Concord, Plymouth or Salem?

OK, I%26#39;m reeling with choices here -- you all have had LOTS of suggestions, and I%26#39;m trying to narrow.

We%26#39;re the couple who loves charming B%26amp;Bs (not ritzy ones, but honest, friendly ones with great breakfasts, interesting hosts and maybe a little garden out back) .... we also love history, and out-of-the-way finds. My husband is an English teacher with a penchant for presidential history

Much as we%26#39;d like to see the Adams Homeplace in Quincy, we just can%26#39;t see STAYING in Quincy. And we%26#39;d like to get away from the city (i.e., Boston).

So, which would you recommend of the above -- Concord, Plymouth or Salem? We hate tourist kitsch and chain restaurants, btw (at least on vacation)

Are the latter two too touristy? We%26#39;d REALLY like a secluded sort of b%26amp;b out in the countryside (like on a farm), but I%26#39;m not finding those in this part of the country. The Berkshires look a tad too upscale for us -- and our dates don%26#39;t work with the Shakespeare plays or Tanglewood ( pooh !!!)

Thoughts anyone? (You all are gREAT!!)

Diane in TN

Concord, Plymouth or Salem?

Salem is so touristy, in my mind, I would never go there. They even put up a statue of Elizabeth Montgomery (';Bewitched';) it is so tacky.

Plymouth is less commercial but for literary interests Concord is without peer.

Concord, Plymouth or Salem?

I think if you stay on the North Shore you%26#39;ll be able to be in a lot of historical areas. If you really want to check out Salem you can to that as well, that%26#39;s up to you in the end. There%26#39;s a beautiful B%26amp;B in Marblehead, MA. which isn%26#39;t too far from Salem that you would really enjoy. You could check it out to see what you think. It%26#39;s called the ';Fox Pond'; B%26amp;B. It%26#39;s going to be in Home %26amp; Garden Magazine in September according to this website below, if it hasn%26#39;t already! It%26#39;s absolutely beautiful from what I can see of it. They don%26#39;t seem to have a website, but they%26#39;re connected with the site ';www.FindBnB.com';. In fact, if you end up calling them for reservations? (781) 631-1630 you have to say ';I found your listing on FindBnB.com';. You could stay here and have dinner in Marblehead one night at Pellinos Italian Restaurant, which isn%26#39;t far from the Inn at all.

Good luck and may be this Inn will be just what you%26#39;re looking for...

Fox Pond is quite possibly one of the North Shore%26#39;s most romantic hideaways. Nestled amongst tall oaks on a cul-de-sac and adjacent to 33 acres of conservation land, Fox Pond provides a welcome respite for the weary traveler or guests looking for a place to relax. The home features three bedrooms with private marble baths and new Eldred Wheeler queen beds. Each room is furnished with period antiques and oriental rugs. The living room is flanked by an oversized fireplace and portraits of Capt. John Linzee, who fired his cannons from the British ship ';Falcon'; at Col. William Prescott on Bunker Hill during the Revolutionary War. Both men are ancestors of the owner.

The designer kitchen has an eat-in area for guests adjacent to a window wall overlooking the patio and gardens. Large groups can sit in the formal dining room surrounded by early American and English antiques. Outside, guests will find over 1,300 sq. ft. of decks or a beautiful brick patio surrounded by gardens. It is both a bed and breakfast as well as a showcase for the owner’s architectural business. When the renovation and additions were completed, all four sides of the house had been added to and redesigned. The home has many surprises and an architecture that is both inviting as well as beautiful. The house has received national recognition in Gardening and Deck Design, The Marblehead Reporter and will be featured this Sept in the Oct-Nov issue of Better Home and Gardens ';Remodel';

There is a path from the property to the ocean, which meanders through conservation land and links with the old rail beds. Hiking and biking trails are accessible providing an easy walk or ride to Marblehead center. The house is less than a 5-minute drive to beaches, shopping and restaurants. Fox Pond is a sanctuary for birds and an occasional fox. Guests can listen to a quiet waterfall and watch the koi swim through beds of water lilies and iris. The yard is distinguished by rock ledge, stonewalls, large oak trees and a 50’ reflective pond. Specimen trees include a red bud, birches, Japanese red maples, hemlocks, junipers and dogwoods. Accent lighting provides a magical view during the night’s darkness.

It sounds awesome to me, may be you%26#39;ll luck out and get a room here, keep us posted!