Massachusetts

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A white marble bust of Poe
a long wood ship post on the wharf with a star carved into the end. pole is yellow and star is blue

Salem History: It’s More than Witches

Salem, Massachusetts, isn’t filed with toil and trouble, at least not anymore. It is a place best known for witches, but as one of the oldest communities in America, there’s more to Salem’s history. Salem was one of the earliest American settlements and has been a place of critical seaport trade since the early 1600s. While tourists mostly come for the witches, there’s much more unique about this early American town, like historic residential neighborhoods, including the House of Seven...

View of Brant Lighthouse on Nantucket Island with houses grey shingle houses behind and bright blue water in foreground.

How to Spend One Amazing Day on Nantucket

Having done it, I can say with confidence one day on Nantucket is not enough! I wish I had stayed a week and will definitely return to do just that. However, if you’re in the area and have one day, visiting Nantucket will make the most splendid summer day trip.   I visited while staying near Boston during my nearly two-year-long solo road trip through the United States, Mexico and Canada. I’d heard of Nantucket before but knew little about...

Two couples stand in front of a colorful cafe. potted plants in the front
a square granite canopy made of pillars alongside the harbor filled with small white boats

Plymouth Rock: 7 Things Visitors Need to Know

Visiting Plymouth Rock is worth it if you’re in the area and have some time to debunk history. When I visited, I had no idea there was so much controversy about this rock. It’s a rock, after all. I was surprised to learn so many stories about it, the surrounding area, and the people who once lived there. But first, is there anyone who was a kid in the 80s who can hear “Plymouth Rock” and not think of “Fraggle...

A marshy green oasis filled with swampy waters, trees and bushes

Five Things You Didn’t Know About Sleepy Hollow

You’ve heard of Sleepy Hollow and the headless horseman, but do you know about the other Sleepy Hollow Cemetery? This one is in Concord, Massachusetts and there are so many famous authors buried there they named a section “Author’s Ridge.” As a taphophile, I had to visit. I recently visited Concord while traveling in my van on a two-year solo nomadic road trip, hiking, visiting historic sites, and staying in short-term rentals. I stopped at the homes and locations made...

Four small houses in difference bright colors stacked next to each other wihout enough room to walk between them. Each has a peaked roof and ornate woodword on the edges

Things to See on a Day Trip to Martha’s Vineyard from Boston

Taking a day trip to Martha’s Vineyard is great if you’ve been to the island before and just plan to walk around on a beach, get lunch by the water, or stroll through a few shops. However, you’ll want more time to explore if it’s your first visit. I visited while staying near Boston during my nearly two-year-long solo road trip through the United States, Mexico and Canada. A lot of things about Martha’s Vineyard surprised me, but none more than the size...

A beige wood two-story house with nine windows and a door surround by green grass and bushes
The author stands gazing out at the edge of the pond next to green leafy trees

What to Know if You Visit Thoreau’s Walden Pond

Nearly half a million people from around the world visit Walden Pond yearly to see where Henry David Thoreau lived and penned “Walden,” and I recently joined them. Now a state park, the Walden Pond State Reservation area is an internationally famous National Historic Landmark and is considered the conservation movement’s birthplace. Today, many people use the area for swimming, hiking, boating, and fishing. In the two years, two months and two days Thoreau lived there from July 1845 to...

Sculpture of a nude female with her head thrown back and wings stands abover a series of colorful masoleums