While most students go home for long weekends – and Boston University’s campus seems to clear out by Friday afternoon – staying in Boston for those three days can be a lot of fun! In no particular order, below is a list of the top five things to do in Boston over a long weekend:
1. Have a picnic in the Boston Commons
Get together with a few friends or your significant other, put together a cute picnic basket filled with lunch and some treats, and head over to the Boston Commons. The Boston Commons is right off of the Park Ave t stop – so relatively close to BU’s campus. The park is huge and very relaxing. This is also a moderately cheap and easy way to spend an entire day.
2. Take a day trip to Cape Cod
Depending on the weather, taking a day trip to some of the closest points on the Cape is a great way to spend part of your long weekend. Sandwich is a little less than an hour drive from Boston. Hyannis and Falmouth are just over an hour drive from Boston, and in my opinion, some of the best places to visit on the Cape. The easiest way to get to Cape Cod is by car. The Plymouth and Brockton bus lines are another alternative to getting to the Cape – the bus leaves regularly from downtown Boston and Logan Airport and stops in several locations on the Cape. My advice: leave VERY early in the morning to avoid crazy Cape traffic.
3. Visit one of Boston’s breweries
Boston’s breweries – Harpoon Brewery and Sam Adams Brewery – are a fun over 21 long weekend adventure! Touring the brewery and enjoying a beer afterwards is a great way to spend an afternoon with a few friends. Harpoon Brewery is located on Northern Ave near South Boston and the Waterfront. The cost of a Harpoon beer tour is $5, which includes beer tasting. Sam Adams Brewery is located on Germania Street in Jamaica Plain. A tour of the Sam Adams brewery is free and includes beer tasting!
4. Go kayaking on the Charles River
If the weather permits, going kayaking on the Charles River is an awesome afternoon activity! Charles River Canoe & Kayak is my favorite company – they have six different locations but the easiest one to get to from BU’s campus is the Kendall Square location. A single kayak costs $15 for one hour and a double kayak costs $19 for one hour – so grab a friend and paddle out into some of the best views of the Boston skyline.
5. Take a segway tour of Boston
Yes, Boston does have segway tours – the most popular tour company, Boston By Segway, is located at 420 Commercial Street. I know it may seem a little dorky, but how cool would it be to ride around on a segway for a 1-hour or 2-hour adventure around historic Boston? In my opinion, that’s pretty cool.
Lastly, if you’re bored and can’t find anything else to do catching up or getting ahead on class work – like reading, papers, assignments, etc – is a great thing to do during a long weekend. The weekend in general is a good time to catch up on work, but the long weekend gives you an even more generous amount of time.