The lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer make now the perfect time for a weekend getaway.
Massachusetts is a great summer weekend destination. Temperatures are pleasant, and the variety of activities is vast. Here are seven of the best summer weekend getaways in Massachusetts.
Rockport
Rockport is a quaint village about 40 miles northeast of Boston on the tip of Cape Ann that offers a fun weekend getaway. The Atlantic Ocean surrounds it on three sides.
Bradley Wharf is picturesque and features Motif #1, a fishing shack painted by Aldro Hibbard, Harry Aiken Vincent, and other artists. Painter John Buckley also used it as his studio. Other attractions are Bearskin Neck, which features shops, restaurants, and art galleries, and Halibut Point State Park.
Stockbridge and Lenox
Stockbridge and Lenox are charming neighboring towns in the Berkshires that offer ample opportunities for relaxation, sightseeing, walking, and camping.
Popular attractions near Stockbridge and Lenox are the Kripulu Center for Yoga and Health, the Norman Rockwell Museum, and Edith Wharton’s home, The Mount. The Ventford Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum and the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra are also nearby.
Southern Berkshires
The Southern Berkshires offer an excellent alternative to beaches. They offer great hiking, beautiful small towns, and terrific food.
Popular activities in the Southern Berkshires are antiquing and hiking. Antique galleries are particularly prevalent in Great Barrington. Top hiking spots include the Appalachian Trail in Mount Washington State Forest and the 60-foot-high Bash Bish Falls.
Boston
Boston is rich in history, culture, and sports. Planet Ware rated it as one of the best places to visit in the United States.
Visitors can walk the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail through 16 Revolutionary War sites. They can also visit the city’s museums, including its Museum of Fine Arts. They also can watch the Red Sox play at Fenway Park or sample many of Boston’s unique neighborhoods.
Visitors can opt to stay in lodgings within the city or camp in one of the many campsites nearby.
Nantucket
Nantucket is 36 miles out to sea, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Nantucket Sound. Its remote location makes it an excellent place to escape and wind down. Visitors can access the island by plane or ferry.
Nantucket features excellent beaches, culture, nature, and maritime history. Brandt Point Lighthouse, the Kendall Whaling Museum and Nantucket Antheneum, and Cisco and Jetties Beach are among the top attractions. The town is also known for its excellent seafood restaurants.
Martha’s Vineyard
Martha’s Vineyard offers opportunities to enjoy the sun, ocean, and sand. It is also a terrific spot for nature lovers or those who want to escape.
Top attractions at Martha’s Vineyard include the clay cliffs of Aquinnah or the Island Alpaca Company, where visitors come face to face with the Huacaya alpaca and can tour the farm. Views of the Gay Head Light or Elizabeth Islands are also popular.
Visitors can reach Martha’s Vineyard by car or foot on the ferry or by air.
Cape Cod
More than 4 million people visit Cape Cod annually, making it New England’s premier beach destination. The peninsula also features 14 lighthouses, more than any other U.S. county.
Cape Cod attractions include the Cape Cod Rail Trail, an excellent 25-mile bike ride; the Cape Cod Central Railroad; the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum; and the Heritage Museums and Gardens. Provincetown, an eclectic harbor town with an exciting commercial district, is on Cape Cod’s scenic end.
Cape Cod is accessible by car, bus, plane, and ferry.