Recently in Massachusetts Category

Glad to have woken up to a bright Saturday in early October, I and my husband embarked on a road trip with no destination in mind. We just wanted to enjoy the colors of fall. After driving on Route 7 and then turning on to Route 2, we found ourselves in Williamstown, also known as "The Village Beautiful". Resting at the foot of Mount Greylock, which by the way, is the highest peak in Massachusetts, this little-known town is surrounded by the blazing colors of Vermont's Green Mountains and New York's Taconic Range. Neat rows of houses decorated for Halloween, beautiful cathedrals, an art institute and a prestigious college stood amidst the rich hues of autumn's colors. Yes, we had to ditch our car and explore.

If you are planning to catch the fall colors without getting stuck in traffic, you could do well to try the Mohawk Trail which runs through the blazing Berkshires for about 19 miles. If you are crunched for time like most of us, no need to do the entire trail. Just do the western terminus, in the city of North Adams and you won't be disappointed.

Boston, capital of Massachusetts, is of course, well-known for The Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere, and the Boston Massacre. Home to that irrepressible "red line" on the sidewalk, known as The Freedom Trail, that will lead one to many of the major historical sites in Boston. We all want to see and learn how our wonderful country began and of the people and places that have remained forever in seasoned years of our country.

Boston isn't the old style city many people think of it as, it's a great mix of the old and new offering a variety of out of the ordinary activities which makes it a great vacation destination. Visiting I.M. Pei's John Hancock Tower or shopping the always chic Newbury Street offerings are phenomenal, but everybody does that and you demand something different. Here are a few hidden treasures in the Boston area.

Looking for some out of the ordinary things to do in Boston? A visit to one of the islands in The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area is an unusual way to see Boston and a fun way to spend the day. The 34 islands in the recreation area offer an array of activities. With swimming beaches, camping, historic forts and the nation's oldest lighthouse these islands have it all! There are often free concerts, plays, tours and lessons.

For me, no trip to Boston is complete without a day trip to the small seaside town of Mystic, Connecticut. A quick one and one-half hour drive south on I-95 takes us straight into Mystic. It's also accessible by train in the same amount of time, as Amtrak (www.amtrak.com) offers a route from downtown Boston directly into the Mystic station. For those wanting to escape driving in Boston traffic, this is an effortless and relaxing way to go.

For an out-of-the-ordinary day trip from Boston, take a couple of days off from the usual tourist hot spots in the greater Boston area and go explore Ipswich. Located on Boston's North Shore, Ipswich is the quintessential New England town, renowned for its beach, fried clams and historic homes, homes of "First Period" architecture dating from 1625. Stroll around the town to admire these homes and their beautiful gardens, browse the shops and galleries for a unique gift, or dine at any one of their fabulous restaurants.

Located just 10 miles south of Boston, Quincy Massachusetts is an out of the ordinary place to visit in the Boston area. It has the distinction of being the birthplace of not one but two American presidents, John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Quincy is deserving of it's nickname "The Birthplace of the American Dream".

Mangia Calamari! Seafood in the North End. If you are touring Boston, make sure that you put the North End on your list of places to visit. Only a few blocks from the Fanuiel Hall marketplace, the North End is Boston's little Italy. While I have watched in recent years as the many of the traditional Italian markets and restaurants have closed and been replaced by chain stores. There is one place that has remained pretty much unchanged, The Daily Catch.

It might not be the hippest place to visit in Boston. In fact, truth be told, it's kind of nerdy. But if you like books, polished wood, gourmet food and out-of-the-ordinary exhibits, you might want to head to the Boston Public Library. I've spent many hours perusing the library's volumes and sitting in its wood paneled reference room, working on my laptop. And when I get tired of reading, writing, and people watching, I go in search for a cup of coffee and a gourmet sandwich without leaving the library.