Massachusetts

There were 4 areas we need to see in Massachusetts :

Salem 

I studied the Salem Witch trials in school in English Literature when we read The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I expect Salem to be very touristy but I hope that under the covers the story of what happened during that period will come to life and the pain and suffering people went through is a reminder of humanity at its worse. 

It looks like the best way to see Salem is through the Trolley Bus Tours 

I read somewhere that if you want to be like a local in Salem, you need to eat a Chop Suey Sandwich. Not sure how you're supposed to eat one without it going everywhere!?

Boston 

We've chosen Boston as one of our Firebreaks. There are several reasons for the Firebreaks:

1. To make sure we get around in time - we have to be at firebreak locations one the days we have planned. All other locations are flexible just in case we decide to stay somewhere a little longer. 
2. To allow us time in the plan to do boring stuff like hair cuts, banking, shopping, etc 

Having been to Boston 12 years ago, I am really excited to be going back and showing Lee the sights. 

Cape Cod 

I wasn't overly excited about Cape Cod until I spoke to Lee's brother who went on a holiday there and told us how amazing it is. I've chosen a route around this area to hopefully capture all the sights in as little time as possible. The plan only has one day in Provincetown and I am worried this isn't enough time so I expect this will be one of the changes we make whilst we're doing the trip. 

Martha’s Vineyard

Originally, we didn't have Martha's Vineyard on our tour but Lee asked me to look into it and after seeing pictures of the Alpcas, Gingerbread houses and sunsets, I'm going! Martha's Vineyard is an island off Cape Code and the only way to get to it is via a car ferry. We've chosen to take the one from Falmouth as it fits in best with our route. We may have a challenge with where to stay whilst on the island.  I can only find one campsite and a handful of expensive hotels / motels. Hopefully a bit more research closer to the trip will find a few more options on where to stay. Worse case, we might have to camp in the car! 

The plan: 

State:	Massachusetts
Towns of Interest: (FB) = Firebreak	Boston (FB) Provincetown Salem
National Parks:	N/A
State Parks of Interest:	N/A
Places of Interest: (N) = Night Stay	Salem  Trolley Tour (1 hour tour taking you around 14 attractions in the town) The Visitor’s Center (catch Trolley from here) Witch Trials Memorial Old Burying Point Cemetery Pickering Wharf for Food (Capt's Waterfront, Victoria Station, Finz) House of Seven Gables (the setting that inspired Nathanial Hawthorne’s book of the same name) Salem Willows Salem Witch Village & Museum Peabody Essex Museum (one of the oldest museums in the U.S.) Witch Dungeon Museum Salem Witch House & Salem Inn Essex Street (Pedestrian cobblestones street) Bewitched Statue of Elizabeth Montgomery Crow Haven Corner Boston (Nx3)  Boston Common and Public Garden Long Wharf Charlestown Bunker Hill Monument USS Constitution Charlestown Navy Yard (Guided Tour) Ice Hockey (Sept - April) Boston Duck Tours Old Town Trolley Tours The Freedom Walking Trail - 2.5 mile walking route from Boston Common to Bunker Hill Charlestown (Marked in red on sidewalks) Cape Cod (N) Sagamore Bridge (Gateway to Cape Cod) Sandwich (Oldest settlement in America - 17th Century English villiage - visit on foot) Sandy Neck Beach Yarmouth Port (Quaint village with old sea captains homes) Dennis (Observation tower on Scargo Hill) Chatham (Main street - boutiques, candy shops and restaurants) Cape Cod National Seashore Salt Pond Visitor Center Nauset Light Beach (Linked to the visitor center by trail and road - beach with a light house) Provincetown Race Point Beach (sunset) The Friends of Nobska Light House Martha’s Vineyard (Nx2)  South Beach (One of the most pristine locations on Martha’s Vineyard) Gay Head Cliffs / The Aquinnah Cliffs (The brightly-colored cliffs are now protected as a historical site, breathtaking views) Edgartown Lighthouse (Just a short walk from Edgartown Harbor sits the lighthouse bearing the town’s name. Open to the public from late May until early October, the historic lighthouse offers a glimpse into the rich history of coastal life on the island) Menemsha (The summer sunsets at Menemsha Beach are arguably among the most notable in all of New England) Offshore Ale Island Alpaca Gingerbread Cottages Alley’s General Store (In operation since 1858, Alley’s General Store is the oldest operating retailer on Martha’s Vineyard)
Routes of Interest:	Route 6A (around Cape Cod) Ferry to Martha's Vineyard - book in advance!
Where to Stay:	Boston (try to stay in Back Bay) Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Boston Garden ($195) Best Western Suite Battery Wharf Hotel Boston Waterfront ($205) Courtyard by Marriott Boston Downtown ($153) Courtyard Boston Copley Square ($191) Cape Cod Christopher's by the Bay B&B Lotus Guest House ($82) The Gaslamp Bed & Breakfast ($60) Moffett House Inn ($49) Martha's Vineyard (book in advance!) Arend's Beachfront Inn on Martha's Vineyard The Oak Bluffs Inn ($134) Madison Inn ($124) Martha's Vineyard Family Campground ($60)
Useful Links:	http://salem.org/guide/ http://salemtrolley.com/ https://www.steamshipauthority.com/