Weekend Getaway for a Couple

[HuskyHawk]

My 20th anniversary is coming up on 9/1, 10 days before the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Generally we get each other a card, I got flowers a couple times, and that's it. But this time, it seems we should do something. We will drop our daughter at College a few days before so will celebrate the weekend after, which will be Labor Day weekend (late this year). Looking at options where we can get a nice hotel, have a nice dinner, but then still catch casual entertainment...a band at a pub or bar & grille or brewery type thing. We don't do fancy well for very long. Beer and wings is more our speed. Later in September we're going to Nashville with another couple, so this would just be a night or two drivable from metro Boston. We tend to like older, smaller cities by the water that are walkable.

Newport? Portland? Somewhere in Maine? Nantucket? Any other suggestions? Providence is too close. We have friends on Martha's Vineyard, but have never been to Nantucket. Is it boring? If there was a concert that weekend it could be a nice extra.

 

[CL82]

The 10 best B&Bs in Bar Harbor, USA | Booking.com

 

[8893]

Been to all the places you mention. Nantucket would be the most special and that is a great time of year to be there. I prefer the Vineyard but Nantucket is not boring. Check out the Chicken Box for live music. Also check for flights instead of the ferry. You might be surprised at the price relative to the time and hassle of the ferry.

 

[storrsroars]

My 20th anniversary is coming up on 9/1... We don't do fancy well for very long. Beer and wings is more our speed.

That just seems so incompatible with your wine & booze experience and collection.

Our 20th anniversary dinner got cancelled due to a power blackout at the restaurant, but is rescheduled for this Friday. If I'd suggested going out for beer and wings instead of reschueduling, I wouldn't see a 21st anniversary.

 

[HuskyHawk]

That just seems so incompatible with your wine & booze experience and collection.

Our 20th anniversary dinner got cancelled due to a power blackout at the restaurant, but is rescheduled for this Friday. If I'd suggested going out for beer and wings instead of reschueduling, I wouldn't see a 21st anniversary.

Ha. We both like wine. Wife doesn’t go for spirits. Maybe a tropical drink in the right setting, margaritas or daiquiris. Neither of us are foodies really. My thought was a nice dinner with wine one night, beer, wings/pizza and music the next. If I have to put on a dress shirt and wear dress shoes two days in a row, I’m not enjoying myself. She’s of Irish stock, our first date was at an Irish pub in Southie and not much has changed. We do like nicer places now and then.

@8893 the flights are a no go. Over $700 from PVD or Norwood. If we do Nantucket, it’s the ferry from Hyannis. But that’s probably much easier for me than you.

Has anybody been to this in RI? Home

 

[8893]

Ha. We both like wine. Wife doesn’t go for spirits. Maybe a tropical drink in the right setting, margaritas or daiquiris. Neither of us are foodies really. My thought was a nice dinner with wine one night, beer, wings/pizza and music the next. If I have to put on a dress shirt and wear dress shoes two days in a row, I’m not enjoying myself. She’s of Irish stock, our first date was at an Irish pub in Southie and not much has changed. We do like nicer places now and then.

@8893 the flights are a no go. Over $700 from PVD or Norwood. If we do Nantucket, it’s the ferry from Hyannis. But that’s probably much easier for me than you.

Has anybody been to this in RI? Home

Yeah the ferry isn’t bad and much easier for you; flights can be funny and we’ve gotten some sneaky good deals, but always before the 4th of July or after Labor Day. It’s a casual enough place while still feeling special, The beaches are great and the town is quaint with its cobblestone streets. The yachts in the harbor are insane. We would always remark that the smallest ones there are larger than the largest ones on the Vineyard. Cisco Brewery won’t blow you away but it’s a fun stop with quaffable beers and nice merch. Lots of t-shirts and shorts places among the finer dining. Cool shops, especially out on the docks. I don’t know if they are still there, but there used to be a husband and wife who had a men’s and women’s clothing store, respectively, in little shacks right next to each other. They spent each winter traveling the world to the types of places the designers for major brands go and buy the same items from the same sources and sell them for a lot less without a brand label affixed. I think it’s perfect for a weekend.

Rhythm & Roots is a whole ‘nother story. My kids literally grew up there. We started going pre-kids, the first year they moved to Ninigret (around ‘98 I think?) and have been more than 15 times, camping on site with the family and a large, extended group of friends for most years. It is a great time and we have been there in everything from hurricanes, Nor’easters and flash floods to 90 degree scorchers, and everything in between. Usually the weather is idyllic but you know how this area can be that time of year. The nighttime campground scene is a blast. We stopped going four years ago when our oldest went away to college because that was the weekend we moved her in; and of course it was canceled like everything else last year. I have been eyeing the lineup this year with an eye towards returning. A niece is getting married in RI on Friday that weekend and I am trying to parlay that with a Saturday and maybe Sunday deal, but that would require lodging in the area, which is not plentiful or great—although there are lots of three-day rentals. IIRC there was a B&B close enough to hear the music and that is supposed to be nice, but not a lot of other options.

I have more information about this than you could ever want or need, so let me know if it remains a possibility for you and I will try to narrow the focus of my recommendations. If you go it would definitely up the ante for me to try to make it happen for my return as well.

 

[wethyhusky]

Portsmouth, NH is a great weekend getaway. Burlington, VT is also a great location. I've been to both with my wife and can highly recommend either. Portland is also awesome

 

[HuskyHawk]

Portsmouth, NH is a great weekend getaway. Burlington, VT is also a great location. I've been to both with my wife and can highly recommend either. Portland is also awesome

Thanks. We went to Portsmouth recently (college scouting trip at UNH) and have been to Burlington a lot (had a house in VT). Portsmouth was nice, but underwhelming for me. Burlington is a blast.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

Portsmouth, NH is a great weekend getaway. Burlington, VT is also a great location. I've been to both with my wife and can highly recommend either. Portland is also awesome

We're heading to Portsmouth in about a month to tour UNH and will be staying over. Any suggestions for cool things to do? We'll have about 1 day total goof off time.

 

[BlueandOG]

I've got you covered: Portland, ME. It is about 1.5 hours from Boston, has a range of places to stay (expensive to bed-bug infested), and has a ton of cool bars. If you stay in the Old Port you can walk to everything. I remember sitting in Gritty's when I heard that the lead singer of The Cranberries died. That was a popular group when I was at UCONN and I said something to my wife like, "Oh, that sucks that she died." The bartender overheard and brought us over two pints on the house.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Yeah the ferry isn’t bad and much easier for you; flights can be funny and we’ve gotten some sneaky good deals, but always before the 4th of July or after Labor Day. It’s a casual enough place while still feeling special, The beaches are great and the town is quaint with its cobblestone streets. The yachts in the harbor are insane. We would always remark that the smallest ones there are larger than the largest ones on the Vineyard. Cisco Brewery won’t blow you away but it’s a fun stop with quaffable beers and nice merch. Lots of t-shirts and shorts places among the finer dining. Cool shops, especially out on the docks. I don’t know if they are still there, but there used to be a husband and wife who had a men’s and women’s clothing store, respectively, in little shacks right next to each other. They spent each winter traveling the world to the types of places the designers for major brands go and buy the same items from the same sources and sell them for a lot less without a brand label affixed. I think it’s perfect for a weekend.

Rhythm & Roots is a whole ‘nother story. My kids literally grew up there. We started going pre-kids, the first year they moved to Ninigret (around ‘98 I think?) and have been more than 15 times, camping on site with the family and a large, extended group of friends for most years. It is a great time and we have been there in everything from hurricanes, Nor’easters and flash floods to 90 degree scorchers, and everything in between. Usually the weather is idyllic but you know how this area can be that time of year. The nighttime campground scene is a blast. We stopped going four years ago when our oldest went away to college because that was the weekend we moved her in; and of course it was canceled like everything else last year. I have been eyeing the lineup this year with an eye towards returning. A niece is getting married in RI on Friday that weekend and I am trying to parlay that with a Saturday and maybe Sunday deal, but that would require lodging in the area, which is not plentiful or great—although there are lots of three-day rentals. IIRC there was a B&B close enough to hear the music and that is supposed to be nice, but not a lot of other options.

I have more information about this than you could ever want or need, so let me know if it remains a possibility for you and I will try to narrow the focus of my recommendations. If you go it would definitely up the ante for me to try to make it happen for my return as well.

The day I propose camping is the day I get divorce papers. Lodging could work. You can buy 3 days reserved parking for $30. It's out for this year, but the Cajun/Zydeco bands (and food) are things I thought would appeal to my wife with her love of New Orleans. So I'm going to keep it in mind for the future. I discovered a weekly concert/craft beer thing in Hingham MA that will also now be on our radar. That's her stomping ground.

Great info on Nantucket. Thank you. My wife thought Nantucket was a wonderful idea, but some quick research suggested that Labor Day weekend was not the time to go. So we'll finally be making that trip another time now that we aren't really tied to the school schedule. I think we'll like it.

The winner seems to be Newport. Shockingly, my wife has never even been to the mansions. Prices at B&B and AirB&B seem reasonable. And, on a busy traffic weekend we don't have to (a) drive through Boston (as we would for Portland or Bar Harbor) or (b) get across the Cape Cod canal. Newport is just over an hour from me.

 

[HuskyHawk]

We're heading to Portsmouth in about a month to tour UNH and will be staying over. Any suggestions for cool things to do? We'll have about 1 day total goof off time.

It's smaller than I thought, very walkable Not sure what you like to do. Some things were closed last fall when we went. Official Portsmouth, NH Tourism Website! Stay. Shop. Eat. (goportsmouthnh.com) Portsmouth Brewery was ok. Earth Eagle brewing was a tiny place with a decent outdoor patio. There are historic homes you can tour, those were closed to us. Strawberry Banke Museum looked interesting, but it was closed to us too. Need to give it another shot when open I guess.

The drive to UNH, once you get outside Portsmouth, is quite pretty. I wasn't fully aware that the bays and inlets extend all the way to Durham.

 

[8893]

The winner seems to be Newport. Shockingly, my wife has never even been to the mansions. Prices at B&B and AirB&B seem reasonable. And, on a busy traffic weekend we don't have to (a) drive through Boston (as we would for Portland or Bar Harbor) or (b) get across the Cape Cod canal. Newport is just over an hour from me.

We were going to do Newport for our 24th anniversary last September but my wife is a nurse and RI was added to the restricted list for CT the week before our trip so we had to cancel. We had already booked this place and the owners were good enough to provide a full refund even though they didn't have to:

Rental unit in Newport · ★4.97 · 2 bedrooms · 3 beds · 2 baths

Farewell Guest Suite

www.airbnb.com

We have another niece who lives in Newport and she said the location was ideal, and we had a bunch of reservations at places she recommended. We were bummed to have to cancel but definitely plan on rescheduling at some point, and I will definitely try for this place again.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I've got you covered: Portland, ME. It is about 1.5 hours from Boston, has a range of places to stay (expensive to bed-bug infested), and has a ton of cool bars. If you stay in the Old Port you can walk to everything. I remember sitting in Gritty's when I heard that the lead singer of The Cranberries died. That was a popular group when I was at UCONN and I said something to my wife like, "Oh, that sucks that she died." The bartender overheard and brought us over two pints on the house.

We were supposed to go there two weeks ago. Friends/Neighbors have a house on Long Island just off Portland and invited us up. But it was rainy and in the 50s. My wife hasn't been there (I have) so we need to go. Probably want to go when our friends are up at their place.

RIP Dolores O'Riordan.

 

[Waquoit]

Northampton, MA is nice for a weekend. We took the train from Windsor Locks. And depending on how much honky-tonk you can stand, Hampton Beach is an option. The Casino is running shows again and the beach has great waves. Decent enough food.

 

[storrsroars]

I remember sitting in Gritty's when I heard that the lead singer of The Cranberries died. That was a popular group when I was at UCONN and I said something to my wife like, "Oh, that sucks that she died." The bartender overheard and brought us over two pints on the house.

I wasn't expecting two pints. I was expecting Cape Codders.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I wasn't expecting two pints. I was expecting Cape Codders.

I don't know what the punishment for that joke is, but there should be one. Guinness would be the appropriate beverage.

 

[storrsroars]

I don't know what the punishment for that joke is, but there should be one. Guinness would be the appropriate beverage.

Well, two Zombies would've been over the top. Cape Codders would be subtle.

 

[Patty Bailey]

Strawberry Banke Museum looked interesting, but it was closed to us too. Need to give it another shot when open I guess.

If you've been to Old Sturbridge Village, you've pretty much seen the same thing....only difference really is the distance to the water.

 

[Sonofabeach]

We just got back from Niagara falls. We stayed Seneca Casino & Resort 21st floor over looking Canada. we had a great time.

 

[M.S.G.]

We've done Okemo in VT several times, big fan of that area. We go in the off-season, June/July/August, there's a great hotel with reasonable suite prices in Cavendish.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

I just spent the beginning of summer break in Cape Ann, MA, and stayed at this incredible airbnb.

Here's another incredible one in the Berkshires.

What about Quebec? (Haven't been, but seems like a good place for an anniversary).

 

[HuskyHawk]

I just spent the beginning of summer break in Cape Ann, MA, and stayed at this incredible airbnb.

Here's another incredible one in the Berkshires.

What about Quebec? (Haven't been, but seems like a good place for an anniversary).

Canada only just announced that Americans can visit. It’s like a police state. Almost everything still shut down. I’m planning to go to Montreal for a long weekend, but not until things are normal again.

Air BNB looks nice but my wife is from the South Shore. So they don’t go to the North Shore. She might like Hingham or Hull Instead.

 

[billybud]

I spent a couple of weeks in Maine several weeks back...

Bar Har Harbor, Booth Bay....so crowded it was like a midway at the state fair. Too Disney like for us.

Portland...we had great food the four days around the Portland area....an afternoon sail a good wine and dinner on the restaurant deck looking across Portland harbor from South Portland..

We liked the Saltwater grill at sunset.