Boston is where American history began, and the city has never let anyone forget it. The Freedom Trail threads past the sites of the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, and Paul Revere's midnight ride, all within a walkable two-and-a-half-mile loop. But Boston is much more than a history lesson -- it is a modern, cosmopolitan city with world-class museums, a thriving food scene, and some of the best universities on the planet.
The city is compact and surprisingly easy to navigate. The T subway system, the oldest in the country, connects most neighborhoods worth visiting. The North End serves the best Italian food outside of Italy. Fenway Park, the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, still packs in Red Sox fans every summer. Harvard and MIT sit just across the Charles River in Cambridge, reachable in minutes.
Autumn is the best time to visit, when New England's famous foliage lights up the parks and the summer humidity fades. But Boston rewards a visit in any season -- winter brings skating on the Frog Pond and cozy Irish pubs, spring brings the Marathon, and summer fills the Esplanade with free concerts and fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Boston also makes an excellent base for exploring the rest of Massachusetts. Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket are all within reach by car or ferry. Historic towns like Concord, Lexington, and Plymouth make for rewarding day trips.