Massachusetts General Information Nickname: Bay State State bird: Chickadee State flower: Mayflower Capital: Boston Date of admission to the Union: 6th Feb 1788 (original 13 States; date of ratification of the Constitution) Population: 6,349,097 (2000) Population density: 232.2/sq km 2000 total overseas arrivals/US ranking: 1,429,000/6 Time: Eastern (GMT - 5). Daylight Saving Time is observed. The State: The gateway to New England, Massachusetts was the destination of the Mayflower in 1620 and is one of the original 13 States. It is very diverse, offering everything from cobblestoned streets and village greens to space-age technology centres. The Berkshire Hills cut across its western corner. To the east the land rolls down to the sea, embracing the state capital, Boston, and the beaches of Cape Cod. Travel - International AIR: International airports: Boston Logan International (BOS) (website: www.massport.com), 6km (4 miles) from the city centre, is the largest airport in New England. Airport services include a free shuttle bus (marked MASSPORT) stopping at each airline terminal and the MBTA subway station, which has a service every 8-12 minutes to downtown Boston (travel time – 15 minutes). Buses are available to destinations all over the state. Taxis, limousines and car rentals are also available. MASSPORT Water Shuttle, serviced by a separate bus, offers a 7-minute boat ride from the airport to Rowes Wharf in downtown Boston. Approximate flight times: From Boston to London is 7 hours 15 minutes, to New York is 1 hour, and to Providence is 25 minutes. RAIL: Amtrak links Boston with Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago and Montréal in Canada, and offers a summer service from Cape Cod to New York City. There is also a service to Portland, Maine. Approximate rail travel times: From Boston to New York is 4 hours 15 minutes, however, with the new Acela high-speed train, travel time from Boston to New York is 3 hours 30 minutes. Amtrak operates around a dozen ACELA Express roundtrip trains daily between Boston and New York and numerous Acela Regional Trains that stop at more stations. ROAD: Long-distance bus companies operating in the state include Greyhound (website: www.greyhound.com) and Peter Pan Bus Lines (website: www.peterpanbus.com). Approximate driving times: From Boston to Providence is 1 hour, to Hartford is 2 hours, to Portland, Maine is 2 hours, to Albany is 3 hours, to New York is 4 hours, to Montréal is 6 hours, to Chicago is 20 hours, to Miami is 31 hours, to Dallas is 37 hours, to Los Angeles is 63 hours, and to Seattle is 63 hours. All times are based on non-stop driving at or below the applicable speed limits. Approximate bus travel times: From Boston to Albany is 3 hours 30 minutes, to New York is 4 hours 30 minutes, to Montréal is 8 hours 30 minutes. URBAN: Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority (MBTA) (website: www.mbta.com) operates Boston’s subway system (known as the ‘T’), as well as bus and train services throughout the city and surrounding towns. Fares are moderate and passengers can transfer easily between surface and underground transportation. Suburban buses and commuter trains extend travel beyond the immediate city. Taxis can be hailed throughout the city, but delays can be experienced during rush hours; taxis can also be hired by telephone. Car hire is available. Introduction BOSTON: Boston is a city of contrasts, a gentle blend of the old and the new. The city has a very ‘English’ feel about it, with hilly, crooked, cobblestone streets, a grassy common and cosy Victorian townhouses with polished brass door-knockers. It also played a vital role in the opposition to colonial rule that led to the American War of Independence. The Freedom Trail, which is marked by signs and a red pavement line, is a walk that passes 16 points of historical interest, some of which are in the Boston National Historical Park. The highest observation point in New England, the 60th-floor John Hancock Observatory, offers a bird’s-eye view of the city. Other attractions include harbour cruises, some of which enable the visitor to see the Boston skyline, the airport and the 1822 USS Constitution at Charlestown Navy Shipyard; the Museum of Fine Arts; the famous Museum of Science; the John F Kennedy Library and Museum; the New England Aquarium; the Old North Church; Faneuil Hall; the Skywalk Observatory at the Prudential Tower (a viewing platform on the 52nd floor, open office hours); and the Cheers Bar, upon which the popular TV series was based. Cambridge lies across the Charles River from Boston. Here stands Harvard University, the USA’s oldest university (1636). In the south of Boston is Quincy, the birthplace of Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams. ELSEWHERE: Salem, north of Boston, is famous for its seafaring history and the 1692 witch trials. Also north of Boston, Marblehead is one of the east coast’s premier sailing centres, its old town full of 18th- and 19th-century homes of fishermen, merchants and artisans. Just west of Boston, Concord is one of the most historic and beautiful towns in the USA. Its Old North Bridge was the site of the ‘shot heard round the world’ in the opening engagement of the American War of Independence. The engagement commenced on what is now called Battle Road in Lexington on 15 April 1775. Plimoth Plantation, in Plymouth, is an open-air museum recreating a 1627 Pilgrim village. The Mayflower II, also in Plymouth, is a full-scale reproduction of the ship in which the Pilgrims made their harrowing 66-day voyage from England. Battleship Cove, in Fall River, harbours 20th-century US Navy vessels and is the largest complex of its kind in the country. New Bedford, a restored whaling community, has the Seamen’s Bethel, which inspired Herman Melville’s description in Moby Dick, and the New Bedford Whaling Museum, which displays the skeleton of a rare, 66-foot blue whale. Cape Cod has some 400km (250 miles) of beautiful beaches, and 21 seaside towns and fishing villages, making it one of the USA’s prime resort areas. The Cape Cod National Seashore stretches over 27,000 acres, featuring expanses of unspoilt sandy beach and stunning desert-like sand dunes. Provincetown, at the tip of the Cape, is where the Pilgrims first landed. Nantucket Island, once a great whaling port, is now a popular sun resort. Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, a picture-postcard island, both lie off the coast of Cape Cod. They are accessible by air from Boston, Hyannis, New Bedford, Providence (Rhode Island) and New York City, and by ferry from Woods Hole and Hyannis – booking well ahead for ferry and air services is strongly advised in the summertime. Old Sturbridge Village, in central Massachusetts, is a living history museum recreating an 1830s New England town. The New England Science Center in nearby Worcester has a zoo, various exhibits and a range of lectures, which provide an ideal learning opportunity for all members of the family. The Higgins Armory in Worcester, set in a Gothic-style castle, contains the largest on-display collection of medieval and Renaissance armour in the western hemisphere. Just two hours from Boston are the Berkshire Hills and the Mohawk Trail. The former is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (based at Tanglewood), and a number of museums, including the Norman Rockwell Museum; whilst the legendary Native American trail winds through 500,000 acres of State parks, forests and reservations. It is very popular for foliage viewing in the autumn. Massachusetts has been named by the World Wildlife Fund as one of the world’s top ten whale watching spots, with a variety of species of whales found just 40km (25 miles) off the coast. Whale watch cruises operate from April to October and depart from Boston, Gloucester, Hyannis, Nantucket, Newburyport, Plymouth, Provincetown, Quincy and Rockport. Social Profile Food & Drink: There is a wide variety of very good restaurants. Boston has many ethnic communities, and culinary opportunities range from Greek and Portuguese to Chinese and Syrian. Seafood is a speciality throughout Massachusetts, including local lobster, scallops, scrod and delicious clam chowder. The legal age for the purchase of alcohol is 21 (with valid identification). Theatres & Concerts: Boston is the traditional review town for Broadway shows. The theatrical season is mainly in the autumn and winter. The Boston Symphony Orchestra, one of the greatest of all international ensembles, has a full schedule of autumn and winter concerts and makes its summer home at Tanglewood in the Berkshires (in western Massachusetts). ‘Boston Pops’ concerts are staged in the spring and summer, as well as at Christmas. Nightlife: Boston offers a variety of jazz clubs, dance clubs and intimate piano bar lounges, as well as pubs such as the Bull & Finch Pub, the inspiration for the TV show Cheers. Shopping: The high-fashion district in Boston is Newbury Street in Back Bay. Two shopping and restaurant complexes near Newbury Street are Copley Place and The Shops at Prudential Center. Department stores and Filene’s Basement are in the town centre. Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which is similar to London’s Covent Garden, contains shops and restaurants. Statewide, there are a number of factory-outlet stores that offer designer and other items at bargain prices. Special Events: A complete list of events held throughout the State is available online from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (website: www.massvacation.com). Events taking place in 2003 include: Feb 1-2 Boston Wine Expo, Boston. Feb 15-17 Old Sturbridge Village: Washington’s Birthday Celebration, Sturbridge. Mar 16 Worcester County St Patrick’s Day Parade, Worcester. Apr 11 Opening Day at Fenway Park (baseball), Boston. Apr 21 Patriot’s Day Celebration, Lexington; Boston Marathon, Boston. May 13-18 Nantucket Wine Festival, Nantucket Island. May 23-25 Faneuil Hall Marketplace: Street Performers Festival, Boston. Jun 2-Sep 1 North End Street Festivals, Boston. Jul 4 Boston Pops Fourth of July Celebration, Boston. Sep 12-28 The Big E/Eastern States Exposition, Springfield. Sep 28-Oct 5 Nantucket Arts Festival, Nantucket Island. Oct 11-13 Cranberry Harvest Festival, South Carver. Oct 18-19 Head of the Charles Regatta, Cambridge/Boston. Nov 27 Plimouth Plantation Thanksgiving Celebration, Plymouth. Nov 1-Jan 4 2004 Edaville Railroad Festival of Lights, South Carver. Dec 2 62nd Annual Boston Holiday Tree Lighting, Boston. Dec 15 Re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party, Boston. Dec 31 First Night, Boston. Climate Warm and sunny from May to October; cold winters. The autumn (‘fall’) is spectacular: the climate and variety of hardwoods produce vibrant colours, attracting visitors worldwide. Foliage season begins in mid-to-late September, with peak colour often coinciding with the Columbus Day weekend in mid-October. Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.