MASSACHUSETTS Archives - My Family Travels
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This Massachusetts Institution Has Been Baking Its Legendary Thin Crust Pizza Since The 1920s

The oven has been cranking since Calvin Coolidge was in the White House. That is the kind of staying power this Massachusetts institution brings to every single pie.

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This 90-Year-Old Massachusetts Bakery Has No Sign, Just the Best Portuguese Pastries on the East Coast

There are places you stumble upon that immediately feel like a secret the locals have been keeping for decades. This Massachusetts bakery on Commercial Street is exactly that kind...

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This Massachusetts Ruin Is Beautiful During the Day, But Don’t Stay Until Sunset

The stone walls stand in a field surrounded by trees that have grown up around them over the last century. During the day, the place is peaceful, almost pretty, with sunlight filtering...

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I Stopped for Gas in Massachusetts and Left With the Best Hot Dog of My Life

You pull into the gas station expecting nothing. A fill up, a bag of chips, maybe a bathroom break. Then you notice the small...

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I Walked Into a Forgotten Massachusetts Place and Felt the Cold Immediately

There is a place in Massachusetts that feels like it belongs to a different world entirely. Tucked into a corner of a small Berkshire town, a glacial ravine carved out during the...

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Massachusetts’ Most Instagrammed Burger Is Actually Worth the Hype

You have seen the photos. The cheese pull stretching for what looks like feet. The glossy bun catching the light. The perfectly...

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10 Massachusetts Italian Places Your Nonna Would Actually Approve Of

Your Nonna had opinions about Italian food. She knew when the sauce had been simmering long enough. She could tell if the meatballs...

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You Can Walk Right Up to a Real Shipwreck at This Massachusetts Beach When the Tide Goes Out

You walk past the dunes, down toward the water, and there it is. A dark wooden skeleton rising from the sand, looking like something from a pirate movie that wandered off set.

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The Massachusetts State Forest That Locals Avoid After Dark And The Creature They Blame

During the day, this Massachusetts state forest is just like any other. Trails for hiking. Spots for fishing. Families with coolers...

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What the Wind Whispers Around That Massachusetts Rock Formation Will Stay With You Long After You Leave

You climb the trail expecting a view. What you get is something else entirely. The wind moves through this Massachusetts rock...

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Macy's 4th July Fireworks over New York's East River. c. Julienne Schaer / NYC Tourism + Conventions
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These 33 Free Summer Events Are So Special They’re Worth Traveling For

School’s out so it’s time to celebrate with free summer events. If rising prices and global turmoil have put a crimp in your travel style, never fear. These 17 destinations...

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The Massachusetts Family Guidebook Forgot These 12 Wonderful Spots But You Shouldn’t

Every family guidebook for Massachusetts covers the same ground. The Children's Museum. The Aquarium. Plymouth Rock, which is honestly just a rock. But the real magic happens in...

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Immense Massachusetts Indoor Center With Virtual Gaming And Boutique Bowling In One Spot

I have to tell you, walking into Apex Entertainment in Marlborough feels less like stepping into one venue and more like wandering into a whole indoor neighborhood built for play....

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You Need To Find This Massachusetts Halal Spot Where Tacos Meet Biryani

Massachusetts has no shortage of great tacos. And biryani? Plenty of solid options. But a place where both share the same menu?

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The 6 Best Hot Dog Stands In Massachusetts, According To Someone Who’s Eaten At All Of Them

I have eaten a lot of hot dogs in Massachusetts. More than is probably healthy. But someone had to do the research. Fenway to...

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America’s New Favorite Grocery Store Has 26 Spots in Massachusetts And Shoppers Are Obsessed

If you have ever wandered through a grocery store feeling like you are overpaying for the privilege of bagging your own groceries, Massachusetts has news for you. America's new...

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The Gigantic Secondhand Shop In Massachusetts That Is Absolutely Worth The Drive

Ever paid for clothes by the pound? At this massive Cambridge secondhand shop, you grab a garbage bag, fill it with whatever you can dig out of sprawling bins, and pay just two...

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The Best Food Hall In The U.S. Is Hiding In Massachusetts With 20 Distinct Food And Drink Concepts

Boston has a way of surprising you when you think you already know where the good food lives, and this spot in Massachusetts really got me because it feels tucked into a part of...

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The Fresh-Boiled Whole Lobster At This Unassuming Massachusetts Harbor Shack Is A Coastal Tradition

The slick feel of a plastic bib and the weight of a wooden mallet in your hand signal a messy, wonderful meal is coming. You've stepped into a narrow, shingled outpost on a rocky...

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This Massachusetts Playground For Grown Ups Offers The Very Best Way To Reignite Your Inner Child

You dodge a beam of light, crawl through a narrow tunnel, and solve a riddle before a timer runs out. This is not a kids' birthday party.

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Ahoy Massachusetts Families, This Pirate Restaurant Is Treasure Worth Finding

Massachusetts has plenty of restaurants trying to be fun. Arcades. Themed decor. Overpriced kid menus.

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The Overstuffed Lobster Roll At This Small Town Massachusetts Eatery Sparks Debates All Over The State

Some of the best seafood arguments in Massachusetts start with a single bite of an overstuffed lobster roll. This small town eatery, perched on a rocky outcropping where waves...

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This Massachusetts Public Library Hides A Speakeasy-Style Tea Lounge Behind A Curtain

What if the most inviting speakeasy in town was hidden inside a public library, behind a velvet curtain that most visitors walk right past? That is the delightful secret waiting...

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America’s Oldest Candy Company Is Still Churning Out Sweets Right Here In Massachusetts

Massachusetts has a lot of history. Old buildings. Famous battles. But this piece of history is sweeter.

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You Won’t Believe This Quiet Massachusetts Zoo Was Once Just A Polish Immigrant’s Farm

You drive up to this Massachusetts zoo and it looks like any other small zoo. Paths. Enclosures. Families with strollers.

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This Massachusetts Library Hides A Grand Neo-Palladian Reading Room Behind Its Historic Doors

A nearly seven-foot-tall bronze goddess named Athena keeps watch over the first floor, a quiet nod to the ancient Greek ideals of wisdom and knowledge. But that is just one of...

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This 8,000 Square Foot Arcade And Trampoline Park In Massachusetts Saves Rainy Days

Rainy days in Massachusetts can be brutal. Gray skies. Constant drizzle. The kind of weather that makes you want to crawl back...

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This Massachusetts Video Rental Store Is One Of The Last Remaining Of A Bygone Era, Featuring Thousands Of Physical Films

A video store that roasts its own coffee, serves crepes, and screens movies in a backyard micro theater. That is not a fever dream.

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This Massachusetts Vintage Market Is Packed With Retro Gems And Curiosities

Ever walked into a vintage shop that felt more like an art gallery than your grandmother's attic? That is the pleasant surprise waiting at this Massachusetts market, a bright industrial...

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These Are The Things Travelers Love And Struggle With In Massachusetts

Massachusetts has a way of charming you and testing you almost immediately, sometimes in the same afternoon. One minute you’re...

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Massachusetts’ Most Magical Walkway Is A 400 Foot Stone Bridge Drowning In Blooms Annually

A four-hundred-foot stone bridge stretches across a rushing river in western Massachusetts, and someone decided it needed flowers. Hundreds of varieties, to be exact.

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Massachusetts Still Has A Few Old General Stores Selling Penny Candy Like It’s 1955

The floor creaks before you see anything else. That is how you know it is real. A general store in a small Massachusetts town...

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You Can Still Eat Like A King In Massachusetts For Under Ten Bucks At This Old School Joint

The smell hits you first. That unmistakable mix of sizzling beef and fresh-cut fries makes your stomach growl before you even reach the counter.

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This Massachusetts Restaurant Is A Rare Revival Of A Beloved Family Chain

Remember when restaurants let you toss peanut shells on the floor and charged your kid by the pound? That beloved, wonderfully messy chain is back in its home state, and you can...

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How Tourist Crowds Impact Colonial Landmarks In Massachusetts

Have you ever visited a historic site and felt like the crowds were part of the experience? In Massachusetts, that’s exactly what’s happening at colonial landmarks.

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This Historic Massachusetts Tavern Is Hiding Inside A Perfectly Preserved 1780 Building

George Washington once stopped here for a drink. Paul Revere loved the place so much it became his favorite neighborhood haunt. And...

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Small Town Massachusetts Has Prime Rib Bigger Than Your Head, Made With A 60-Year-Old Recipe

There’s a certain magic in a restaurant that doesn’t chase trends, just slow-roasts perfection for nearly seven decades. And hidden on a quiet two-lane road is a prime rib...

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Inside Massachusetts’ Old-World Chocolate Shop Where Handmade Pralines Still Steal The Show

Some places stop you cold the second you walk in. The air hits first, warm and deep, like someone melted a whole candy store into something you can actually breathe.

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11 Massachusetts Towns Losing Residents As Living Costs Continue To Climb

It is hard for a town to keep feeling stable when the cost of living keeps rising and more residents start realizing the numbers no longer work in their favor. That is the pressure...

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This Massachusetts Seaside Spot Still Carries Traces Of A Beloved Former Amusement Park

Ever run into a seaside place that feels like it never fully let go of its boardwalk glory days? This Massachusetts spot has exactly that kind of charm, with traces of a beloved...

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The Area Around Massachusetts’s Former Amusement Park Is Seeing A Fresh New Chapter At This Waterfront Reservation

Some places carry their past so well that even a completely new chapter feels more interesting because of what used to be there. That is exactly the case at this Massachusetts...

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This Massachusetts Airport Café Lets You Eat Breakfast With A Front-Row View Of Airfield Action

Ready to make breakfast feel a little more like a live show? This Massachusetts airport café serves up that exact kind of experience, where the food is only part of the reason...

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Old-Fashioned Massachusetts Farm Store That Offers Fresh Produce Straight From Local Fields

You know those farm stores that make everything else start to feel a little too polished and a little too far removed from where food actually comes from? That is exactly the charm...

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This Massachusetts Farm Store Is A Fruit-Filled Paradise Where The Harvest Comes Straight From The Hills

You know those food stops where one basket somehow turns into five before you even make it halfway through? That is exactly the kind of effect this Massachusetts farm store has.

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This Abandoned Massachusetts Quarry Site Is Basically A Giant Graffiti Stone Playground

Colorful, chaotic, and a little unreal, this abandoned Massachusetts quarry does not exactly ease you into the experience. The place hits you fast with huge stone walls, wide-open...

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This Haunted Massachusetts Ghost Ship Has A Backstory That Gets Stranger The More You Look

The weirder the details get, the harder it is to stop reading the story. This haunted Massachusetts ghost ship has a backstory that gets stranger the more you look, because every...

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These Massachusetts Neighborhoods Tourism Ruined By Overcrowded Beaches And Parks

Ever been excited to visit a quiet beach or park, only to find it jam-packed with people? That’s what’s happening in some Massachusetts neighborhoods right now.

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The Historic Harbor Village In Massachusetts That’s Peaceful Before Tourist Season

Ready for a coastal town that feels like it’s still exhaling from winter? Marblehead, Massachusetts is at its best before tourist season, when the harbor looks calm, the streets...

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Takeout Containers Took Over These Massachusetts Harbor Walks And Sparked Crackdowns

A harbor walk feels a lot less charming when the shoreline starts looking like a takeout graveyard. In Massachusetts, discarded containers have taken over some waterfront paths,...

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This Haunted Massachusetts House Stay Has A Night Tour That Leaves Out One Detail

What is the one detail the night tour will not say out loud, even when everyone is clearly thinking it? A haunted Massachusetts house stay with a night tour hits different, because...

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The Massachusetts Law That Turns Fortune Telling Into A Licensed Job

Walk into a crystal shop in Massachusetts and you might be surprised to learn that reading palms or cards can be treated like a regulated profession.

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These Massachusetts Harbor Islands Tourists Ruined By Rule-Bending Picnics And Litter

Ready to pack a picnic and somehow end up watching someone break three rules before you open your chips? The Massachusetts Harbor Islands should feel like an easy escape, salty...

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Massachusetts Has A Donut Shop With A Glazed Classic People Drive For On Purpose

You know a donut is serious when people plan their morning around the drive. Kane’s Donuts in Saugus is that kind of Massachusetts stop, especially for the glazed classic.

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A Massachusetts Prison Island That Makes Even Daytime Feel Suspicious

Think you are just taking a simple daytime trip and then the place makes you lower your voice without realizing it. A Massachusetts prison island has that effect, because the isolation...

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How To Win Hearts In Massachusetts As A Tourist

What’s the best way to make locals warm up to you when you’re visiting a new place? In Massachusetts, it’s not just about seeing the sights; it’s about how you connect...

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These Are Massachusetts Harbors Locals Try To Protect From Crowds

What does the Massachusetts coast feel like when it is treated as a lived-in place instead of a prize to be claimed? What...

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These Massachusetts Harbor Behaviors Turn A Peaceful Walk Into A Circus

I thought I was in for a quiet harbor stroll until someone decided the railing was a stage and the seagulls were their audience. One minute you are breathing in salty air and watching...

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Massachusetts Harbor Walks Tourists Ruined By Feeding Wildlife And Crowding Railings

I learned this the awkward way, wedged between a stroller and a selfie stick while someone tossed snacks at a seagull right next to my elbow.

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These Are Massachusetts Laws Tourists Break First, Then Google Later

How many tiny rules can you stumble over in one stroll through Massachusetts? More than you think. You might be sipping a coffee...

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A Seaside Inn In Massachusetts That Makes You Book A Room For The Oysters

Oysters first, everything else second. At The Red Inn in Provincetown, those briny bites are so good they make booking a room feel like the only option.

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