9 Close-Knit Towns To Visit In Massachusetts
Massachusetts, the most populous state in the Northeastern US’ New England region is distinctive among all US States for its storied heritage and vibrant culture that antedate and typify the experiences of the nation at large. Although excursionists who wish to spend their vacation days in this stunning state surrounded in the east and southeast by the Atlantic predominantly choose to explore the congested urban centers such as Worcester, Cambridge, Springfield, and the capital city of Boston, the innumerable tight-knit communities interspersed throughout the Bay State are largely unrecognized. These closely allied settlements with mind-boggling outdoor scenery, abundant attractions, and colorful yearly fiestas are superb destinations to check out on your much-needed breaks.
Newburyport
A spellbinding waterfront town in Essex County, Newburyport is located close to the Merrimack River’s mouth in Northeastern Massachusetts, around 30 miles north-northeast of Boston. Distinguished for its vintage attractiveness, the town draws globetrotters with stupefying views of the Atlantic and multiple recreations for everyone during all seasons. The Downtown Shopping District of Newburyport, full of infinite home goods stores like Green Plum Vintage Goods, gift shops like Brass Lyon, and seafood restaurants like Sea Level Oyster Bar - NBPT dotting the Market Square caters to residents and visitors of all ages. Many Federal-style mansions stand, reminding the town’s nautical legacy together with different places of interest, such as the Cushing House Museum & Garden, Maudslay State Park, Old South Presbyterian Church, Custom House Maritime Museum, Newburyport Chain Bridge, and the adjacent Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Take some time off to attend the town’s yearly events like the Newburyport Literary Festival, Waterfront Concert Series, Yankee Homecoming, and Newburyport Chamber Music Festival.
Provincetown
Provincetown, aka ‘P-town,’ a tiny coastal retreat in Barnstable County, sits at the Cape Cod’s outermost margin and is encircled by the Cape Cod National Seashore. This well-liked summer getaway hypnotizes sightseers with its soft sand beaches, engrossing maritime traditions, and energizing night scene. Thenceforth the Cape Cod School of Art’s opening by Charles Hawthorne, Provincetown has sustained artists from worldwide, earning the reputation of being the oldest uninterrupted art colony in America. Walk down the town’s Commercial Street and go window-shop from the antique shops like Yesterday’s Treasures, clothing boutiques like 3 Graces Boutique, souvenir shops like The Shell Shop, museums like Provincetown Art Association & Museum, and restaurants like Fanizzi’s Provincetown. Stop by Provincetown’s most striking landmark - the Pilgrim Monument besides taking part in special events such as First Light Provincetown, Provincetown International Film Festival, Provincetown PRIDE, Provincetown Jazz Festival, and many more.
Concord
An adorable Middlesex County community, Concord is located near where the Sudbury and Assabet rivers conflux to create the Concord River in Eastern Massachusetts, almost 20 miles northwest of Boston. A thriving Boston suburb and an unforgettable sightseeing spot, the calm settings and bewildering edifices of the town aptly mirror its signification as the site of the Battles of Lexington and Concord that, in due course, led to the kickoff of the American Revolutionary War. Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, the Minute Man National Historical Park, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord Museum, Wheeler-Minot Farmhouse, Old Manse, Old North Bridge, and Walden Pond State Reservation inveigle history and literature buffs equally. Conjointly peruse the eclectic gift shops like The Revolutionary Concord and fine eateries like Helen’s Restaurant in the strollable downtown, traverse the sylvan hiking trails of the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, and get a good night’s rest at the North Bridge Inn.
Sandwich
Cape Cod’s oldest settlement, Sandwich is situated next to Cape Cod Bay in Barnstable County of southeastern Massachusetts, directly east of Bourne. Christened after its namesake English town, this historic community, first inhabited by the native Wampanoag tribe prior to colonization by settlers from Saugus, is renowned for its untainted colonial buildings and six pristine beaches by the Bay’s shores. When in town, the Heritage Museums & Gardens, Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen, Hoxie House, Cape Cod Canal Visitor Center, Sandwich Friends Meetinghouse, Wing Fort House, Dexter Grist Mill, and Sandwich Glass Museum are some unmissable sites. Outdoor lovers must head straight to the Scusset Beach State Reserve, the Shawme-Crowell State Forest, or the Sandwich Boardwalk to witness peerless vistas of Cape Cod Bay and have some summertime seaside fun.
Sturbridge
Sturbridge is a charming Worcester County town located by the side of the Quinebaug River in the south-central part of the state, around 16 miles southwest of Worcester. The most attention-grabbing attraction of this town is the 200-acre Old Sturbridge Village, which features over 59 time-honored landmark properties, an operating farm, as well as three water-powered mills and is deemed New England’s vastest outdoor museum. All those who seek to know what everyday routine was like during the 18th and 19th centuries in the region must not miss a sojourn to the Old Sturbridge Village. Additionally, Sturbridge’s other points of interest include the Tantiusques Reservation, Westville Recreation Area, Wells State Park, Hyland Orchard & Brewery, and Sturbridge Flea Market.
Chatham
Set on Cape Cod’s southeastern extremity, this Barnstable County hamlet, limited by the Atlantic in the east and Nantucket Sound in the south, is precisely 35 miles south of Provincetown and 85 miles southeast of the state capital. Primarily baptized ‘Monomoit’ and established as a fishing, shipping, and whaling hotbed, Chatham progressively developed over time into a preferred summer resort community, enthralling excursionists with its spotless beaches, excess of saline channels, fleeting sandbars, coves, barrier islands, tidal shoals, and archetypal white steeple churches. Chatham's Main Street is overflowing with clothing stores like Chatham Clothing Bar, gift shops like Yankee Ingenuity Cape Cod Gift Shop, home goods stores like Mayflower Shop, Chocolate shops like Chatham Candy Manor, eateries like Del Mar Bar & Bistro, and accommodations like Chatham Wayside Inn. The Chatham Orpheum Theater, Chatham Marconi Maritime Center, Commercial Fishing Pier, Stage Harbor Light, Chatham Lighthouse, Monomoy Natural Wildlife Refuge, Atwood House Museum, Chatham Railroad Museum, and Shark Center are some noteworthy tourist magnets.
Lenox
Forming a part of the Pittsfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, Lenox is a most sought-after summer getaway in the midst of the Berkshire Mountains in Berkshire County of Western Massachusetts. Inhabited by the Indigenous Mahicans at the outset and labeled ‘Yorktown,’ the area was later settled by Sarah and Jonathan Hinsdale, who hailed from Hartford, Connecticut. While in town, pay a visit to the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum, Shakespeare & Company, The Mount - dwelling place of celebrated American wordsmith Edith Wharton, Church on the Hill, Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, summer home of Boston Symphony Orchestra - Tanglewood Music Center, Ventfort Hall Mansion & Gilded Age Mansion, and Kennedy Park - ideal for hiking, picnicking, and cross-country skiing. De-stress after a frenzied day at the Birchwood Inn Bed & Breakfast and savor Mediterranean cuisine blended with wines at the Alta Restaurant & Wine Bar.
Wellfleet
This bewitching coastal settlement in Barnstable County is placed halfway betwixt the ‘tip’ and ‘elbow’ of Cape Cod, approx. 12 miles south-southeast of Provincetown. Noted for its plenteous oysters and bordered by Cape Cod Bay and the mighty Atlantic, nearly 70% of Wellfleet’s terrain is preserved as a portion of the Cape Cod National Seashore. With 3,566 year-round inhabitants, the population of the town increases half a dozen times every summer when thousands of holidayers visit to luxuriate in the miles of unsullied sandy beaches and spring-fed pools; browse the art galleries like the Left Bank Gallery, pass the time at the splendid Wellfleet Harbor, Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Wellfleet Historical Society & Museum, and Marconi Wireless Station; trek the Cape Cod Rail Trail and the Great Island Trail; partake in the yearly October Wellfleet OysterFest; and grab delectable meals at seafood restaurants like The Wicked Oyster.
Oak Bluffs
Oak Bluffs, an idyllic resort community in Dukes County on the northeastern shore of Martha’s Vineyard Island, has since the 18th century been the leading nerve center of African-American culture. In addition to being one of the prime arrival locations for summer guests, the town is widely publicized for its exceptional ‘gingerbread cottages’ and impeccably maintained mid-to-late 19th-century buildings. Oak Bluffs’ four public beaches, Hart Haven Beach, Joseph Sylvia State Beach, Eastville Beach, and Oak Bluffs Town Beach (The Inkwell), can be easily reached by beach lovers, while the harbor entices recreational boaters all year round. Also, take note of the myriad businesses filling Main Street (Circuit Avenue), soak in the beauty of Ocean Park and tour the East Chop Lighthouse, go golfing at Farm Neck Golf Club, enjoy a movie at the Strand Theatre, join for a fun ride on the Flying Horses Carousel, and rest for the night at Pequot Hotel.
From the historic towns of Sturbridge and Concord to the serene Cape Cod settlements of Chatham and Sandwich, the marvelous intimately bonded towns in the 16th most populous and 6th smallest state of the nation mesmerize vacationists with their recognizable appeals. So, if you are interested in witnessing jaw-dropping surroundings and internationally praised wonders, partaking in seasonal events, and tasting lip-smacking foodstuffs, these Pilgrim State towns will surely soothe your soul.
