People from Ohio LOVE Salem, for some reason, and I don’t quite know why. Everyone else seems to find it interesting, but it’s not a must see on their lists. I’m from Salem, and frankly you can do better than the Witch Museum and the HoSG while you’re there. If you do take the trip, be absolutely sure to stop at the Peabody Essex Museum ( www.pem.org ). They have some truly wonderful collections: It’s a world-class museum in a now smallish New England city. Make that your FIRST stop, if you do go to Salem. Everything else is just kind of tourist-trappy.
As for the person up thread who warned about the weather in Boston being cold, I’m fairly sure they thought you were coming in the winter, not August. Boston in August is hot, if anything, and you won’t have to worry about bundling up.
And add me in as another person recommending the Museum of American History in Washington. It is NOT a museum of useless patriotic crap or anything that you should feel like you can skip because you don’t care about some random treaty between Iowa and Missouri in 1875. It’s largely a pop-culture and technology museum, and I promise that it’ll be one of the highlights of your trip. You can see Archie Bunker’s chair!
Most of the Boston advice has been spot on, but I’d like to add my suggestions.
Someone suggested Italian food in the North End. This is a great idea! There is a great little place called Gallaria Umberto on Hanover Street (the main street in the North End). It looks like a dive, but you won’t eat a better lunch (only open for lunch), for cheaper in the city. Try the arancini rice balls with meat, sauce, cheese, and peas in the center. Yummy! and at $2 each they won’t scorch your wallet.
In regards to Red Sox tickets, try to sit in the alcohol free zones of sections 32 and 33 (preferably 33). They are up against the Green Monster (outfield wall), and though you won’t be able to drink the way overpriced beer in your seats the view is great and the tickets are nearly half of what a comperable grandstand seat costs. (Plus you can drink before of after the game, or stand behind the section if you really want a $7 beer at the park).
Harvard university also has some great museums like the Fogg art museum, and the Agassis museum of Natural History. Harvard Square also has some great shops. If you like music, check out Newbury Comics (one on Newbury st, one in Harvard Square, many in the suburbs), they have great prices and the best selection. There is also a great hamburger place there (and who doesn’t want a great burger!?) called Bartley’s burger cottage. They also have great onion rings! Enjoy your trip to our fair city!
There’s plenty to do in DC without seeing monuments or museums (although, for God’s sake, check out Air & Space! You can touch a moon rock and crawl through Skylab!) Georgetown, especially right around M and Wisconsin, has all the expensive shops and nightclubs. If your tastes are less expensive, check out Adams-Morgan, around 18th and Columbia NW; it’s sort of DC’s Greenwich Village, and it has two of the best Ethiopian restaurants in the country, Fasika’s and Red Sea. Go dancing at Cities, or hang at Cashion’s (My sister saw Monica Lewinsky there). Perry’s has good sushi, and a drag brunch on Sunday morning, if that’s your bag (I prefer the Gospel Brunch at the Corcoran).
Walk down the U Street Corridor (U St. NW from 16th to 10th) for the grooviest nightclubs and restaurants around. State of the Union has a USSR theme (Hope you like flavored Stoli!) and great Jazz on weekend nights. And check out the 9:30 Club, where all the up-and-coming alt.rock bands play! If they’re sold out, walk around the block to the Black Cat at 14th and U; Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana) is one of the owners–but he likes to hang at the 9:30 when he’s in town. And check out Andalusian Dog. Do they still show psychotronic movies? Who can say?
Take the subway to Takoma Park. They used to have a Communist mayor, and they still have hippies galore. Hang out at the House of Musical Traditions. They sell folk instruments, not just the usual ones, but mandolins and bones and really cool stuff! I got my pennywhistle there.