Boston trip

NealRomeoGolf

NealRomeoGolf

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Starting to plan a trip to the Boston area next Spring for some nerdy genealogy sightseeing. Will be concentrating south of Boston in the Bridgewater and Brockton area. Looking through places to park the plane I've come up with Norwood, Plymouth, Taunton or Mansfield. Right now I'm leaning towards Plymouth. Norwood looks expensive. Taunton and Mansfield don't seem to have any rental car places around.

Looking for opinions on the choices if you have any. I know @Cajun_Flyer and @neilw2 are somewhere in the area to maybe help. Also, if people know of cool places to stop between Chicago and Boston, I'm looking to break the trip up in a few legs to smell the roses along the way.
 
If you are going to Bridgewater/Brockton area you really can't beat Taunton or Mansfield. I love Plymouth-they have a great restaurant on field but it is a little out of your way. TAN and Mansfield are right off of Rt 24 with easy access to that area. Norwood is too far out of your way and not worth if you are not going to the city.
 
We'd stay down south in Brockton or something. Haven't figured out time line. I assume you mean when during the day we get in? Probably towards the end of the work day.
 
Also I have close family in that area. Brockton is a little bit of a rough town- some areas are getting better but I wouldn't recommend staying there. Bridgewater is pretty nice, and I would probably recommend staying closer to there.
 
We've had good experiences at Marshfield when we trek over to see my wife's sister. Nice facility and friendly folks.

Jim
 
neilw2 said:
Brockton is a little bit of a rough town- some areas are getting better but I wouldn't recommend staying there. Bridgewater is pretty nice, and I would probably recommend staying closer to there.
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Good to know. Bridgewater is the center of all this. A branch of my family helped settle that town back in the 1600's.
 
I second @neilw2 . You can always Uber to a car rental place or something if theres nothing nearby. How long are you going to be this way?
 
We'd probably be out there 5 days-ish. Me and my dad. Thinking May time frame.

Right now my roughed out flight plan looks like this: 1C5 - KPCW - 0G7 - KPBG - KTAN. And yes, KPBG is far out of the way. My 5th great grandfather lived out in Mooers, NY so we might head up there before heading down to Boston. 0G7 may or may not stay in the plan.
 
And just to fill your head with useless knowledge- Brockton is known as the City of Champions because Rocky Marciano grew up there and has quite a history of boxing. Also it is worth it to make the trek up to Boston for at least a full day if you are at all into revolutionary period history among other things. Other trips that are quick drives from Brockton include Newport, RI- home of high end restaurants and mansions, and New Bedford, MA- which surprisingly has a nice downtown and fishing district. If you need help picking sites, things to do, or restaurants let me know.

Lastly if you feel like doing any flying when you are out here Katama in Martha's Vineyard and BID on Block Island are really close and really cool destinations.
 
neilw2 said:
Lastly if you feel like doing any flying when you are out here Katama in Martha's Vineyard and BID on Block Island are really close and really cool destinations.
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Thanks. Currently on the list for sightseeing is: Borderland State Park, cemeteries in the Bridgewater area, Ames mansion in downtown Boston (at Commonwealth and Dartmouth), Ames Shovel Works in North Easton (although I believe this is redeveloped and not much to see), Ames orchid herbarium at Harvard. Can you tell which family I come from yet? And no, I didn't get any of the family money. :( We will also walk by Fenway and take in a game if the Sox are in town. Probably go over to MIT to look around since my grandfather went to school there. If we have time we'll fit in some coast stuff.
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
Thanks. Currently on the list for sightseeing is: Borderland State Park, cemeteries in the Bridgewater area, Ames mansion in downtown Boston (at Commonwealth and Dartmouth), Ames Shovel Works in North Easton (although I believe this is redeveloped and not much to see), Ames orchid herbarium at Harvard. Can you tell which family I come from yet? And no, I didn't get any of the family money. :( We will also walk by Fenway and take in a game if the Sox are in town. Probably go over to MIT to look around since my grandfather went to school there. If we have time we'll fit in some coast stuff.
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Couple things:

-Borderland is really nice, bring my dog their all the time. Don't get hit by a Frisbee from a hipster playing on their Frolf course.
-Sox games are a pain to get tickets, but they are becoming a little easier to get (it's very similar to getting Wrigley tickets). Just try to plan it out and get tickets early online and you should be good.
-I grew up a few blocks from MIT. Pretty nice campus. Tons of good restaurants close by in Kendall square if you are hungry when out that way. Harvard square is less than a mile from there or 1 red line train stop. Worth going to if you have the time. Weird area and very "Cambridge"...you will understand what I mean when you go there.
 
Ok Bostonians, what is the best way to navigate (driving, not flying) downtown Boston coming in from Bridgewater? Is there transportation to take all the way into the city? Is it easy enough to drive in and park somewhere and walk? Sights in the city would be MIT, Harvard, NEHGS, some sort of Revolutionary War tour (Freedom trail?), Fenway.
 
I usually go into OWD. Nice place. You can get rentals there (Avis/Budget last I checked) or a hop over to the mass transit into Boston. I've gone into BVY as well but I have unkind things to say about the FBOs there.
 
Last time I was in Boston (2 yrs ago) we parked in the underground parking garage at Boston Commons - Eazy Peazy. As far as places to stop along the way, just to the north of your first stop is Put-in-Bay. I'd also fly down to Newport, was there last Fall and it is gorgeous. Drive thru the streets where the university is along the coast and among the mansions. Find the cliff walk. Pretty spectacular mansions IMO.
 
If you're renting a car, the AOPA Enterprise agreement is supposed to have them drop the car at the airport for you. It's been hit and miss for me to get that to happen. Best bet is to call the local FBO where you're going, they will know the local arrangements.

For getting into Boston, if you're going in on the weekend, driving is pretty easy. Parking in Post Office Square at the weekend is very cheap ($9). Not during weekdays though!

If you're going in during the week, I'd drive to one of the Commuter Rail or T stops and take the T in. It's a lot easier to get around when you're in the city, and you'll miss the fun of the parking lot they call I-93 when it's time to leave!
 
Welcome! Hopefully the weather behaves by the time you get here. Feb and March have been a windy gross mess. BID is my favorite of the coastal spots, but I'm yet to make it to Nantucket.

Im based out of Mansfield and love the airport, but transportation directly from there might not be easy.
 
PilotRPI said:
Welcome! Hopefully the weather behaves by the time you get here. Feb and March have been a windy gross mess. BID is my favorite of the coastal spots, but I'm yet to make it to Nantucket.

Im based out of Mansfield and love the airport, but transportation directly from there might not be easy.
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Thanks! We're trying for the week of May 15th. Hopefully the weather will behave. My dad is fairly skittish about the weather so the whole trip could get scrubbed if the weather isn't good enough. I have work setup so I could push the trip to the week later as well. Crossing my fingers.

Looks like we'll be flying into Taunton, staying in the area at a hotel by 495 and taking the train in from Bridgewater.
 
I'd say Norwood - it'll cost you $50/hour just in fuel to fly even a Skyhawk or Warrior - and you seem to be worried about spending $20 more for convenience. . .

OWD. They have cars. A train station close by to get into Boston easily. . . they have a restaurant in case you're trapped by weather for a couple hours.

Taunton is short. Plymouth is in the middle of nowhere. For a NE city. It's great if you're going to that part of the state.
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
Ok Bostonians, what is the best way to navigate (driving, not flying) downtown Boston coming in from Bridgewater? Is there transportation to take all the way into the city? Is it easy enough to drive in and park somewhere and walk? Sights in the city would be MIT, Harvard, NEHGS, some sort of Revolutionary War tour (Freedom trail?), Fenway.
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To answer your question- to get into downtown the best way like you say would be to take a train. 93 from Bridgewater sometimes is ok but is often a nightmare. Bridgewater has reliable train services into town and takes you right to south station. From there it is either a walk (Revolutionary war sites), or a quick train/cab/uber ride to the rest of the sites on your list.
 
comanchepilot said:
I'd say Norwood - it'll cost you $50/hour just in fuel to fly even a Skyhawk or Warrior - and you seem to be worried about spending $20 more for convenience. . .

OWD. They have cars. A train station close by to get into Boston easily. . . they have a restaurant in case you're trapped by weather for a couple hours.

Taunton is short. Plymouth is in the middle of nowhere. For a NE city. It's great if you're going to that part of the state.
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Not worried about the $20. Just looking for least hassle. I like trains. You get to sit and watch things go by. Don't have to worry about where to drive downtown. Just walk. Lost? Stop and figure it out not worrying about traffic honking all around you.

The whole point of the trip is to be on the south side for a whole week, which is why I picked Taunton. Fly in. Park the plane. Look around for a week and then go home. My ancestors founded the town of Bridgewater. That's the whole point. Taunton is only 500 feet shorter than my home field (and OWD for that matter). Sounds perfect.
 
neilw2 said:
To answer your question- to get into downtown the best way like you say would be to take a train. 93 from Bridgewater sometimes is ok but is often a nightmare. Bridgewater has reliable train services into town and takes you right to south station. From there it is either a walk (Revolutionary war sites), or a quick train/cab/uber ride to the rest of the sites on your list.
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Thanks. Found the train schedules last night and looks like a very good option.
 
flyingron said:
I usually go into OWD. Nice place. You can get rentals there (Avis/Budget last I checked) or a hop over to the mass transit into Boston. I've gone into BVY as well but I have unkind things to say about the FBOs there.
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FYI since I'm based @ BVY- The FBO has just been bought by a new, waaaay more customer friendly group. They have been MUCH better to deal with so far and I understand that they are making it way easier for transient traffic to pick BVY. There has been much more traffic the past few months and it seems people are starting to notice the change for the better.

It's a great location, it's too bad the previous FBO's bad rap has kept so much traffic out of there.
 
Great to hear, I'll have to give it a shot if I need to be on the north side of town again. Alas, my relatives who lived in Salem (which BVY was the great destination for) moved to Florida. My trips now tend to be to Hull (OWD still best) or up to IWI in Maine.
 
neilw2 said:
BID on Block Island are really close and really cool destinations.
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Definitely worth checking out that and Nantucket. Before coming to the west coast my flying was all on the east coast, those were always some of my favorite destinations. Martha's Vineyard is *okay* but Nantucket and Block Island don't have that tourist vibe and have a much smaller island feel to them..
 
flyingron said:
Great to hear, I'll have to give it a shot if I need to be on the north side of town again. Alas, my relatives who lived in Salem (which BVY was the great destination for) moved to Florida. My trips now tend to be to Hull (OWD still best) or up to IWI in Maine.
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Let us know next time your up if you want to get a lunch or a beer. The New England POA contingent is always looking to get together.

EDIT: That goes for @NealRomeoGolf as well. If you have an afternoon/evening and want to get together for some hangar talk let us know.
 
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flyingron said:
I usually go into OWD. Nice place. You can get rentals there (Avis/Budget last I checked) or a hop over to the mass transit into Boston. I've gone into BVY as well but I have unkind things to say about the FBOs there.
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I would avoid KOWD Norwood even though it seems "nice". There are sometimes issues with the so called Massport airports. Last time I was there, they wanted to charge me a $175 fee because I was planning on leaving at 8 pm. I agree with others that the other airports are good choices.
 
OWD is not a Massport airport. It's owned by the town of Norwood, and I have never had any problems going in there. The FBO and the rental car agency have always been great. Even the controllers were pretty cool.

The Massport airports are Hanscom (BED), Worcester (ORH), and of course Logan (BOS).
 
flyingron said:
OWD is not a Massport airport. It's owned by the town of Norwood, and I have never had any problems going in there. The FBO and the rental car agency have always been great. Even the controllers were pretty cool.

The Massport airports are Hanscom (BED), Worcester (ORH), and of course Logan (BOS).
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Ron,
Thank you for the correction regarding Massport. I suppose then KOWD were just being greedy then. I've not had any issues with the controllers or car rental either, only the FBO. For the record, I fly into Worcester all the time and have never has an issue there.
 
Tantalum said:
Definitely worth checking out that and Nantucket. Before coming to the west coast my flying was all on the east coast, those were always some of my favorite destinations. Martha's Vineyard is *okay* but Nantucket and Block Island don't have that tourist vibe and have a much smaller island feel to them..
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Didn't want to be the first to mention it, but I agree with the above about BI and Martha's Vineyard. BI is totally laid back and awesome. Martha's felt very touristy and super pricey. But it is cool if you want to recognize a bunch of places from Jaws. Nantucket is a local favorite as well.
 
PilotRPI said:
Didn't want to be the first to mention it, but I agree with the above about BI and Martha's Vineyard. BI is totally laid back and awesome. Martha's felt very touristy and super pricey. But it is cool if you want to recognize a bunch of places from Jaws. Nantucket is a local favorite as well.
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It might be worth mentioning that KMVY is just as friendly as Katama on Martha's Vineyard. Although, you can't beat Katama for lunch and a quick trip to the beach!
 
Nantucket is my favorite island followed by BI. I agree that MVY is too touristy.
 
We have a Boston trip on the back burner too. I haven't looked at charts yet but helpful options listed above no doubt. I think the Son had some firearms history museum in mind also, in one of the neighboring States.
 
PilotRPI said:
Didn't want to be the first to mention it, but I agree with the above about BI and Martha's Vineyard. BI is totally laid back and awesome. Martha's felt very touristy and super pricey. But it is cool if you want to recognize a bunch of places from Jaws. Nantucket is a local favorite as well.
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It's funny, I've landed at all of those places - Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard - as well as Katama, and Block Island, but I haven't actually explored any of those islands. Just landed, grabbed lunch and flown back home. One of these days I'll start exploring, but I rarely have time for much more than a quick trip. Out of those places, Katama has definitely been my favorite to fly into and to eat at... I love the restaurant there and how you can park your plane at the beach and basically just hop out and stick your feet in the ocean. Pretty cool.
 
Katama sounds fun, but not the right time to be doing my first grass landing.
 
Good to see all the info exchanged for the Boston area.

BACFest is scheduled for September in New Bedford (KEWB) and reservations are complete. Following BACFest we are going to finally do Martha's Vineyard and then head up to the Boston area to visit family and friends. I'm planning on Norwood (KOWD) for a few nights. Our final stop will be KLWM, Lawrence Municipal for a night or two to visit AdamB and family.
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
Katama sounds fun, but not the right time to be doing my first grass landing.
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Its easier to land there then paved runways. Wider, very smooth. Nothing to worry about. Just treat it like any other runway.
 
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