Road Trippin with RelayRides

You know what the summer is perfect for? Road trips! There's nothing like picking up some friends and getting out of the city for a day to explore, eat and shop. Don't get me wrong, Boston is fantastic, but there are so many other great places to go outside of the city limits.

Before you can hit the road you need some wheels, something not always readily available to city dwellers. Make things easy on yourself by checking out RelayRides, a peer-to-peer car rental marketplace that allows you to find the car you want to rent right in your own neighborhood for up to 40% less than the cost of a traditional car rental. And we all know what that means: more money to spend on road trip food and shops!

To find your car, just hop online and type in your location and rental period, and up pops a list of cars that are available to rent directly from their owners. From high end SUVs to gas conscious Honda's there is something for everyone and you'll be on the road in no time. My personal choice would be this silver Mini Cooper Coupe. Pretty nice ride for $47 a day, right?

So, where are you going? Good road trips are all about exploring and checking out new places because that's where you find those hidden gems that you go back to over and over again. I've eaten at some great restaurants and explored more shops than I can count but I always find myself going back to these places when I'm outside of the city. 

Zaftigs in Brookline and Natick - The original Zaftigs Deli is located just outside Boston in Brookline, which is accessible via the T, and they have a second location in Natick. Whether it's a quick train ride or 45 minutes by car, this place is worth the trip. They serve breakfast all day and it is amazing! I highly recommend the challah french toast and the nova fish plate, and don't forget to order potato pancakes for the table. They don't take reservations and tables fill up quickly on weekends, so get there right when they open at 8am to avoid a long wait.

The Concord Bookshop in Concord - My grandmother use to take me on day trips to Concord center when I was a child and that's when I discovered this great bookshop on Main Street. They have the most fantastic collection of books and magazines that I have ever seen. Like any good book store, they carry all the current best-sellers and popular authors but what makes them stand out are the more unusual books they stock that you would just never find at a chain store. If you've got the time, wander in and browse each section because the best books that I've found there are the ones I didn't know I was looking for. 

The Turnabout Shoppe in Wellesley - If you're a designer clothes horse like I am than this local consignment shop is a must-see. Inside this charming yellow house lies a treasure chest of designer clothing and accessories including the largest section of Chanel that I have ever seen. They carry everything from Hermes to Prada and there are some very good deals to be had, like brand new Manolo's that retail for $670 being sold for $350. Yeah, I'm totally serious, so get over there ASAP!

Kimball Farm in Westford - I did my undergrad at UMass Amherst and on the way back to Boston my friends and I would make a detour to stop off at Kimball's to stretch our legs and enjoy one of their homemade ice cream sundaes. The 40+ flavors of ice cream alone are worth the trip to Westford but be sure to stay and check out the country store, 18-hole mini golf course, bumper boats and outdoor grill and seafood shack. And don't worry, you won't be the only adult in line for the bumper boats.

Now that I've told you my favorite hidden gems, I would love to hear about yours, so feel feel free to leave some details in the comments section.


*Blogger Note: This post is part of a blogger partnership with RelayRides to promote their mission to highlight Hometown Hidden Gems across the country but I received no compensation for the post and all opinions are my own.