A reader question:
Dear Muffy,
While you're in NE travel mode, could I kindly squeeze in another question?
After sadly losing nearest and dearest family members, my oldest friend, one old and one young dog in the past five years, I've realized that, at the age of 56 now, perhaps I ought to start actually planning those 'someday/one day' big trips that I've been thinking about for years (you never know what's around the corner). There's Norway, Japan and the Alps further afield, but Massachusetts is also on the list. I'd really appreciate any suggestions and recommendations from your readers for places to visit, anywhere but particularly in the west of the state. We plan to do the full tourist bit in Boston. I'm a dual UK/US citizen and I've long been fascinated with the Revolutionary War period (if I'd moved here a few hundred years earlier I certainly would have been a Patriot!). I've been to Cape Cod so am familiar with that part of the state, but plan to visit again. We'd also like to do some hiking in the Berkshires and visit The Mount. Any nice hikes/towns/places we shouldn't miss out on and any particular order or direction it might be best to travel in? The west, Boston and The Cape feels awkward logistically. Having a rental car in Boston would probably be a hindrance, so best to do that first and pick up a rental car on out way out of the city? I lived in Waltham for a year when I was six but that was another lifetime!
Many thanks,