Plymouth wears its 1620 history without apology, and most of what draws visitors here is directly tied to it. The living history at Plimoth Patuxent is genuinely excellent — better than the famous (and surprisingly anticlimactic) Plymouth Rock. The Mayflower II replica at State Pier gives you a visceral sense of how small and impractical a vessel the Pilgrims crossed on. Burial Hill rewards the short climb with harbor views and the oldest Pilgrim gravestones.
Beyond the Colonial-era sites, the town has a pleasant waterfront along Water Street with seafood restaurants, and the surrounding area is classic Massachusetts cranberry country — bog tours run through October.