If your New Year’s resolution is to exercise, then schedule a trip to Massachusetts. Between walking the Freedom Trail in Boston, climbing Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, and combing the beach on Cape Cod, you’ll get plenty of exercise. Just don’t eat anything because Mass (that’s what the New Englanders call Massachusetts) is famous for many foods that aren’t very healthy, like clam chowder, Cape Cod Potato Chips, Boston Cream Pie, buttery lobster, and Parker House rolls, to name a few.
While we were in Massachusetts, we tried to see as many sights as possible while exercising so that we could eat our fair share of the regional foods. Here are some highlights from our week in Mass:
Best Regional Food: Cape Cod Potato Chips
. We took the factory tour which honestly was pretty lame. It was set up like Krispy Kreme where you walk down the line and peer thru windows while reading about the process. In all fairness, potato chip production is longer than donuts, both they’re both junk food cooked in oil with a delightful treat at the end. In the Cape Cod store where the tour ended, they handed out 2 small bags of chips to each person. They weren’t warm like at Krispy Kreme, but they were delicious, none the less, and coming from me, a non-potato chip eater, that’s quite a compliment. Cape Cod chips are little crunchier than regular chips but not heavy like most kettle chips, and they’re packed with flavor. We bought a couple extra flavors that sounded intriguing, like Parmesan & Roasted Garlic and Sweet & Spicy Jalapeno.
Favorite Meal: Pizza - with a view. Since we were there after Labor Day, we were able to stay on the beach in Cape Cod considerably cheaper than during the summer. Our balcony overlooked the pool, and with a turn of your head you could see the ocean. Now I know about those fancy alarm clocks that project the time on the ceiling for those of us too lazy to turn our heads to check the time, but I was more than willing to turn my head for an ocean view! I enjoyed the balcony and view so much that I didn’t want to leave for dinner, so we ordered pizza for delivery.
Most Regrettable Food: Shot-cakes. We’ve been watching the Food Channel frequently because, well, we love food, it’s always family friendly, and there’s not much else to do in a hotel room while you’re waiting for your turn in the shower. After seeing Cupcake Wars, we were excited to split a shot-cake, a cupcake with a scoop of ice cream injected into it…what a great concept! Unfortunately the execution didn’t turn out as delicious as we had hoped. The cake portion was bland, and the ice cream and frosting didn’t mix well on our taste buds. I’m not sure if we’ll make it to a cupcakery during the rest of the trip, but there’s surely no need for more shot-cakes.
Best Tourist Spot: The Freedom Trail. It’s a long path laid out in red bricks along the streets and sidewalks so that you can follow it through Boston to see various historical places. We followed the entire trail - Chloe quite literally walked on the actual red line even around poles and everything – to the USS Constitution. Either walk on your own, take a trolley, or book a walking tour, but do it. It’s rich in history…and good exercise.
While we were in Massachusetts, we tried to see as many sights as possible while exercising so that we could eat our fair share of the regional foods. Here are some highlights from our week in Mass:
Best Regional Food: Cape Cod Potato Chips
. We took the factory tour which honestly was pretty lame. It was set up like Krispy Kreme where you walk down the line and peer thru windows while reading about the process. In all fairness, potato chip production is longer than donuts, both they’re both junk food cooked in oil with a delightful treat at the end. In the Cape Cod store where the tour ended, they handed out 2 small bags of chips to each person. They weren’t warm like at Krispy Kreme, but they were delicious, none the less, and coming from me, a non-potato chip eater, that’s quite a compliment. Cape Cod chips are little crunchier than regular chips but not heavy like most kettle chips, and they’re packed with flavor. We bought a couple extra flavors that sounded intriguing, like Parmesan & Roasted Garlic and Sweet & Spicy Jalapeno.Favorite Meal: Pizza - with a view. Since we were there after Labor Day, we were able to stay on the beach in Cape Cod considerably cheaper than during the summer. Our balcony overlooked the pool, and with a turn of your head you could see the ocean. Now I know about those fancy alarm clocks that project the time on the ceiling for those of us too lazy to turn our heads to check the time, but I was more than willing to turn my head for an ocean view! I enjoyed the balcony and view so much that I didn’t want to leave for dinner, so we ordered pizza for delivery.
Most Regrettable Food: Shot-cakes. We’ve been watching the Food Channel frequently because, well, we love food, it’s always family friendly, and there’s not much else to do in a hotel room while you’re waiting for your turn in the shower. After seeing Cupcake Wars, we were excited to split a shot-cake, a cupcake with a scoop of ice cream injected into it…what a great concept! Unfortunately the execution didn’t turn out as delicious as we had hoped. The cake portion was bland, and the ice cream and frosting didn’t mix well on our taste buds. I’m not sure if we’ll make it to a cupcakery during the rest of the trip, but there’s surely no need for more shot-cakes.
Best Tourist Spot: The Freedom Trail. It’s a long path laid out in red bricks along the streets and sidewalks so that you can follow it through Boston to see various historical places. We followed the entire trail - Chloe quite literally walked on the actual red line even around poles and everything – to the USS Constitution. Either walk on your own, take a trolley, or book a walking tour, but do it. It’s rich in history…and good exercise.
Although, the award goes to the Freedom Trail, Plimouth Plantation is a note worthy second. We had the most fun at the English settlement where they had role players that you could ask questions. They did a great job of staying in character. I asked one lady who was moving hay if I could take her picture, and she replied, “I know not what that is, but I think it is fine.” We loved the way they talked using King’s English, “Good morrow. How do you fair?”
Best Heart Healthy Tourist Spot: The Pilgrim Monument in P-Town. (Provincetown on Cape Cod) The monument marks where the pilgrims first landed and signed the Mayflower Compact before sailing to Plymouth. At 252 feet the monument was taller than I thought it would be, but surprisingly, the climb up 116 steps and 60 ramps went quickly. The view from atop was nice, too.
Biggest Surprise: Crabs as big as your head! In the Midwest, there’s a cheap Mexican restaurant known for having burritos as big as your head. I’ve never eaten one, so I don’t really know if they are as big as your head, but I do know that the beach in Cape Cod was littered with horseshoe crab shells as big as your head…and bigger! (We later learned that they can grow up to 24 inches in diameter.) I wonder if Cape Cod’s slogan is “Crabs as Big as your Head.” After making that discovery on the beach, the kids quickly moved to the swimming pool, which was nice because I could watch them from the balcony without turning my head.
Biggest Disappointment: Plymouth Rock is not all it’s cracked up to be. I always pictured Plymouth Rock to be this monumental rock that when the Pilgrims disembarked the Mayflower, they stepped onto it. In actuality, it's much smaller than I imagined, and it isn’t even displayed on a pedestal or anything. Quite the opposite in fact: it is in the water with the waves lapping over it and a structure built around it. The shadows falling upon it in the late afternoon rendered it impossible to take a picture.
Biggest Twinge of Homesickness: Swimming laps in the hotel pool. I love to swim and miss not being able to do laps regularly because most hotel pools are too small. This particular hotel in the Boston area that we booked on Hotwire had a pool large enough to swim laps. It was a great start to my day, and my knees appreciated the break from the exercise machines, especially after descending all the steps at Pilgrim Monument.
Worst Closure: The touch tank at Woods Hole Aquarium. Chloe wanted to go to this aquarium strictly for the touch tank, so it was a major disappointment that the tank was closed for renovation. It would have been nice if the website had mentioned that. Being the oldest aquarium in the United States, it is small but also free.
The saving grace of the aquarium was the behind the scenes walk. They actually allow you to walk behind the tanks where they feed the fish and take care of them! If workers are present, you can ask questions too.
Best Deal: Flax Pond Farms. It’s an Ocean Spray coop farm where they grow cranberries - in a bog, just like in the commercials! The nice lady, Dot, who has run the farm for years along with her husband, explained the cranberry harvest process with large picture boards, as harvest was another week or two away. She was very sweet and full of information, even showing us how the cranberry sorting machine works. Unfortunately, we really wanted to see the guys in their waterproof waders corralling cranberries, so we were disappointed. There was no cost, but we did purchase a few cranberry items because she was so nice.
My MA Hike: Walking across the breakwater in Cape Cod to reach the Wood End lighthouse. It was only a half mile hike to cross the breakwater, but stepping and sometimes leaping from one large rock to another the entire way made it fun and challenging. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to the lighthouse, but the hike was still fun and picturesque.
Best Memory: Turning around. We had crossed the entire breakwater, some of which was tricky with the water rushing through lower points in the rocks, and stood there wondering how far the lighthouse was from that point. A man, who happened to be there playing with his dog, approached us and volunteered, not once but twice, how far we still had to go in order to reach the lighthouse. He stressed his fear that the tide was coming in, making it difficult to navigate back across the breakwater during high tide. We wonder if he was an angel sent to warn us about the high tide. Regardless, we’re convinced it wasn’t a coincidence.
Worst Memory: Limbo-Land. The last we heard we were supposed to be helping at a Donate Life table at a fair, but no one got back to us with the details. We spent the better part of a morning trying to figure it out and never were able to get the information. We found out the next day that they thought we were just going to show up at the fair.
Biggest Twinge of Homesickness: Swimming laps in the hotel pool. I love to swim and miss not being able to do laps regularly because most hotel pools are too small. This particular hotel in the Boston area that we booked on Hotwire had a pool large enough to swim laps. It was a great start to my day, and my knees appreciated the break from the exercise machines, especially after descending all the steps at Pilgrim Monument.
Worst Closure: The touch tank at Woods Hole Aquarium. Chloe wanted to go to this aquarium strictly for the touch tank, so it was a major disappointment that the tank was closed for renovation. It would have been nice if the website had mentioned that. Being the oldest aquarium in the United States, it is small but also free.
The saving grace of the aquarium was the behind the scenes walk. They actually allow you to walk behind the tanks where they feed the fish and take care of them! If workers are present, you can ask questions too.
Best Deal: Flax Pond Farms. It’s an Ocean Spray coop farm where they grow cranberries - in a bog, just like in the commercials! The nice lady, Dot, who has run the farm for years along with her husband, explained the cranberry harvest process with large picture boards, as harvest was another week or two away. She was very sweet and full of information, even showing us how the cranberry sorting machine works. Unfortunately, we really wanted to see the guys in their waterproof waders corralling cranberries, so we were disappointed. There was no cost, but we did purchase a few cranberry items because she was so nice.
My MA Hike: Walking across the breakwater in Cape Cod to reach the Wood End lighthouse. It was only a half mile hike to cross the breakwater, but stepping and sometimes leaping from one large rock to another the entire way made it fun and challenging. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to the lighthouse, but the hike was still fun and picturesque.
Best Memory: Turning around. We had crossed the entire breakwater, some of which was tricky with the water rushing through lower points in the rocks, and stood there wondering how far the lighthouse was from that point. A man, who happened to be there playing with his dog, approached us and volunteered, not once but twice, how far we still had to go in order to reach the lighthouse. He stressed his fear that the tide was coming in, making it difficult to navigate back across the breakwater during high tide. We wonder if he was an angel sent to warn us about the high tide. Regardless, we’re convinced it wasn’t a coincidence.
Worst Memory: Limbo-Land. The last we heard we were supposed to be helping at a Donate Life table at a fair, but no one got back to us with the details. We spent the better part of a morning trying to figure it out and never were able to get the information. We found out the next day that they thought we were just going to show up at the fair.
Funniest Memory: On the drive to Mass, Mike and I were talking about how long we’d been on the trip. Chloe piped in from the backseat, "No way we've been gone that long. I'm getting a new toothbrush!" I guess it was time.
Biggest Revelation: They cooked with fire on the Mayflower! I was surprised when touring the Mayflower II, a replica of the original, that there was a brick cooking area aboard. I had always thought they ate pretty much only hard tac, and that’s why they were sick with scurvy; however, we learned they boiled cod and other fish and dunked the hard tac in it to soften it. Still, it was no luxury liner.
In Summary: Massachusetts, thanks for all the memories, food, and exercise opportunities! Depending upon our New Year’s resolution, we might need to return someday soon.
The Mom
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