Enjoyed a nice walk across the rocks, beautiful view…read more Parking is free and nice to watch the boats going bye Nice looking at the homes literally on the water

Lovely place to stop and grab some photos of the coastline and lighthouse. History buffs can read…read morethe plaque telling the story of the sisters but just know the cottage attached to the lighthouse is privately owned - if you need to pee, there are two Porta Potties by the entrance. Lots of parking when we came on a beautiful, not too hot Saturday afternoon. I really didn't see much of a beach area but loved the rocks feeding out into the water. With small kids, the rocks may be a little challenging but they're pretty flat and easy to walk on otherwise.

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO! A FREE EVENT & FREE PARKING! I LOVE CASTLES! This is one of the Secret…read moreHidden Gems of America that most people have never heard about or been to before. The Prospect Hill Monument is a stone structure in the shape of a mini Castle & is located in Somerville, Massachusetts just outside of Boston. This is a residential area with homes. It is also a historic site & provides panoramic views of Boston & surrounding cities. There is also a small park in this neighborhood here with green grass, park benches & a good spot for picnicking & relaxing. It's great place to visit Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall with a changing natural New England landscape. BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU PARK OTHERWISE YOU MAY GET A TICKET. Park only at the signs where it says it's OK to Park; it's a residential area. You can also visit here by Mass Transit too. This site is only a few blocks away & up the hill from the bustling heart of Union Square. There are a lot of local businesses & eateries there. The medieval fortress tower was constructed out of stone & steel. It was built in 1903 to commemorate the site's military importance during the Revolutionary & Civil Wars. The Tower stands 4 stories tall. Climb the stairs to the the first outdoor open deck, & you'll see great views of Boston, Somerville, & Cambridge. The inside of the tower & top were open pre-pandemic periodically at various times. Check the website for current info & updates. Be sure to go all around the tower on the ground level. There are plaques with lots of detailed info all around the tower. Also check out all the signs throughout the Park telling you even more info about this spot & how it was instrumental in uniting the colonies. On January 1, 1776, General George Washington himself who would later become the first President of the United States, during the Revolutionary War hoisted the very first national flag of America on this very spot. It was called the Grand Union Flag & predates The Famous Betsy Ross Flag. Our current red & white Stripes with 50 Stars flag is not flown here. Lots of people miss this. Zoom in with your camera & you will see the First Flag of America. The Grand Union Flag is still flown here on top of the tower. It has red & white stripes but with the blue British Union Jack in the corner instead of the Stars. It's Pretty Cool that they still fly our very first national flag here. To make it worth your trip be sure to visit the extremely popular Union Square Donuts which has Great Donuts & is only a few blocks away. It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really Rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

I run everywhere in Somerville and today's course was through the monument. Nice view during the…read morerun. Grass area someone was working out which was nice as well. Good hill training.

Spooky, cute, and so worth the damn walk! Just kidding... mostly! ‍ It was such a beautiful sight,…read morewith a skeleton perched at the top, gazing out over the sea. Talk about witchy vibes! I didn't make it to the big lighthouse a couple of blocks away, but this little spooky gem definitely satisfied my lighthouse obsession.

Let light be your guide to safe travels and coming home!…read more Here in the Salem Harbor stands a light house only about twenty feet high. The light house is not open to the public from the outside. Guests to the water front can walk around the light house. Pose for a picture. Pick up seashells. In a great year, 1977; the national park service actually acquired this property. The light house is at the end of the derby wharf. It allows ships to come home and into the harbor safely . Wave your hands high as we soak up the water and all that salty air. As I watch individuals play along the water front it's hard not to smile and laugh. The twins make fun noises of joy. It's a sort of dance with life that makes me feel alive. Life is this beautiful gift, all the circumstances that has transformed us to this moment were worthy of wonder and joy. Close your eyes, imagine that salty air . The smells of the sea, your breath in rhythms of happy as your heart beats. The waves crash against the shore . If only the smiles were mine. I live in the moment with the children. For it is their happiness that is mine. If life seized right now, I would be happy that we shared this happiness.

We were lucky again to have caught the live musket demonstrations -- we watched two of them - once…read morebefore we climbed the inside of the Bunker Hill Monument and once after we climbed down. The park rangers were both ladies dressed as men. Loved the progressiveness of this. Both so knowledgeable and well spoken. Answered questions from large crowds. Fired these tricky historical muskets like professionals, of which they are! I was surprised that the musket balls don't go far. They didn't have to clear the park of people walking. They were unconcerned of the condo windows on the other block shattering. It was a bit of a mental disconnect and so interesting. The climb up the interior of the monument was tiring but relatively short. Tiny windows at those top for a wee view. I had lived here but never done the touristy stuff like this. Great to have done it now!

This was a little underwhelming…read more The information center was adequate, although I got yelled at for taking my water into the museum area Some of the facility seem a bit dated, and I think some upgrading would be called for There is a meat layout of the battle and an audio that goes along with it, but it wasn't always easier to follow The monument itself with something that we couldn't climb due to being absolutely tired from walking there But it was pretty cool to be on top of Breeds Hill

This is one of my favorite Trustee properties! I love that I…read morecan visit every month in the spring and summer and find different flowers blooming. It is a great place to go for a walk or a picnic. I've also been to the Halloween festival a couple of times and that's really fun as well. Make sure to book ahead of time because prime times are booked early.

Pumpkin show was the best! It was family friendly and so many cute themes. It definitely is worth…read moreit for a fall activity.

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO! 4 & 1/2 STARS. A beautiful quaint little New England village with…read moreSpectacular Water Views. You won't find chain restaurants, mall stores, nor the same old coffee shops here. In Rockport there are art galleries, & T Shirt Shops, boutiques, & local restaurants - a little something for everyone. Be sure to walk down the end of Bearskin Neck to see the beautiful coastline shoreline & boats in the water. IT LOOKS LIKE A PICTURE POSTCARD. Bring your sneakers, you'll do some walking here throughout the town. Two of the best places to get a little treat are Tucks Home Made Chocolates & Helmut's Strudel Shop. It used to be, you had to have mega bucks & be really rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

In the summer Rockport is mobbed with tourists. Filled with art galleries, touristy shops and…read morerestaurants it makes a pleasant day out. Late Spring/early summer or late summer/early Autumn are less busy times. Parking is on street, and pay at the kiosk. Put your receipt on the dash where it can be seen. Parking is also available in the surrounding neighborhoods for no fee. Just plan to walk a ways to get into town. Rockport has become so popular lately, there is simply not enough parking to support the tourist trade. Pro-tip: when parking in the surrounding neighborhood, either 'pin' your vehicle location to your phone map, or remember which intersection you parked near. We found one woman wandering around looking for a particular street. We know an artist who has a studio here and stopped in to see his work. We also stopped in to other galleries during our stay. We considered staying to walk around and get a bite to eat, but decided in the end to just get back on the road. We visited the Paper House nearby.

You can't get there…read morefrom here The diminutive Annisquam Harbor Lighthouse is a classic. Not many people know it's name or even where it is but millions have seen this light in movies, TV commercials and numerous ads. Very quietly very famous, Rudyard Kipling once stayed at the light to work on his Captain Courageous book. The Annisquam Light certainly isn't massive, tall or physically imposing but perhaps that's part of the appeal. It's gracefully flowing shape and gentle lines make for an extremely aesthetically pleasant sight. It's the light that many people instinctively think of when they hear the word lighthouse. The first lighthouse in the area was built in 1801 but as ship traffic in the harbor increased the small tower was replaced by the present 41 foot high present light in 1897. It originally had a 5th order Fresnel Lens but the lighthouse was automated in 1974 and is presently maintained by the Coast Guard. I would easily give this light five stars except for one important reason. It's virtually impossible to get close to. The only road to the lighthouse was made private and is guarded more securely than most stockpiles of nuclear weapons. The only way to really see the light is by the water or by being very, very sneaky. It is such a special and incredibly beautiful light that it is indeed a travesty that they make it impossible to get near. Damn, it's a lighthouse not a nuclear submarine, access to the light should be given to the public. Another example of bureaucrats doing what is easy but not what is right.

Many signs saying private road residents only. Very snobby and exclusive area. Nothing to see when…read moreyou get there. On the other hand, beautiful houses in the area.

Old City Hall is a beautiful old building with a must-see front courtyard. It's home to the Ben…read moreFranklin statue and little bronze donkey statue ( Ruth's Chris Steakhouse reside inside the majestic building). Grab a coffee nearby and sit in the courtyard - it's really a lovely spot in the heart of Boston. 4 stars

Old City Hall is a historic building built between 1862 and 1865. It's located along the Freedom…read moreTrail at 45 School Street where the Boston Latin School, Boston's first public school and the oldest educational institution in the country, first stood. Old City Hall was Boston's third city hall and served as City Hall for 38 mayors between 1865 to 1969 before it was converted to office buildings and a restaurant in the 70s. Currently, there is a Ruth's Chris Steak House in the Old City Hall. You can go into the building, although we just stayed outside in the courtyard, taking photos of the statue of Benjamin Franklin and of the Democratic Donkey. I wouldn't go out of my way to see the building, but if walking along the Freedom Trail, you might as well stop for a few photos; the donkey statue is fun. [Yelp collections: Boston, MA 2025]