Massachusetts
[1] New England United States of America Greater Boston Cape CodRegions
From East to West:
- Cape Cod and the Islands - a summer vacation area of beaches, art and antiques
- Greater Boston - the metropolitan area inside the old Route 128, now I-95
- North Shore - along the northern coast and Cape Ann
- South Shore - Plymouth County and some towns to its north
- Merrimack Valley - northwest of Boston to the border of New Hampshire
- MetroWest - west of Greater Boston
- Bristol-Norfolk - northern Bristol County and Norfolk County towns not part of Greater Boston or South Shore
- SouthCoast - an area along the southern coast of Massachusetts
- Central Massachusetts - the Blackstone Valley, Worcester and north to the border of New Hampshire
- Pioneer Valley - the three counties (Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire) of the Connecticut River Valley
- Berkshire Hills - a Western Massachusetts area of great beauty
Cities
There are 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The 10 largest cities are:
- Boston - The state capital and largest city.
- Brockton - "The City of Champions".
- Cambridge - Home to Harvard University and MIT.
- Fall River
- Lowell
- Lynn
- New Bedford - "The Whaling City"
- Springfield
- Quincy - "City of Presidents".
- Worcester
Other destinations
- Lexington and Concord for their historical significance as the birthplace of the American Revolution.
- Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard - Offshore islands.
- Plymouth - Landing place of the Pilgrims.
- Salem - The Witch City.
- Sturbridge where there is a recreated colonial village.
Culture and History
Massachusetts is an excellent travel destination, noted for many of its historical sites as well as diverse regional flavors. The eastern Massachusetts Bay area of the state from Gloucester to Plymouth is very metropolitan, with Boston at its hub. Here you can find great cooking, fresh seafood, and an intense concentration of colleges and universities.
To the south of Boston is Cape Cod, a tremendously popular vacation spot and home to the Kennedy family, one of America's more influential political families. West of Boston you'll find the Blackstone Valley National Corridor, a vast expanse of rolling hills and small towns, as well as some of the most unique vineyards in the East Coast.
To the far west, you'll find more rural areas, the Berkshire Hills, the Appalachian Trail, and excellent skiing. Massachusetts has a lot to offer the prospective traveller!
History
Massachusetts is one of the oldest states in America, dating back to the foundation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1620. The name Massachusetts comes from Algonquian Indian words that mean the great mountain, an apparent reference to the tallest of the Blue Hills, a recreation area south of the town of Milton.
Massachusetts is a state of firsts - the first public school (Boston Latin School), the first public library (Boston Public Library), the first American university (Harvard), the first public beach (Revere Beach), and the home of the Boston Massacre, the event that set off the American Revolutionary War, with the "shot heard 'round the world" in Concord at the Old North Bridge.
Massachusetts also has its dark side, the Salem Witch Trials being one of the most significant black spots on the state's history.
Today
Massachusetts today is a blend of old and new. In Eastern Massachusetts you can walk the 3.5 mile Freedom Trail in Boston to see more than 20 historical sites, then hop over to Cambridge and see some of the world's most advanced biotechnology, not to mention the legendary Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the gold standard for technical education in the United States. The state as a whole is a blend of rural and urban, from Boston and suburbs in the East, to the Pioneer Valley and the Berkshires in the West.
Travel to Massachusetts, visa requirements
Flights to Massachusetts, airtickets
The easiest way to get into Massachusetts is through Logan International Airport in Boston. Other regional airports include Manchester, New Hampshire, Warwick, Rhode Island and Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
More information on New England's regional airports can be found at Fly New England.
By train
Boston is the northern terminus of the Northeast Corridor, the most heavily trafficked rail route in the country, and one of the few routes serviced by Amtrak with a high frequency of service. Trains from New York reach Boston in about 3.5 hours; trains from Washington take about twice as long. The faster Acela trains shave about an hour off those journeys, and although they cost more, they generally present a more enjoyable trip. You can reach the eastern portion of the state from Boston's South Station by taking the MBTA commuter rail.
Central and Western Massachusetts are also served by Amtrak, although less frequently. Typically train journeys from New York to Springfield or Worcester require a change at New Haven, Connecticut.
Though easily accessible by train, it is frequently cheaper and almost always faster to fly to Massachusetts than take the train, if traveling from Pennsylvania or further away (however, traveling on the Lake Shore Limited from Chicago and all points in between is often less than $100).
By car
Massachusetts has several large interstates that serve it, including:
- I-90, the northernmost east-west interstate highway in the U.S., called the Massachusetts Turnpike from Boston west via Worcester and Springfield to the New York-Massachusetts state line.
- I-93
- I-91 follows Connecticut River south through Greenfield, Northampton and Springfield in Massachusetts, continuing south to New Haven, Connecticut. To the north it passes along the border between Vermont and New Hampshire, then through eastern Vermont to Canada.
- I-84
- I-95
- I-290
- I-395
- I-495
- I-195
Other important non-interstate highways in Massachusetts include: U.S. Routes 1, 6, and 20; U.S. Route/State Route 3; and State Routes 2, 9, and 24.
Use SmarTraveler to determine traffic conditions in the Metro Boston area.
Buses to Massachusetts
A number of bus companies run a Boston-New York route, from the nationally-known Greyhound to a variety of small, low-cost "Chinatown bus" carriers.
- Fung Wah Bus [2] low-cost bus between New York City and Boston's Chinatown.
- LimoLiner [3] luxury bus transportation offering professionals business services between New York City and Boston.
Get around
On foot
A portion of the Appalachian Trail runs through the state.
By bicycle
There are a number of "rail trails" - converted rail road lines - throughout the state that have been paved for pedestrian and bicycle travel.
By car
I-90 (also called the Massachusetts Turnpike, or simply the Mass Pike) is the major East-West route across the state. Rt 2 is a more northern equivalent, though there are sections through town centers with traffic lights.
Buses to Massachusetts
- Peter Pan / Greyhound runs buses to most towns in Massachusetts.
By train
Amtrak goes to major cities.
Within Boston the subway line is called the T, and there are commuter rails (purple on the maps) that go to surrounding suburbs and cities including Framingham and Worcester.
Massachusetts attractions and sightseeing
- More than 170 art, history and sporting museums, including excellent colonial "living history" museums:
- Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth,
- Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, and
- Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield.
- New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and exhibits in Gloucester, Provincetown and Nantucket harken to the days when fishing and whaling were a vital industry.
- Over 50 theatres and performing arts centers. Cape Cod, Rockport and Gloucester have thriving artist colonies and numerous galleries.
- Numerous historical sites and monuments as Massachusetts played a central role in the American Revolution. Minuteman National Historical Park in Concord gives a taste of what times were like when America was born.
City tours
- Bicycling, [4]. There are many routes and bikepaths throughout Massachusetts. The Claire Saltonstall bikeway traverses a marked route from Boston to Cape Cod on some less-travelled roads. Minuteman Bikeway[5] from Cambridge to Bedford is one of the more outstanding bike paths.
- Fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing
Mass Wildlife maintains an excellent site[6] showing access points and maps of wildlife areas as well as regulations, permits and fees. Saltwater fishing does not require a license (shellfishing usually does), but there are regulations under the authority of the State Division of Marine Fisheries[7]. Local regulations may also apply in regards to shellfishing or taking of herring.
- Bay Circuit Trail, [8] a 200 mile network of interconnected trails extending from Plum Island, Newburyport in the North to Kingston Bay in the South. Currently about 150 miles are completed and accessible.
Skiing
- Blandford, Blandford
- Blue Hills, Canton
- Bousquet, Pittsfield
- Bradford, Haverhill
- Jiminy Peak, Hancock
- Nashoba Valley, Westford
- Ski Ward, Shrewsbury
- Wachusett Mountain, Princeton
Good restaurants and cheap meals
Coastal Massachusetts is blessed with great shellfish including, lobster, clams and oysters. A New England clambake is, in many ways, the equivalent of Hawaii's luau. A hole is dug, (sometimes in beach sand, but more often inland), lined with stones and a fire started in it. Later the coals are covered with wet seaweed to create a steam pit into which packages of lobster, fish, clams, mussels, potatoes, and ears of corn are put. This is then covered with more seaweed and covered with tarps to cook.
The New England boiled dinner is a contribution of the state's many Irish immigrants. It is a simmered pot meal of corned beef, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and sometimes turnips. Horseradish, mustard, and sometimes vinegar are used as condiments.
Especially along the coast, folks are serious about their clam chowder. Many seacoast towns schedule chowder festivals at which local eateries compete for bragging rights. Fried clams are an alternative way to serve these delectable shellfish, usually accompanied by french fried potatoes. Fish chowder is much less common, but is sometimes seen on menus. Haddock and cod are the local fish mainstays and one often sees "schrod" on menus. It is purported to be young cod or haddock, but is assumed by locals to mean generic white fish. Bluefish is worth trying, though some may find it a strong-flavored. The other local gamefish, striped bass, is considerably milder in taste.
Southeastern Massachusetts was once the world's largest producer of cranberries. Large flat sandy bogs of colorful berries are harvested in early October.
Inland areas offer traditional New England country cuisine, especially at rural church suppers and breakfasts. This can be fairly heavy on meat and potatoes. Because of the short growing season, fruits and vegetables are apt to be canned, except during summer's abundance. Notable dishes include baked beans, baking powder biscuits, fruit pies and cobblers. A blueberry cobbler is called a 'grunt'.
One thing that grew well in Massachusetts's rocky soils was apples. Orchards are still mostly family-owned and many growers offer pick-your-own sales. Cider mills churn out fresh cider to sell alongside bags of apples in roadside farm stands. On a crisp fall day the stands often offer warmed fresh cider mulled with cinnamon, clove and other spices. A list is maintained at: http://www.pickyourown.org/massapples.htm.
Massachusetts nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs.
The drinking age in the Commonwealth is 21. No one is permitted to serve alcohol to a person under 21 years of age. Noone is allowed to possess, drink, transport or purchase alcohol if they are under 21. Massachusetts, more than any other state in the union, vigorously enforces both "Blue Laws" and the drinking age. It is not uncommon for an out of stater, to be denied a beer, if she/he is under 25, especially at Fenway Park. Most bars, pubs and nightclubs in Boston, have a city mandated 21+ policy, which is vigorously enforced. A controversial "third party liability" precedent has been set in Massachusetts. For example, a landlord who rents an apartment to young adults who have a party, a person drinks and drives and causes an accident, under this "third party liability" the landlord, those who hosted the party, and the one who drinks and drives can be held responsible. Rule of thumb for anyone drinking, is to not drink and drive, second, if you are under 21 and want to drink in Massachusetts, you're out of luck unless you're at a private party.
Traditional New England culture back to Pilgrims and Puritans was far from abstenious. Surprising amounts of beer, wine, hard cider and distilled spirits were consumed. Although "Blue Laws" once prohibited alcohol purchases on Sundays, alcohol remains central to socializing in both urban and rural settings.
Microbreweries and brewpubs are becoming more common in urban areas and college towns. They usually offer sandwiches and other casual fare as well as a selection of brews that can be far superior to the megabreweries'.
Stay safe
Driving - Massachusetts drivers have a reputation for aggressive and careless driving including running red lights and unpredictable changes of lane or direction. Speeds up to 20 mph (30 kph) over posted limits are common on highways and interstates. Pedestrians should not count on getting the right of way just because it is legally theirs. Drinking is a widespread social activity and intoxicated drivers may be encountered evenings after work in working-class neighborhoods, or in college towns on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Winter driving involves snow and ice, December through April.
Deer are abundant and car-deer collisions frequent, especially during fall migrations and breeding seasons which may peak on moonlit nights in November. Collisions can occur in suburbs as well as alongside forests and fields. These animals frequently bound high enough to crash through windshields and endanger occupants with flailing hooves.
Although in 1846 author Thoreau had to leave Walden Pond and travel to Maine to observe moose, these larger relatives of deer are recolonizing Massachusetts as old farms revert to forest. Moose are tall enough to topple through windshields in collisions and adults will weigh about 1/2 ton, potentially a deadly combination for vehicle occupants. Immediately slow down and be prepared to stop if you should see one ahead of you. Count yourself doubly lucky to see such a large animal in a densely populated state, and to have avoided a collision.
Outdoors - Ticks can transmit Lyme Disease unless promptly removed. After walking in woods, brush or tall grass remove clothing and look for flattened dark insects 1/8" to 1/4" diameter. If they have already attached themselves touch them with something hot to encourage them to let go. +
Getting lost in thick woods is surprisingly easy, especially in the short days of fall and winter. In unfamiliar areas, plan your route before you set out. Carry map, compass and a whistle or some other way of making noise. Also carry extra clothing and high-calorie snacks in case you are benighted. +
Crime - Statistically, Massachusetts is one of the least violent states. Nevertheless there are cities with declining or vanished industries where economic desperation makes crime a career option. Other cities have tough neighborhoods, usually with telltale signs like trash in the streets, rundown housing, graffiti and barred windows. Try to avoid walking or using public transit in these areas. Also use paid parking lots and while driving keep windows rolled up and locked. Licensed taxicabs will usually be a safe way of getting around these areas. Tough neighborhoods have disproportionate numbers of people with bad attitudes. Try not to 'cross' them.
Get out
Popular escape routes tend to be to the north to Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont whether for hiking, foliage viewing, skiing or just to enjoy a more relaxed, rural setting.
More from New England (United States of America): Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont More from United States of America: Alaska, Blue Ridge Mountains, California, Florida, Great Basin, Great Plains (United States of America), Gulf Islands National Seashore, Hawaii, Mid-Atlantic (United States of America), Midwest (United States of America), New England (United States of America), Pacific Northwest (United States of America), Rocky Mountains (United States of America), Southwest (United States of America), South (United States of America), Texas, United States National Parks More from North America: Canada, Caribbean, Cascade Mountains, Central America, Great Lakes, Greenland, Mexico, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, United States of America, Waterton Glacier International Peace Park |
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