Just Drive: A 4-Day Bestie Adventure Through New England
Day 1: Marblehead to Hampton Start Here
I picked up my best friend from the airport, grabbed some lunch, and immediately headed north. Just 30 minutes from Boston sits Marblehead, a beautiful coastal town that shouldn't exist this close to the city. We stopped at Chandler Hovey Park and found one of the country's oldest lighthouses standing guard over the harbor. We sat in the grass. Watched the boats. Watched the lighthouse. Relaxed into it. I took the pictures we came for. Then we headed north to the Hamptons.
Keep driving north for two hours. New Hampshire is waiting.
South Beach: The Quiet One
Fifteen dollars to park. Or arrive after 4 PM, and it's free. This is one of the clearest-water beaches I've seen so far in New England, and it is very peaceful. Enjoy your snack and bring a book.
Hampton Beach State Park: The Lively One
Boardwalk energy hits different. Shops everywhere. Ice cream shops doing things with ice cream you didn't know were possible.
Do both beaches. Afternoon quiet. Evening boardwalk. The energy shift is exactly what makes this work.
Drive to Portland, Maine, before dark.
Day 2: Portland to Diana's Bath: The Waterfall Changes Things
Grab breakfast and head to Scarborough Beach. It's quiet. The kind of place where you actually sit down and read. We couldn't get in the water due to sharks, but we still had a great time in nature. Stayed until midmorning. By noon, we headed ninety minutes south to Diana's Bath. This waterfall is hidden in the New Hampshire woods. Park at the trailhead. You have two options: the easy 0.6-mile walk straight to the waterfall, or challenge yourself with the 10-mile loop trail before you jump in. On your way back, make a quick stop at the Swift River Bridge. From there, decide: stay in the White Mountains or head south to Manchester.
Day 3: Manchester Hidden Gems and Your Bestie
Manchester is a spontaneous city. At first glance, it looks like any other city, but it's full of hidden gems. City travel isn't my thing. I'm more of a nature person. But Manchester's super-density makes it hard not to want to spend a couple of days there. Walk the waterfront. Go for a walk on the riverwalk. Visit the numerous museums. In the evening, explore the city as it's beautifully lit. Make it a quest where you find the hidden alleys with hot dog windows, the church towers with changing lights, and the hidden coffee shop tucked in the back of an old bookstore. End your evening with handmade nitrogen ice cream. If you're a history lover, Manchester is for you. There's a landmark on every corner that tells its own story.
Day 4: Boston One Day Isn't Nearly Enough
Boston will swallow your day and ask for more. You only have one. Here's how to do it right. Start at the Public Garden. This is what tourists do and for good reason. It's genuinely beautiful. Ducks. Bridge. Trees. But here's the move: Bring your own food. Don't spend forty-eight dollars on hot dogs and lemonade here. The markup is ridiculous. The park is free. Spread out on the grass. Unpack your sandwich. Let the ducks be ducks. And the best thing is that street parking is affordable there, surprisingly, for Boston: $4.75 for 2 hours. Find the bridge and get your free newspaper picture. Walk in either direction from there. Go left; you hit Beacon Hill. Cobblestones are real. Brownstones are old. The energy is money, but the walking is free. Find Acorn Street. It's the most photographed street in Boston.
Head to Quincy Market. Every cuisine you've ever thought of is happening here. Italian. Asian. Seafood. Everything. Get something. Sit in the middle of the marketplace. Eat. Watch the people. There's usually a free show happening outside. Stay for three songs.
The New England Aquarium is five minutes away if you want it.
Avumile Journeys
Travel is not expensive. Uninformed travel is.
