Four Seasons of Massachusetts

VISIT MASSACHUSETTS

EXPLORE THE BAY STATE THROUGH THE SEASONS

CONTENTS SPRING 4

In Full Bloom: Discover a Bay State bouquet of flower festivals and glorious gardens.

SUMMER 8

Summer by the Sea: Three great reasons to visit the beautiful Massachusetts coast this season.

10

The Inside Scoop: No summer trip is complete without a taste of creamy, handmade local ice cream.

FALL

14 Dive into Autumn Color: These drives and hikes offer a leaf peeper’s delight.

17

A Salute to Cranberries: Making the most of Massachusetts’s colorful cranberry harvest season.

WINTER

22 Turn Up the Lights: ’Tis the season for merry and bright holiday displays in the Bay State.

26 Travelers’ Resource Guide

One of the best ways to appreciate the beauty of autumn in Massachusetts?

A hike up the state’s tallest peak, Mount Greylock in Lanesborough.

Story, p. 14

Dear Visitors, Welcome to Massachusetts!

We invite you to explore history, adventure, and fun throughout the state and throughout the year.

With six major tourism regions offering distinct charm and unique adventures, you will find something for everyone!

Our parks and conservation lands offer natural beauty, and museums and historic sites are brimming with arts and culture. Explore our cosmopolitan city centers and quintessential New England villages, scenic byways and more than 45 lighthouses.

Massachusetts is recognized for academic excellence, innovation, the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, and the birthplace of basketball and volleyball. All of these things make Massachusetts a fourseason destination for all ages!

We hope you have a wonderful visit to Massachusetts in every season. To learn more and plan your trip, explore VisitMA.com.

Best regards, Kate

This publication was produced by Yankee Publishing Inc. for the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism. Staff: Mel Allen, editor; Katharine Van Itallie, art director; Jenn Johnson, managing editor; Heather Marcus, photo editor; Jennifer Freeman, senior production artist.

Copyright 2023 by Yankee Publishing Inc.; all rights reserved. Cover photos, clockwise from top left: Hammond Castle Museum, Gloucester, by Colleen Blair; ice skating on the Oval, Worcester, by Chelsea Creekmore; apple orchard in the Berkshires by Ogden Gigli; Fourth of July concert on the Esplanade, Boston, courtesy of Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism; Province Lands Bike Trail, Cape Cod National Seashore, by ThinkArgus; cranberry harvest, South Yarmouth, courtesy of Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism.

2 VISIT MASSACHUSETTS

KATE FOX Executive Director Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

SPRING

IN FULL BLOOM

Discover a Bay State bouquet of flower festivals and glorious gardens.

F

lowers are entwined in the founding history of Massachusetts, on whose shores the Pilgrims landed their ship back in 1620. Bearing the name Mayflower, it symbolized a feeling of hope that blooms anew today in flowers of all kinds across the Bay State.

Each year the floral festivities begin in April with daffodil and tulip events—such as the Naumkeag Daffodil and Tulip Festival in Stockbridge and the Nantucket Daffodil Festival— before reaching a glorious peak in late spring and summer. Here are some of the best ways to tap into Massachusetts’s flower power this year.

Flower Festivals

Every summer the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival puts the Cape’s signature blooming wonders in the spotlight.

One of Massachusetts’s bestloved floral extravaganzas is Lilac Sunday, which invites visitors to marvel at 400plus lilacs bursting into bloom each May at Boston’s Arnold Arboretum, a world-class, 281-acre botanical treasure that recently marked its 150th anniversary. Another May bloomer takes center stage in Sandwich during the Rhododendron Festival at Heritage Museums & Gardens, which later follows up with its colorful Hydrangea Festival in July.

Hydrangeas, in fact, are a hallmark of Cape Cod, with their distinctive blue, pink, and creamy-white flowers popping up everywhere in summer.

Join in the region’s 10-day July celebration, the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, for private garden tours, workshops, lectures, and more.

Lavender fans can get their fill, too, when these aromatic wonders reach peak bloom in late June to mid-July. Mark your calendar for the annual Lavender Farm Fest, typically held in late June, at the Farm

4 VISIT MASSACHUSETTS

at SummitWynds in Holden— but remember that other growers, notably the enchanting Cape Cod Lavender Farm in Harwich, also welcome visitors throughout the season.

Seasonal Delights If you love the show-stopping beauty of roses, late June is the time to start seeking them out.

Two particularly romantic spots are the Nantucket village of ’Sconset, known for its scenic rose-covered cottages, and the Back Bay Fens in Boston, where

ADAM DETOUR (PREVIOUS PAGE); GRETA GEORGIEVA (THIS PAGE)

One of North America’s biggest and best lilac collections reaches its colorful peak during the annual Lilac Sunday celebration at Boston’s Arnold Arboretum.

Street Farm in Millis; and Verrill Farm in Concord. And bring your camera, because no matter where you go, photo ops abound!

Perennial Favorites

Towering golden sunflowers make an irresistible backdrop for visitors to Colby Farm in Newbury.

the “hidden gem” known as the James P. Kelleher Rose Garden offers some 1,500 blooming beauties behind its tall green hedges. Meanwhile, the Pioneer Valley boasts an award-winning rose collection at Stanley Park in Westfield, with some 2,500 bushes spanning

more than 50 varieties.

Coming on strong in August are sunflowers, turning swaths of farmland into blankets of gold. Less than an hour from Boston, you can see these big blooms in all their glory at Colby Farm in Newbury; Tangerini’s Spring

ADAM DETOUR (TOP); MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF TRAVEL & TOURISM (BOTTOM)

For flower aficionados who just want to immerse themselves in an unforgettable garden, the Bay State is blessed with destinations that are beautiful all summer long, and often beyond. The Boston Public Garden—established in 1837 and now the oldest public botanic garden in the nation— delights visitors with elegant formal flower beds, historic statues, and iconic Swan Boats.

(Boston also claims the nation’s oldest public arboretum, the previously mentioned Arnold Arboretum.)

VISITMA.COM 5

In Stockbridge, the Berkshire Botanical Garden has debuted a topiary collection featuring 22 exotic creatures and other living sculptures, while the 171-acre New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston has added a children’s garden to its dozen-plus themed green spaces and conservatories. And for fans of oceanside Edens, the Cape and Islands are home to the aforementioned Heritage Museums & Gardens, which combines natural beauty with museum collections ranging from folk art to vintage cars, and the Polly Hill Arboretum, a Martha’s Vineyard gem named for the legendary horticulturist who developed these verdant acres as a labor of love.

Finally, no flower lover should miss Massachusetts’s one-ofa-kind attractions. Take a walk to remember on the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, a 1908 trolley bridge transformed into a greenery-filled footpath

Set on more than 170 acres in the Central Massachusetts town of Boylston, the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill features a four-season display of the finest plants for cultivation in New England.

over the Deerfield River. (Note: The Bridge of Flowers will be closed in 2024 for repairs.) And join the generations of visitors to the Harvard Museum of Natural History who have

marveled over its collection of 4,000-plus “glass flowers”: Created between 1886 and 1936 and representing 780 species, these blooms offer a beauty that knows no season.

From spring to fall, dedicated volunteer gardeners at the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls ensure that something is always in bloom at this unique attraction.

6

VISIT MASSACHUSETTS

NEW ENGLAND BOTANIC GARDEN AT TOWER HILL (TOP); ALIZADA STUDIOS/ISTOCK (BOTTOM)

SUMMER

SUMMER BY THE SEA Three great reasons to visit the beautiful Massachusetts coast this season.

S

pend time in any of Massachusetts’s welcoming coastal communities—78 in all—and it’s easy to see why people love living here. The state’s 1,500-plus miles of coastline offers a wealth of things to see and do, endless scenic beauty, and, of course, some of New England’s best seafood. There’s enough here to fill up a summer—but if you’re looking to plan one perfect week, here are three ways to make the most of a Massachusetts coastal escape.

SEE: Classic Lighthouses With their power to fascinate history buffs, provide stunning photo ops for shutterbugs, and delight children and families, lighthouses are among the most enduring icons of the Massachusetts coast.

And with 47 of these sturdy sentinels dotted across the Commonwealth, there’s plenty to choose from.

Located less than 10 miles from downtown Boston and first lit in 1716, Boston Light is a must-see: It’s the oldest continually used and only surviving staffed lighthouse in the country. On the North Shore, Cape Ann hosts no fewer than six lighthouses, including Cape Ann Light Station, whose twin lights are the only 8

VISIT MASSACHUSETTS

America’s second-oldest light station, Brant Point Light, is a can’t-miss attraction for Nantucket visitors.

MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF TRAVEL & TOURISM (PREVIOUS PAGE); LARRY TOCCI (THIS PAGE)

Sanctuary, one of the world’s top destinations for seeing these gentle giants up close.

EAT: Savory Seafood Spots

Literary lore and beautiful harbor views await at the famed House of the Seven Gables in Salem, a historic city that’s well worth visiting while driving the Essex Scenic Coastal Byway.

active examples of their kind in the nation.

Island lovers will want to make time for Gay Head Light, perched atop the extraordinary red clay Aquinnah Cliffs on Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket’s Brant Point Light—at 26 feet tall, it’s the shortest in New England. Finally, for a true bucket-list experience, head to Race Point Light in Provincetown to watch one of the most beautiful sunsets on the East Coast.

DO: Coastal Scenic Drives In terms of bang for the buck, it’s hard to beat the Essex Scenic Coastal Byway, a 90mile route that hugs the North Shore from Lynn to Salisbury and offers up both famous destinations and hidden gems.

Among the 14 coastal communities it links are Gloucester, the nation’s first fishing port; Rockport, site of Motif No. 1, “the most-painted fish shack in the world”; and KRISTINA SMITH (TOP); WOODMAN’S OF ESSEX (BOTTOM)

Salem, historic home of the notorious 17th-century witch trials, the House of the Seven Gables, and the world-class Peabody Essex Museum. The drive itself takes you past forest, farmland, marshes, and coastal towns—and the beach is never far away, from Ipswich’s pristine Crane Beach to the popular playground of Salisbury Beach State Reservation.

Alternatively, head south from Boston to take an unforgettable drive on Cape Cod. While there’s no unattractive way to traverse this famed peninsula, Route 6A is the best bet if you want to stick close to the water.

From the Sagamore Bridge, it skims Cape Cod Bay for much of its 62 miles, passing beaches, lighthouses, and historic towns.

After a brief stint as Route 6, the road ends in Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod. Among the highlights here are Cape Cod National Seashore, with nearly 44,000 acres to explore, and whale-watching tours to Stellwagen Bank National Marine

No trip to Massachusetts would be complete without a visit to one of the region’s most beloved seafood shacks, starting with Woodman’s of Essex, where the fried clam was invented more than a century ago. It sits on the North Shore’s Route 133, aka “the Clam Highway,” which also hosts longtime favorites J.T. Farnhams and Essex Seafood in Essex, and the Clam Box in Ipswich.

Picture-perfect water views and top-notch lobster rolls have drawn hungry diners to The Lobster Pool in Rockport since 1954, while Cape Cod’s Chatham Pier Fish Market offers award-winning chowder with the bonus of watching seals frolic in the cove below.

But in Massachusetts, a state with the ocean’s bounty right on its doorstep, you will easily discover great seafood no matter where you are. Ask a local—or just follow your nose.

Nothing says summer in New England like lobster, and Woodman’s of Essex is among the many Bay State seafood shacks that cook it to perfection.

VISITMA.COM 9

THE INSIDE SCOOP No summer trip is complete without a taste of creamy, handmade local ice cream.

Travelers to Western Massachusetts can swing by High Lawn Farm in Lee for big scoops of decadent ice cream made with milk from the farm’s own herd of cows.

T

he story of ice cream in Massachusetts is one of delicious innovation. In the early 19th century, Boston native Frederic “Ice King” Tudor popularized ice—and its many household uses, such as chilling cocktails and keeping ice cream frozen—by cutting blocks from local ponds with horse-drawn plows and shipping them worldwide. When artificial refrigeration eventually overtook iceboxes, it helped give rise to ice cream parlors, and again, the Bay State would lead the way.

10

VISIT MASSACHUSETTS

The bustling ice cream shop that Edward L. Brigham opened in Newton in 1924 soon multiplied, and by the 1970s, there were over 100 Brigham’s locations across the state (today, the cherished brand lives on in grocery stores throughout New England).

Hoodsies, the nostalgic halfvanilla-half-chocolate ice cream cups eaten with a stubby wooden paddle, were invented

by Charlestown-based HP Hood in 1947. And in the early 1970s, Steve Herrell pioneered

cookie and candy mix-ins at his landmark Somerville shop, Steve’s, which spawned the gourmet ice cream boom in the Bay State and beyond.

It’s no wonder Massachusetts takes its frozen treats so seriously. With that in mind— and just in time for National Ice Cream Month—we offer a sampling of the many localfavorite places to get your strawberry or maple-walnut fix in the Bay State this summer, whether you’re in town, at the beach, or on the farm.

LINDA CAMPOS

In-Town Scoops There’s no better way to cool off during summer in the city than with a cone piled high with ice cream, best eaten while indulging in a bit of warmweather people-watching. To get a taste of Steve Herrell’s legacy (showered with real chocolate sprinkles, naturally), stop by the last remaining Herrell’s Ice Cream, in Northampton; though Steve is retired, it is run by his former wife and longtime partner, Judy, and has been a staple of this Pioneer Valley city since 1980.

Of course, Herrell’s influence is still felt in the Boston area, too: Toscanini’s Ice Cream founder Gus Rancatore worked at the original Steve’s in Somerville and opened his first shop in 1981. He now has two Toscanini’s locations in Cambridge dishing out the fan-favorite “B3” flavor: brown butter, brown sugar, and brownies. Another Boston-area shop that came on the scene in the early 1980s was J.P. Licks, which debuted in Jamaica Plain and today has 17 stores and an array of addictive flavors, including variations on cookies ’n’ cream (mint, chocolate, coffee, salted caramel) and special guest stars such as King Tut, a version of golden milk ice cream, and Unicorn Crunch.

For something a bit funkier, check out Christina’s Homemade Ice Cream in Cambridge, known for its spicy concoctions such as fenugreekgingersnap and cantaloupe–star anise (no doubt inspired by owner Ray Ford’s other shop, Christina’s Spice & Specialty Foods). Similarly offbeat is the Somerville newcomer Gracie’s Ice Cream, serving up flavors like Fruity Pebble and Gronk

Clockwise from top left: A Holstein mascot greets visitors at Boston’s J.P. Licks; a Marshmallow Fluff–dipped cone at Gracie’s in Somerville; a loaded scoop at Herrell’s in Northampton; sorbetto from Mrs. Moriconi’s in Worcester.

Smash (a peanut butter base with potato chips, pretzels, Kit Kats, peanuts, and chocolate chips) in cones dipped in that wonderful Massachusetts invention, Marshmallow Fluff. Meanwhile, the most popular order at Honeycomb Creamery in Cambridge is said to be the salted caramel crackle, crafted with homemade honeycomb candy.

Additional picks for InTown Scoops: Forge Ice Cream Bar, Somerville; Mrs. Moriconi’s, Worcester; New City Microcreamery, Hudson, Sudbury, and Cambridge; SoCo Creamery, Great Barrington; Harbor Creamery, Newburyport

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY OF J.P. LICKS; GRACIE'S ICE CREAM; JULIA MORICONI; HERRELL’S ICE CREAM

Coastal Treats After a long beach day, waiting in line at the local scoop shop—with your still-sandy feet shuffling along in flip flops—is a peak New England experience.

When on Nantucket, follow the aroma of hand-rolled waffle cones to The Juice Bar, where you can top your sundae with mini marshmallows, Heath Bar bits, and even Nerds candy (though maybe not all at once).

On Martha’s Vineyard, Mad Martha’s, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021, is a must. With locations in Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and Vineyard Haven, the iconic VISITMA.COM 11

Sundaes, cones, and other frozen delights from Cape Cod Creamery are an ideal complement to the Cape’s other summer delights, from spending a day at the beach to watching a Cape Cod Baseball League game.

local chain often blends other island-made sweets—Back Door Donuts apple fritters, Enchanted Chocolates chocolate-covered almonds—into its creations.

The mainland has plenty of seaside creameries, too, especially down the Cape. The ice cream names at Cape Cod Creamery’s shops in Dennis, Hyannis, and South Yarmouth celebrate local flavor: Nauset Peach, Cummaquid Coconut, Provincetown Pistachio, and more. At Sundae School in Harwich Port and Dennis Port, may we suggest Shark’s Tooth (black raspberry with white chocolate chips) as one of the three scoops in your giant banana split, crowned with hot fudge, strawberries, pineapple, and whipped cream? Soft-serve fanatics should head to the North Shore, where Gloucester’s Long Beach Dairy Maid has two dozen flavors of the swirly delight (not to mention 60 or so hard-packed flavors, including a tribute to yet another Bay State invention, the Toll House Cookie).

Additional picks for Coastal Treats: Farfar’s, Duxbury; Four Seas, Centerville; 12 VISIT MASSACHUSETTS

Lewis Brothers, Provincetown; Smitty’s, East Falmouth, East Orleans, and Mashpee

Farm Dairy Delights Just as lobster rolls taste better by the ocean, there’s something special about digging into a sundae right at the source, preferably in view of the actual cows that provided the milk.

You’ll definitely see bovines moseying about, for instance, at High Lawn Farm in Lee, a stunning 1,600-acre property

Founded in 1939 and now operating four locations, Kimball Farm is famous for its portion sizes.

where visitors can dig into rich coffee, strawberry cheesecake, and lemon meringue pie ice cream made with milk from the resident Jersey cows.

Goats, piglets, and cows are also ready for their close-ups at the half-century-old Crescent Ridge Dairy Bar in Sharon, where, in addition to ice cream sandwiches and frappes, you can purchase retro glass bottles of the farm’s fresh milk, as well as a milkbone-topped “pup cup” for your own four-legged friend. At Rota Spring Farm in Sterling, which promises “a herd of flavor in every scoop,” you can say hi to the goats in the petting zoo after the last lick of your Moo Tracks cone. Another rural gem situated on a working ninthgeneration family dairy farm is Richardson’s Ice Cream in Middleton: They have 80 flavors, plus mini golf and a batting cage next door at Golf Country.

If it’s old-time family fun you’re after, make tracks for Kimball Farm in Westford, where the amusements include a zipline, bumper boats, and an arcade. Its real claim to fame, however, is the colossal portion size of its homemade ice creams, also available at Kimball Farm’s outposts in Lancaster, Carlisle, and Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Go classic with grape-nut or frozen pudding, or go unconventional with chocolate caramel whiskey—but either way, at Kimball’s you may want to seriously consider the “small” or even the “kiddie” size.

Additional picks for Farm Dairy Delights: Elsie’s Creamery at Randall’s Farm & Greenhouse, Ludlow; Flayvors of Cook Farm, Hadley; Gibby’s at Gibson’s Dairy Farm, Worcester; Ice Cream Barn at Baker Farm, Swansea; Ice Cream Dairy Bar at Hornstra Dairy Farm, Norwell

WILLIAM DESOUSA-MAUK (TOP); COURTESY OF KIMBALL FARM (BOTTOM)

FALL

As the largest body of water in the Bay State, the Quabbin Reservoir provides endless water-and-foliage vistas when the fall colors come to Central Massachusetts.

DIVE INTO AUTUMN COLOR

These drives and hikes offer a leaf peeper’s delight.

W

hile Massachusetts is home to more New England residents than any other state in the region, rooted in and around its bustling cities and towns is another diverse, thriving population that takes center stage every autumn: trees. More than half of the state is forested—approximately 3 million acres—mainly by the 14

VISIT MASSACHUSETTS

kinds of northern hardwoods that paint the fall landscape in crimson, orange, and gold. Even better, they cascade down from mountainsides to coastal lands, each area peaking at different times and spreading the opportunities for leaf peeping across the season.

Want to get a front-row seat to the Bay State color show this year? These classic drives and

favorite foliage spots will get you started.

Hit the Road (or Rails) More than a dozen official scenic byways and countless beautiful rural routes make fall day-tripping an essential Massachusetts experience.

Among the many standouts to choose from:

OGDEN GIGLI (PREVIOUS PAGE); DENIS TANGNEY JR./ISTOCK (THIS PAGE)

Western Massachusetts: Explore the Berkshire foothills on the Jacob’s Ladder Trail, a 35-mile drive that winds around from the rocky heights of Mount Tekoa in Russell to the Lee/ Lenox town line, providing views of the Wild and Scenic Westfield River along the way. Experience rolling farmland and historic villages settled in Colonial times on the 40-mile Connecticut River Byway, or plan a longer jaunt on the nation’s first scenic automobile route, the Mohawk Trail, which runs nearly 70 miles from Orange to Williamstown.

North of Boston: Maritime heritage meets foliage color along the 90-mile Essex Coastal Scenic Byway, linking 14 communities from Lynn to Salisbury as it traverses forests, farmlands, and coast, as well as extensive salt marshes lined with oaks that display brilliant golden color in late October.

You’ll find plenty of compelling reasons to stop along the way, such as the storied fishing town

of Gloucester and charming, walkable Newburyport.

Central Massachusetts: The 40-mile Lost Villages Scenic Byway (Route 122) offers a quiet ride past working farms, forests, and historic landmarks. Its name is an homage to the four towns that were displaced when their land disappeared under water during the Quabbin Reservoir construction in 1930.

Greater Boston: Hear the echoes of Revolutionary history on the Battle Road Scenic Byway, which follows the approximate path of the British regulars during the battles that marked the start of the American Revolution on April 19, 1775.

It runs along approximately 15 miles of roads in Arlington, Lexington, Lincoln, and Concord, including part of Minute Man National Historical Park.

South of Boston: See another kind of fiery fall color on the 62-mile Cranberry Course through Plymouth County.

From Milton, you head south on

MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF TRAVEL & TOURISM (ROUTE 2, NEWBURYPORT, WAREHAM BOG); JAMES HIGGINS (CONCORD); JOHN KITTREDGE/CAPETRAIN.COM (TRAIN)

Route 24 before hopscotching on secondary roads from Bridgewater to North Carver to Wareham and Mattapoisett.

Along the way, views of autumn leaves are complemented by the sight of cranberry bogs flooded with pools of bright crimson berries at harvest time.

The Cape & Islands: For seaside autumn splendor, try a different set of wheels: the Cape Cod Central Railroad, offering scenic rides through October. This heritage passenger railroad operates mainly on 27 miles of former New Haven Railroad tracks on Cape Cod, and its excursions take guests past marshes, cranberry bogs, dunes, and other places only accessible by rail.

Take a Hike (or Your Bike) With 150 state parks, 100 Trustees of Reservations properties, 15 national park areas, five national heritage areas, and three national trails, Massachusetts’s treasure trove of natural assets means that no matter where you go, you’re not far from a foliage spot perfect for exploring at your own pace.

For a bird’s-eye view of the autumn canopy, try one of the state’s many stunning summit hikes, which are especially abundant in Western Massachusetts. Mount Greylock State Reservation VISITMA.COM 15

You’ll find no shortage of terrific fall hiking spots in Western Massachusetts, including Bash Bish Falls State Park (left) and Mount Greylock State Reservation (right).

offers the chance to tackle the state’s tallest mountain (3,491 feet), but less-ambitious peaks offer equally eye-popping views, including Monument Mountain (1,642 feet), Mount Sugarloaf (935 feet), and Mount Holyoke (652 feet).

Waterfalls, lakes, and rivers add a certain magical sparkle to foliage excursions. For proof, head to the sprawling Quabbin Reservoir in Central Massachusetts, a magnet for autumn hikers and bikers, or the Taconic Mountains’ Bash Bish Falls State Park, home to the state’s highest waterfall.

And of course there’s the timeless appeal of Concord’s Walden Pond, made famous by Massachusetts native son Henry David Thoreau.

Bird watchers and nature enthusiasts can take their pick of 60-plus Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries, whose autumn beauty is as diverse 16 VISIT MASSACHUSETTS

as their locations: from the mountainside setting of Pleasant Valley in Lenox, to the former farmlands of Wachusett Meadow in Princeton, to the salt marsh of Wellfleet Bay on Cape Cod.

Autumn hues lend extra appeal to the pretty country landscape surrounding the Fruitlands Museum, a Trustees of Reservations property in Harvard.

Another collection of pristine properties not to be missed is managed by The Trustees of Reservations, the nation’s first and Massachusetts’s largest preservation and conservation nonprofit. At the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, for instance, discover glorious views of the Nashua River Valley amid a former 19th-century Transcendentalist colony.

Also among The Trustees’ properties: Bartholomew’s Cobble, a National Natural Landmark in Sheffield, which offers five miles of trails through fields, forest, and marshes and superb foliage vistas from atop 1,000-foot Hurlburt’s Hill. Finally, for a uniquely coastal spin on fall color, head to Martha’s Vineyard, where Menemsha Hills blends aweinspiring seaside panoramas with flashes of red from blueberry bushes and ripening holly berries.

KIMBERLY JOHNSON (TOP LEFT); MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF TRAVEL & TOURISM (TOP RIGHT); TIM GRAFFT (BOTTOM)

A SALUTE TO CRANBERRIES Making the most of Massachusetts’s colorful cranberry harvest season.

I

t’s not often that a farmer’s hard work brings tour buses filled with cameratoting visitors, or families with children, or those who yearn for autumn beauty. But when cranberry farmers in southeastern Massachusetts bring in their ruby-hued crops in September and October and into November, they know they’ll have company.

More than 13,000 acres in Massachusetts are devoted to cranberry growing—primarily in Plymouth, Bristol, and Barnstable counties—and these fields composed of sand and peat may not look like much on their own. But when the berries ripen on the vines, a sea of crimson spreads across the landscape, creating an unforgettable autumn spectacle.

And it’s not just their appearance that dazzles: About a third of all North American cranberry acreage is found in Massachusetts, which ranks as the second leading producer in the U.S. These tart little red gems are not only the official state berry of Massachusetts MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF TRAVEL & TOURISM

Having been suctioned up from their bog, these Massachusetts cranberries are being washed and sorted. The majority of the crop will be processed into sauce and juice, or dried; the remaining cranberries are sold fresh to be cooked down into sauces and compotes or baked into delicious treats.

(which likewise claims cranberry juice as its official state beverage), but also the state’s largest agricultural export, representing a crop value of about $65 million annually and supporting about 7,000 jobs.

So, looking ahead to when the cranberry season returns to the Bay State—and in honor of October being Massachusetts Cranberry Month—we offer the following salute to this beautiful and essential fall fruit.

VISITMA.COM 17

Cranberry History Officially known as Vaccinium macrocarpon, the cranberry is one of only three fruits— along with Concord grapes and blueberries—that are native to North America. It was called “sassamanash” or “ibimi” by the indigenous peoples of Massachusetts, who used it for medicine, dyes, and food (for instance, combining crushed cranberries with dried venison and fat to make pemmican).

The Pilgrims and those who followed also made use of these wild berries, which the newcomers called “crane berries” for how the white flowers resembled the heads of cranes. But growing cranberries as a commercial crop didn’t begin until 1816, when Revolutionary War veteran Henry Hall began cultivating them in Dennis, on Cape Cod. Southeastern Massachusetts quickly became the center of the 19th-century cranberry industry, and in 1888 the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association was established to standardize the standardize the 100-pound barrel, the measure by which cranberries are sold.

Today it is one of the country’s oldest farmers’ organizations,

representing 330 growers throughout Massachusetts.

Another Bay State milestone was the 1910 founding of a permanent facility for cranberry research, in Wareham, by what is now the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

More than a century later, the research being done at the UMass Cranberry Station is among the highest-regarded in the nation.

And in 1912, a lawyer turned cranberry farmer named Marcus L. Urann in Hanson, Massachusetts, began canning and juicing cranberries commercially for the first time. He not only revolutionized the industry by creating a true year-round product, but also launched the cranberry cooperative that would become world-famous as Ocean Spray. Among the founding members of that cooperative was another name that is widely known today: the A.D. Makepeace Company.

Founded in Barnstable in 1854 and now based in Wareham, the company farms nearly 2,000 acres of bogs in southeastern Massachusetts and is considered to be the largest grower of cranberries in the world.

Want more Massachusetts cranberry history? The Harwich Historical Society and Brooks Academy Museum features Cape Cod’s largest exhibit dedicated to the history of cranberry culture in this region, with photos, artifacts, and hands-on activities—even a diorama of a cranberry bog.

Harvest Time

This vintage postcard shows Cape Cod harvesters picking cranberries by hand, 19th-century style.

18 VISIT MASSACHUSETTS

The cranberry bogs of southeastern Massachusetts put on such a brilliant display every fall, you could argue that the best seasonal color there can be found by looking down, not up. Growing on long, running vines in freshwater bogs, native cranberries are at their most beautiful when the bogs are flooded and the berries are loosened from their vines, causing them to COURTESY OF HISTORIC NEW ENGLAND

From top: Seeing red at Nantucket’s Milestone Cranberry Bog, owned and operated by the Nantucket Conservation Foundation; visitors to Makepeace Farms in Wareham head out on a bog tour.

float up and form a watery crimson carpet that can be easily corralled by farmers.

(This is the traditional harvesting method for most growers; however, about 10 percent of the Massachusetts crop is dry harvested with a mechanical picker.)

Wherever the eye looks— heading west from Plymouth, say, down Seven Hills Road and out Federal Furnace Road, or along Routes 106 and 44, or south on 58—cranberry bogs at harvest time are pull-the-carover spectacles. A number of farmers welcome visitors, and

J. GREG HINSON (TOP); MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF TRAVEL & TOURISM (BOTTOM)

many will pause in their work, as generations before them have, to talk bogs and berries.

For instance, you can learn about the 12-month operation of a cranberry bog, see the equipment, and visit with farm animals by booking a tour of Leo and Andrea Cakounes’s operation in Harwich, the Cape’s largest organic cranberry bog. You can also register for a bog bus tour through the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association, or check its list of growers that are open for agricultural tourism and cranberry sales.

Train fans can experience the beauty of cranberry harvest season by hopping aboard the Cape Cod Central Railroad in October. The heritage railway offers a scenic round-trip Cape Cod Excursion Train that departs from either Hyannis or West Barnstable, and features lively onboard narration during a journey that showcases cranberry bogs along with other aspects of the Cape’s natural beauty, such as woodlands, sand dunes, and salt marshes.

And of course, there are great festivals and community celebrations to enjoy each fall: n Harwich Cranberry Arts & Music Festival (September), featuring a local crafts show plus the CranJam Music Festival and a fireworks show. n Batacular Fall Fun Day (October), a day of fun and outdoor events at the Nantucket Conservation Foundation’s Milestone Cranberry Bogs. n Fall Harvest Celebration (October), Ocean Spray’s annual day of free family activities at Foxborough’s Patriot Place including walks on the Nature Trail, home to the last active cranberry bog in Foxborough.

VISITMA.COM 19

Taste for Yourself!

Naturally low in sugar, cranberries have been found to have a multitude of health benefits. The berries’ bacteriablocking compounds are widely believed to help prevent a variety of ailments, including urinary tract infections, ulcers, and gum disease. High in vitamins, antioxidants, and flavonoids, the berries may also play a role in preventing cancer.

Cranberries are incredibly hardy, too, lasting one to two months fresh in the refrigerator and up to a year when frozen.

The color alone makes them an ingredient worth embracing, but their tart flavor combined with the sweetness of, say, a pie or cobbler is the reason many cooks turn to them repeatedly through the fall.

To get started cooking with cranberries, try this recipe from Yankee food editor Amy Traverso that’s perfect for a cozy autumn dessert.

Cranberry Cobbler with Cream Biscuits FOR THE FILLING

1½ cups granulated sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch Zest and juice of one orange 8 cups cranberries, either fresh or frozen 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract FOR THE BISCUITS

2 cups self-rising flour 1 tablespoon granulated sugar ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon table salt 1 ½ cups heavy cream 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water Turbinado or granulated sugar, for sprinkling Preheat your oven to 375° and set a rack to the middle position. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and 2 0 VISIT MASSACHUSETTS

Their bold flavor and brilliant color make Massachusetts cranberries a zingy addition to both savory recipes and sweet ones, like this classic cobbler.

cornstarch. Add the zest and use your fingers to rub it into the sugar mixture. Add the cranberries and toss to coat with a rubber spatula. Add the orange juice and vanilla and toss a final time. Transfer the cranberry mixture to a 13-by-9by-2-inch baking pan.

Now, make the biscuits: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the heavy cream and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.

Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it a few times, until the

dough just comes together.

Roll out the dough into a 9-by6-inch rectangle, about 1 inch thick, and use a 2-inch cookie cutter to cut out 18 biscuit rounds, rerolling the scraps if necessary.

Place the biscuit rounds on top of the cranberry mixture, brush them with the egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake until the cranberries are bubbling in the center between the biscuits, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan at the halfway mark. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or a dribble of heavy cream. Yields 14 servings.

PHOTO AND STYLING BY LIZ NEILY

WINTER

A sparkling highlight of Boston’s Yuletide season is the transformation of the Seaport into a winter wonderland of holiday shopping and festive fun known as Snowport.

TURN UP THE LIGHTS ’Tis the season for merry and bright holiday displays in the Bay State.

W

hen it comes to celebrating the holiday season in New England, Massachusetts has lit the way for nearly 200 years—ever since a Harvard professor put up the region’s first Christmas tree in 1832, in Cambridge.

New England’s best-known tree 22

VISIT MASSACHUSETTS

today is the massive twinkling evergreen on Boston Common, a gift from Nova Scotia as thanks for aid following the 1917 Halifax disaster. Gloucester, meanwhile, lit the nation’s first lobster-trap tree in 2001 (and later debuted the first lobstertrap menorah, too).

But it’s not just sparkling trees

that inspire the oohs and aahs among Massachusetts visitors at this time of year. From city parks and historic homes to botanical gardens and zoos, you can find seasonal displays of countless lights and infinite creativity— making Massachusetts truly a place where the holiday spirit shines bright.

DISCOVER CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS (PREVIOUS PAGE); LINDSAY AHERN/BOSTON SEAPORT BY WS (THIS PAGE)

Western Massachusetts Discover historic splendor in Lenox, where NightWood (begins mid-November) offers a magical outdoor sound-and-light experience at Edith Wharton’s The Mount. At another Gilded Age estate, in Stockbridge, The Trustees of Reservations dresses up the beautiful gardens at Naumkeag for Winterlights (begins late November).

Note: Fans of The Trustees’ beautiful properties across the state can enjoy similarly lavish Winterlights displays at the Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens in North Andover, and the Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate in Canton.

For pure holiday spectacle, the city of Springfield is a traditional go-to destination: It hosts New England’s largest drive-through light show, Bright Nights at Forest Park (begins late November), a stunning three-mile route through large-scale displays featuring 675,000-plus lights.

Naumkeag in Stockbridge dazzles during the largest and best-known of The Trustees’ annual Winterlights events.

North of Boston Join the merry crowds on the streets of Lowell for its City of Lights parade and celebration (late November), culminating with the lighting of the 1893 Town Hall and its 180-foot clock tower. In nearby Methuen, an astonishing 240-plus decorated trees and wreaths star in the Festival of Trees (midNovember/early December), described as the largest display of its kind in New England. And over on the coast, Salisbury gets into the “O Tannenbaum” spirit with its Sea Festival of Trees (mid-November/early December), with indoor ice skating, Santa visits, and plenty of glittering trees.

Since 1995, Springfield’s awe-inspiring Bright Nights at Forest Park has drawn more than 6 million visitors.

Lowell officially kicks off the holiday season in style with its annual City of Lights celebration and parade.

THE TRUSTEES (TOP); HOANG “LEON” NGUYEN/ BRIGHT NIGHTS AT FOREST PARK (MIDDLE); COURTESY OF JAMES HIGGINS (BOTTOM)

VISITMA.COM 2 3

Central Massachusetts

Visitors wander past an entrancing display during Night Lights at the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill.

Worcester kicks off its winterlong light display on the Common with the Festival of Lights (early December), featuring live entertainment, family fun, and the joyful illumination of the city tree.

In Boylston, nature takes on a holiday glow as Night Lights (begins late November) transforms the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill into a fairy-tale landscape, and Mendon’s Southwick’s Zoo offers an enchanting display of lights—plus dining, shopping, and entertainment—with its Winter Wonderland holiday celebration (begins midNovember).

Greater Boston

Ever since the first light-bedecked lobster trap tree went up in Gloucester in 2001, towns along the Massachusetts coast have put their own spin on the idea, like this variation at the Cape Codder Resort and Spa in Hyannis.

24 VISIT MASSACHUSETTS

Even before Thanksgiving arrives in the Commonwealth, a top event is in full swing: Stone Zoo’s dazzling ZooLights (begins mid-November) in Stoneham. The Garden at Elm Bank in Wellesley arrives on this merry scene with its Festival of Trees (begins late November), just before the Boston Common Holiday Tree Lighting (early December) rings in the season in New England’s biggest city, with the fourstory star attraction and 80-plus other trees springing to life. And down by the water, Boston’s Seaport neighborhood is transformed into the evocative winter wonderland of Snowport (begins early November), with a Holiday Market filled with 120-plus vendors, and events ranging from the Light Up Seaport tree lighting to an ice sculpture stroll.

NEW ENGLAND BOTANIC GARDEN AT TOWER HILL (TOP); GRETA GEORGIEVA (BOTTOM)

Twinkling decorations of all kinds illuminate the grounds of the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro during the annual Christmas Festival of Lights.

South of Boston Continuing a beloved Attleboro tradition since 1953, the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette offers a display of more than 400,000 lights to brighten visitors’ spirits at its Christmas Festival of Lights (begins late November). Another family favorite is the Edaville Christmas Festival of Lights (begins early November), set amid Carver’s heritage railroad and amusement park. Finally, see how Taunton came to be nicknamed “The Christmas City” at the Lights On Festival (early December), as Taunton’s beautifully illuminated town

green begins its season of enchantment.

The Cape & Islands

Gardens Aglow lights up the night at the Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich.

COURTESY OF MARK MEDEIROS (TOP); HERITAGE MUSEUMS & GARDENS (BOTTOM)

Stroll cobblestone streets lined with twinkling trees during the season-long Nantucket Noel, which includes the big tree lighting (late November) and the Holiday Stroll (early December). In Sandwich, the spectacular Gardens Aglow (begins late November) returns to the Heritage Museums & Gardens, while in Provincetown they’ll be cheering a uniquely Massachusetts sign of the holidays: the Lighting of the Pilgrim Monument (Nov. 11).

VISITMA.COM 2 5

CONTACT Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism 136 Blackstone St., 5th Floor Boston, MA USA 02109

TOURISM INFORMATION VisitMA.com

REGIONAL TOURISM COUNCILS GREATER BOSTON >> meetboston.com NORTH OF BOSTON North of Boston >> northofboston.org Greater Merrimack Valley >> merrimackvalley.org CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS MetroWest >> metrowestvisitors.org Visit North Central Massachusetts/ Johnny Appleseed Country >> visitnorthcentral.com Discover Central Massachusetts >> discovercentralma.org

26

VISIT MASSACHUSETTS

SOUTH OF BOSTON Southeastern MA >> visitsemass.com Plymouth County >> seeplymouth.com CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS Cape Cod >> capecodchamber.org Martha’s Vineyard >> mvy.com Nantucket >> nantucketchamber.org WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS Explore Western Mass/Greater Springfield >> explorewesternmass.com Hampshire County >> visithampshirecounty.com Franklin County >> franklincc.org The Berkshires of Western Massachusetts >> berkshires.org Mohawk Trail >> mohawktrail.com

Visit Massachusetts

@VisitMA

RAYMOND FORBES LLC/STOCKSY