idea of Hilton Head. It's simple, 30 minutes from my parents, and not far from the airport. Need to make sure flights work and we can find a hotel or AirBnB that isn't ridiculous. I haven't been there since I used to go for spring break.
 

huskeynut

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St. Augustine, FL. Plenty of sights and historic sights to see. Take the Red train. It stops at the winery. Really good wine made from Florida grapes. Do the tour and tasting. Next stop is the distillery. Gin, Vodka, Bourbon and Port Wine finished bourbon. Last stop is the chocolate factory.

Great beaches. Can do almost anything and visit anything by walking.

Plenty of restaurants with really good selections of steaks, chicken and of course seafood. Prices are not outlandish.

Historically, St. Augustine is a treasure trove of places to visit. America's oldest city.

Many B & B's to stay in if that's your thing.

If you visit between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the entire city is ablaze with white lights. Absolutely beautiful. Take a horse drawn carriage ride to see the city at night. There are also boat tours at night in the harbour area to see the town lit up.
 
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How about Montreal? Great city, same distance as Philly and much closer than some of the other stuff you named.
I agree.

I’ve been twice and it rained hard both times and still enjoyed my stay.

One highlight, catching a Rangers/Bruins playoff game at Champs along with poutine and plenty of Molson.

Last time I was there, we stayed at an amazing bed and breakfast.
 

HuskyHawk

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We ended up just visiting my parents in SC. Went to good a good brewery and a nice restaurant yesterday. Watched some dolphins in the river this afternoon. Had lunch in Beaufort. This is the Sunset last night.
EB282491-EDC6-4641-9514-D628E152262F.jpeg
 

Chin Diesel

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We ended up just visiting my parents in SC. Went to good a good brewery and a nice restaurant yesterday. Watched some dolphins in the river this afternoon. Had lunch in Beaufort. This is the Sunset last night.
View attachment 79962

Beaufort, Bluffton, Lady's Island and Port Royal is plenty enough activity, food and drink for a long weekend
 

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