Top Things to Do in Massachusetts: A Traveler’s Guide
Travel nurses won’t want to miss these places to see and things to do in Massachusetts
By E’Louise Ondash, RN, contributor
Small is good when it comes to Massachusetts. Though this New England state is only 50 miles wide and 190 miles long, what it lacks in land mass it makes up for in quality and the quantity of things to do. In Massachusetts, wherever you take a travel nursing assignment, you won’t have to go far to see or do something extraordinary.
Massachusetts packs a wallop when it comes to history, and any conversation about American history has to start with Boston. You can walk the Freedom Trail yourself (maps are everywhere), but this 2.5-mile path marked by a line of red paint or red brick is so much more meaningful when you go with a guide. The guides dress in 18th century costumes and tell stories you never heard in school. Download the tour brochure for details, or book a tour with the Freedom Trail Foundation.
Take a lunch break in Boston’s historic Italian neighborhood at one of the many family restaurants (several offer gluten-free pasta), then walk to the Old North Church where two lanterns were hung to warn of the British invasion by sea. When Paul Revere was a teen, he was paid to ring the church bells on Sunday. A ticket takes you up the steep, narrow steps to the belfry where you learn why Revere’s job was more than just pulling ropes.
Like any big city, lodging in Boston is pricey, so take “The T” (Boston’s subway) just 10 miles southeast to Quincy where prices are more manageable. While there, visit the Adams National Historic Park and see the birthplace of two presidents (John Adams and his son, John Quincy), the impeccably preserved home and gardens at Peacefield, and the family library with its 12,000 volumes. These sites have seen a meteoric rise in visitors since the PBS series on the life of John Adams, played by Paul Giamatti, aired a few years ago. Also visit nearby United First Parish Church which holds the crypts where the Adamses are buried.
On the same T line between Quincy and downtown Boston is the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. The stunning, 135,000 square-foot concrete tower and glass-enclosed pavilion are reasons enough to visit. Exhibits of the president’s life, family and White House years are dignified and surprisingly understated. There also is a magnificent view of Boston across the water.
Just 30 miles northeast of Boston is Salem, known for better or worse for its witchcraft trials of 1692. An autumn weekday is the best time to visit; you’ll avoid the tourist crush and get to see the picture-postcard, pedestrian-friendly town decked out in all things Halloween. Must-sees are the Witch House and the Salem Witch Museum.
A couple of hours southeast of Boston are Cape Cod and “The Islands” of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. The area is known for its beautiful cottages, pristine beaches, boutiques, seafood, sailboats and scenery. Give yourself plenty of time to explore and stop as you tour these.
You can also find plenty of things to do in Massachusetts’ interior, including taking advantage of the area’s beautiful scenery, trails and parks. In the state’s far northwest corner is Mount Greylock State Reservation in the Berkshires, which claims the state’s highest point at 3,491 feet. The view from the top of Mount Greylock encompasses five states. Also on the summit is the 93-foot-tall Veterans War Memorial. The road to the top is open from late May to Nov. 1.
The southwest corner of Massachusetts is home to Bash Bish Falls, the state’s highest waterfall that cascades nearly 200 feet, then eventually flows into the Hudson River. From the top, hikers can see to New York State. Access is through New York Taconic State Park via a moderately difficult trail. (The Massachusetts road to the top is temporarily closed due to construction.).
Springfield, in central southern Massachusetts, is the birthplace of Theodor Seuss Geisel, who is honored with the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden. Plan to have lunch here (the café next door gets good reviews for its wraps), and watch kids try to resist climbing on Cat in the Hat, Horton the Who and other creatures that have sprung from Geisel’s imagination.
If you’re a basketball fan, you’ll want to visit Springfield’s Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The game was invented here by James Naismith in 1892, initially using a soccer ball and peach baskets. Shoot some hoops on the first-floor court, see artifacts belonging to basketball’s greats (Red Auerbach’s cigar; Clyde Drexler’s foot casting) on the second floor, and check out the Hall of Famers on the third floor.
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