Boston or San Diego?

Good point and you can cover a lot of good to great breweries in Maine in couple of days. Just check the websites to figure out who is open when. And if you go to Smuttynose, don't go on a Tuesday because the restaurant is closed. That could be an awesome loop, just don't underestimate the driving times. If you did NH and VT, then headed to Maine, either the Portland area or someplace more scenic like Ogunquit make good bases of operation. Check out the New England forum. There are a bunch of posts about some beer cations in that area.

 

Gotcha. So saying things like, "Sam Adams was a commie" might do it?

 

I will chime in again for the OP and say the same thing I say when these posts come up on the New England forum (which happens constantly): any trip with your spouse (even if she loves beer like mine) that is all about beer will be a fail. Jamming in as many breweries and loading a cooler with growlers to run to the next brewery...it's hardly romantic. Going to a few nice breweries or bars, having a nice lunch (Worthy Burger!) and then stopping at a nice Inn on the coast of Maine, or in the mountains of Vermont (Von Trapp Family Lodge perhaps), or the Boston Harbor hotel in Boston, where you consume some of that beer on the deck or patio, whatever, while taking in the view. San Diego or Boston or greater New England...make a memory. Beer is just there as a compliment to it. Trapp Family Lodge...and yes they have a brewery too.

 

Beautifully said, and could not be more true.

I admit I love Boston. I lived there for 20 years before moving to the PNW last year. The beer culture here in the Portland OR area is more evolved than in New England. Good beer is fresher, cheaper and more broadly available here than it was in Boston, though I would not say that the beer itself is any better. Though I haven't been there in 40 years, I suspect San Diego is like the PNW in that respect. In San Diego you wouldn't have to traverse four states to find the very best.

So if this is a holiday in which you'd like to mainly like to sit around, drink beer, and soak up some rays, SD is the place. What New England offers in addition to great beer is history, high culture, beautiful scenery in the fall. New England offers a lot, but you kind of have to work for it. Hill Farmstead, for example, is in the back of beyond. It's north of Hardwick, which was the quintessential backwoods Vermont town (Q: - What do you call a 300 lb woman in Hardwick? A: Anorexic! (apologies to Hardwick)) .

HuskyHawk puts it best, though.

 

San Diego...if you like the beach and perfect weather year round...plus great beer and food options....a day at the beach and then a visit to Stone or Pizza Port is tough to beat

 

Boston is a great city, but San Diego is the greatest city in the country. Unquestionably the greatest beer city, both in terms of quality of breweries, quantity of breweries, quality and quantity of craft beer bars, and quality and quantity of craft beer bottle shops.
If you do go to San Diego, no matter what else you do, you must go La Jolla and eat at George's at the Cove. Sit on their top level on the roof, order their smoked chicken black bean soup (they will give you the recipe), and admire the amazing view of the cove and the Pacific Ocean. A perfect day in the making.

 

I'll vote for Boston... I've been to both cities and I like Boston much more and autumn is a nice time of year.

My biggest gripe about San Diego is the area people consider to be "San Diego" is ridiculously large. For example, from San Diego city center to Stone Bistro it's a 20-30 minute drive through the desert. If you want to see any significant number of breweries, or do much of anything in San Diego for that matter, you absolutely need a car or a big budget for cabs/Uber.

 

San Diego (easy choice IMO). Weather will be way better. Extremely easier to pack for. All you need are lite clothes and a hoodie at max. More breweries in SD than any other city (not too mention some of the greatest).

 

Both are great choices and celebrating a 10th anniversary u can't go wrong in either city. I've been to both several times and I would consider:
1. Autumn in New England trumps San Diego for locale for time of year
2. Boston is great for drinking and not driving - no freeways there to get around within the city
3. If Boston is the choice, and its been said in other threads here, the beer is world class (Trillium, Night Shift - 5 miles north of downtown, Tree House (about 2 hrs from Boston in Monson which is good for two things - Tree House and dumping a body in the wilderness) but not the best breweries for hanging out. Night Shift in Everett is pretty cool for hanging out and its a quick uber or taxi ride when there is no traffic but thats a challenge. Great pubs and restaurants also with great beer
4. If Boston is the choice - u must get to either Vermont or Maine and I wud suggest Vermont. U can take a trip along route 7 and hit 10 breweries from Burlington traveling south and the people are so cool not to mention some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the USA. . Best beer in the world IMHO. Good luck.

 

If you like great Italian food, great seafood, delicious hop-forward beers, a bounty of historical landmarks, and a chill to the air... then Boston is the town for you!

 

The debate rages on -- both cities are brewing incredible beers and have super vibrant overall beer scenes. If I had to pick a beer/brewer from each city -- Boston's Trillium FPPA (all variants) and SD's Alpine Nelson are kings of their respective hill imho...

 

Seafood = push
Mexican food = San Diego
Beer = push
Weather in fall = depends on your preference. Warm = San Diego Fall/Cool = Boston

If you are road tripping = Boston because there are a lot of places to go within driving distance
If you are looking to drive as little as possible and see lots of breweries = San Diego

Both are great. Do one this year. Do another next time.

 

Tough call but either way, it will be a great anniversary. (!!) 'Been to both cities and there's no bad choice between the two.

 

not that CA isn't cool. But the city of Boston has a lot to offer. not just beer wise.
I'd do Boston.

 

I am from San Diego and lived there for 35 years, but I bet Boston has a bunch to offer. I am sure both places have much to offer. Roll the dice.

 

If you like hoppy beers, that's easy. New England makes the best hoppy beers in the world. The west coast used to laugh at the east coast, and deservingly so. But now who's laughing?

 

Go to Boston. Hit Trillium and Treehouse. Then take a ride to Federal Hill in Rhode Island for some of the best Italian food in the country.