For many, images of witches and Halloween are the first things to  come to mind when Salem, Massachusetts is brought up and I can’t say I’m any different – with the addition of the adorable house from one of my favorite fall movies, Hocus Pocus. And while the history of the Salem Witch trials and overall…

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum has been on my list of places to visit in Boston for years, but until now I had never been. I am lucky to have supportive friends & family that are interested in visiting these places with me, and this blog is a good excuse to do so.  I can’t…

In 1793, Theodore Lyman, a wealthy ship merchant who lived in Boston’s elite Beacon Hill neighborhood, wanted to build a country estate that his family could escape to in the summer. He wanted to ensure the family could travel back and forth between the homes easily and all within one day, so he started to…

The late fall & winter have put a damper on my quest to visit all thirty-eight properties owned by Historic New England in a one year time frame, as many of the homes close in October and don’t open again until the spring. So, I’ve been stalking their website to plan out when specific homes…

The Pierce House is located in Dorchester, a suburb of Boston. Until my visit to The Pierce House, I don’t think I have ever purposely gone to Dorchester, nor do I remember ever being in that town unless I inadvertently traveled thru it on my way somewhere else. So I was very curious to find…

I was lucky enough, for a multitude of reasons  to have met one of my most cherished friends in college. Our college days consisted of parties, food, and more parties. I wouldn’t change a thing, nor would I want to go back to those times. I didn’t necessarily believe her when she told me she…

For quite some time now, I’ve been wanting to visit Concord, MA and wander the historic battle field and surrounding areas. I remember taking a field trip in fifth or sixth grade to the site of the North Bridge, mostly just excited for a day away from the confines of the school building, and certainly…

The Otis House is located on Cambridge Street in Boston, MA and was next up on my list to visit, as it closes for the season at the end of November. Plus, it was easy to get to and gave me an opportunity to walk around Boston for an afternoon, which is always a plus…

Once I settled on the idea of this challenge, I got to work trying to plan out a rough schedule of when I would be able to get to all the homes & sites. It seems as though I chose a fairly terrible time to start this, as most of the homes had just closed…