Old Sturbridge.

It would be difficult to find a more rural New England landscape than that of present-day Sturbridge, with its clapboard frame houses, distinctive old weather vanes, granite curb stones, and classic tall-steepled meeting houses.

Quality replicas and authentic period buildings that were gathered from around the region and placed in a pastoral landscape of woods, fields, and meadows. Costumed guides demonstrate crafts and trades of the early 19th century. Set in the rolling hills of Central Massachusetts, Old Sturbridge Village presents a vivid and unforgettable portrait of life in a country village in early 19th-century New England. Cornfields hacked out of the forest growth stretched up and down the hills of New England in the 1800s, , colonial farmers in Massachusetts scraped away primeval forests to claim precious acreage for their crops.

Plymouth Rock.

Plymouth Massachusetts was founded in 1620 and is located southeast of Boston. Plymouth is the largest town in Massachusetts. Major tourist attractions include Plymouth Rock, the Mayflower 2 and Plymouth Plantation. Plymouth was historically discovered on December 6, 1620 by an expedition party from the Mayflower, then moored off Cape Cod. The famous Plymouth Rock landing is said to have occurred on December 11.Today, the area is heavily visited as a tourist destination because of Plymouth Rock and the popular Plymouth Plantation, a living representation of 17th Century New England life.

The visible portion of Plymouth Rock is a lumpy fragment of rock about the size of a coffee table, with the date 1620 cut into its surface. This rock has become an object of veneration in the United States. This hallowed but homely relic is housed in a kind of Greek temple, It is the most-visited site in this pretty old town. Plymouth is a treat for lovers of American history. Most of the old town is sufficiently compact to tour on foot; in summer a trolley connects most important sites. Probably the best place to begin a visit to Plymouth is aboard the Mayflower II, moored at a dock near Plymouth Rock. The date of the Mayflower's arrival at Cape Cod was November 9, 1620, the little ship set sail from Plymouth Harbor in England. Plymouth is gifted with great natural beauty as well as history. Boats for fishing and whale watching dock at the harbor, A trip to Plymouth today is a very different experience from that of the Pilgrims as they arrived at this coast.

While in Plymouth journey back in time to the 17th Century visit the Plinth Plantation, a recreated village in which the interpreters are in costume and in character. They do their chores, cook and eat their meals, using the tools and speaking the dialect of the Pilgrims. Each character has his or her own history, and stories to tell their past lives in Olde England, the voyage on the Mayflower, and their current situation in Plymouth.

Sandwich.

Sandwich is the oldest town on Cape Cod, it is located at Southeastern Massachusetts at the beginning of Cape Cod. Bordered by Cape Cod Bay on the north, Barnstable on the east, Falmouth and Mashpee on the south, and Bourne on the west. and has retained the feel of a true "Cape" village. Sitting by Mill Pond, you may notice the spire of the First Church of Christ designed by Christopher Wren and imagine yourself back in the early 1800's when the town was famous for the production of beautiful stained glass.

The town's moniker better designates a type of glass manufactured here. The oldest glasswork's in America, Pairpoint Crystal (est.1837), is also open to the public. Originally created by the Sandwich Glass Company, Sandwich glass is a vividly colored type, prized by collectors. Over several hundred years, Sandwich has evolved into a classic New England town with gracious old homes, antique stores and museums clustered together in its central historic district. Even the town hall, built in 1834, is still in use. Lacking a deep-water harbor, Sandwich never developed like many Cape towns into a whaling or shipping port. Other historical sites in town center include the Dexter Grist Mill, built in 1654 and restored in 1961. Fresh mill-ground corn is usually for sale in season. One mile from the center of town is Sandwich's largest and best-known attraction, Heritage Plantation. The museum houses a number of diverse collections including 35 antique automobiles from before World War II, antique firearms, military miniatures, and Currier and Ives prints. In May, the grounds blossom into a sea of flowering rhododendrons that are an attraction unto themselves. Sandwich is a mostly residential community with a winter population considerably smaller than the population during the warm summer. Residents feel that its charm and uniqueness combined with its ideal location make Sandwich a very attractive place both to live and visit. Sandwich's beaches along Cape Cod Bay stretch for miles.

Falmouth.

Falmouth is a large town , and probably has one of the longest coastlines in the State. and is situated on the shoulder, or southwest end, of Cape Cod. Bordered by Bourne and Sandwich on the north. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and few can resist the seaside charm of Falmouth's eight villages,these villages are very diverse in nature, from an inland pine forest and open farmland to the low-land seashore. The names of Falmouth's villages perpetuate the memory of the earliest inhabitants.

Falmouth's 68-mile coastline is one of the town's most beautiful and important natural resources. Buzzards Bay lies to the west of Falmouth and Vineyard Sound lies to the south. These bodies of water have an average summer temperature of 70 degrees and are often enjoyed by swimmers through late September's Indian Summer. Along this shoreline are 12 miles of beach that are enjoyed year-round by both residents and visitors. Stroll back through time and experience the Falmouth of yesteryear by visiting the Falmouth Historical Society and Woods Hole Historical Collection. Both offer summer historical walking tours of Falmouth and Woods Hole. Historical trolley tours of Falmouth are also offered periodically June - November.

Falmouth was first home to the Wampanoag Indians, meaning People of the East. They called Falmouth Suckanesset, meaning where the black wampum is found. Black wampum is the interior shell of the quahog and is actually shades of purple. The Indians made beads and jewelry items to use for trading. Falmouth was a small rural community during its early years. In later years, Falmouth became home port to many sea captains and their sailing vessels. Falmouth schooners traded lumber, salt and onions along the coast to South Carolina and the West Indies. The famous Kennedy family actually had its romantic beginnings in Falmouth. The young Joe Kennedy used to call on Rose Fitzgerald when she was summering in Falmouth Heights with her family.

The village of East Falmouth has one of the towns loveliest historic districts on lower Davisville Road. Its canopied with large, beautiful elms and maples and lined with gentlemanly country farmhouses that once belonged to some of Falmouth's sea captains and their families. East Falmouth was once the strawberry growing capital of the world. During June and July you can still pick your own at a local farm. Or if you prefer the easier way, you could plan to attend the annual strawberry festival in June on the grounds of a church on the Village Green in Falmouth center.

Martha's Vineyard.

We had decided to go to Martha's Vineyard, as this was somewhere The Chink had heard about from a friend at work and had heard it was a nice place to visit.
So as this was The Chinks input into the holiday we lined up on a very wet and misty morning to go over to visit this famous place, that to be honest I had only heard of on news programs. It was pouring down with rain when we set off on the ferry but by the time we arrived it had cleared up, and became quite sunny and was also warm. The Chink decided yet again that he wanted to go his own way, so this he did and we met up a couple of hours later. I was not that impressed and would of sooner put this day into somewhere else of interest that meant something to me.

Located seven miles off the coast of Falmouth, Martha's Vineyard is isolated from the Cape Cod tourism scene, but close enough to draw a wealthy summer resort population and constant influx of tourists. Bartholomew Gosnold, landing here in 1602, and coined the name Martha's Vineyard, in honor of his small daughter and the abundance of wild grapes found on the island. Later, along with Nantucket and the Elizabeth Islands, it was bought for forty pounds by Thomas Mayhew, a Bay Colony businessman. The whaling industry transformed Martha's Vineyard into a wealthy, prosperous community. Toward the whaling industry's decline, the advent of steamships opened up Martha's Vineyard to tourism, Many celebrities enjoy summer homes here including James Taylor, Carly Simon and in recent years President Clinton also chose Martha's Vineyard as his summer vacation destination.

Martha's Vineyards greatest attraction to visitors is its stunning natural beauty. Probably the best-known scenic landmark is the huge sand cliffs at Gay Head. Other places of interest include the Aquinnah Cliffs on the islands western end. The most outstanding natural feature of Gay Head is the magnificent display of varicolored clay cliffs in strange formations which spill down to the sea on the border of the town. These cliffs marked the homeward leg of Gay Head's Indian and Yankee fishermen and whalers.

The Town of Chilmark: is a small rural community located toward the western end of the island of Martha's Vineyard. Most of its 10,639 acres are devoted to residential and agricultural use.

Edgartown: was Martha's Vineyard's first colonial settlement and has been the county seat since 1642, Main Street views include the harbor and waterfront, for the past hundred years, Edgartown has been one of the world's great yachting centers.

The Town of Oak Bluffs: is a resort town on the northeast shore of Martha's Vineyard, and has some the most sought after small, colorful, carpenter Gothic cottages built by revivalists.

The Town of Tisbury: is a resort community on the north shore of Martha's Vineyard. In 1663, West Chop was sold to whites and the first permanent European settlement was made in 1674, the area abounded in shellfish, striped bass, bluefish and swordfish and drew Indians as well as Europeans for offshore fishing as well as to the massive herring runs.