There's a tiered fare system and rides range from $1.75 to $7.75. I decided to go to Newburyport, a small, historic fishing town on the North Shore, which is about 40 miles away. So $15 bought me an 80-mile trip, which is slightly more expensive if I had driven, but it offered a stress-free ride with no traffic, parking issues or wear on my car. A bargain, if you ask me.
I made my way to the North Station, which is a 12-minute walk from my apartment, and boarded the train. (Note to self: You can bring bicycles on the train when it isn't rush hour!) It was relatively empty, but a strange man decided to sit next to me anyway. For about 45 minutes of the hour-long ride, he carried on a conversation (with occasional breaks to sing) with the seat in front of us.
I'm glad I had headphones and a copy of the newspaper.
Despite the odd man, the ride was pleasant, even if it wasn't that scenic, unless you count industrial sections of small towns and the occasional field. Oh, well.
Upon arriving in Newburyport, I discovered something that a little more research would've told me: the T station is a 30-minute walk from downtown. No worries; I had nowhere I needed to be.
Downtown Newburyport.
Shops in Newburyport.
Festival!
The downtown itself is quite charming: small blocks of brick buildings and a square in the middle of the city. There was a festival going on that week, the Yankee Homecoming festival, which I discovered purely by accident. The square was set up like most festivals are: A ring of tent-covered eateries converging around a center stage on which the ubiquitous blues band composed of middle-aged white guys played songs Eric Clapton and B.B. King recorded (much better, too).
On the waterfront in Newburyport.
On the waterfront in Newburyport.
Past the festival is a waterfront park, which is buttressed by a cool rehab project: Mills, including a tannery, and wharves that were converted into apartments and shops. The project looked nice, but it would've been a lot cooler if those original plants were still there (and I'm sure the people who used to work in them would agree).
I stayed and wandered around the town for a few hours and then made my way back to the train. The ride home was a little more eventful than the ride out: Outside Beverly, Mass., the drawbridge got stuck in the up position. At 6:15 p.m., that isn't going to do anyone any good. (Hey, at least it didn't collapse like that bridge in Minneapolis.) So we sat on the track for about an hour before the bridge was fixed and we were able to continue.
Despite the snafu in the evening, I still think the MBTA commuter rail is a cool way to explore the region without a car. I think my next trip will be to Rockport, also on the North Shore, or maybe Providence.
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