Three Favorite Cities for a Long Weekend Visit

[8893]

There is a reason Massachusetts drivers are called "Massholes." They earn it. Worst I have seen on the planet.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Much like people not on the coasts complain about Boston or NYC or LA, driving in Mexico City isn't as awful as all that. Drivers are fairly reliable in the crap they pull, so you learn to expect it. Everyone is aggressive, not unlike NYC or Boston.

I drove to work every day for a year and the only dent I got was actually my fault, rearending someone while we were going 3 mph in bumper to bumper traffic (in Polanco, no less) because I was talking to a passenger. Honestly, I think driivng in Pittsburgh is worse because there's no consistency - you're just as likely to get cut off by a jag as you are to have to screech to a stop because some old lady is afraid to merge and just stops in the middle of a busy road.

Just my opinion; but, the challenge with Mexico City is that a driver has to be hyper-aware at all times because very few people follow the rules (just like Boston), the volume is very high (just like NY or LA) with more traffic crammed into the main boulevards as there are far fewer highways, the hills and valley around the business areas in Lomas to the SW of Mexico City proper add more complexity, and you need an owl's neck to track all of the insane motorcycle and mopeds mobs cutting in and out over everywhere all he while hoping that the bump you just hit was a pothole and not some poor soul who had just fallen-off one of those overcrowed private buses.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Honestly, the worst drivers on the planet are likely in Connecticut.

No other place can reliably generate traffic jams on dry, straight roads.

I have lived in Connecticut and both metro Boston and New York city areas and have traveled and driven in 22 of the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the county along with palces like Toronto, Dublin, London, Paris, Amsterdam and Stuggart and Boston drivers are the worst. Period. The only one close is Providence, which is basically a Boston suburb. I would place Miami and/or Paris next.

 

[Fishy]

I have lived in Connecticut and both metro Boston and New York city areas and have traveled and driven in 22 of the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the county along with palces like Toronto, Dublin, London, Paris, Amsterdam and Stuggart and Boston drivers are the worst. Period. The only one close is Providence, which is basically a Boston suburb. I would place Miami and/or Paris next.

You lived in Connecticut.

You’re the worst driver and you don’t get an opinion.

The bad drivers in Boston are visitors from Connecticut.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

You lived in Connecticut.

You’re the worst driver and you don’t get an opinion.

The bad drivers in Boston are visitors from Connecticut.

Have to politely disagree. Moved to Boston right after leaving Storrs and wound-up at an entry-level job in financial services from other recent grads from Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. Of our group, only 1 said that Boston drivers were not the worst and that person was a local who grew-up inside of 128. I took him to a UConn football game in E. Hartford and offered offered to meet me in Westborough and I woudl drive from there. I had to give him directions as to where Westborough is.

 

[Waquoit]

Massholes are worse than CT, not close. Unless you are on Burnside Ave.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Thoughts on Newport, RI for a weekend in late September for wedding anniversary, with wife, 14-year old daughter and one of her friends?

I've been there maybe twice for a total of 24 hours or less.

We also considering Newburyport, MA and Portsmouth, NH.

Portsmouth is the clear winner right now. Just a lot more open. I was there 3 weeks ago for a weekend. It's fun small city, but the others are likely a lot less open.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I have lived in Connecticut and both metro Boston and New York city areas and have traveled and driven in 22 of the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the county along with palces like Toronto, Dublin, London, Paris, Amsterdam and Stuggart and Boston drivers are the worst. Period. The only one close is Providence, which is basically a Boston suburb. I would place Miami and/or Paris next.

As a resident of metro Boston on the RI border, there is just no contest. The folks coming over from RI are vastly worse than the locals in MA. Just abominable drivers.

That said, Boston drivers are aggressive. If you want passive type driving environment or you actually consider speed limits a real thing, then Boston area drivers aren't for you.

 

[Waquoit]

That said, Boston drivers are aggressive.

That and a reliance on faith over mirrors makes them worst drivers, imo. The worst driving not on purpose is found on the west coast of Florida.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Portsmouth is the clear winner right now. Just a lot more open. I was there 3 weeks ago for a weekend. It's fun small city, but the others are likely a lot less open.

Was there about 10 years ago for a week of work and play. We stayed at the Sheraton and had plenty of food and drinks along Market St. Went across the Piscataqua to Warren's Seafood. Standard seafood shack but I remember it being good.

Went about 30 minutes in to Maine on day and got in a round at Ledge's Golf Course. I seem to remember it being challenging but fair.

Details remain fuzzy but overall enjoyed the visit and recommend it highly for a weekend.

 

[Chin Diesel]

That and a reliance on faith over mirrors makes them worst drivers, imo. The worst driving not on purpose is found on the west coast of Florida.

To be fair most of the gold coast driver's should be dead already and there is a probability that at least one of them does die of natural causes daily, so they're not really concerned with long-term health or their cars. Never seen so many Lincoln's and Buicks in my life until I was in the Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda area.

 

[8893]

Portsmouth is the clear winner right now.

Fark. RI was just added to CT's restricted list.

 

[CL82]

Long weekend means driving and driving means leaving from the northeast because this is a UConn board.

1) Burlington, Vermont.
2) Bar Harbor, Maine.
3) Portsmouth, NH.

If you’re including places like Calgary or Mexico City which are not really long weekend spots for northeasterners unless they’re masochists who like long flights....

1) Vancouver.
2) Key West.
3) The moon.

Is Bar Harbor really a city. I love Acadia National Park area regardless.

Drivable cities? Philly would be my first thought but DC was a good choice as well.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Fark. RI was just added to CT's list.

I have no idea why RI is on anybody's list. It's absolutely ridiculous. And I live 2 miles away. But while I agree with Fishy that Newport beats Portsmouth in normal times, I don't think that's true right now.

Edit: Oh, and Kittery is right next door.

COVID-19 TRACKING: Charts & Interactive Data

A full breakdown of COVID-19 statistics in Rhode Island.

www.wpri.com

 

[huskeynut]

When we lived in CT, our favs were NYC (we had a timeshare), Boston, and Mystic.

Now that we live in Florida, our fav get-a-way is St. Augustine. So much history, great food, tons of places to stay. Our favorite time is Thanksgiving thru New Years. The entire city is decorated in white lights. To take one of trams, or a carriage ride or just walk around and enjoy the festive feel.

 

[8893]

I have no idea why RI is on anybody's list. It's absolutely ridiculous. And I live 2 miles away.

Yeah, I don't make the list. But this is a royal PITA now.

For reasons other than his, this is definitely turning into the vacation from hell that @Fishy predicted.

Wife and daughter want to cancel, but only if we get a refund because the AirBnB we booked is costing us $1,000+.

It's a $1,000 fine if we go and don't comply with the travel restrictions, which means we have to get Covid tested (with non-rapid tests) on Monday when we return and hope we get the results quickly enough to return to work (and soccer for my daughter) on Tuesday.

The place is non-refundable at this point and we don't qualify for AirBnB's extenuating circumstances policy because we booked after March 2020 and none of us currently infected to our knowledge.

So now we are reluctantly dragging our asses to Newport for the weekend. Oh, and daughter is no longer bringing a friend because the price of admission is now a Covid-test or 14-day quarantine, plus paperwork.

And I will bet you anything that RI comes off the list next Tuesday.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Yeah, I don't make the list. But this is a royal PITA now.

For reasons other than his, this is definitely turning into the vacation from hell that @Fishy predicted.

Wife and daughter want to cancel, but only if we get a refund because the AirBnB we booked is costing us $1,000+.

It's a $1,000 fine if we go and don't comply with the travel restrictions, which means we have to get Covid tested (with non-rapid tests) on Monday when we return and hope we get the results quickly enough to return to work (and soccer for my daughter) on Tuesday.

The place is non-refundable at this point and we don't qualify for AirBnB's extenuating circumstances policy because we booked after March 2020 and none of us currently infected to our knowledge.

So now we are reluctantly dragging our asses to Newport for the weekend. Oh, and daughter is no longer bringing a friend because the price of admission is now a Covid-test or 14-day quarantine, plus paperwork.

And I will bet you anything that RI comes off the list next Tuesday.

RI will come off the list when Gina closes stuff down. She's acting like an R and they are punishing her for it.

Six months of COVID: Where New England states stand half-a-year into the pandemic

September marks six months since the coronavirus took hold in New England and much of the rest of the country. Six...

www.telegram.com

 

[8893]

RI will come off the list when Gina closes stuff down. She's acting like an R and they are punishing her for it.

Six months of COVID: Where New England states stand half-a-year into the pandemic

September marks six months since the coronavirus took hold in New England and much of the rest of the country. Six...

www.telegram.com

Nah, they're using data to make the list--data that comes from the states themselves.

I have no idea how sound it is, but RI was not added to the list because of politics.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Nah, they're using data to make the list--data that comes from the states themselves.

I have no idea how sound it is, but RI was not added to the list because of politics.

Well their data is virtually identical to CTs. So I'd be curious what that data is.

 

[8893]

Well their data is virtually identical to CTs. So I'd be curious what that data is.

Executive Order Regarding Travel: Pursuant to Governor Lamont's Executive Order No. 9C, anyone traveling into Connecticut from a state with a positive case rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10% test positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average, or from a country for which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice, are directed to self-quarantine for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state or country.

COVID-19 2023 Update – Ending of the Public Health Emergency

With the nationally declared Public Health Emergency ending on May 11, the Connecticut Department of Public Health has announced the State’s COVID-19 recovery plans and next steps. Please visit www.ct.gov/dph for ongoing updates. If you still can't find an answer to your question, please email...

portal.ct.gov

 

[storrsroars]

I now want to see @8893 go full Clark Griswold at Wallyworld.

"This is no longer a vacation. It’s a quest. It’s a quest for fun. You’re gonna have fun, and I’m gonna have fun. We’re all gonna have so much fracking fun we’re gonna need plastic surgery to remove our g*ddamn smiles! You’ll be whistling “Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah” out of your a**holes!"

 

[8893]

I now want to see @8893 go full Clark Griswold at Wallyworld.

"This is no longer a vacation. It’s a quest. It’s a quest for fun. You’re gonna have fun, and I’m gonna have fun. We’re all gonna have so much fracking fun we’re gonna need plastic surgery to remove our g*ddamn smiles! You’ll be whistling “Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah” out of your a**holes!"

Yep. You got it. That's exactly the dynamic right now.

You should have seen the looks I got for suggesting kite flying, and for requesting that I drive so we can bring bikes.

 

[storrsroars]

Yep. You got it. That's exactly the dynamic right now.

You should have seen the looks I got for suggesting kite flying, and for requesting that I drive so we can bring bikes.

I was kinda hoping you'd go to Home Depot, then head to Providence and stage your own Waterfire

 

[HuskyHawk]

Yep. You got it. That's exactly the dynamic right now.

You should have seen the looks I got for suggesting kite flying, and for requesting that I drive so we can bring bikes.

I Used to love kite flying on the beach.

 

[8893]

Stop the presses!

Fishy will be disappointed, but our tragedy has been narrowly averted. The owner of the Newport AirBnB kindly decided to allow a refund under the circumstances, so we'll "only" lose around $150 in fees. I may try to make a run at some of those, too; but it's worth it to avoid the hassle.

We may decide to go somewhere else, but if we don't we'll save the kenneling fee for the dogs, and in any event we don't have to deal with the Covid tests on Monday, the paperwork or quarantine.

Phew.

The name "Newport" shall never be spoken again.

Update: AirBnB also agreed to refund their fees!