Patriot Place , off Route 1 in Foxboro includes Gillette Stadium, home of the champion New England Patriots football team, but there is much more to the Place than football alone. The property includes 1.3 million square feet of shopping, dining, and entertainment, along with a state-of-the-art museum dedicated to the Patriots. Major retailers are represented, including a massive Bass Pro Shops store, with every little (and big) thing and outdoorsman or outdoorswoman could desire. Dining runs the gamut from basic burgers to seafood to a gourmet bistro. The Hall at Patriot Place is a modern museum that takes guests through Patriots and New England football history in a cutting-edge way. Entertainment, live and recorded, is presented at Cinema De Lux and Showcase Live. Phone: 508-203-2100.

Broadmoor Offers Broad Variety

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Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary on Eliot Street in Natick offers nine miles of walking trails through a variety of field, woodland, and wetland habitats. A quarter-mile, accessible trail and boardwalk along the bank of Indian Brook and over the marsh offers great opportunities for birdwatching, photography, and sketching. To enjoy this site in the winter, bring your snowshoes or cross-country skis. Stroll along the edge of Indian Brook, which flows into the Charles River at the sanctuary, and look for wood ducks and signs of beavers and otters from the 110-foot-long bridge. Phone: 508-655-2296.

Chill Cannot Penetrate This Knitwear

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Visitors to Fall River, especially during the cold seasons, would be wise to visit the Knitting Mills Factory Outlet Store on Quarry Street for fantastic savings on sweaters, knitwear, and blankets. This is a true factory outlet, selling only what is made by the company. The hundred of thousands of sweaters made here have commanded the attention of customers from all over the country. Prices are 50 percent to 70 percent off retail. Wow! Phone: 508-678-1383

Craftwork with Sass

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A small, interesting museum on Oak Street in the city of Brockton, the Fuller Craft Museum displays unique craftwork, with frequent changes in the exhibits. Recent shows include glass sculpture, cloth paintings, ceramic art, wire and metal sculpture. the museum hosts lectures, lunches, and workshops. Some recent exhibits have showcased intriguing themes and names, like The Perfect Fit: Shoes Tell Stories, Beyond the Embargo: Cuban and American Ceramics, and Chunghie Lee: My Cup Overflows. Take a break from the colors and textures to stroll in the quiet solitude of D.W. Fields parks and gardens, where the museum is housed. Phone: 508-588-6000.

Dynamic Theater Hosts <br>Wide Range of Performances Dynamic Theater Hosts
Wide Range of Performances

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For lively, dynamic, creative entertainment of all stripes, stay tuned to the Zeiterion Theatre on Purchase Street in New Bedford. This historic performing arts center is located in a restored 1923 vaudeville house. Its programs include summer musicals; comedy, great American music, dance, global beat; special events and family fun. The 2009-10 season includes the Moscow Circus, 100 Years of Broadway, Maria deBarros, Ballet Folkloric de Mexicon, "Gypsy," and much more. Sound interesting? Check out the schedule. Phone: 508-997-5664.

Earnhardts, Move Over

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Why should the Earnhardt boys hog all the fun? At F1 Boston on Wood Road in Braintree, an indoor race track, the thrill of racing is open to everyone. During open racing sessions, also called “Arrive and Drive,” guests may come in, suit up, receive a driver briefing, and pit themselves against other drivers, scored by a computerized, split-second timing system – the same system used in professional racing. Open racing sessions include a practice session and a race. Tracks and carts are precisely scaled and engineered to guarantee a real racing experience. And with F1’s City Course and Country Course tracks, guests may choose an urban or a rural driving challenge. F1 racing hours are Monday-Thursday, noon-10 p.m.; Friday, noon-11 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.Life doesn't have to be dull, right? Open daily. Phone: 781-848-2300.

Paul Revere Is Smiling

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Reed & Barton, one of America's oldest privately held silversmiths, operated a company store in one of its former manufacturing buildings on West Britannia Street in Taunton. Shoppers are charmed by the original wooden floors, the remnants of old machinery, and the discounted prices. Sterling, silver plate, stainless steel, Belleek China, Miller Rogaska crystal, Christmas ornaments, baby goods: it is all here and it is all beautiful. Phone: 800-343-1383

Sip Hearty

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Wine lovers would be well-advised to make a side trip to Westport Rivers Winery, a family-owned vineyard on Hixbridge Road in Westport. Its wines include traditional method sparkling wine, Chardonnay, Rosé of Pinot Noir, Riesling and other Alsatian varietals. The winery, location an hour’s drive south of Boston and a stone’s throw away from one of New England's best beaches, Horseneck Beach, hosts many fun and education events for visitors. The winery is open daily, year round, Tuesdays-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday-MOnday, 1-5 p.m. Public yours are on Saturday and Sunday, 1 and 3 p.m. and are free. Phone: 800-993-9695.