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…
Penn and Teller
Boston, Mass – As a pre-Christmas present, Daddio got us tickets to see the incredible magicians Penn and Teller! It’s been a while since we have taken the twins to the theater. (Last time was a special birthday outing to…
Skyline Loop at Blue Hills Reservation
Milton, Mass – Every so often, good fortune shines down on the youth of America, and Voting Day (the first Tuesday in November) and Veterans Day (November 11) occur in the same week. In Somerville, there is no school on…
Big Green Monster Maze
Stow, Mass – Our annual trip to Honey Pot Hill apple orchard is one of our longest-standing fall traditions, which Daddio and I initiated well before we had kids. When the twins were little, we went for the farm animals…
Boston vs Chicago
I go head-to-head with my Chicago-based colleague, debating which city is best to visit, Boston vs Chicago. “I am a Midwesterner by birth and a New Englander by choice, so I feel well qualified to weigh in here. And considering…