dlpiano

After our enjoyable 3 generation, all girl summer vacation to PEI Canada (land of Lucy Maude Montgomery- Anne of Green Gables)we are planning next summers' trip. Keeping within the same train of thought I came up with Concord, Mass. home of Louisa May Alcott-Little Women. Any information about this area for our vacation? Thanks!

ronkala

We'll be there in two weeks. Got our information from the MA tourism office. You can google it.

cigalechanta

http://www.concordnet.org/Main/visitor_information.htm

cigalechanta

http://www.nps.gov/mima/

wantsomesun

You also might add a day trip to Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge MA, very fun, educational and inspirational.

Have a great time.

gail

Concord is about 20 miles from Boston. While it is a lovely area, it does not, in my opinion, offer enough for it to be a sole vacation destination. I would either combine it with a Boston itinerary, or if you want a more rural vacation, go west or north from there into hills/lakes.

If you are into history, Lexington/Concord area has a variety of Revolutionary War sites - but that is usually done as a day trip from Boston.

Walden Pond is there - you could take a nice walk around the Pond - and there is a tiny crowded public beach. Mass Audobon Society has an area in Lincoln (Drumlin Farm) that has some animals, demonstration farm, exhibits.

Downtown Concord is rather quaint with some interesting shops, but like in many areas some are being replaced by chains. Down Route 2 in Lexington is Wilson Farms, a wonderful farm/produce market that sometimes offers tours.

FlyFish

You don't mention how long your vacation will be, but assuming you have a week or so I agree that Concord alone, even combined with Lexington, doesn't have enough to keep you busy for that amount of time. If you want to stay with the literary/artistic theme and are up for a little bit of driving, Salem (House of Seven Gables, etc.) would be a pleasant day trip from the Concord area. Further west, the Lenox area in the Berkshires has many worthwhile sites of interest, including for example the Daniel Chester French (Lincoln Memorial Statue sculptor) home and studio, Norman Rockwell museum, Arrowhead - the house where Herman Melville wrote Moby Dick (that's actually in Pittsfield), in addition to other museums, as well as Tanglewood and many other venues for the performing arts.

A pleasant trip from Concord (do you have a map handy?) would be to head out Rte. 2, following the Mohawk Trail to Rt. 8A in Charlemont, then working your way south, climbing up into the Berkshires, and eventually down again into Dalton (where Crane Paper makes the paper for all US currency), coming into Dalton & Pittsfield on Rt. 9, then into Lenox on Rt. 7. Concord to Lenox via that route is perhaps 3 hours if you take your time. Or you could stay on Rt. 2 all the way to North Adams, then go south. Stay in Lenox a couple days (or more - there's plenty to do and see) at one of the many B&Bs, then head back east on the turnpike or Rt. 20, stopping at Old Sturbridge Village along the way, as an earlier poster mentioned.

gyppielou

I am sure part of your stay would include Boston. Might I suggest The Boston Women's Memorial, a trio of statues on Commonwealth Mall between Fairfield and Gloucester. It was erected in 2003 to honor women who have mad a local impact...former 1st lady Abigail Adams, newspaperwoman and suffagist Lucy Stone, and poet Philis Wheatley.

It is a beautiful street to walk with many wonderful statues. You could check out nabbonline.com/statues

There is so much to see within an hours radius of Concord and Lexington to fill you historical, literarry, and natural beauty to fill your expectations. I think with research, you will have trouble crossing ideas off your list.

Good luck!

sam

Try www.concordscolonialinn.com. You don't have to stay there, but their website has lots of area information and tourist ideas. Concord is a good central location to do day trips, such as the other posters recommended. There is so much to see within an hour or so radius. If you decide to make a daytrip into Boston, there's a train station right in Concord Center. Have fun!

Lizzy76

Oh Massachusetts...I miss you, I miss you...Lovely state, actually my favorite state...I wish I could have a trip planned over there în the future like you folks...
You can only have great time in New England especially around Boston area...
Have great time et bon voyage

ronkala

You might also want to go to the Navy Yard and visit the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) and the Fletcher class destroyer, the USS Cassin Young.

MarieF

Concord is a wonderful town with lots of history (I live there). But as others have said, it is a place that you can easily see in a few days. If you visit, I would also recommend that you include the the other authors' homes (Emerson's house,the Wayside and the Old Manse) which are all within a close distance to Orchard House. Also, the Concord Museum has a nice short movie about the history of the town that covers the role of Concord in the Revolution and later periods. Other places to visit are the Old North Bridge, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (where many of the famous authors are buried) and the Battle Road National Historic Park. In the summer and fall there is also a shuttle bus (the Liberty Ride) that goes between Lexington and Concord and stops at all the historic spots. The town also has walking tours with Town Guides that are another way to get a flavor of the history of the town. An earlier poster mentioned the Colonial Inn, a pretty inn overlooking the town green. There is also a smaller B&B (Hawthorne Inn) near the town center that is popular. I would encourage you to visit Concord but would recommend that you think about what it offers so that you can decide how much time you want to spend there. It is a beautiful, relaxing suburb that attracts many visitors each year.

dlpiano

WOW!!so many great ideas! I thank everyone. We have 2 weeks to spend on our vacation. 1 week will probably be spent traveing to and from and stopping to visit friends along the way..The other week we would like to stay in a cottage or possibly a working farm. Does anyone know of any working farms available in the Concord area week?
Thanks for everyones' help.
dlpiano

gail

Farm to stay at or visit? Wilson Farms in Lexington or Drumlin Farm (demonstration farm rather than real working farm) to visit and tour

MarieF

In Concord, I am not aware of any working farms that you can stay at, but there are a number of small farms (with farm stands where you can buy produce) in the area known as "Meriam's corner". Check out Scimone's on Bedford Street; Maplewood Farms on Lexington Road; and a small, unnamed farm stand at the intersection of Route 2A and Lexington Road (hands down the best tomatoes you will ever eat!). Verrill Farms on Route 117 Wheeler Road is a much larger farm and is more well known in the area. If you go during strawberry season (late June) you can pick your own there. They also have a tomato and corn festival the third Saturday in August with many various of heirloom tomatoes and corn. Enjoy!

sam

Try www.arabianhorseinn.com for a working farm. Also, by a working gristmill is the historic inn www.wayside.org, former home of Henry Ford and writings by Longfellow. Both are in Sudbury (next to Concord). I'll second the vote for a side-trip to Verrill Farm, www.verrillfarm.com, they have lots of events and their food is yummy (I work with Chef Kevin often and the people love his food). You could rent a canoe at the South Boathouse in Concord and paddle a short distance to the Old North Bridge.

Underhill

Concord has an excellent museum, and besides Louise May Alcott's house you can see her grave in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery--along with Ralph Waldo Emerson's and a number of other literary luminaries. Near the Alcott house is the home of Margaret Sidney, who wrote the "Five Little Peppers" series.

The visitor center at the Concord Bridge is also interesting. Near Corcord is Sudbury, where you will find Longfellow's Wayside Inn, arguably the oldest in America. It's a very good place for lunch or dinner or an overnight stay, and nearby is the schoolhouse from "Mary's Little Lamb." Just down the road is an operating grain mill that you can visit.

As you can tell, I love this area!

Underhill

A day at Old Sturbridge Village is just about right, given the wealth of activities.

cigalechanta

You,re leaving out the excellant museum in Lincoln, the DeCordova. A must if in the area. Also the Audubon, Drumlin Farm, (the state's Audubon headquarters.) There's also the Gropius House, Th Codman House.
16 miles from Boston. Lincoln is my husband's home town.