Marlborough is at the “Crossroads of New England,” located conveniently at the intersections of I-495, I-290, Route 20, Route 9, and the Massachusetts Turnpike. We’re just 30 miles from Boston, 45 miles from Providence, 15 miles from Worcester, 75 miles from Hartford, and 170 miles from New York City.

For a seven day stay, see Week in New England. For a shorter stay, see Weekend Getaway.

How do you visit six states in seven days and never have to re-pack your suitcase? By using Marlborough as your “home base,” that’s how!

Day One
Boston | Freedom Trail

Get in the saddle with Paul Revere for a look at the beginnings of the American Revolution. Start on Boston’s Freedom Trail with a visit to the Paul Revere House and Old North Church (of “one if by land” fame), then cross into Cambridge (Paul rowed; you can drive). Take Massachusetts Avenue past Harvard Square, through Arlington, and into Lexington. At the Battle Green in the town center, local Minutemen first clashed with the Redcoats in 1775. Further on in Concord, visit Old North Bridge, where the British fired the “shot heard ‘round the world,” and the National Park Visitors Center. While in Concord, also visit the homes of literary giants Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Louisa May Alcott.

Day Two
Salem | Cape Ann | Gloucester

Today’s a day for seafaring fun. Head north for Salem and tour what was once the nation’s largest seaport. The Peabody Essex Museum, House of Seven Gables, and Salem Witch Museum tell the complete story of this fascinating place, including the infamous 1692 Salem Witch Trials. Then motor up the coast to Cape Ann and Gloucester for a whale watch cruise and a cup of chowder in an atmosphere made famous in “A Perfect Storm.” Round the tip of Cape Ann for Bearskin Neck in Rockport for unique seaside shopping.

Day Three
Boston | Quincy

Eastern Massachusetts was home to four U.S. presidents. JFK fans will want to start with the John F. Kennedy Birthsite in Brookline (open April - November), then drive to the spectacular Kennedy Library and Museum overlooking Boston Harbor. Next stop is the city of Quincy, a few miles south of Boston, home of the Adams National Historic Site. Here you’ll find the birthplaces of both John Adams (president #2) and his son, John Quincy Adams (president #6), along with a host of other historic sites. On your way back to Marlborough you’ll pass the town of Milton, birthplace of George Bush.

Day Four
New Bedford | Fall River | Mystic Seaport

Today travel south to the New Bedford Whaling Museum, which vividly re-creates the era of harpoons and harrowing encounters with Moby Dick and his relatives. Nearby Fall River’s Battleship Cove features the behemoth U.S.S. Massachusetts and other fighting ships, on which you can imagine the fury of war. Fall River was home to Lizzie Borden, the Victorian spinster who allegedly “took an axe and gave her parents forty whacks.” The Fall River Historical Society tells her story. Mystic Seaport on the Connecticut coast is also well worth the drive. On the way back to Marlborough, see if Lady Luck is with you at Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods casinos.

Day Five
Newburyport | Portsmouth | Kittery

Scenic Newburyport is an easy drive up I-495, with a memorable collection of quaint shops and eateries, including Fowle’s old-fashioned soda fountain. Further north is the intriguing Strawberry Banke outdoor museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where you can stroll through preserved historic houses from the 1600s to the 1950s. Bargain-hunters, beware! More than 125 outlet stores are just across the river in Kittery, Maine!

Day Six
Sturbridge | Mohawk Trail

Marlborough is surrounded by classic New England countryside, and today you’ll choose the back roads to some beautiful sights. Drive west from Marlborough along Route 20 to Old Sturbridge Village, a living history museum depicting life in the early 1800s. Continue along Route 20 (the Old Boston Post Road) to the quaint town of Brimfield, home to the famous Brimfield Antique Shows. Hike in Quabbin Reservation bordering a scenic, 35-mile reservoir, then follow the Mohawk Trail (Route 2) along northern Massachusetts. If you’re especially ambitious, drive up the Connecticut River valley bordering Vermont and New Hampshire. If you’d rather stay closer to home, drive south from Marlborough to the antique mecca of Putnam, Connecticut.

Day Seven
Cape Cod | Plymouth

What’s a visit to New England without a trip to Cape Cod? Take I-495 south to get there, then hit the byways of this splendid peninsula. In Sandwich, visit the 76-acre Heritage Plantation, an eclectic collection of folk art, antique autos, and a 1912 carousel. Or beach yourself on the sand at the 30-mile Cape Cod National Seashore. On your way back home, get a dose of Pilgrim history at Plymouth Rock, living history museum Plimoth Plantation, and the Pilgrim replica ship Mayflower II.

Suggested itineraries for your Marlborough-based vacation. Bring the kids or find a babysitter? Action-packed or sinfully lazy? Ah, decisions, decisions...

Friday
As you check into your hotel, ask for a Dining Guide for a selection of top-notch restaurants. After dinner, take in a movie at the Solomon Pond Mall in Marlborough, or take a late dip in your hotel pool. Grab some brochures in the hotel lobby to make plans for tomorrow’s activities.

Saturday
Today, take a short trip that’s big on fun. Choose between historic Boston or a visit to “Little Rhodey,” the country’s smallest state.Boston is a half-hour drive from Marlborough along the Mass. Turnpike, but we suggest you park at the Riverside “T” stop in Newton and take the train into the city. Get the lay of the land at the Boston Common Information Center on Tremont Street, or take a Duck Tour aboard an amphibious vehicle that plies the city’s streets and waterways (get tickets at Prudential Center on Boylston Street). Then head for the Freedom Trail, the famous red brick path that leads you by some of Boston’s most historic sites, including the Paul Revere House, Old North Church, and “Old Ironsides.” Hop the Red Line subway to Harvard Square in Cambridge for a glimpse of the self-proclaimed “World’s Greatest University” and its funky surroundings.

Providence is also known as the “Renaissance City,” and it makes good on that claim with dazzling new architecture, beautiful riverwalks, and a vibrant cultural scene. If you’re into shopping, check out the Arcade, America’s oldest indoor shopping mall, then take in the upscale allure of Providence Place and the cutting-edge boutiques around Brown University. For lunch wander up Federal Hill for a generous helping of Italian food, then it’s off to Roger Williams Park for a walk with the animals at New England’s best zoo. Newport is a glamorous haven of yachts, fine shops, and mansions. Hike the 3.5 mile Cliff Walk connecting the magnificent summer “cottages” of the Gilded Age, including The Breakers, a 70-room palace built by the Vanderbilts in the days before income taxes. Browse the shops on Thames Street, then amble into the Tennis Hall of Fame before heading home to Marlborough.

Sunday
Pamper yourself this morning by waking up to room service breakfast in bed. Then start your day by taking in some of the local sights. Drive through Marlborough to see an incredible variety of historic architecture from the Colonial, Federal, Victorian, and modern eras.The Rockport Shoe Factory Outlet is a reminder of Marlborough’s heritage as a prominent shoe manufacturing center. Visit the Wayside Country Store, opened in 1929 by automaker and history buff Henry Ford, and the historic Wayside Inn in neighboring Sudbury.

Then explore the quaint New England town of Westborough, featuring white steeples, antique shops, and the Charm Bracelet Trail. Farm stands abound in the nearby hills, many with a seasonal offering of pick-your-own apples, berries, and pumpkins. If you’re an autumn leaf-peeper, nothing beats a hayride and mug of cider.

Culture-lovers will want to drive to Worcester for the acclaimed Worcester Art Museum, nearby Framingham for the Danforth Museum of Art, the Museum of Our National Heritage in Lexington, the sculptures of the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln, and the Fruitlands Museums in Harvard. Kids love Worcester’s Higgins Armory Museum, the Discovery Museums in Acton, and the quirky Museum of Plastics in Leominster. Horticultural enthusiasts will want to visit renowned Tower Hill Botanical Garden in Boylston, and the charming Garden in the Woods in Framingham.

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