Massachusetts



This should have been the easiest post for me but it has been the most difficult.  I apologize for taking so long but it is hard to choose just a few from the many wonderful places in Massachusetts.  This state was my home when I was in Junior High School and then again for the first fourteen years of our marriage.  This is where our children were born and the place where they all started to school.  Although it has been a number of years since we left Massachusetts, it still holds a special place in my heart and we return to see old friends when we can.  It is where I met my husband and where we loved our little ones, taking them places when they were young. 



Paul Revere's home in Boston



Eastern Massachusetts is where much of our country’s history began.  Plymouth Rock marks the place where some of our earliest pilgrims came ashore.  The Boston Tea Party was one of the sparks that ignited our Revolutionary War.  



Mapparium, located within
the Mary Baker Eddy Library
Eastern Hemisphere View



Boston is the center of this history but also for many other attractions such as Fenway Park (home of the Red Sox baseball team, several museums, including the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, The Mary Baker Eddy Library, Boston Gardens, and other famous landmarks such as Faneuil Hall. 



Vintage Fun Map of Cape Cod



Cape Cod, Nantucket Island and Martha’s Vineyard are attractions for those who love beaches, sailing and quaint villages built when whaling was “king”.  



Boston University



Harvard University, Brandeis University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, Boston College, Wellesley, Amherst and Smith Colleges (well known schools with exceptional reputations) are all located in Massachusetts, many of them in the Boston area. 







Some of these schools are located in small towns, such as Smith College in Northhampton.  There you will find quaint shops, bookstores, restaurants and other places that cater to the needs of the student population.   We found a marvelous restaurant called The Green Bean near the center of Northampton that serves wonderful sandwiches, soups and salads for lunch.  They utilize ingredients from local vendors which results in exceptionally tasty food.  Their menu is posted on their website. 



Self Portrait by Norman Rockwell



Art, Dance and Theater Festivals are widespread in the Berkshire Mountain area of western Massachusetts.   Stockbridge is home to the Norman Rockwell Museum and the location for many cultural events, especially Tanglewood Music Center.   http://www.stockbridgechamber.org/



Candlemaking at Old Sturbridge Village



We lived in the Connecticut River Valley city of Springfield, a short distance from Old Sturbridge Village which is one of those “must see” places in my opinion.   You can see a typical New England Village from around 1800.  Historians dress in garments similar to those worn at that time and demonstrate many of the skills and crafts used by the early settlers.  Do check out their website for more details at http://www.osv.org/

 With a young family, an old car and not much spare money, most of our exploring was done close to home.   One of the many things Springfield is famous for is the birth of Basketball.  The Basketball Hall of Fame is just south of the downtown area and we enjoyed seeing it a few years ago when we returned for a visit.  The creator of the “Dr. Seuss” books is also from Springfield.  Another author of children’s books, Thornton Burgess, lived in nearby Hampden. His home is now home to the Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary.  Sad to say, we never made the trip to Cape Cod in all the years we lived in Massachusetts.  That is one place I really would have enjoyed.    

Summer time is blueberry picking time and we all loved our time at the blueberry farm, filling our buckets.  Even the littlest one was given a tiny bucket.  More blueberries were eaten while picking than we brought home for the freezer.  In the middle of the winter it was a special treat to have fresh (thawed) blueberry muffins for breakfast which reminded us of the summer fun.

Pioneer Valley with tobacco farms
along the Connecticut River

In the fall we used to drive up Pioneer Valley to pick our own apples and perhaps pick out a pumpkin or two for Halloween.   We used to make this a special Sunday trip, bringing along lunch for our last picnic before winter.   There was a place high on a cliff above the valley with picnic tables so we could enjoy the view while we ate.  The foliage in the fall in New England is spectacular with all the different brilliant colors.  Farmers all over the area had “pick your own” signs or roadside stands to buy fresh produce.  One year we found a special on a big bag of sweet onions.  The afternoon was spent making our own onion rings to freeze.  Everyone had a job on the assembly line so it was a fun whole family event.  The kitchen, the onions, the floor and everyone were covered in flour!



Early Whaling Days
Nantucket, Massachusetts



This post has brought back many fond memories for me and if you ever travel to Massachusetts, I hope your visit brings you many fond memories too.  To discover all that Massachusetts has to offer, check out their website at http://www.massvacation.com/