Salem, Mass – Halloween is coming! In honor of the spooky season, we have a new article about the best things to do in Salem. “It was 1692 – a dark time indeed – when the residents of Salem village…
Freedom Trail
This article about the Freedom Trail is adapted from Lonely Planet’s new Pocket Boston guide, forthcoming in January 2025. One of Boston’s most popular attractions, the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail comprises 16 colonial and revolutionary historical sites. It connects the locations of the…
Children’s Lit Tour
Springfield and Amherst, Mass – There must be something in the Pioneer Valley water that fosters creativity and playfulness. Or maybe it’s just a coincidence that two of America’s most celebrated kids’ lit author-illustrators lived in this region. Today they…
Offbeat Destinations and EV Road Trips
Here are a few interesting new titles by Lonely Planet (with contributions by yours truly!). These books both fall in the category of “inspirational” travel books. That means they are filled with unique ideas and gorgeous photographs to inspire readers…
The Most Beautiful Flowers in the World
Sandwich, Mass – Lonely Planet made a list of the best places to see the most beautiful flowers in the world, and Heritage Museum and Gardens in Cape Cod made the list. (It was my suggestion. It’s also on my…
Mohican History of Stockbridge
Stockbridge, Mass – It’s not my first trip to the Berkshires (read about some of our previous trips here). And I am a travel writer, a so-called expert in New England and its history. But I still learned something while…
Clark Art Institute
Williamstown, Mass – The collection of Impressionist and American paintings at the Clark Art Institute is exceptional for a small museum. It is particularly strong in its Impressionist paintings, especially Monet and Renoir, as well as Americans like Winslow Homer…
The Rock of Rockport
Rockport, Massachusetts – Rockport takes its name from its industrial past: its 19th-century role as a shipping center for granite cut from the local quarries. While updating the Lonely Planet guide to New England, I decided to investigate this history–to…
Exploring Dogtown
Gloucester, Mass – Much of the interior of Cape Ann is wild and undeveloped, partially protected by reservations, but mostly left to the whims of nature and history. This vast territory is known as Dogtown. Little remains from the Colonial-era…
24 Reasons to Visit Boston in Winter
The map of Boston is a patchwork of oddly shaped and diversely formed districts, a so-called city of neighborhoods. Some were the original pieces of historic Boston, while others were once independent municipalities that were annexed by the larger city. But all…