by Moe Zilla

Created on: August 26, 2010   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

Massachusetts is rich with history and excitement, featuring some fascinating American cities which date back nearly 400 years. The scenery is beautiful, especially in autumn when its famous New England forests offer a dazzling display of leaves turning yellow and red, for miles and miles in every direction. Choose your travel dates carefully, because the winters can be harsh, and the middle of summer can be sweltering and hot. But with some careful planning, you'll discover several stops in Massachusetts that are very entertaining, and sometimes even educational.

Of course, one of the state's most  well-known destinations is Plymouth Rock. It's a chance to visit the site where the story of Thanksgiving began, and it rests in (where else) Plymouth, Massachusetts. But though Plymouth Rock is famous as the site where early American pilgrims disembarked from their ship, the Mayflower, today there actually isn't very much to see there. You can also visit nearby Pilgrim Memorial State Park, which offers a large stone monument that's dedicated to "the forefathers." But you'll find much more interesting historical sites in Boston.

By 1776, Boston was already a thriving American seaport, and many of the inspiring stories you've heard about the American Revolution occurred in the city of Boston. Obviously the city was the site of both the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre, but the battle of Bunker Hill was also part of a larger British campaign known as the Siege of Boston. This represents one of the first battles during the historic revolution, and also one of the first American victories. Of course, Boston is also where Paul Revere started his famous midnight ride, and you can still visit the Old North Church where his accomplice hung the two lanterns which signaled the minutemen that the British were arriving by sea. Boston is one of the most historic cities in America, and if you can find a good tour, it's an experience you'll never forget.

Boston is also the home of the John F. Kennedy Museum, which includes some fascinating exhibits about one of America's most popular presidents. When I visited, they'd actually recreated the President's desk in the White House, and played footage of the President in action as he fielded questions at a press conference. One Boston resident I met later said he almost cried when he exited the exhibits, and discovered an enormous American flag that was hanging in memory. People in Boston still lovingly remember President Kennedy, and the museum offers a fond and thoughtful appreciation.

In nearby Cambridge, there's block after block filled with world-class bookstores.But even the youngest readers can enjoy a visit to Boston Public Garden - especially since it includes a bronze sculpture based on a very famous children's book.  In 1941, Robert McCloskey published "Make Way for Ducklings," which according to Wikipedia was eventually designated "the official children's book of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts." It tells the story of a lost family of ducks which ends up strolling across the crowded Boston streets. In honor of the book - which won a Caldecott Medal - the city of Boston cast a bronze replica of the entire duck family, which now stands to greet visitors as they arrive at the park!

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