Massachusetts

Boston's history recalls revolution and transformation, and today the city is still among the country’s most forward-thinking and barrier-breaking cities.

Cape Cod National Seashore extends some 40 miles around the curve of the Outer Cape and encompasses the Atlantic shoreline from Orleans all the way to Provincetown. Under the auspices of the National Park Service, it's a treasure trove of unspoiled beaches, dunes, salt marshes, nature trails and forests. Thanks to the backing of President John F Kennedy, this vast area was set aside for preservation in the 1960s, just before a building boom hit the rest of his native Cape Cod.

Artfully blending the cultural and cosmopolitan with the rural and rustic, the Pioneer Valley and the Berkshires offer a tantalizing mix of artistic offerings, verdant hills and sweet farmland.

Stretch your quads on hiking trails up Massachusetts' highest mountain and through nature preserves that blanket the surrounding hills. Alternatively, ramble through estate homes of the once famous, listen to world-class musicians from a picnic blanket on a well-manicured lawn, and feast on farm-to-table cuisine at chef-driven restaurants. You could easily spend an entire summer hopscotching the patchwork of wilderness areas, while taking in a dance festival here, an illustrious music series there and summer theater all over the place.

At every turn, you'll come across preppy college towns with shady campuses, bohemian cafes and exceptional art museums. And those lucky enough to be here in autumn will find apples ripe for the picking and hillsides ablaze in brilliant fall foliage.

Founded in 1623 by English fisherfolk, Gloucester is one of New England's oldest towns. This port on Cape Ann has made its living from fishing for almost 400 years, and it has inspired books and films such as Rudyard Kipling's Captains Courageous and Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm. And despite some recent economic diversification, the town still smells of fish. You can't miss the fishing boats, festooned with nets, dredges and winches, tied to the wharves or motoring along into the harbor, with clouds of hungry seagulls hovering expectantly above. It's a perfect place to catch a whale-watching tour or observe the activity along the working waterfront. A vibrant artist community – Rocky Neck Art Colony – is across the harbor in East Gloucester.

The route that British troops followed to Concord has been designated the Minute Man National Historic Park. The visitor center at the eastern end of the park shows an informative multimedia presentation depicting Paul Revere’s ride and the ensuing battles. Within the park, Battle Rd is a 5-mile wooded trail that connects the historic sites related to the battles – from Meriam’s Corner, where gunfire erupted while British soldiers were retreating, to the Paul Revere capture site.

MASS MoCA sprawls over 13 acres of downtown North Adams – one-third of the entire business district. After the Sprague Electric Company closed in 1985, some $31 million was spent to modernize the property into 'the largest gallery in the United States.' The museum encompasses 222,000 sq ft in 25 buildings, including art construction areas, performance centers and 19 galleries. Long-term exhibitions include a gallery of wall paintings by Sol LeWitt. Thought-provoking guided tours run daily at 1pm and 3pm.

Three miles south of Plymouth center, Plimoth Plantation authentically re-creates the Pilgrims’ settlement in its primary exhibit, entitled 1627 English Village. Everything in the village – costumes, implements, vocabulary, artistry, recipes and crops – has been painstakingly researched and remade. Costumed interpreters, acting in character, explain the details of daily life and answer your questions as you watch them work and play.

At a modest 3491ft, the state's highest peak can't hold a candle altitude-wise to its western counterparts, but a climb up the 92ft-high War Veterans Memorial Tower at its summit rewards you with a panorama stretching up to 80 verdant miles, across the Taconic, Housatonic and Catskill ranges, and over five states. Even if the weather seems drab from the foot, a trip to the summit may well lift you above the gray blanket, and the view with a layer of cloud floating between tree line and sky is simply magical.

The reservation has some 45 miles of hiking trails. Frequent trail pull-overs on the road up – including some that lead to waterfalls – make it easy to get at least a little hike in before reaching the top of Mt Greylock. The road to the top is closed from November to late May, but the trails are open year-round.