Long time, no post. In an effort to reduce my time spent online (I was spending far too much of my day browsing here and Facebook ), I cut back on the spot and just pop in every so often to see what is new. Well, I am looking for some advice and figured this would be a great place since there are people from all over the US, and those who have traveled all over. This summer my family (dh, ds(10), and myself) will be taking a trip to Boston. We are heading out from AZ for an event, but plan on tacking on some extra days to see some sites. I know there is a ton to see, so I wanted recommendations. What sites would you recommend, or NOT recommend? What restaurants should we make sure not to miss? We are also considering heading into New York City and/or Washington D.C. What do you recommend for those cities? We know there is far too much to see in a week or two, so we want to make sure we hit the top recommended places. We are also leaning towards public transportation as opposed to renting a car just to make it more enjoyable and less stressful (I refuse to drive outside of our city, and am a horrible navigator when it comes to helping hubby). So, if you have taken trains, buses, etc. in the area, give me some tips. Also, what safety tips do you have (such as areas to avoid)? We would also love hotel recommendations. We tend to stay at places like a Hampton Inn so we know what to expect (nice, clean, breakfast on site). While we are going to try to find the best deals, the money aspect is not as critical as having a nice, stress free, enjoyable time. Thanks for any help or advice you can give.
In New York, you must go to the top of the Empire State building - especially at night time (they stay open until very late). Two free (or almost free) things to do? Visit Grand Central Station, and take a return trip on the Staten Island ferry (best way to see the Statue of Liberty). Macy's, of course, is great - twelve floors, if I remember correctly. And you must attend at least one Broadway show. Discount tickets are available all over the city. When I had to park when attending a business meeting in Manhattan, it cost me $95 for four hours. Yes, use public transportation!
In NYC I say the Metropolitan Museum of Art is number 1. Best place for discount Broadway tickets are the TKTS booth https://www.tdf.org/nyc/7/TKTS You just need to get in line really early and be flexible with what you want to see. It is even a fun experience waiting in line. One of the best ways to see all the spots is to do a grey line tour in NYC http://www.newyorksightseeing.com/ Whenever I had friends from college in we used to do one of those. My mil did that too when she was in NYC just for a day and loved it.
