[Barlibash] Discount Tickets

[Adams, Julie]

Discounted tickets, from me to you:

Peabody Essex Museum ($9, normally $12)
Boston Walking Tours ($7, normally $10)
Aquarium Tickets ($8, normally $16)

Contact me before Friday at noon if you're interested in these.  They can be used any time.

MBTA visitor passes are $18 for three days - unlimited subway, bus, and harbor ferry use.  You can't get them at all stations though (very irritating to find out during a trip).  They can be purchased at South Station, North Station, and the Airport Station, but if you need to get one somewhere else (if you are driving in, or will not go through any of these stations) - other sales locations are listed on the MBTA site.

I would like to go to the Comedy Connection in Fanueil Hall on Saturday, August 7th, at 10:30pm (after Hanna's party), and see the R-rated hypnotist. (http://www.comedyconnectionboston.com/) Tickets are $17.  After that we can stumble over to the Black Rose (an Irish pub) for a couple of drinks and some live Irish music.  Anybody else interested?


Note:  Everything past this is not really important.


I thought I'd share my experiences and opinions on some of the things people have suggested doing.

Salem:  Several stops north on the commuter rail from north station (few dollars each way for train tickets), it is, at max, a half-day trip.  It's a small town, and there isn't much to do.  It is definitely more fun during the autumn months.

There is the witch museum, but I didn't really like it (exceptionally cheesy, and sometimes tasteless, in my opinion).  The Peabody Essex museum is a very nice; I enjoyed their Chinese market-home exhibit and all of the shipping/sailing/coastal-community related exhibits.  Admission was cheap ($12, I can get you $9 tickets through work if you let me know NOW), it's wasn't crowded, all of the audio-tours and guided tours were free, and there were plenty of places to sit and relax.  

There is a small main street filled with touristy shops, and should you choose to go to Salem, a graveyard that you must not miss.  It is one of the oldest in the US.  It's downright creepy, spooky, and tons of fun to walk through.

The Aquarium:  Bad acoustics, packed, swarming with children.  The exhibits are nice, it's in a convenient location, and I do encourage you to go, but I also would like to warn that I find it a tiring trip every time I go.  I can get discounted tickets for $8 through work (regularly $16, again, let me know ASAP).

Fanueil Hall and Quincy market:  It's a thing to see more than it is a place to go. Everybody ends up there.  Crowds, open air market type shopping, a number of street performers, and horse-drawn carriage rides await you.  You can get off the train at Government Center and walk right through it on your way down to the Aquarium.  I think it's worth seeing, but not worth dedicating more than an hour or two towards visiting.  Eat at the Black Rose, an Irish pub that frequently has live music.

North End Dining:  Take an extra 10 minutes and walk to the North End.  None of the trolley tours go there because the streets are too narrow.  It's beautiful, and lunch there can't be beat.

Walking Tours:  I haven't done one of these, though I would love to. They have tours of the North End, a portion of the Freedom Trail, Back Bay (flat!), Beacon Hill, and a 1/3 underground tour.  
Normally $10, I can get you tickets for $7. (http://www.bostonbyfoot.com/)  

Museum of Fine Arts:  Beautiful, quiet, and if you are coming in Wednesday evening, free.  You should definitely go out for an hour or two on Wednesday if you can.  A downside is that there are no good eating places right around it (I should know, it's very near where I work), so you'll want to head back towards the Prudential Center and downtown to eat afterwards.

Duck Tour:  If you can do it, DO IT!  It's funny, it's land and water, and the guides mix up a great selection of historical and contemporary Boston information.  You must get your tickets early to see this.  They only pre-release 1/3 of their tickets, but those always sell out, so if you don't buy your tickets in advance you will have to go to their stand (at the MoS, the Prude, or Fanueil Hall) at 8am (I have seen them sell out by 10am on weekends).

Harbor Tours:  I took my mom on one of these, and it was really kind of boring.  There was lots of colonial America historical info and mediocre views (the route involves going out along the Harbor by all of the industrial warehouses).  The best part about it was the incredible skyline-of-Boston photo opportunity on the return trip.

Harvard Square:  This also is a place to see more than a thing to do.  If you like Indian food (several vegetarian option available), go to the Bombay Club for lunch or dinner.   Check out the Garage (small mall'ish place with several fun stores - comic book place, sci-fi/fantasy book place, anime place, alternative clothing place, etc).  Harvard Square makes for some good people watching on weekened evenings.

Drinking/Eating:  If you want a recommendation for any of this while you're here, ask.  It's likely you'll stumble upon places just as good as I could suggest simply by wandering around.