Best Long Weekend Getaways Near Boston
Salem, MA
The Salem Inn
7 Summer St.
Salem, MA 01970
(978) 741-0680
www.saleminnma.com
People who know the history of Salem may find it strange to visit any time but Halloween. That is the holiday the town capitalizes on, thanks to a very dark period in Massachusetts' history. However, the great thing about visiting in winter is the lack of tourists and witchy festivities. Instead of a Halloween-besieged area, it is a quaint New England town with a rich literary, legal and religious history that visitors can enjoy at The House of Seven Gables, the Peabody Essex Museum or the Salem Witch Museum. Stay at the historic Salem Inn to make sure it will be a relaxing weekend.
Wentworth By The Sea Wine Festival
588 Wentworth Rd.
New Castle, NH 03854
(603) 422-7322
www.wentworth.com
Bostonians who venture north during the winter are often doing so to take advantage of mountain sports, but there is more to New Hampshire than that. Wentworth by the Sea is putting on the 2015 Winter Wine Festival starting the Friday of Martin Luther King weekend. Join sommeliers, winemakers, chefs and bartenders as they help present some fantastic wines for guests to taste and celebrate. One of the best parts is that it all takes place at the gorgeous Wentworth by the Sea, so visitors will be sleeping in style.
Wachusett Mountain
Wachusett Village Inn
9 Village Inn Rd.
Westminster, MA 01473
(978) 874-2000
www.wachusettvillageinn.com
One of the closest skiing mountains to Boston is Wachusett and it is certainly worth a weekend visit in January. The mountain boasts varying difficulty levels for skiers and snowboarders. The hotel has amenities like massage, which is nice after a day on the mountain, lift ticket sales at the front desk and snowshoe rentals for the hiking trails. Shuttle service is available to the ski area, so there is no need to lug heavy gear or load up a car when it comes to time to hit the slopes.
Sturbridge, MA
The Publick House
277 Main St.
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-3313
www.publickhouse.com
When staying in Sturbridge, MA, The Publick House is the best bet, thanks to three facilities that offer more than 100 rooms between them. The historic inn is older than the country and has all the modern amenities vacationing Bostonians need. While in town, visit the living museum of Old Sturbridge Village, where there is plenty of food and shopping as well. Cross-country skiers will love Wells State Park and its miles of trails, if the weather permits. If not, hiking is another possibility both there and at Tantiusques.
Plymouth, MA
Radisson Hotel Plymouth Harbor
180 Water St.
Plymouth, MA 02360
(508) 747-4900
www.radisson.com
Plymouth is a hotspot in the summer thanks to its proximity to the ocean. While the summer vacationers are gone in the winter, that does not mean the fun in Plymouth is. All of the best restaurants and shops are still open during the winter months. Stay at the Radisson on Plymouth Harbor and breakfast at Luigi's is just outside of the parking lot. Comedy and music shows are among the entertainment easily found in Plymouth. The many bars in town also hold events like paint nights regularly.
Shelly Barclay is a professional freelance writer and amateur author. She writes on a variety of topics from food to mysteries. She loves to share the culture and rich history of her birthplace and home, Boston, with the rest of the world. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
