A bit of a update - and seeking more advice on our tentative plans.
We're thinking of stopping for a an night or two in the Providence area and then the remaining four nights somewhere to the north east of Boston (perhaps on the coast?). Then we could make day trips to Salem, Provincetown, Boston and Portsmouth.
I've found the hotel prices in the Boston area to be truly eye watering during this period - $300+ tax per night - that's more than my mortgage payment used to be per month! and is beyond our budget hence deciding to stay well outside the city.
Any suggestion on areas where to stay gratefully appreciated - perhaps AirBnB would be the way to go?