Scituate South Shore staycation - Boston Moms

If your vacation plans for late summer or early fall have been derailed, look closer to home! You might find a perfect getaway right around the corner! We did.

When my husband decided to leave the military and we planned to put roots down for our little family, we knew we’d return home to the South Shore. I grew up in the woods in Plymouth, he grew up a mile from the ocean (also in Plymouth), and the South Shore has always been home.

We did end up planting roots on the South Shore, but closer to the city to ensure an easier Boston commute. However, on many weekends you can find us 20 minutes from home, tucked in a booth at Scituate’s Lucky Finn, our very favorite local cafe.

So when the world turned upside down this year and our summer vacation plans went out the window, we thought… maybe we should find a staycation option in SCITUATE?

And so we did. A quick search on VRBO revealed a gorgeous seaside home that was, GASP, cheaper than a hotel room on the Cape. What? An entire HOUSE with ocean views for less than a hotel room? Click. Reserved.

A few weeks later, we packed all of our earthy belongings (because we were traveling with three kids and a dog…) and our family traveled a quick 20 minutes to our rental home, where we spent five glorious days away from the hustle and bustle of “real” life.

A very, very full car.

We made it our mission to try as many local restaurants and visit as many local shops as we could while we were “away.” Scroll down to see a few of our favorites!

Scituate South Shore staycation - Boston Moms
Spotted a sign by Rustic Marlin, one of our favorite South Shore businesses, right on the garage of our rental house!

Scituate South Shore staycation - Boston Moms

Whether you are vacationing on the South Shore, driving through on your way to the Cape, or lucky enough to be a local…. Board143 is a MUST VISIT. I am a sucker for an excellent cheese board and had the pleasure of meeting owners Kerri and Mark Curreri when we visited. They are knowledgeable, friendly, and local parents themselves.

Board143 is full of delicious local cheeses and accompaniments and has a large selection of wine, beer, and other alcohol. You can pick up individual items to create your own cheese board or basket, or let the experts handle it! Kerri created a grazing box for us that was full of delicious local cheese, their INCREDIBLE truffle cashews, and more. It took us seconds to demolish, and I told my husband that if Board143 had co-working space, it would be my ideal work location! 

At Boston Moms we LOVE all things local, including the many local breweries we are fortunate to call our neighbors! While in Scituate, we visited Untold Brewing and my Instagram husband got to enjoy a special treat! I’m typically not a beer fan, but the double IPA was excellent. While their taproom is closed for now (boo, COVID), they do offer curbside pickup and local delivery!

The best meal of our Scituate staycation came from Rivershed. Hoooooly moly. With many local friends recommending a stop at Rivershed, we had high hopes for the food. I’m not exaggerating when I say this food far exceeded our expectations.

Rivershed’s menu is reminiscent of what you might find in the south, with a bit of northern flair. The BBQ was the best we’ve tried on the South Shore, and we have tried many BBQ places! Our entire family oohed and ahhed during the whole meal, which we grabbed via takeout and enjoyed on our beach house deck. We can’t wait to go back!

If you know my family personally, you know we are BIG TIME Lucky Finn Cafe fans. Huge. With locations in Scituate AND right off of Rt. 3 in Hanover, we are fortunate to have the best vanilla lattes ever within a quick drive from our house. While vacationing in Scituate, we *might* have made time for three or four trips to get coffee…

SO worth it.

Next up was incredibly rich and delicious homemade ice cream, served through a window (social-distancing style!) right on Scituate Harbor. Our kids licked their bowls and begged us to go back!

Nona’s Homemade has a second location in Hingham Square, too!

We couldn’t go on vacation without taking a little bit of BOSTON with us! I love themed pajamas (holidays, birthdays, etc.) and jumped at the chance to try these darling PJs on our baby girl while we were away. Joy Street Kids is a new brand in town, and owner Eliza is lovely. The PJs are soft and have washed well. Be sure to order two sizes up to ensure a proper fit!

Meghan Block
Meghan was born and raised on the South Shore and attended college in Boston. After college, she married her high school sweetheart and followed him to Charleston, SC, and Groton, CT, where he served as a submarine officer in the United States Navy. Military life was an adventure, and after six crazy years of service (and two babies later!), the pair decided to move *home* to the South Shore in 2016 and put down some roots. Meghan is the proud owner of Boston Moms and work-at-home mom to William, Benjamin, and Caroline, born in 2013, 2015 and 2019. She loves meeting new people, encouraging moms, celebrating motherhood, and supporting small businesses.