I fondly refer to Cuttyhunk as "The Land Before Time". Everything about it is simple. There's…read morenothing pretentious about this beautiful island. The residents are extremely friendly, quite literally "salt of the earth". Although most places on the island only accept cash, my husband and I met business owners willing to accept Venmo. Cuttyhunk is a dry island so be prepared to bring your own booze. There's plenty of free things to do there from going to the beach, hiking, biking, or exploring. I love this little island!

Cuttyhunk. It's a Wampanoag word that means the end of…read moreland. Splendid isolation is what a woman I know who lives there calls it. Cuttyhunk is about 12 miles from New Bedford but feels much, much farther away from civilization. It does feel like the end of the world. Even though if you look really hard you can make out the Gayhead lighthouse on Martha's Vineyard to the east, Cuttyhunk feels so totally alone. So alone that the neighboring island Penikese was once used for a leper colony. I usually go out there a couple of times a year. The island never really changes. Sure the weather does but the feel of the island is always the same. No real restaurants unless you call a guy selling food from a cart or from an oven in his garage a restaurant. No cars, no malls, few paved roads, one store and a school with 2 students. And always dogs. Lots of big, dumb, stinky and very friendly dogs I have heard people complain there is nothing to do on Cuttyhunk. Well, that's the point, You have to amuse yourself, there is nothing you have to do . You can do what you want. Swim, hike, watch the ocean, sail or bike around the island. If you swim watch out the strong rips on the south side don't sweep you away to Europe and if you bike make sure you bring a good mountain bike, a road or hybrid is going to get annihilated in this terrain. You can even see if you can make it out to the very bizarre Bartholomew Gosnold monument, but that's fodder for another review. I'm always bruised, cut, burned and bitten when I return from Cuttyhunk. It doesn't matter, I've been to the end of land. There are few places around that can offer such splendid isolation.

John Belushi's was definitely a funny man all the way to the end. His headstone is probably the…read moremost humorous celebrity headstone you will ever see. I don't know if he pre planned his headstone's inscription, or his siblings--including comedic actor Jim Belushi--decided to put it on his marker themselves. All I can say is kudos to whoever came up with it. The inscription says: Here Lies Buried The Body of JOHN BELUSHI I may be gone, but Rock and Roll lives on" The skull and crossbones at the top of the marker, along with the inscription matches John Belushi's persona to a "T." The cemetery and the burial site, on the other hand, does not. Who would think that the legendary partier John Belushi would be buried in a rural cemetery in the sleepy little township of Chilmark on Martha's Vineyard. You'd think he'd be buried in New York, Las Vegas, or Hollywood. The grave itself is very nice and spacious. It's shows signs of aging, but is still kept up fairly nicely. Along the grave's base bottles of beer and spirits are strewn about. Not as bad as Jim Morrison's tomb, but it shows that fans do pay their respects and enjoy a drink with John Belushi, in spirit anyway. If you're a fan of SNL or John Belushi, you'd probably want to take a trip out Abel Hill Cemetery and visit this little marker. Not much to see, but it is worth checking out, even if it's just to to read the headstone.

Ready for an adventure kiddies? Then come to Fall River and see the aging ruins of the Old Fall…read moreRiver Ice House. But please, be discreet. Signs around the entryway state that fishing, boating, swimming and camping are strictly prohibited. But ever since I was a child I always wondered what the old Medieval looking ruin had to offer the not so faint of heart. Now as an adult literalist, I interpret the absence of a no trespassing order as something akin to an invitation. One side of the structure can be seen on the right while driving north on Route 24 coming from 195. Take exit 5 and follow Eastern Avenue then take a left onto New Boston Road. At the end, turn left onto Willow Street which turns into Ruth Street (over the freeway) and then Meridian Street (in a very short distance). Park on Hannah Street or Bergeron Street and then walk back toward whence you drove and go around the left of the fence across the road. What awaits you on the other side is a lonesome path long neglected over time. Weeds and trees flourish between cracks in the crumbling asphalt. Once past the noise from the street, an eerie quiet sets in. A short walk will lead you to the northern shores of the pond. Continue along and watch for the ruins on the right. Inside you will find excellent photo opportunities and a remarkable example of structural decay and a forest gradually reclaiming lost ground. Vines ensnare the surrounding trees and creep alongside the walls of the massive building. The colossal inner chambers are full of trees and enormous stones that have given way to time. Interesting exterior brickwork nestled among stones can be seen as one moves along the southern edge of the building closer to the shore. One wall bears the scar of what may have been a large lightning strike. Most of the walls have soaring vacancies in the stonework that may have once held windows or doors. Sadly, there is some graffiti, but it's a minor distraction in such an exciting place. After you've had your fill of the ruins, continue along the path and feel the eyes of the forest upon you. Low walls of stone accompany you throughout most of your journey and it would be difficult to get lost. Bear left when the path splits about a half mile after you've gone over the causeway (it can be difficult to discern) and you will eventually return to Meridian Street. Do NOT forget your camera!

Good. Had a good time looking at the old buildings and seeing the tools that they used.read more

Benefit Street is a nice little walk and The Shunned House is a sweet little surprise. What I like…read moreabout The Shunned House is that you would have NO CLUE that this house was significant amongst the others in the surrounding areas. The armory down the street stands out a lot more than the lil house that HPLovecraft wrote about. Still it's a great side trip that will only take seconds out of your day if you are in or around the colleges in the area. This is obviously a residence and they have since named the house after someone but you can see the wall that used to be used as the front of the house and the descriptions stand strong in Lovecraft's writing. No big deal but I liked being there and seeing it.

I was going to write about this curiousity, but I realized I couldn't do any better than what…read morebrought me in the first place: "The house was--and for that matter still is--of a kind to attract the attention of the curious. Originally a farm or semi-farm building, it followed the average New England colonial lines of the middle eighteenth century--the prosperous peaked-roof sort, with two stories and dormerless attic, and with the Georgian doorway and interior panelling dictated by the progress of taste at that time. It faced south, with one gable end buried to the lower windows in the eastward rising hill, and the other exposed to the foundations toward the street. Its construction, over a century and a half ago, had followed the grading and straightening of the road in that especial vicinity; for Benefit Street--at first called Back Street--was laid out as a lane winding amongst the graveyards of the first settlers, and straightened only when the removal of the bodies to the North Burial Ground made it decently possible to cut through the old family plots. "At the start, the western wall had lain some twenty feet up a precipitous lawn from the roadway; but a widening of the street at about the time of the Revolution sheared off most of the intervening space, exposing the foundations so that a brick basement wall had to be made, giving the deep cellar a street frontage with door and two windows above ground, close to the new line of public travel. When the sidewalk was laid out a century ago the last of the intervening space was removed; and Poe in his walks must have seen only a sheer ascent of dull grey brick flush with the sidewalk and surmounted at a height of ten feet by the antique shingled bulk of the house proper. "The farm-like grounds extended back very deeply up the hill, almost to Wheaton Street. The space south of the house, abutting on Benefit Street, was of course greatly above the existing sidewalk level, forming a terrace bounded by a high bank wall of damp, mossy stone pierced by a steep flight of narrow steps which led inward between canyon-like surfaces to the upper region of mangy lawn, rheumy brick walls, and neglected gardens whose dismantled cement urns, rusted kettles fallen from tripods of knotty sticks, and similar paraphernalia set off the weather-beaten front door with its broken fanlight, rotting Ionic pilasters, and wormy triangular pediment. "What I heard in my youth about the shunned house was merely that people died there in alarmingly great numbers. That, I was told, was why the original owners had moved out some twenty years after building the place. It was plainly unhealthy, perhaps because of the dampness and fungous growth in the cellar, the general sickish smell, the draughts of the hallways, or the quality of the well and pump water. These things were bad enough, and these were all that gained belief among the persons whom I knew. Only the notebooks of my antiquarian uncle, Dr. Elihu Whipple, revealed to me at length the darker, vaguer surmises which formed an undercurrent of folklore among old-time servants and humble folk; surmises which never travelled far, and which were largely forgotten when Providence grew to be a metropolis with a shifting modern population." H.P. Lovecraft, The Shunned House Be mindful that this is a private residence. Please be respectful.

This is a pretty cool lighthouse which has received historical designation. For a $6 entry fee…read more(Free for kids 12 and younger), you can explore inside the actual lighthouse. There are spiral staircases to reach each floor, and an even more narrow spiral staircase to reach the actual light portion. There are amazing views from the top two floors. Worth the visit.

My tour group stopped at Aquinnah Cliff and this lighthouse is right next to it. $6 to be able to…read morego to the top, unfortunately I didn't have the time to go up and check that out, but form what I did experience this brick lighthouse was quite the site. For me, at least, the lighthouse ended up popping more than the Cliffs.

Small little park on Bass River in Yarmouth. Behind the windmill is a set of stairs leading down…read moreto a tiny beach. The windmill is open for tours a few days a week, limited hours, summer only. Weather permitting. Free parking for maybe a dozen cars. The beach is really tiny. Maybe a dozen chairs would fit? Plus it's on the Bass River, so no waves. I like it as a spot to sit and eat some takeout, look at the boats in the harbor, sit in the grass and chill for an hour tops.

We visited this windmill in October and found only one other couple sitting at a picnic table…read moreenjoying the view upon our arrival. The windmill has been well maintained and is scenically located overlooking the Bass River. Their is a good size parking lot with easy access to a petite beach via a set of wooden stairs. We learned tours by volunteers are available on most Mondays - Thursdays during the summer months though dependent on both the weather conditions and volunteer availability. I highly recommend stopping by if in the area.

04/2018 The Newport…read moreMansions in Rhode Island are magnificent pieces of history that are an absolute Must-see! I toured several of these amazing mansions during my first trip to Rhode Island. The architecture & furnishings are opulent & so beautiful. The self-guided audio tours, filled with history, personal stories & tragedies of these mansions & the Gilded Age, allow for meandering at your own pace. The Bellevue Avenue area feels safe & clean. Of the spots I visited, parking is easy & free. Staff members were very nice. You can purchase individual mansion tickets or I'd suggest a package as they are unique & worth seeing. Currently, I'd say my favorite is the Marble House. I highly recommend the Newport Mansions tours & look forward to exploring more on future trips and taking the Cliff Walk, weather providing!

Stunning & majestic grandeur at 360 degrees for these historic mansions. Amazed and grateful that…read morethese have been restored for us to view this piece of lavish history. We joined the Historic society for the well worth is discount and toured 3 homes in a day, which is just the right amount. A must in the self guided audio tour via the mansions phone app. It really adds to the history of the mansion and gives great insight to the families and their world. Please explore these fabulous gems when in the area. Can't wait to see the rest!

Seems to me the Old Mill has been on a multi-year renovation project, if so, please keep up the…read moregood work! We all know it will be wonderful when completed. Another must see, walkable from Town, but be sure to bring water!

Iconic Old Mill Slow turning in Summer's breeze…read moreFull-sails; grinding corn #NOLA_Haiku @ACKhistory #GreyLady #CapeCod #ACK #Nantucket #Summer21 #OldMill #WindMill #Haiku

We were driving around and decided to get out to walk to see the bay views and stumbled upon this…read morememorial. Very quiet and peaceful area with space to gather thoughts. The spot is well taken care of and clean and there's a little house stand to purchase a memorial hat. If you walk a little further down you'll also come across a Vietnam War Memorial. Nice area!

Beautiful stop in Downtown Hyannis right off the main strip. Free parking at the memorial but the…read morebeach next to it you do have to pay for parking during the summer. It's a close walk to the island ferry