The use of water to fuel machines in the early 19th century and the high demand of products for the budding region, put Fall River on the map as the “Textile Manufacturing center of the United States” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_River,_MA). With a quickly growing economy, Fall River's bustling downtown area was the place to be and still is today. In the 2000 census, Fall River had 91,938 residents. With both residents and tourists, Fall River's attractions and events keep the economy alive and well.

One of the main draws for tourists to Fall River is the Battleship Cove. Home to wartime crew of the World War II battleship and the USS Massachusetts, the Cove attracts thousands of visitors each year. The Cove houses the historic carousel from the once popular tourist spot Lincoln Park. Updated and maintained in its original look, the Lincoln Park Carousel adds to the rich experience of history and fun at this popular tourist spot. With the expansive Taunton River on one side and the popular Fall River Heritage State Park on the other, the Cove's visitors can enjoy a leisurely stroll through the historic museum and park area's, while feeding the ducks and enjoying the cool breezes that welcome the visitors to this family oriented vacation spot.

During the month of August, every year Fall River holds the Fall River Celebrates America festival. Complete with local bands on one stage and mainstream acts on another, this event draws thousands of locals and tourists to the area. Utilizing the Cove and Heritage Park, this celebration gathers local food, carnival favorites, amusement rides and carnival games for good, family fun. This festival is just one of many that Fall River puts on all year long. For every Portuguese holiday and Catholic saint there is a festival to match. Fall River's heavily Catholic population holds festivals to honor its saints and holidays, complete with parades, food, fun, traditional song and dance. Streets are blocked off to allow parade precessions and floats to commemorate the event. There are so many festivals, that Fall River could be nicknamed the celebration city.

Part of everyday life in Fall River are the family owned business's that keep this town's commerce going strong. On a visit to Fall River, its a must to stop by all the Portuguese bakeries when they first open, before the sun gets out of bed. The smell of warm bread, chourico rolls and delicious pastries tantalize the senses. Baked fresh everyday and sold out by noon, the ethnic baked good in Fall River are its signature calling card. Come lunch time, stop by one of the family eateries in Fall River. Whether you enjoy hot dogs and hamburgers at JJ's Hot Dogs (567 S Main St Fall River, MA 02721) or surf n' turf style food at George's Root Beer Family Restaurant ( 2389 S Main St Fall River, MA 0272) your bound to leave happy and full. Low prices, good family food, regular customers and the adoption of local cuisine is what keeps these places on the top of any list of places to eat in Fall River.

If a more formal (casual dress) dining experience is what your looking for, then head to the Regatta (392 Davol St Fall River, MA 02720). This spot has steak, seafood, drinks with little umbrella's and a gorgeous waterfront view. After dark this spot turns over into a nightclub. Dinner, drinks and dancing to cap off your tour of “The Scholarship City,” as its known, what more could you ask for?

No tourist spot is complete without its scandalous history. Home to the historic Lizzie Borden murder trial, which is still unsolved, Lizzie is famous for allegedly murdering her parents. She was accused of taking an ax and giving her step mother forty whack's and when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty one. This line is used as a childhood jump roping song. Despite her being acquitted of all charges, Lizzie's possible guilt draws many to stay a night or two in the supposedly haunted INN. The once residence to Lizzie, turned Bed and Breakfast gives tours and lets people rent a room in the hopes of seeing the ghost of the Borden family. The Fall River Historical Society also gives Lizzie Tours. For a donation to the historical preservation society, an expert on Lizzie will give you a tour complete with pictures of the murder scene and personal diary writings of not only Lizzie, but her sister Emma.

Southeastern Massachusetts has many cities and town that are just waiting to be explored. Whether your taking a tour to see the changing of the leaves or your going to the Cape for shopping and to rent a beach house for the summer, make sure you take a minute to stop by Fall River to enjoy all that it has to offer. Sometimes overlooked and unknown, Fall River is a hidden jewel. Once you visit, you, like so many other one time visitors, will become a life long frequenter. Go for the history, go for the food, go for the fun, but most of all just go.

From the moment you walk in you're surrounded by history. Buildings of many shapes and size with various backgrounds will welcome you to learn about life in early 19th century rural New England.

My first trip to this living history museum was in the 5th grade. An assistant teacher styled the girls hair in 1830's fashions and we piled into the big yellow bus and watched in excitement as we pulled into the parking lot. We got the chance to try on clothing, make marbled paper, and tour the village.

Now over ten years later I am now a volunteer and dancer at Old Sturbridge Village. I started out as a greeter smiling warmly and offering directions to locations within the village. After becoming costumed in 1830's attire including reproduction dresses, petticoats and bonnets, I was able to become a docent and work in the Towne House.

This house has an interesting history. Its owner, Salem Towne Sr. came from a poor family. His father died during the French and Indian war. His mother eventually remarried to a lonely farmer and later would follow in his step-fathers footsteps. At the rough age of 20, Salem purchased ten acres of land and taking on the position as a land surveyor. He later would purchase and sell pieces of land making a profit and acquiring more land as time went on.

In 1796, three years after he married his third wife, Salem had the Greek revival home built in Charlton, Massachusetts. After his death 1925 the house would be passed down to his son Salem Towne Jr., Salem Jr.'s wife Sally and their ten children. By 1830 the family owned 400 acre's of land was considered the wealthiest family around gaining this status by progressive farming. Their wealth can be shown by the hallway that extends the entire length of the house that is fully carpeted. Another tell-tale sign of wealth is the elaborate sideboard placed in the hall. The house has three floor, a cast iron stove (the newest amenity in those days) and a pleasure garden.

As and Old Sturbridge Village dancer I am able to participate in 1790's to late 1830's style dancing. With skirts twirling and white gloves on you can imagine how elegant it must be to cast off in Jefferson and Liberty or circle six hands round in White Cockade. Dancing in those days was sometimes seen as scandalous but was also romantic as this was possibly the only chance you might have to touch the hand of the person you fancied.

Within the village you can also see three different mills (Saw, Carding, and Grist) that are run off of water power and are the start of the industrial revolution in this country. There is a tavern, tin shop, shoe shop, district school, pottery shop, bank, parsonage, and several farms with cattle and other animals native to this country during the 19th century. You can also grab an ice cream, watch as sheep are sheared, or taste freshly made butter.

So, if you every find yourself in search of experiencing history in a different way then Old Sturbridge Village is the place to go. You won't be disappointed.

Boston By Foot has been around for more than 30 years now, providing walking tours of Boston throughout the year except from November to April, when it might be a little chilly, but if your not in Boston during the spring and summer, they have custom tours at any time of the year. These tours aren't of the whole city, rather they focus on a specific neighborhood or theme, so the tour won't be as long as you would expect. They go to various places, such as the Victorian Back Bay, a beautiful place, and the Freedom Trail in downtown Boston. Each tour comes with the story of Boston and it's rich history, while experiencing beautiful architecture back since the beginnings of Boston in 1630. Each tour goes to multiple important historical cities such as the location of the Boston Tea Party. Some other tours include, Beacon Hill, Ashmont Hill, a Contemporary Boston tour, the Wharf District, The Liberty Hotel, etc. There are so many to choose from. However, not every tour is available everyday, so you should use careful planning if you are planning to go on one of these tours, but they do have tours everyday. The address is 77 North Washington Street if you want to go check them out. It's a really cool company and if you are planning to go on a walking tour of Boston, I would recommend this one from personal experience. Boston is a wonderful place and I can't think of a better way to experience it now that I've experienced a walking tour for myself.

I took a look around for some other walking tour companies and one that came up was at a website called Walking Tours of Historic Boston at Walkingboston Now, I've never actually taken a tour from this company so this is all information from their website. Unlike Boston By Foot, Walking Boston is a private tour company so it's smaller group and there's more questions you can ask and more info you can get out of it. There are 14 historic sites that you could potentially visit, all linking to Boston's rich history. The tour guide shares original documents and newspapers from the colonial period so you would hear stories that wouldn't be heard by anyone else, which makes this a truly unique tour. You must book your tours in advance since this is a private tour company. Rates are $130.00 for a private family tour (under 10 people) and $13 for adults and $10 for children under 12 for a group tour of 10-30 people. I would like to take a tour at the company and experience Boston with them, but I don't have family in Boston, but for those that do, this seems like a wonderful company to experience Boston with. They are located at 221 Massachusetts Ave.

So, whether you live in Boston or you're just visiting or going to visit, I recommend experience Boston in a way unlike any other, a walking tour. It's a really cool experience that anyone would love. Whether you want to go in a public tour and a lot of people or a private tour with just some close friends and family, both options are wonderful for any time of the year. You'll learn a lot about the history of Boston while hearing enjoyable stories and seeing the most amazing buildings. Walking tours of Boston are absolutely amazing.

The Upper Crust Pizzeria, this is a place that you have to go, no matter what. I go there at least every time I go down to Boston and I haven't had a better pizza elsewhere. This award-winning pizzeria was founded in 2001 now with 10 locations just in Boston where you can find delicious pizza created in a welcoming atmosphere in an open-kitchen area. Their sauce mixed with the savory cheese and the toppings on top is just bliss. Whether you're a classic pizza eater who prefers pepperoni and mushrooms or someone who would like to try something new, The Upper Crust has toppings for everybody out there. One thing that I really like is that I can go there and hang out with my friends to watch some sports on their HDTV screens. It's pretty sweet. Whenever I want to just chill and hang out with some of my buddies, I can enjoy and mouth-watering meal while enjoying the company of my friends and my favorite basketball team. The Upper Crust that I usually head to is the one downtown on 245 Summer Street. If you need directions search for it on Google maps.

Another place that is just the best is Santarpio's Pizza. They were voted Best of Boston for 6 years. Many locals that I have talked call this place as the city's premier pizza place and after eating there one time, I would have to agree. The pizza's are almost perfect, crust on the edges are nice and crunchy while the inside is a little bit softer, but still equally delicious with the added bonus of the toppings. Once you walk into the building you would notice that the meat is cooked on a grill right inside of the front door. The pleasant smell instantly awakens your senses and the other aromas of the tomato, cheese, and fresh dough tantalize your taste buds. I can guarantee that you'll be satisfied, and you'll just wanting more and more, it's such a good pizzeria, I'm so glad that I discovered it. It's located on 111 Chelsea Street, once again, if you need directions search for it on Google maps.

And when I'm not eating my meals at those two pizzerias, I'm usually spending my lunches at diMio's. This place is just as good as the two listed above. I've talked to some of the chefs and they are trained by some of the greatest from Naples, offering a true Neapolitan style pizza using the freshest and finest ingredients, or so they say. But, seriously, they do cook up some of the best pizza around, ever. I've talked to one of the chefs and asked him some questions about their pizzas and they say that they are a healthy restaurant and don't put any “trans fat” into their pizzas. That's pretty good, but in comparison, I really don't know if other places do actually put it in, but I suppose they might. They also considered themselves pretty environmentally friendly with 85% of their containers are made of recycled materials. A pretty good place eh? Along with all of that goodness around, who could say no to such a place? The dining room is just perfect with the colors matching and a nice clean and trimmed place. They also serve wine, salad, and paninis, so you won't ever leave hungry. They are located at 1782 Massachusetts Ave. Look up directions on Google maps if you need directions.

And so, those are my top 3 pizzerias from Boston and if you ever go there on a business trip or just for a vacation, you should definitely visit one of those. Which one? Doesn't matter to me, they all taste just as good. Gather up family and friends and enjoy a nice, hot lunch at one of Boston's finest.

The land is rocky and hilly. One shopping area is built around a large granite ledge which must have seemed too beautiful to blast away. Marblehead got its name from a case of mistaken identity. The early settlers thought the many granite ledges were marble.

A day trip to Marblehead in early spring might mean winter coats and hats like it did for us this March. The sun was brilliant, but the wind was brisk. Summer in Marblehead is hot, but a spring visit also meant easy driving and parking on the narrow streets in the historic area close to the sea. And the “townies” had plenty of time to chat with us.

While he made our lunch sandwiches, Paul, the chef/proprietor of Foodie's Feast, told us how he'd bought the place and moved here from the city 6 years ago. Foodie's is on Washington Street in the historic “old town”, nestled in among boutiques and shops. My lunch was one of the freshest and tastiest that I've ever had in a café, especially the lobster bisque. Most likely the lobster came off the boat of a local lobsterman.

We shared lobster bisque reviews with Betsy, the volunteer at the Marblehead Arts Association during our visit to look over the entries in the 2nd Annual Sculpture and Photography Contest. Marblehead residents and visitors love the arts, and the Arts Association is housed in the King Hooper Mansion, one of nearly 300 houses which have survived from the Colonial, pre-Revolutionary War period. Betsy said her favorite bisque came from The Landing, but when we told her about Foodie's she called over to order some delivered so she could compare.

Marblehead fishermen and lobstermen still make a living from their catches in the Atlantic, but it's not the wildly prosperous industry it was before the Revolutionary War when men became rich catching and exporting dried cod. In 1846, a storm sank half the fishing fleet and 65 men and boys were drowned. The fishing industry began to decline as people lost their heart for the sea and turned to shoemaking.

Walking along Front Street with the ocean nearly always in view, I could smell the sea salt on the wind. There were a few fishing boats in the harbor. But the pleasure yachts were dry docked and wrapped in white waiting for their summer season. This is what the sea means to Marblehead now. In the late 1800's two fires destroyed the shoemaking industry. The destiny of the town would again be linked to the ocean as men of wealth began to bring their yachts to the wonderful harbor.

In the summer, Marblehead Harbor is dotted with yachts. Sailing enthusiasts will find boat makers and sellers, six yacht clubs, and numerous races including the yearly race to Nova Scotia. Marblehead is often called the “yachting capital of America”, a playground of blue sea.

The nature of the appeal from the sea may have changed from 1700 to now, but appeal she certainly has. The sea has fed the folks of Marblehead, lined their pockets, satisfied their love of sailing, and enticed those of us who love the sea to come spend a few hours under her spell in this delightful historic ocean town.

People from all over journey for miles just to see this place of history and to get a glimpse of the past. In the middle of town lies Burying Point the 2nd oldest cemetary in the U.S. It is there that you may visit the graves of early settlers as well as those involved in the witchtrials. Many of the graves date back to the early 1600's. Among the tombstones sits the Gallows tree where many were hung. Outside of the cemetary are stone ledges and each one inscribed with the name of those who were falsely accused and hung for witchcraft.

Their name and date of death are listed as well as how they died. Visitors are welcome to place flowers on the ledges. Surrounding the cemetary are old houses which stand as landmarks of the past. Also surrounding the area are various occult shops and museums. Two museums worth seeing are the Salem Witch Museum and the New England Pirate Museum. Both give you an idea of the past and share with you some historic facts.

If you are seeking something truly exciting then you may want to check out Salems 13 Ghosts. A 3D interactive haunted house which features 3D paintings and each visitor is given a pair of 3D glasses which enable you to see ghosts coming out of the walls and paintings. If it is true history you are craving then two must see places are "The Witch House" and the famous "House of Seven Gables" made famous by writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. Tours are offered for the House of Seven Gables and the prices are $12 for adults, $11 for seniors (65 and over), $11 for AAA members and $7.25 for children ages 5-12.

The most exciting time to visit Salem is in October when their are festivals and numerous ghost tours. Visitors can also visit with Psychics and Fortune Tellers. At a low price you can see renactments of the Salem Witch Trials as well as participate in the trials. Salem is located on the east coast of Massachusetts and is 15 miles from Boston.