Massachusetts - 90 Great Things to Do in Massachusetts

Apple Orchard Is Just the Start of This Park’s Charms

Savoy Mountain State Forest , near the town of Florida, is a place of beautiful ponds, woods, and a majestic waterfall, great for camping, fishing, and swimming. Forty-five campsites are located in an old apple orchard. Four log cabins, available for year-round rental, overlook South Pond. More than 50 miles of wooded trails invite year-round recreation. Adventurers can hike the Bog Pond Trail or climb up Spruce Hill on the Busby Trail for breathtaking views. At Tannery Falls and nearby Parker Brook Falls, Ross Brook flows through a deep chasm, and then cascades over 50 feet to a clear pool below. Phone: 877-422-6762.

Asters is the Place for Fine Food and Company

Whether you are looking for an informal dinner or a high-tone brunch, Asters in Pittsfield serves a great meal in a warm, hospitable atmosphere. The original building, now the lounge, private dining room and stairway, was built as the Humphrey farm house in 1790. The Yellow Aster tea room came into existence in 1927. An extensive renovation in 2004 brought a raw bar, wine room, fireside patio dining and a jazz bar. Be sure to get the details about Asters’s Chef's Weekly Specials, 4-6 Fix, Holiday Brunches, and live music in the lounge on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Beethoven to Keillor Programs Illustrate Tanglewood’s Range

Tanglewood , in the lovely town of Lenox, is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and also a place to hear top-shelf jazz and popular music artists. Concerts take place in the Shed, with seating under the canopy and on the lawn, and in Seiji Ozawa Hall. In the 2008 season, Music Director James Levine leads 12 Tanglewood programs. Season highlights include all-Beethoven and all-Mozart weekends, "Bernstein Tribute" with the Boston Pops, and two performances by James Taylor. Other featured performances are the Mark Morris Dance Group, A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor, and Tanglewood on Parade. Phone: 617-266-1492.

Dive in to Modern Art

MASS MoCA – the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art – in North Adams is a base camp for people forward-thinking imaginations. MASS MoCA exhibits work by many important artists focusing on large-scale and complex installations that are impossible to realize in conventional museums. The museum’s broad, soaring galleries with 110,000 square feet of open, flexible space and their robust industrial character have proven both inspiring and empowering to artists. MASS MoCA is also home to performing arts including popular music, contemporary dance, alternative cabaret, world music dance parties, outdoor silent films with live music, documentaries, and avant-garde theater. Need to open your mind to new notions of art? Start here.

Home of Abstract Art

Check out the Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio in Lenox, the former home of American abstract artists George L.K. Morris and Suzy Frelinghuysen, “where the 19th century gives way to the 20th.” This house contains a wealth of abstract paintings, frescoes, and sculpture and a fine collection of American and European Cubist art. Open late June to Labor Day.

Hospitality on the Housatonic

Downtown Great Barrington is known for its many boutiques, art galleries, coffee shops, and gourmet restaurants. A shopping or dining stroll in the downtown should include a visit to the adjacent Housatonic Riverwalk . The paved path that ambles alongside this busy Berkshires waterway is an all-volunteer restoration project of the Great Barrington Land Conservancy. After your riverside stroll, take in some evening entertainment in Great Barrington at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, the Triplex movie theatre, or the town bandstand, site of free concerts.

Literary Hideouts

To see the place where America’s greatest novel was written, visit Arrowhead, the home in Pittsfield where Herman Melville wrote Moby Dick. Along the same literary theme, hike up Monument Mountain off Route 7, south of Stockbridge, and imagine a quiet spot where Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Oliver Wendell Holmes might have gathered to talk about their work in August 1850. (Take a picnic!)

Outlets on Top of Outlets

Prime Outlets on Water Street in Lee, in the heart of the Berkshires, is a shopping mecca. IF you can name a national brand, you can probably find it here. Lots of seasonal specials. Open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.

Tranquil Village

Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield takes visitors back to daily life in a Shaker community, founded nearly two centuries ago. Known during its active life as the City of Peace, this historic site now hosts special activities such as watching newborn baby animals, enjoying Shaker suppers or, for kids, exploring the Discovery Room. Fun for all ages.

Unleash Your Inner Child

This stop is a joy for anyone who loved picture books as a young child. Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst collects and celebrates the art of the picture book. Much of the fun is child-oriented and interactive: there is a hands-on Art Studio; an auditorium for performances; a library for reading and storytelling; a café; and a museum shop. Bring kids and memories.

Armada of American Ships Was Born at Quincy

Quincy has a proud shipbuilding tradition that includes producing many of the U.S. Navy ships that fought in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Today, visitors can tour one of the ships built at Quincy's world famous shipyard: the heavy cruiser USS Salem. Berthed at the U.S. Naval Shipbuilding Museum , the Salem offers visitors the chance to experience life on the former flag ship of the Sixth Fleet. Open June through September. Note: Quincy is also the birthplace of the popular catch phrase "Kilroy Was Here.” During World War II, James Kilroy, a worker at Quincy's Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, chalked the message next to rivets he inspected on ships under construction. Eventually, the phrase traveled the globe, with GIs scrawling it wherever they went. Phone: 617-479-7900.

Boston’s Doorstep; Tuscany’s Cuisine

The spare, streamlined furniture and exposed brick offer a fine counterpoint to the warm of the food at Alta Strada in Wellesley, which offers the foods of Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, and the Amalfi coast. At this stylish place you will find perfect pasta, crispy pizza, abundant antipasti, and good wines, all at a reasonable price. Warm pleasure in Italian luxury is the theme from appetizers at the antipasti through your meal and finishing espresso. Approachable and accessible to anyone and everyone.

Diversity With Zest

Chelsea, a Boston suburb, is a great place for a city walk. Chelsea offers a beautiful setting on Boston Harbor at the convergence of the Mystic River and Chelsea Creek; hilltop views of the harbor and downtown Boston; a revitalized downtown, and a commendable civic center. Chelsea has always been a dynamic gateway to Boston for immigrants; on your walk, enjoy the ethnic diversity of the town’s street life, storefronts, restaurants, shops, and architecture.

Eagle-Eye View of Boston

The Blue Hills Reservation, headquartered in Milton, covers 7,000 acres from Quincy to Dedham and Milton to Randolph, provides a green oasis in an urban environment. From the rocky summit of Great Blue Hill visitors can see the entire Boston metropolitan area. The Blue Hills Trailside Museum presents replicas of natural habitats, displays about Native Americans, and live animal exhibits.

Feel the Burn

Amateur runners and armchair enthusiasts of the world-famous Boston Marathon can enjoy a shiver of awe during a walk through the pleasant suburb of Newton and up the notorious Heartbreak Hill, a two-and-a-half-mile stretch of road with a half-mile incline. Take a moment to enjoy the Young at Heart statue at the bottom of the hill, which depicts Johnny Kelley at age 27, when he won his first Boston Marathon, and at age 84, when he ran his 61st and last Boston Marathon.

Four Generations of American Leadership

Adams National Historical Park in Quincy tells the story of four generations of the Adams family (from 1720 to 1927). The park has several sites: the birthplaces of John Adams and John Quincy Adams, the second and sixth presidents of the United States; Peacefield, including the “Old House,” home to four generations of the Adams family; and the Stone Library, which contains more than 14,000 volumes.

Kennedy Compound of the Early Years

The National Historic Site on Beals Street in Brookline is the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, America’s 35th president. In 1967, the president’s mother returned here, where Kennedy spent his boyhood, and restored the house to her recollection of its 1917 appearance. The house is in a residential neighborhood and is open to the public seasonally.

Truely Bad Bad Art

The headline above is the slogan for the Museum of Bad Art, located in the basement of the Dedham Community Theatre in downtown Dedham. This community-based institution is dedicated to the collection and celebration of bad art in all its glory. On the Frequently Asked Questions section of its website, a viewer inquired, “Is this some kind of joke?” and got the answer, “This institution works long and hard at building the finest bad art establishment in the world. Frankly, we are shocked and indignant at your derisive innuendo.” Our publisher’s comment: “I hope the place is big enough.” Entrance to the museum is next to the movie theater’s men’s room.

Wilderness on Boston’s Edge

Fells is an old Saxon word for rocky, hilly land, and the Middlesex Fells Reservation, on the outskirts of Boston, shows how correct that name is. This 2,060-acre landscape of rocky hills, meadows, wetlands, forests, ponds, and panoramic vistas covers parts of Medford, Winchester, Stoneham, Melrose and Malden. Walkers on the quiet hiking trails may forget how close they are to Boston.

As Cole Porter Said: You’re the Tops

How to choose a great restaurant among the hundreds in Boston? One answer is to throw in the towel and just choose the highest. That would be the Top of the Hub, which offers outstanding cuisine, wonderful service, and a sophisticated ambiance only 52 floors above the Back Bay -- atop the Prudential Tower. The restaurant’s wrap-around windows and the adjoining Skywalk Observatory offer guests a spectacular view of the Boston skyline. This white tablecloth restaurant also offers dancing and live jazz at selected times of the week.

Bikes and Boston Are Natural Allies

Bicycling enthusiasts who find themselves in Boston need to hook up with Urban AdvenTours Boston, a company that offers guided bicycle tours into every corner of the city. Founders of this company are nuts for bikes, and they insist that the best way to explore Boston is by bicycle. Boston is known awful traffic. Why put yourself through that? On bike you will have better access to all the city has to offer: the scenic bike paths around the Charles, the narrow streets of the North End, the majestic views from the waterfront. Phone: 617-233-7595.

Boston Brims with Challenges for Picture Takers

Here is a truly original idea: a guided walking tour that takes amateur photographers to the primo spots for taking pictures of Boston and in Boston, complete with insider tips. The experts of the PhotoWalks tours offer creative photography tips and interesting commentary about Boston. Tours are designed for people of all ages and skill levels. The tours include Beacon Hill; Back Bay, centered around Copley Square; Freedom Trail and the North End, with many Colonial-ear sites; the Public Garden; and the Waterfront. This is a chance to soar to new photographic heights. Phone: 617-851-2273.

Cheers!

Fans of Sam, Norm, and the other beloved characters of the “Cheers” sitcom may still be crying in their beer from the demise of the show. The good news is that Cheers – the bar, not the TV show – lives on at 84 Beacon Street, in the space formerly known as the Bull & Finch Pub, the place that inspired the TV show. Food is American, casual (of course) and the weekday Happy Ours offers half-priced appetizers from 4 to 6 p.m. and 10 to 11:45 p.m. You’re always glad you came.

From the Rafters to the Green Room

Boston’s Symphony Hall, home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops, was completed in 1900 and was the first concert hall built with scientifically planned acoustics. More than 100 years after its construction, those acoustics are still envied around the world. From October to May, the Boston Symphony Orchestra offers free public tours of Symphony Hall. Led by volunteers, the tours take visitors on an informative trip throughout the hall, from the heights of the second balcony to backstage and beyond. Tours are offered Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. and the first Saturday of the month at 1:30 p.m. No tours during Pops performance weeks or the summer. Call to confirm.

High Style in Shopping

Shopping at Copley Place on Huntington Avenue simply feels good. Located in the historic Back Bay, this mixed-used complex has lots of open, airy spaces, indoor plantings, two levels of shopping, restaurants, lots of parking and two hotels, The Westin Hotel and The Boston Marriott Copley Place. Retail stores include Tiffany & Co., Barneys New York, Salvatore Ferragamo, Neiman Marcus, and many more. Who cares if it is cold or slushy outdoors? With all this, the world outside doesn’t even matter.

Sea Life From Every Angle

This is the aquarium to end all aquariums. The New England Aquarium has more than 70 exhibits of animals from around the world. Start, if you will, at the four-story, 200,000-gallon Giant Ocean Tank, a simulation of a coral reef that is home to sharks, turtles, and many smaller fish. The cylindrical tank is surrounded by a spiral walkway that passes 52 windows into the tank. Other awesome features are the Edge of the Sea Tidepool, a large penguin exhibit, a New England tidepool, and the largest IMAX 3D screen in Boston.

Shopping Like Nowhere Else

Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay is a shopping esplanade laced with charm because of the fine merchandise and the beauty of the architecture. For eight blocks, Victorian and other 19th-century styled houses spill shops and cafes onto the sidewalk. Brand-name boutiques, clothing and antique stores jostle closely with sidewalk eateries and strolling sightseers.

Up That Scenic River

The Charles River is a water artery right through Boston and Cambridge, and a boat tour on the rive basin offers panoramic views of the two elegant cities. Among the landmarks seen from the river are Beacon Hill, the Esplanade, Back Bay, Boston and Harvard universities, Old Ironsides, and the Old North Church. Wave to the college rowing teams that ply the river like darting centipedes, but don’t feel offended if they don’t wave back.

Walk Through the Globe

The Mary Baker Eddy Library is home to two floors of interactive exhibits and kiosks that explore the life and achievements of Mary Baker Eddy, who defied conventional 19th-century thinking to become an influential religious leader, publisher, teacher, and businesswoman. The museum also houses the world-famous Mapparium, a stunning achievement in art and architecture. Walk through this 3-story stained-glass globe, for a unique look at how ideas have the power to inspire individuals and change the world.

1856 Country Store Still Going Strong

A trip to New England would not be complete without a visit to a country store. The 1856 Country Store in Centerville has been serving visitors and locals for 150 years. Merchandise includes penny candy, fragrances, note cards, framed prints, jams and jellies, salt water taffy, pottery, children’s books, toys, kites, candles, greeting cards, Christmas ornaments, and gifts of every description. You won’t be able to leave empty handed.

America’s Oldest Professional Theater Welcomes You

Take a 19th century Cape meetinghouse, an extraordinary history, and more than eighty seasons of top-notch professional theatre, and it’s easy to see why the Cape Playhouse, in historic Dennis Village, is one of the most famous summer theaters in the country. Known as “America’s Oldest Professional Summer Theater,” the Cape Playhouse combines the best Broadway comedies, musicals, mysteries, and dramas with unforgettable performances from the nation’s finest actors — from legends such as Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, and Lana Turner to some of today’s most beloved film, stage and television stars. The Cape Cod Center for the Arts also offers Theatre for Children, delighting kids with music, magic, science, juggling, puppetry, and balloon art. Phone: 877-385-3911.

Beach Tours Explore the Summer Lives of Seals

Boat tours that swing you close to rocky beaches swathed in seals enjoying a day in the sun will be among the most memorable things you can do on a Cape Cod vacation. At least three companies based in Chatham offer seal tours. Saltwater Services out of North Chatham takes people out along the Chatham Harbor waterways between North Beach, Chatham Light, and the Break. (Phone: 508-945-5265). Another company is Outermost Harbor Marine, which offers beach shuttles to miles of unspoiled beaches. A visit to these pristine barrier beaches and a chance to see wildlife that live there is a truly moving experience.(Phone: 508-945-5858). Finally, the Monomoy Island Ferry Rip Rider takes visitors on a 90-minute tour along the west side of the Monomoy Islands, with views of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge and the Monomoy Lighthouse. (Phone: 508-945-5450).

Beacons of Salvation

There seems to be a certain magic about lighthouses that releases the wonder in all of us. Cape Cod, land of lighthouses, is the most perfect place to revel in lighthouse lore, take pictures, listen to the horns, and imagine the days when these stewards of the coastline meant the difference between life and possible death in the Cape’s perilous waters.

Cyclists, Skaters, Follow the Rails

With its diverse scenery, and nearness to shopping, food, and beaches, the Cape Cod Rail Trail from Dennis to Wellfleet is a place to walk and cross-country ski on a safe, dedicated roadway. This trail follows a rail bed that was owned and built in the 1880s by the Cape Cod Central Railroad Co. There are many places to gain access to the trail, but you can log a full 50 times doing a full round trip.

Dot Dot Dash Dot

Among the many delights of the Cape Cod National Seashore is a visit to the Marconi Station site, where, in January 1903, Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi sent greetings from President Theodore Roosevelt to the king of England in the first transcontinental radio message originating from the U.S. via the most revolutionary communications device since the printing press.

Eat at Joe’s

Yankee Traveler calls Joe’s Beach Road Bar & Grille at the Barley Neck Inn in Orleans one of the ten best restaurant on Cape Cod. The inn, a former sea captain’s mansion, houses four formal dining rooms; the more casual Joe’s Bar & Grille is in the original, attached antique barn. With a location so close to the sea you can smell it, seafood takes priority. Sumptuous wine list and relaxed atmosphere. Open daily, year-round.

Farming With Zeal

Coonamessett Farm in Falmouth is a farm and research enterprise with a sideline in entertaining and educating the public. On a visit, you can visit with alpacas, goats, sheep; pick your own flowers and vegetables; eat at the Farm Café; attend an off-beat workshop; visit the flea market and the general store. Great for families.

Japanese Fusion, for a Bit of Variety

Sure, you are in Cape Cod partly for the seafood, and here is a chance to try it in an Asian mode. Papermoon in Mashpee Commons is in its 11th year serving Japanese cuisine. The restaurant features a traditional sushi bar and table seating. Menu offers popular Japanese appetizers and entrees, along with a variety of specialties combining the foods and flavors of Japan with those of other nationalities to create a hybrid Japanese cuisine.

On the Trail of Camelot

Perhaps nowhere is the world is the presence of the Kennedy mystique felt more palpably than in Hyannis, summer White House during the JFK era. Places to recall the Kennedy period include the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum in Hyannis, the inspiring Kennedy Memorial on Ocean Street, and St. Francis Xavier Church on South Street, often known as the Kennedy church.

Sandy Trails; Quiet Marshes

Follow Chequesset Neck Road in Wellfleet to the start of the Great Island Trail Hike. Nature trails from the parking lot lead to this wonderful peninsula: seven miles of sandy trails along the inner marshes, water and windswept dunes. If you venture as far as Jeremy Point (the tip), be sure that the tide is on its way out, not in.

Breezy, Wet, and Fun Place to Picnic

It is breezy; it is wet; it is slippy and slidy. What’s not to like? Breezy Picnic Grounds Waterslides in Douglas is a family-owned picnic grounds and water park nestled in the heart of the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor. Children and families can pass a whole day at Breezy, swimming in the Whitins Reservoir, riding the 300-foot-long waterslides like the Tunnel Twister, visiting the game rooms, browsing at the snack bar, relaxing and picnicking. Admission fee allows unlimited rides. Phone: 888-821-6222.

Brick Is Also for Baking

Olde Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge is a 200-acre re-creation of a 1830s New England community with more than 40 original buildings and staff members in period costume demonstrating daily life in a typical New England town of the mid-19th century. Many seasonally themed events throughout the year as well as tours and lectures. Perfect for stimulating children’s imaginations through fun.

Butterflies Like a Warm Home

You’ll find out when you visit the steamy glass conservatory at Magic Wings in South Deerfield that butterflies like it warm. Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens consists of an 18,400-square foot facility that includes a large glass conservatory filled with butterflies, moths, and tropical vegetation. The heart-shaped pond with Japanese koi graces the center of the conservatory. Other attractions are the Iron Butterfly Outdoor Garden, planted with flowers that attract butterflies; food court; Monarchs Restaurant; and gift shop. Phone: 413-665-2805.

Chalk Transformed by Artists

Vaillancourt Folk Art in Sutton is one of America's last remaining makers of Christmas ornaments and collectibles. Vaillancourt chalkware figures are still made by hand at the studio, which is housed in an historic textile mill in Sutton. The attached retail gallery displays all of the Vaillancourt collectibles and also sells work of other folk artists in the country. Visitors can tour behind-the-scenes as artists hand-paint more than 300 different versions of Santa Claus and Father Christmas figures.

Did Someone Say “Shop”?

The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley Mall is an open- air mall that is becoming popular with area shoppers and visitors. Located at Route 146 and McCraken Road, and very close to Route 20 and the Massachusetts Turnpike, the Shoppes has a megaplex cinema, many restaurants, and every big-name or boutique store you have every visited, yearned to visit, or hope to visit again. Why wait?

Double Entendre on the Side

The Sole Proprietor in Worcester is a favorite seafood restaurant of central Massachusetts, winning four-star reviews and many awards. At The Sole, the menu features seasonal dishes, classic lobster dishes and other favorites, like Tuna Steak Barcelona, Seafood Sauté, Dijon and Horseradish Bluefish, Salmon Fillet and Jumbo Shrimp with Hoisin Wasabi Drizzle, Salmon and Scallops Basilio, and Seafood Alfredo. Each more enticing than the one before it. As if that weren’t enough, there is an award-winning and reasonably priced wine list.

Fourteen Galleries; No Waiting

The Fitchburg Art Museum houses permanent collections of American, European, and Asian works. Fourteen galleries house a diverse collection of American and European paintings, prints, drawings, ceramics and decorative arts as well as Greek, Roman, Asian and pre-Columbian antiquities. In addition, the Museum organizes temporary exhibitions of works from other museums and private collections. There is always something new to enjoy at this treasure house of world art.

It’s Time to Get Jiggy

How do people learn those fun Irish Ceili dances? If you show up at Fiddlers’ Green Pub and Restaurant on Temple Street in Worcester any Monday evening, you can start dancing, too. From 7 to 9 p.m. every Monday through mid-May, Eileen and Kay teach all the Irish dances, such as Seige of Ennis, Highland Fling, Stack of Barley, Gay Gordon, Haymakers Jig and many others including the Boot, Scoot & Boogie. Newcomers are welcome at every lesson and there is no cost.

Tall, Cool, Frosty, Foamy

Wachusett Brewing Company in Westminster is a true Massachusetts microbrewery. The company brews, bottles, kegs, and ships a variety of fresh ales with distinct character in its Westminster facility. Fun and educational tours and tastings are offered.

Upscale Dinner at the Farm

An elegant dinner in fine, understated surroundings awaits at Harrington Farm in Princeton. Specializing in today's gourmet creative American cuisine, the Restaurant at Harrington Farm offers an intimate dining ambiance with cozy dining rooms for fine dining combined with a casual atmosphere. The work of Chef John Bomba has been featured in Food and Wine Magazine and received rave reviews from local critics.

Barbecue To Keep You Warm

Smoke'n Bones Restaurant in Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, serves barbecue that has been slowly smoked every day in a custom-built barbecue beside the building in the a place known as the Boneyard, using hardwoods like oak, hickory, apple and mesquite and a special blend of seasonings. The awesomely large pork ribs are specially ordered from Smithfield Farms in Virginia. Barbecue lovers: you will leave happy.

Bring on the Frills

The Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association, located in the town of Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, is a neighborhood of hundreds of colorful, ornate “gingerbread cottages” that are a delight to the eye and great fun to see and photograph. The neighborhood has its roots in the religious revival camp meeting movement of the 1850s. Members of the campground – originally a tent community -- conducted popular Bible meetings where the cottages are now.

Call Me Ishmael

“Call Me Ishmael,” the opening sentence of Herman Melville’s masterpiece, Moby Dick, has entranced readers for generations. To see the inside workings of the 19th century whaling life and the people who braved the seas to captured the precious whale oil, get to the Nantucket Whaling Museum on Broad Street. Don’t forget to look up and marvel at the 46-foot whale skeleton that hangs overhead.

Glass as Art

Martha’s Vineyard Glassworks on State Road in West Tisbury is a gallery and studio that presents fine quality, hand-blown glass by many internationally renowned artists. The intriguing designs invite you to discover the warmth and beauty of this wonderful art form. All glasswork for sale in the Gallery is hand blown, one-of-a-kind works. Throughout the year, the work of new artists is displayed at artist opening events.

Lighthouses on All Sides

If you are well-bundled, fall and winter are a great time to visit Martha’s Vineyard’s seven historic lighthouses. The stark beauty of the colder seasons bring drama to this elegant workhorses of the past. Yourtour could extend from Cape Poag on Chappaquiddick to the stunning clay cliffs of Aquinnah, a route that includes most of the natural beauties the island.

Look at Those Colors

A visit to Madaket Beach on the far west side of Nantucket to see the sunset is a must. The sunsets from this spot have become legendary, as proven by the crowds that often gather for the nightly spectacle. The beach is accessible by a beach shuttle operated by the island’s transportation authority, and is also reachable from the paved Madaket Bike Path.

Marine Ecosystems on Display

The Coskata-Coatue (also known at Great Point) Wildlife Refuge off Wauwinet Road in Nantucket is a beautiful and complex ecosystem of rolling maritime dunes and beach plants, a red cedar savanna and woodland, a maritime oak forest that of gnarled, wind-blown trees, salt marsh, a lagoon, and more. People can explore the 200-acre property and join ranger-led tours of the historic Great Point Lighthouse.

Nantucket Beaches Are Among the Most Beautiful on Earth

Besides its other pleasures, like great shopping and fine dining, Nantucket is blessed with beautiful beaches, and a visit to the island requires at least one (or more) full, slow-moving days at the beach. Here is a sampler, courtesy of the Nantucket Chamber of Commerce. Jetties Beach is easy bike ride from town and a public shuttle service is available. Great for families, with changing rooms, playground, public tennis courts, and a boardwalk. Windsurfing, sailboat, and kayak lessons and rentals available. Beach-accessible wheelchairs also are available. Brant Point is an easy walk or bike ride. There is no lifeguard and the strong current is for experienced swimmers only. It is a scenic beach, complete with a lighthouse, and a pleasant spot to sit and watch the boats rounding the point. Children's Beach is on the harbor and an easy walk from town. With its parks, playground, picnic tables and bandstand, it is ideal for small children. Free concerts on Thursdays and Sundays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Dionis Beach is three miles by bike. Sheltered by dunes, calm waters for swimming, safe for children.

Francis Street Beach is a five-minute walk from Main Street. Calm harbor waters for swimming. Turtle climb, kayak rentals. Surfside Beach is located at the end of Surfside Road, a 2.2-mile ride on paved bike path or via shuttle bus. Good beach for families: picnics, kite flying, beach games, and surfcasting after 5 p.m. Surf can be heavy. Beach-accessible wheelchairs are available. Miacomet Beach is located at the end of Miacomet Road. Heavy surf. Cisco Beach is a four-mile bike ride to end of Hummock Pond Road. Heavy surf. Madaket Beach is as far west as you can go. Get there by shuttle bus service or a 5.5-mile bike ride on scenic, paved bike path. Heavy surf. Food available nearby. Famous for viewing sunsets. Siasconset Beach is reachable by regular shuttle service or 6-mile ride on paved bike path. Surf can be heavy. Food and restrooms available in nearby village of Sconset.

Summer in the Vineyard Means Get to the Beach

If it is summer and you are on Martha’s Vineyard, you must, must, must get to the beach. Here is a list of the public beaches that are open to non-residents: Aquinnah Public Beach (Moshup Beach) is off Moshup Trail. Expect at 10-minute walk from the parking lot on cleared trail. Paid parking in summer. The Aquinnah Cliffs are spectacular to see and photograph, but they are fragile – do not climb on the cliffs. East Beach (Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge and Wasque Reservation) is on the island of Chappaquiddick. Access is from Dike Bridge and Wasque. Open to all; fee for non-members. Eastville Beach is at the bridge between Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven. Fuller Street Beach is at the end of Fuller Street near Lighthouse Beach in Edgartown. Joseph Sylvia State Beach comprises two miles of mild beach along Beach Road between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. The Edgartown end of this beach is known as Bend-in-the-Road Beach. Lake Tashmoo Town Beach (Herring Creek Beach) is at the end of Herring Creek Road on Lake Tashmoo in Vineyard Haven.

Lighthouse Beach is a harbor beach at Starbuck's Neck, off North Water Street near the center of Edgartown. Long Point Wildlife Refuge Beach is accessible via Waldron's Bottom Road. Beach passes and memberships to The Trustees of Reservations are available. Menemsha Public Beach is next to Menemsha Harbor. Gentle beach typical of the north shore. Norton Point is three miles of barrier beach on the south shore in Edgartown at the end of Katama Road. Surf on one side with protected salt pond on the other. Oak Bluffs Town Beach is adjacent to town wharf and Steamship Authority dock. Owen Park Beach is on the harbor off Main Street in Vineyard Haven, near the business district. South Beach State Park is one mile between Herring Creek Road and Katama Road. State owned, managed by Edgartown. Rough surf, lifeguards in season. Tisbury Town Beach (Owen Little Way Town Beach) on off Owen Little Way, next to the Vine Haven Yacht Club. Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce phone: 800-505-4815.

The Good Life, c. 1845

The Hadwen House in Nantucket is a Greek Revival mansion built in 1845 by whaling merchant William Hadwen. Now the headquarters of the Nantucket Historical Association, the house, with it five-bayed façade, colossal pilasters, and columned portico, shows high-society tastes from Nantucket’s heyday.

Arts and Crafts Rabbit Still Charms Us

The Arts and Crafts decorative art movement flourished in this country from about 1880 to 1920, but one of its signature designs – and a particularly loveable one, at that – is the Dedham Rabbit produced by the Dedham Pottery Company. Reproductions of the famed Rabbit and other Dedham Pottery – highly prized by collectors and museums -- can be found at The Potting Shed on Bradford Street in Concord.

Audubon Awaits Your Visit

Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln, a property of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, is a real working farm and a wildlife sanctuary all in one day. Kids love visiting the farmyard animals, testing their aptitude as farmers in the learning garden, and riding on the hay wagon. Other activities for families and nature lovers are the farm’s wildlife exhibits, picnicking area, farm stand, and gift shop.

Hearty Fare & Heroic Stories

Longfellow’s Wayside Inn, off Route 20 in Sudbury, is a place to feast on hearty, traditional Yankee fare in a rustic and beautiful old building. Originally known as Howe's Tavern from 1716 to 1861, the inn was immortalized in a poem, “Tales of a Wayside Inn,” written in 1862 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In the poem, a fictional group of characters assembles to hear the landlord describe the midnight ride of Paul Revere, with the famous opening “Listen my children and you shall hear...”

Luxury With Colonial Charm

Concord’s Colonial Inn in the heart of historic Concord is a wonderful place to enjoy a relaxed meal in an enduring landmark. Delectable seafood and New England fare are served, and nightly entertainment is offered in the Village Forge Tavern. If you happen to be in town during a battle reenactment at the nearby national park, wave to the Minutemen and be gracious to the Redcoats, too.

Motherlode for Stocking Stuffers

The old-style 5 & 10 cent store (also called the Five-&-Dime) where you could find anything – much of it in hand-labeled bins – is alive and beloved on Commonwealth Avenue in West Concord. You name it; they’ve got it: hardware, stationary, toys, baby supplies, kitchen ware, puzzles, board games, crafts, stuffed animals, greeting cards, oil lamp supplies, hooks, picture hangers, velcro, ribbon, zippers, shoe laces, mirrors, locks, batteries, keys, even the plastic doo-hickey at the bottom of the window shade (!!!). People well into the 70s come in and say the store hasn’t changed since they were kids. Scoop up a pile of nickels and dimes and get over there.

Outdoor Fun on the Snow

Hopkinton State Park and Reservoir in the towns of Hopkinton and Ashland, offer year-round recreational activities, including hiking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. There are miles of marked trails, open field space, and a concrete boat ramp for non-motorized vessels.

Revolution Is Born

On April 19, 1775, the American Revolution began at Lexington and Concord with a clash of arms known to history as "the shot heard round the world." At Minute Man National Historical Park the opening battle of the Revolution is brought to life as visitors explore the battlefields and witness the American revolutionary spirit through the writings of the Concord authors.

Sculpture Under the Sky

Located in the home of Julian de Cordova, a turn-of-the-century merchant, world traveler, and art collector, the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Lincoln focuses on contemporary and modern art by regional and national artists. On the grounds is a magnificent 35-acre site sculpture park with nearly 80 modern and contemporary works by nationally recognized sculptors.

Where the Flowers Go Wild

Garden in the Woods in Framingham is the headquarters and botanic garden of the New England Wild Flower Society. This living museum -- New England's premier wildflower garden -- has more than 1600 kinds of plants, with many rare and endangered native specimens throughout the gardens. A garden tour map with descriptions by the New England Wild Flower Society is available in several languages and in large type. Books and gift items at the museum shop.

“I Went to the Woods…”

Henry David Thoreau lived at Walden Pond in Concord from July 1845 to September 1847 and his experience there provided the material for his book Walden. Because of this legacy, Walden Pond is considered the birthplace of the conservation movement. Park interpreters provide tours and educational programs. A wooded area of about 2680 acres surrounds the reservation.

Ahoy, Whales

The waters offshore the North of Boston region are prime grounds for seeing whales and other sea mammals in a relaxed, natural habitat. Visitors can rubberneck at the lives of whales from a number of whale watch boats, including Capt Bill & Sons Whale Watch (800-339-4253) out of Gloucester. This company works with the scientists from The Whale Center of New England to ensure a great whale-watching experience for guests. Scientists are on board every trip to describe whale behavior and habitat and to collect data. Trips depart from Gloucester, the only location that allows direct access to both Stellwagen Bank and Jeffreys Ledge, the whales’ major feeding grounds. Other whale watch businesses include 7 Seas Whale Watch (888-283-1776) and Yankee Whale Watching, both based in Gloucester.

Alexander G. Bell Picked the Right Spot

As a dining option, this is a tad unusual: a fancy meal in a beautiful restaurant housed in the very building where Alexander Graham Bell made his first long-distance telephone call. Apart from that, you can also enjoy at fine meal at the Lyceum Bar & Grill on Church Street in Salem. Executive Chef James Havey creates an intriguing global cuisine for this relaxed, hospitable, and stylish eatery. In 2003, Frommer’s declared, “"The elegance of the Lyceum's high-ceilinged front rooms and glass-walled back rooms matches the quality of the food, which attracts local businesspeople and out-of-towners."

Beacons on Duty

The lighthouses of Cape Ann still serve as safety beacons for sailors, but in the present time they have become a joy and fascination for landside visitors, too. In Cape Ann alone, there are six lighthouses: “Annisquam Light, “Straitsmouth, “the Twin Lights of Thacher Island , “Ten Pound Island Light, and “Eastern Point Light

Coolest Spot in Town

If you were fascinated by the lives of Gloucester fishermen depicted in “The Perfect Storm,” visit Cape Pond Ice, located on Gloucester’s working waterfront, which produces block ice used by the fishing fleet. Take a 35-45-minute narrated tour of the business, explore the historic Ice House, and see block ice being made. See fishing vessels taking on ice and watch the waterfront action. As a bonus, ice sculptors may be at work.

Door-to-Door Antiques

With about three dozen antique shops, the lovely coastal community of Essex is a haven for people who have a yen to find things old, beautiful, and unique. Expert and novice antique-lovers are equally welcome. Most shops are in walking distance of each other and open daily. In particular, aim for Route 133 through town and Route 97 a scenic byway.