by Turi Mcnamee

Created on: May 05, 2008   Last Updated: December 09, 2008

Few cities in America are as rich in historical heritage as Boston. Be it strolling down the Freedom Trail or taking a jaunt out to the surrounding area's historical sites, the Boston area is nirvana for lovers of American history.

The Boston Common, once a communal pasture for grazing Bostonians' cows, is now a beautiful park in downtown Boston and the starting point for the Freedom Trail. The self-guided tour of the trail is free and takes you and your family on a wonderful 2.5-mile walk past 16 historically significant sites. You could easily spend a day meandering through the landmarks along the way, wondering at the small interior and thin walls of the Paul Revere House, admiring the historical significance of the steeple of Old North Church, or peeping through the portholes of the USS Constitution. Make sure to stop at Faneuil Hall, which earned the moniker "the cradle of liberty" for its role in the American Revolution. The kids will get a kick out of its grasshopper weathervane, which has become a well-known symbol of the city of Boston. Some of the attractions, including Faneuil Hall and the tour of the USS Constitution, are free to visit, but there is an additional fee for admission to some of the other sites, generally ranging from $3.00/adult for the Paul Revere House to $8.00/adult for the behind the scenes tour of the Old North Church. Most attractions along the trail are stroller/handicapped accessible (save for the second story of the Paul Revere House), but often in the same way that Boston's side streets are Hummer-accessible. They fit, but barely.

From downtown Boston it's a thirty minute car ride to Concord, site of the historic battle of Lexington and Concord. The battlefield itself has become Minute Man National Historical Park. While taking in its serene beauty it's easy to forget that numerous men died here in the fight for America's freedom. The park hosts a variety of free tours and stages several re-enactments and special events throughout the year.

If you're a literature buff, you may want to consider visiting Walden Pond State Reservation, which is a short drive from Concord. For a $5.00 parking fee, you and your family can visit the site where Henry David Thoreau lived and wrote Walden. A replica of the cabin that Thoreau lived in for almost two years stands in the reservation, and is sure to make the kids grateful for modern amenities.

Time permitting, make a point of visiting Salem, Massachusetts, home of the infamous Salem witch

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