North of Boston: Up here, fishing towns, family fun, and the first shots of the Revolutionary War define the region.

North of Boston

Cape Ann features shops, restaurants, and art studios tucked into the nooks and crannies of this seaside community. Whale watch or go deep-sea fishing from Gloucester or Newburyport. While there, gaze at America's most painted building, Motif #1, a red fishing shack. Birders flock to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island or spend the day at Salisbury Beach State Reservation. If you prefer sailing, nearby Marblehead is the place to be.

Visit the eerie witch museums of Salem, just 45 minutes from Boston by Salem Ferry. See The Peabody Essex Museum or The House of the Seven Gables, the inspiration for Nathaniel Hawthorne's famous novel.

Greater Merrimack Valley

The Minute Man National Historical Park commemorates the start of the American Revolution. Lexington's Battle Green and Concord's North Bridge are where the first shots of the American Revolution were fired.

Concord's literary lights shine bright at the homes of Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Take a peaceful lunch break, picnic, or dip at Walden Pond, the muse for Henry David Thoreau. The cotton mills at the Lowell National Historical Park thread the narrative of the region's historical fabric.

Kids and adults will be aflutter at The Butterfly Place in Westford, an glass-roofed atrium where guests can walk among over 500 species of live butterflies. Another exciting treasure is the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Lincoln. Spread over 35 acres, this pondside estate with rolling woods and lawns features indoor art and outdoor sculpture in a one-of-a-kind setting.

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