0:00:02 > 0:00:03Hello, and welcome to Getaways.
0:00:03 > 0:00:07This is the travel show where we go where you want us to go.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09On our website we asked you for your top tips
0:00:09 > 0:00:12of what to do here, and what to avoid.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14We've taken your recommendations, and are going to rate
0:00:14 > 0:00:16and review them for ourselves and for you at home.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19This week we're visiting Boston and Cape Cod.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22We're combining an American city break with a trip to the coast.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Based on your suggestions,
0:00:25 > 0:00:28we visit a museum dedicated to an iconic American...
0:00:30 > 0:00:33..head to Boston's weekend resort, Cape Cod...
0:00:35 > 0:00:38..and I'm taking a short getaway in the Glens of Antrim.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Flights to Boston take around seven hours
0:00:42 > 0:00:45and the time difference is five hours.
0:00:45 > 0:00:46So, expect a bit of jetlag.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48If you're flying to the States from Dublin
0:00:48 > 0:00:52then on most flights you can pre-clear US customs and immigration.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54And this is a huge plus, because since 9/11,
0:00:54 > 0:00:56the Americans really have ramped up security,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58and it can take ages on the other end.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Boston is on the eastern seaboard of the USA,
0:01:02 > 0:01:04about 300 kilometres north of New York.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07It's the capital of Massachusetts, and the gateway to New England.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10It's a small city about the size of Dublin,
0:01:10 > 0:01:12and has a very European feel to it.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15- Joe, you've been to Boston before. - Indeed.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17What are you hoping to find out on this trip?
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Well, Boston is often described I think harshly
0:01:19 > 0:01:21as a "decaffeinated New York"
0:01:21 > 0:01:22but there's still a lot of fun to be had.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26I want to see what's changed since the last time I was here. You've been here as well, though.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Yeah, I was here seven years ago with the girls
0:01:28 > 0:01:30but I didn't go to any museums on that trip, so
0:01:30 > 0:01:33that's what I want to do this time, have a look at the museums.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Plus, two of the top ten universities in the world are here in this city,
0:01:36 > 0:01:38and I want to see, does that college vibe
0:01:38 > 0:01:42- permeate through the place, does it make it a good spot for a city break?- Yeah.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49So, what's the best way to get your bearings?
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Many of you, including Natalie McDermott from Roscommon,
0:01:53 > 0:01:54suggested we hop on a Duck Tour -
0:01:54 > 0:01:58an amphibious vehicle that dips into the water from time to time.
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Although it might seem very touristy,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01it is a big thing to do in Boston
0:02:01 > 0:02:03and it's a fun way to check out the city.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09And another way to see the city is from the air.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Adrian Finnegan from Belfast suggested the Skywalk...
0:02:13 > 0:02:1752 storeys high, at the top of this monster, the Prudential Building.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20The day I went it was foggy,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23but you could still see that Boston is surrounded by water.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28And, unlike many American cities, it's not laid out in the grid style.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30At the top of the building
0:02:30 > 0:02:32there's also a small exhibition about the city's roots.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38There's a huge focus on immigration up here, and for about 100 years
0:02:38 > 0:02:42the Irish made up the majority of the immigrant population.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44They've depicted stories from all over the world, and here
0:02:44 > 0:02:47they've shown us some of the items that people brought with them
0:02:47 > 0:02:49on their journey into the New World.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59A large number of you, including Lorraine O'Flynn from Kildare,
0:02:59 > 0:03:03said that if you go to Boston you really have to do an historical tour.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Now, in most cities an historical tour would involve
0:03:05 > 0:03:09putting on headphones and being guided by a slightly robotic voice.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13Here in Boston however, you get this fine gentleman as a guide.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16James Blake, everyone. Everyone - James Blake.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Hello. James Blake, a smither of tin and a smither of stories for you.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Here, the Freedom Trail, you'll find it on a map -
0:03:22 > 0:03:24it's marked by a red line.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27I love it, so instead of the yellow brick we're going on the red brick.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Oh, yes. We can skip if you'd like, as well, arm in arm.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33- All right, then. Come on. - All right. All right. Here we go...
0:03:33 > 0:03:35- Oh, Joe...! - AOIBHINN LAUGHS
0:03:38 > 0:03:41We started our Freedom Trail in Boston Common,
0:03:41 > 0:03:4450 acres of green right in the heart of the city.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47So you're getting a total picture
0:03:47 > 0:03:51- of the history of Boston during the Trail.- Yes. Yes.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54The whole colonial history, from when the Puritans first landed here
0:03:54 > 0:03:59to when we threw off the tyranny of the British Empire!
0:03:59 > 0:04:01And declared our independence.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02This is the "New" State House,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05our 215-year-old "New" State House.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08- OK.- This was designed by the same gentleman
0:04:08 > 0:04:10- who designed The White House. - BOTH: Ah.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15The trail takes you past dozens of key historical landmarks.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20The Freedom Trail, for us anyway, ends at Faneuil Hall,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22also known as Quincy Market.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28- And even JFK spoke here. - Yes - the last leg of his presidential campaign
0:04:28 > 0:04:30was here, right down here.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Any heads of state we have, we entertain them right down here.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36- This is the heart of politics. - This is the heart of politics to the state.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Quincy Market is also a popular shopping destination.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43And the other place for great shopping in Boston
0:04:43 > 0:04:47is Newbury Street, where you'll find lots of cool boutiques.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55As well as shopping, Boston is also a great place for museums.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57In the past few years
0:04:57 > 0:05:01science museums all around the world have become far more creative and interactive,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04and Boston's Museum of Science is no exception.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Loads of you, including Brian Graney from Greenisland,
0:05:06 > 0:05:08recommended that we come here.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11And apparently, this is the city's most popular cultural attraction.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17They try to cover just about every branch of science here.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19There's the physics of lightning...
0:05:19 > 0:05:23some zoology, with the butterfly house,
0:05:23 > 0:05:27a special mathematics section,
0:05:27 > 0:05:28and a tribute to the moon landings.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31This is a to-scale model of the Apollo command capsule.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34This is the only part of the craft to return to Earth.
0:05:34 > 0:05:35I'm feeling claustrophobic
0:05:35 > 0:05:37and I've only been in here for about ten minutes -
0:05:37 > 0:05:40but there would have been three astronauts in here for a couple of days.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43But I suppose the view would have made up for that.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Now, a great number of you all contacted our website
0:05:49 > 0:05:51all suggesting the same must-see,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54and Lee McMahon from Fermoy was one of them.
0:05:54 > 0:05:55She said that when you come to Boston,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58you must go and visit one of its most beloved residents,
0:05:58 > 0:06:03the USS Constitution - affectionately known as Old Ironsides.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Now, you may be asking why is she called Old Ironsides
0:06:11 > 0:06:14when she is clearly made of wood? Let me explain.
0:06:14 > 0:06:15I shall take you back to 1812,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18to the shortest recorded battle in naval history.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21The USS Constitution got into a wee bit of a tussle
0:06:21 > 0:06:23with the HMS Guerriere.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Now, it was bombarded at the sides by the Guerriere's cannon,
0:06:26 > 0:06:28and when they examined it afterwards they discovered
0:06:28 > 0:06:31that either the cannonballs had embedded in its side
0:06:31 > 0:06:33or merely bounced off and into the water.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35And someone exclaimed, "Her sides are made of iron."
0:06:43 > 0:06:45As you can see, back then
0:06:45 > 0:06:49sailors were either a lot smaller, or unconscious a lot.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54You find me in the Captain's quarters.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56No hammock for him, a rather swish-looking bed,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58and look - a sunroof?
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Well, so you would think. Check this out.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05It's the khazi.
0:07:05 > 0:07:06A poo...with a view.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Over on OUR side of the Atlantic,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16we tend to sell most of our best seafood to the rest of Europe.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Here though, they keep the biggest and the ugliest
0:07:19 > 0:07:22for domestic consumption.
0:07:22 > 0:07:23Oh, my God...!
0:07:24 > 0:07:26- Lord... - I'm never going to get through that.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29I've seen you take down some serious contenders,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31but I think this one is going to have you beat.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33I don't think I'll manage all of it.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36The eastern seaboard of the United States
0:07:36 > 0:07:38is a massive producer of shellfish and crustaceans.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40So you can't get very far in this town
0:07:40 > 0:07:44without coming across a seafood restaurant.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Down in one. Down in one...
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Be prepared to shell out, though, for the best - get it -
0:07:51 > 0:07:55as a whole lobster is likely to set you back 40.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57It is high-maintenance food. It is delicious, though.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- But it's definitely not first date food.- No.
0:08:00 > 0:08:01HE GRUNTS WITH STRAIN
0:08:02 > 0:08:05If a long-haul flight seems a little bit too much,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07why not try a short break a bit closer to home?
0:08:12 > 0:08:16This week I'm visiting the east coast of Northern Ireland, and the Glens of Antrim.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22The Glens of Antrim are nine glens cutting through the landscape to the sea,
0:08:22 > 0:08:27and the area's a real dramatic mix of cliffs, moorlands and beaches.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31On a clear day, you can see the Scottish islands and the Mull of Kintyre.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34The Glens are located between Larne and Ballycastle,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37along a 40-mile stretch of the Antrim Coast Road.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41One of the best-known Glens is Glenariff, or Queen of the Glens,
0:08:41 > 0:08:43and the view here is said to have inspired
0:08:43 > 0:08:45the Victorian novelist William Makepeace Thackeray
0:08:45 > 0:08:48to describe it as a "miniature Switzerland".
0:08:48 > 0:08:51No, I don't think he'd ever actually BEEN to Switzerland.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Glenariff Forest Park is popular with walkers and cyclists,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58and best-known for its spectacular waterfalls.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00This is Ess na Crub,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02or the Horseshoe Waterfall.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04The Glens of Antrim have inspired many myths and legends,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08and when you come to a place like this, it's easy to understand why.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15The next stop on my tour of the Glens
0:09:15 > 0:09:17brings me to the village of Cushendun.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Cushendun means "edge of the Dun", which is this river here,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24and it's long been a landing place and ferry point
0:09:24 > 0:09:28between Scotland behind me in the distance, and Ireland.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32This picture-postcard village is unique
0:09:32 > 0:09:34and protected by the National Trust.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38These cottages in particular were designed by Clough Williams-Ellis,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41the architect responsible for Portmeirion in Wales.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45The houses were commissioned by Lord Cushendun,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49who wanted to make his Cornish wife Maud feel at home in their Antrim estate.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Cushendun has inspired many poets and painters over the years,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57and more recently film-makers.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00This coastline was used as a location in Game Of Thrones.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10This week, we're in the States,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12and we're visiting the east coast city of Boston.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16Based on your recommendations, so far we've enjoyed the Freedom Trail,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18taken a glimpse at the space race
0:10:18 > 0:10:20and seen a loo with a view.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27Welcome aboard! Welcome aboard the Eleanor.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31The harbour area is vital
0:10:31 > 0:10:33to Boston's history, and any tourist coming here
0:10:33 > 0:10:36won't want to miss the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Lots of you, including Janice Coley,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40recommended this is a really fun way
0:10:40 > 0:10:42to find out about Boston's past.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44So Dave, tell me what this museum is all about.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47This museum is not a traditional museum,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49this is an interactive adventure.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52You get to be part of the town meeting where Sam Adams
0:10:52 > 0:10:56exhorts you to go and destroy the tea...
0:10:56 > 0:10:59come aboard a ship and get to explore the ship AND destroy the tea...
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Are we all still willing to take this risk? If you are, say aye!
0:11:03 > 0:11:06- ALL: Aye!- Huzzah!
0:11:06 > 0:11:08We try to make it a story and an adventure
0:11:08 > 0:11:10that everybody can become immersed in.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14This is the very spot where in 1773
0:11:14 > 0:11:15angry patriots disguised
0:11:15 > 0:11:20as Mohawk Indians threw three shiploads of tea into the harbour,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23in protest at King George's heavy taxation.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27This dumping of tea became known as the Boston Tea Party.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30It was one of the founding moments in American history,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33and was one of the events that led up to the American War of Independence.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35And it all started...right here.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46And the one place I really, really wanted to investigate
0:11:46 > 0:11:50while in Boston is a few miles south of the city.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52I would strongly advise that you make the journey,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54because it is fascinating.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57They're sometimes referred to as America's royal family,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00and over the last century they've certainly provided enough power,
0:12:00 > 0:12:05politics, riches, scandal, glamour and style to rival any dynasty -
0:12:05 > 0:12:07or to fill any museum.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the offspring of two families
0:12:20 > 0:12:23who migrated to America because of the Irish famine -
0:12:23 > 0:12:25the Fitzgerald family from County Limerick,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27and the Kennedys from County Wexford.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31It only took a few generations for the Kennedy family
0:12:31 > 0:12:34to create enough money and political clout
0:12:34 > 0:12:37to make a bid for the White House.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39In 1960, JFK beat Richard Nixon
0:12:39 > 0:12:41in a closely-fought contest.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45At 43 years old, this Harvard graduate,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47war hero and Democrat
0:12:47 > 0:12:51became the youngest ever president of the United States of America.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53The centrepiece of the museum
0:12:53 > 0:12:56is this beautiful recreation of the White House corridor,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59and off it are plenty of exhibits from JFK's time in the presidency,
0:12:59 > 0:13:02from the space race to the Cuban Missile Crisis
0:13:02 > 0:13:05and Jackie Kennedy's own oral histories.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09This part of the United States may sometimes seem obsessed with
0:13:09 > 0:13:12the Kennedys, but this magnificent building, which also houses
0:13:12 > 0:13:16the Kennedy archive, is a fitting tribute to its most famous son.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21As you leave the exhibition space, you step into a vast empty
0:13:21 > 0:13:25cathedral of glass and steel, with a huge American flag at its centre.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29It allows you space to contemplate and reflect.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39A great number of you said that if we were
0:13:39 > 0:13:42going to visit Boston we have to take the time to visit Cape Cod.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46Sarah said it was "absolutely breathtakingly beautiful".
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Cape Cod is around 100 kilometres southeast of the city,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53and there are lots of beaches and activities.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56It's where all the Bostonians take time out from the city, and you'll
0:13:56 > 0:14:01also find a lot of New Yorkers leave the Big Apple to chill out here too.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04They're very protective of the look
0:14:04 > 0:14:06and feel of this area - for example, local businesses are not allowed
0:14:06 > 0:14:09to have any neon signs or anything considered too gaudy,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11and if you're building a property here
0:14:11 > 0:14:12there are building regulations
0:14:12 > 0:14:16that stipulate that the outside must have this wooden shingling.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20And it gives that... chocolate-boxy effect.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26- OK, Joe. One of us gets to go on a cycling trip...- That's right.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28- ..and the other gets to go on a Jeep ride across the sand dunes.- Indeed.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31- How do we decide?- Well, I've looked at this, the pros and cons,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34- I think we should do it in a scientific way...- Mm-hm. - I'll flip you a coin for it.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36- All right.- Winner picks. Call.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38- Heads.- Oh... What do you want to do?
0:14:38 > 0:14:40- Lovely. I'm going to go cycling, then.- All right,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42I'll go across the dunes in a buggy. Brilliant.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47'There are dozens of miles of unspoilt beaches here on the Cape.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50'Cars aren't allowed on the dunes - the exception being
0:14:50 > 0:14:53'if you go with a recognised Jeep safari company.'
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Woohoo!
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Oh, yes, that's it!
0:14:57 > 0:14:58That's what we want.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02See, I can't get a real job still. This is too much fun.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04- Yeah, you've got one of the coolest jobs ever.- Hang on...
0:15:04 > 0:15:06HE LAUGHS
0:15:08 > 0:15:10My guide was Barbara, who advised
0:15:10 > 0:15:13that it maybe wasn't a great idea to go immediately after lunch.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17What is that house up there, are there many of those?
0:15:17 > 0:15:18They're called dune shacks.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23They started being built in the 1920s and '30s
0:15:23 > 0:15:24- by squatters.- OK.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27And most of those people were artists and writers -
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Eugene O'Neill, Jack Kerouac,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Jackson Pollock was here, Homer Winslow...
0:15:32 > 0:15:34A lot of famous people passed through.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Wow. That's quite impressive alumni.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40There's a great cycling tradition here,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43with dozens of places where you can pick up a bike for a few hours.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47It's great flat terrain, the countryside is absolutely beautiful,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49and there's miles and miles of trail to enjoy.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57This trail used to be a railroad,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00but they converted it into 40 kilometres of cycle track
0:16:00 > 0:16:03that goes right through the heart of Cape Cod.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07But here's a word of warning about the Cape.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09We visited Provincetown in May,
0:16:09 > 0:16:10when it was quiet and calm,
0:16:10 > 0:16:14but we WERE advised that in the heart of summer, it can get very crowded.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24There are a huge range of places to stay in Boston and Cape Cod,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27and here are some of our choices.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29The Loews Boston Back Bay Hotel
0:16:29 > 0:16:31is a converted police headquarters,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33and has decent-sized rooms,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36which it's hard to find sometimes in Boston.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51There ARE cheaper options, though.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54The Boston Midtown Hotel, in the shadow of the giant
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Prudential Building in the Back Bay is not going to find itself
0:16:57 > 0:16:59in any of the glossy magazines for its design features.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03But it's in a great central location, and the rooms are a good size.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15In Cape Cod they're forbidden to build high,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19so the bigger hotels tend to sprawl out across huge sites.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21This means that the Cape Codder, where we stayed,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24has multiple pools both inside and out.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35This price also includes five days' car hire, with insurance.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40We booked our holiday package, including hotels and flights,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42with American Holidays and Aer Lingus.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46There are 14 flights a week from Dublin to Boston.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49If you'd like any more information about our holidays,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51please visit our website.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59So Aoibhinn, what do you make of Boston as a city break destination?
0:17:59 > 0:18:03I love it. It's so pretty, there's a real community feel to it, and the museums were brilliant -
0:18:03 > 0:18:07and you probably expect that from a university town, but the Science Museum, I just loved it.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10It's a great city whether you're here as a couple or whether you're here as a family,
0:18:10 > 0:18:14- and if you have the time, get out to Cape Cod, particularly Provincetown.- Definitely.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17We loved it. See you next time on Getaways.