A Movie Themed Self-Drive Tour
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Arrive at the airport, pick-up your rental car and proceed to the hotel. Boston is the home of over 400 movies and TV shows. From recent blockbusters such as Mystic River and Good Will Hunting to classics such as The Verdict and The Thomas Crown Affair, Boston has long been a favorite of Hollywood producers; he TV magic of Cheers, Ally McBeal, The Practice and many more were also created here. Located in the Beacon Hill area of Boston, the Boston Movie Mile is the most filmed part of Boston. It starts at the beginning of Charles Street and continues up until taking a left onto Beacon Street. Passing the Massachusetts State House, the Boston Movie Mile ends at 1 Beacon Street. Guided Boston Movie tours are available, they are typically 90 minutes long and include over 30 filming locations from movie and TV shoots.
Accommodations:
(STD) Holiday Inn Boston bunker Hill or similar (2 nights).
(SUP) Boston Park Plaza or similar (2 nights).
The historic landmarks of Boston have played important roles throughout American history. This tradition continues as Boston is a world leader in industry and financial power. Visit Boston Commons, the majestic U.S.S. Constitution Memorial and Beacon Hill, which is reminiscent of jolly old England. Walk the Freedom Trail, one of Americas’ first historic walking tours. This is the perfect introduction to Colonial and Revolutionary Boston. The walking tour takes visitors to 16 historical sites, covering two and a half centuries of America’s most significant past. Visit Faneuil Hall Marketplace, a collection of boutiques, eateries and pushcart vendors housed in converted 18th century warehouses. Enjoy the street entertainers that frequently perform outside. Visit Paul Revere’s House, the oldest building in downtown Boston. It served as the home of Paul Revere and his family from 1770 to 1800. Revere left here for his famous midnight ride. Walk through history as you visit each of Boston’s sites. Visit the dock where it all began, Boston Tea Party, the revolution that changed the world.
Leave Boston and drive north toward Salem. The infamous Salem was home to the witch trials of 1692. A group of girls and women in Salem Village, who had been dabbling with the occult, began acting in a strange manner, a local doctor claimed they were afflicted by the “evil hand,” setting the stage for the accusation of approximately 190 people for witchcraft. The trials ended after 15 months. Well aware of its infamy, Salem has a number of attractions centered on this uneasy time, including haunted tours and re-enactments. The Witch House is the restored home of Jonathan Corwin, one of the magistrates involved in the Salem witch trials. Guided tours are offered which recount the history of the witchcraft trials. Salem has a rich heritage beyond the infamous trials. Consider a visit to the House of the Seven Gables; this 17th-century Salem mansion was the inspiration for Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel of the same name. Built in 1688 in Salem Harbor, this house contains a hidden staircas. The house where Hawthorne was born has been moved to this property and is also part of the tour. Other historic buildings and fine architectural examples can be found throughout Salem. After exploring the city, continue on to Rockport for a two night stay.
Accommodations:
(STD & SUP) Emerson by the Sea or similar (2 nights).
This day is yours to leisurely enjoy the Rockport area. This lovely town at the tip of Cape Ann was settled in 1690. Over the years it has been an active fishing port, a center of granite excavation and a thriving artistic community with multiple galleries. The most artistically reproduced item in Rockport is a wooden fish warehouse on the town wharf. The red shack is known as Motif No. 1. Visit Thatcher Island to see the Twin Lighthouses. Among the oldest American lighthouses, these twin lights are the only surviving multiple lights on U.S Coastline; the original 45-foot towers were constructed and lit in 1789. The Bearskin Neck area is where you will find multiple shops and galleries. Movies like “The Perfect Storm” and “The Love Letter” were filmed in this area. The Perfect Storm was the thrilling but tragic true tale of the “no-name” hurricane of 1991. It centers on the ocean and a neighborhood tavern, The Crow’s Nest which is a bit east of downtown. The Crow’s Nest plays a major role in Junger’s story, but its ceilings weren’t high enough for it to be a movie set so the crew built an exact replica nearby. If you admired the movie’s wardrobe design, check out the shirts and caps at Cape Pond Ice.
Depart Rockport and enjoy the natural beauty of the scenery that surrounds you. Make a stop in Kennebunkport. Filled with historic and fun-filled attractions, Kennebunkport is one of Maine’s most popular summer vacation destinations. It may be best known for Walker’s Point, the family retreat of the Bush presidential family. Visit Dock Square and see the colorful monument that resides here. Two miles east of Kennebunkport’s Dock Square is the fishing village of Cape Porpoise. At Cape Porpoise Pier, you can watch lobstermen unloading their catch and view Goat Island Lighthouse. Enjoy the beauty of this quiet seaside village with its charming shops and galleries, country grocery store, lobster pounds, fish markets and restaurants known for their fabulous fresh seafood. You may also wish to visit the area’s natural wonders, Spouting Rock and Blowing Cave, which lie on the popular shore walk, Parson’s Way. Continue toward Freeport for a two night stay.
Accommodations:
(STD) Best Western Freeport Inn or similar (2 nights).
(SUP) Harraseeket Inn Freeport or similar (2 nights).
Freeport is a beautiful coastal Maine village with over 170 upscale outlets, designer shops, eclectic boutiques, fantastic restaurants & casual cafes. It is the birthplace of the merchant L.L Bean, and consumer retail is a driving force within the town. The Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park and the Desert of Maine both promote the preservation of the city’s natural environment and offer walking trails and picnic areas. A 1.5 hour drive from Freeport brings you, via a scenic route, to Port Clyde where you can find the Marshall Point Lighthouse. This lighthouse became famous from a few seconds scene in the movie Forrest Gump.
Today the trip continues toward Jackson, New Hampshire. Eastern New Hampshire has been the backdrop for many films featuring New England. In 1981 Hollywood went scouting for the perfect New England Lake to be the location for the classic movie, “On Golden Pond”. You can visit the area of Squam Lakes where the film was made. It was transformed by the arrival of the crew to make the Academy Award winning film Starring Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, and Jane Fonda. This film is a touching love story of Norman and Ethel Thayer as they return to their summer home on Golden Pond for the 44th year. Visit the town of Holderness. The marina looks much the same as when they filmed Katharine Hepburn’s scene to get the boat to rescue Norman and Billy. Take a tour boat ride on Squam Lake and see the cottage where the movie was filmed along with Purgatory Cove. You might wish to drive through Peyton, Maine, the picturesque New England coastal town chosen in 1957 to represent Peyton Place for the original film version of Grace Metalious’s novel. A visit to the History Center of Peyton will give you maps and information to all the places around the town that were used in filming. Continue to Jackson Falls for a two night stay.
Accommodations:
(STD) Merrill Farms or similar (2 nights).
(SUP) Christmas Farm Inn or similar (2 nights).
Today take a drive to the White Mountains National Forest. Better known as the Whites, in central New Hampshire, this is one of America’s most popular public lands. The White Mountains rise in dramatic relief to the north of New Hampshire’s central plateau. Take a train rideto appreciate the bountiful beauty. Choose one of the Valley routes to Conway or Bartlett, or the legendary Crawford Notch excursion. Experience the excitement of rail travel in the comfort of open or enclosed restored passenger cars. Or take an aerial tram ride above timberline to the 4, 200-foot summit for outstanding views of the White Mountains and into Maine, Vermont and even Canada. Take as little as an hour or as long as a day to enjoy summit walking paths, the observation deck, cafeterias, swimming at Echo Lake, boat rentals, a free eight-mile recreation path, “Old Man of the Mountain” Museum and the New England Ski Museum.
Today, drive toward Vergennes, Vermont via Waterbury. In Waterbury you can visit the well known Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory. Vermont is the largest producer of pure maple syrup in the U.S. and there are several maple syrup farms on your way. Along the way, you will pass several places where movies were filmed. Make a stop in Burlington. Two famous movies “Me, Myself & Irene” and “What Lies Beneath” had filming sites here that included the University and the town hall. Burlington has a charming pedestrian area, where you can find many shops and restaurants. Visit the Shelburne Museum. Spanning some 45 acres and featuring 37 buildings, the Shelburne Museum preserves New England’s proud, pre-industrial traditions, like the historic Lake Champlain Lighthouse, an old-fashioned covered bridge, carriages and sleighs, 18th and 19th century furniture, and even the remains of an old jail cell. Continue on to Vergennes for a two night stay.
Accommodations:
(STD & SUP) Basin Harbor Club or similar (2 nights).
Vergennes lies near the lovely shores of Lake Champlain. This small but thriving village has three blocks that include excellent restaurants, small shops and a century-old opera house. Stop at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum which explores the history of boating on the lake. The wrecks of gunboats used during the Revolutionary War and War of 1812, 19th-century steamboats, barges, canal boats, and 20th-century tugboats have all been found on the lake’s bottom. See the memorabilia that was associated with these ships. If you wish to travel further south to the town of Addison, you can visit the house of Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford from the movie “What Lies Beneath.” This house is situated in D.A.R State Park, on the shore of Lake Champlain. Or simply relax and enjoy the quiet waters of the lake and a fertile basin of farms.
Depart Vergennes this morning and drive through the Southeast part of Vermont. Visit the charming town of Bellows Falls. It is tucked neatly beside the Connecticut River, with train tracks following its bank. The remains of one of America’s first canals are still there, as are the great falls themselves. There are centuries old Indian carvings down by the river. Seasonally, when the salmon are heading upstream, you can watch them climb the fish ladder. The most famous attraction of all is the Green Mountain Flyer, which leaves from the railroad station operated by the Green Mountain Railroad. Parts of the atmospheric train station were used in the movie “The Cider House Rules.” Walk the Village Square, comprised of nineteenth century brick buildings. Or perhaps see a movie for yourself at the Bellows Falls Opera House. Accommodations:
(STD) Williams Inn or similar (1 night).
(SUP) Red Lion Inn or similar (1 night).
Today the tour continues toward Rhode Island with stops in Providence and Warwick, Rhode Island. In Providence, the waterside bar from the movie “There Is Something About Mary” can be found. The mansion of wealthy businessman William Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) from the movie “Meet Joe Black” is the Aldrich Mansion in Warwick. Continue on toward Newport, Rhode Island where in the early 1800s many wealthy New Yorkers built their vacation homes to escape the hot summer months. You will see a myriad of these exquisite estates. That have come to be known as the Newport Mansions. The Breakers is the most palatial of them all. Built in 1890, it was inspired by French and Italian design influences of the period. Take a drive through “The Cottages” as named by the wealthy summer people, see the almost luxurious mansions built here in the last decades before the 16th Amendment to the Constitution imposed an income tax. Most of these residences are still privately owned. The grounds and interiors of nine are open to the public. A two night stay has been arranged here.
Accommodations:
(STD) Holiday Inn Express Middletown or similar (2 nights).
(SUP) Viking Hotel or similar (2 nights).
Many great films featuring New England were filmed in the Newport area; Amistad, High Society, True Lies, Great Gatsby. The ballroom scene from “The Great Gatsby” was filmed in Newport’s largest ballroom at Rosecliff, a 1902 mansion modeled after Louis XIV’s Versailles. You can visit Rosecliff, and many other historic mansions, and even take a twirl across the ballroom floor. Take a ride on Newport’s dinner train. Enjoy the peaceful waters of Narragansett Bay on this classic red dinner train’s 22-mile, journey. Dine by candlelight on these restored vintage rail cars with red velvet curtains, white tablecloths, crystal, fine china and silver. Or, visit Bannister’s Wharf. What used to be the center of Newport’s commercial seaport in the colonial days, is now the hub of Newport’s harbor side shopping and dining, where you can find eclectic boutiques, sophisticated and casual restaurants. The Artillery Company of Newport is a ceremonial unit and museum of the Rhode Island Militia and Historic Military Commands, featuring military uniforms and memorabilia. This collection, one of the most extensive in the country, includes uniforms worn by His Royal Highness Prince Phillip and Lord Louis Mountbatten, both of Great Britain. Guided and self-guided tours are available.
Continue to Cape Cod, one of the east coast’s most breathtaking locations. Cape Cod offers cool surf and wonderful scenery and has been a favorite vacation spot for centuries. The John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum is a multimedia exhibit designed to open a window to the days JFK spent on Cape Cod. Take a trip out to Martha’s Vineyard. New England sea captains’ houses, white picket fences, and ice-cream shops sprinkle this authentic fishing village, giving it a distinct cinema-like charm. Lighthouses shine through the fog with their beacons and a Native American community preserves its culture among miles of unspoiled beaches and gently sloping farmland. The movie Jaws was filmed at Martha’s Vineyard. You can reach the island by ferry from Woods Hole. The Orca’s scenes were filmed over 155 days at sea between Oak Bluffs and East Chop. You can visit many of the places on Martha’s Vineyard where scenes from the movie were filmed. Settings include the junction of Water and Main streets, the Chappaquiddick Island Ferry dock, and Silvia State Beach, all in Edgartown, and the village of Menemsha.
Accommodations:
(STD) Hyannis Harbor Hotel or similar (2 nights).
(SUP) Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club or similar (2 nights).
Today get to know the Cape. Travel to the outermost point where you can visit Provincetown. This artist’s haven, is a historic and active seaport, and a shopping and dining paradise. Most activities center on Commercial Street, known for its galleries and shops, Portuguese bakeries, and restaurants catering to a variety of tastes line the streets. Visit the Provincetown Heritage Museum featuring Pilgrim artifacts and climb the Pilgrim Monument, the tallest granite structure in America.
Leave the Cape behind and travel by way of Plymouth Rock to Boston. Pilgrims, fleeing religious persecution, left Europe on the Mayflower and landed at Plymouth Rock in December 1620. Visit the Plymouth National Monument, a tribute to the pilgrims. Become part of the living history experience at Plimoth Plantation. Through its primary living history exhibits, the 1627 Pilgrim Village and Hobbamock’s Home-site, Plimoth Plantation seeks to re-create the people, time and place of 17th-century. On the Mayflower II – a full-scale reproduction of a 17th-century vessel – visitors learn about the Pilgrims’ 1620 ocean crossing. Consider a stop at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. Tour the Museum and relive the powerful story of the Kennedy years. In our three theaters, period settings, and 25 dramatic multimedia exhibits, you will enter the recreated world of the Kennedy Presidency for a “first-hand” experience of John F. Kennedy’s life, legacy, and leadership. Continue on to Boston International Airport. Drop-off Rental Car
This tour shows you numerous places where famous movies were filmed. New England has been loved by movie makers for years because of the picturesque harbors and fabulous nature. The Boston Movie Mile is a must for every movie enthusiast. You will experience it yourself; There IS something about New England.
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