I am going to Boston next week. I haven't spent any time really in those big east coast cities (Washington DC and upstate New York only). Soooo, does anyone that lives in Boston have any suggestions or ideas? What's your favorite thing to do there? I'm going to be staying in Salem and the only thing I have on my list so far is drinking (I'm staying with big drinkers!) and the BSO. It has been on my "list of things to do before I die" since I was a little girl, but the program next weekend is kind of blah. Also, I"m going to try as hard as I can NOT to drink a ton of beer and keep my activity level up. My goal is to come home weighing the same or less than when I left! Any suggestions are appreciated!

Maybe this thread should be re-titled for everyone, "Hey I'm coming to your city- what do I do???"

I went to Boston once on a college field trip. This might be a strange suggestion, but you may want to check out Mount Auburn Cemetery; it is absolutely gorgeous. I believe the waiting list to be buried there is at least a couple years long (people are dying to get in - can't pass up the lame joke).

Also, for a more normal tourist thing to do; they have whale watching boat trips, which are pretty cool. Of course if you're going to be in Salem, I'm sure you'll hit up the witch museum.

When I went, I was still only 20, so drinking wasn't an issue and I managed to have a great time there. I'm sure you'll find plenty to do; just ask the locals.

Quincy market is awesome.. and theres an aquarium and stuff somewhere around there too.. Theres sooo much tourist stuff, like the USS Constitution, and a bunch of old stuff like that

QUINCY MARKET is the place to be!! Grab yourself some real new england clam chowder!!!! I love boston!

Ok. I LOVE clam chowder, but what IS Quincy Market exactly?

GC- is the cemetery just really old? Famous people buried there? Also, whale watching is something I have always wanted to do- thanks for the info!

When I went on a school trip to Boston we went to Quincy Market, whale watching, the aquarium... hmm I don't remember anything else... but that stuff was all really cool! And yeah the chowder is excellent!

As I remember it, it's just a market. I think it was partly indoors, partly outdoors. Lots of neat vendors. Just a fun place to go and shop and look around.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I am from Boston! (Well, Cambridge really, but that is a story for another day.) And I still live here! I wish I could help show you around, but I will be in Germany.

I have been to Quincy Market a ton of times; it is so touristy it is lame. It is a glorified food court in a historical building, and is surrounded by stores and vendor carts selling everything they can put Boston/Harvard/Massachusetts/lobsters on. If you really want a good time here, PM me -- let me know what you will be using for public transport, and what you are into. Unless, of course, you just want to shop, in which case you can go anywhere around here because every town and city has at least one mall.

The aquarium is fun, too but last time I was there I got light-headed and passed out at the very top. If you've been there you know I had to be dragged/carried all the way back down that spiral ramp and it was not too much fun. I scared the crap out of my boyfriend that day lol.

I love New England and miss it all the time. Boston is a great city for lots of walking around. They have the duck tours too (trolly things) and historical trails to check out. Have a blast!

What I found so great about the cemetery is the scenery. The sculptures and stones and mausoleums were beautiful. The landscape is gorgeous (although, I'm a landscape architect, so I really look for those things) and maintained beautifully; they even have the types of plants labeled, which is really nice because they have so many different varieties. Back in the day, before parks were created, people used to go to cemeteries for recreation because they were the most beautiful public outdoor spaces. I'm not sure who's buried there, but the place is absolutely huge so I'm sure there are some notable people who chose it as their final resting place. There is a website that will give you more information. Posting the link might be a problem, but if you just type "Mount Auburn Cemetery" in a search engine, I'm sure you'll see the official site. When I went, I had some friends with me who weren't as excited about going as I was (at the time I was planning on going into cemetery design) but they really enjoyed it and were glad they came. Anyway, enjoy your time off and the change of scenery.