BOSTON, MA

Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States and, along with Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, was instrumental in the founding of the country.

American and Revolutionary War history buffs must make the trip to Boston. Visitors may easily follow what is known as the Freedom Trail, a walk marked by red bricks that will take you past many historical sites of interest, such as Faneuil Hall, the Old North Church (where patriot Paul Revere saw the two lights that signaled the British had marched into Lexington and Concord by sea rather than land and he then rode to send word, thus starting the American Revolution), the Bunker Hill Monument, and the U.S.S. Constitution – all must-sees for any self-respecting U.S. history aficionado.

Additional Boston must-see sites are a visit to the city’s Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum, located near Fenway Park (another must-see for baseball fans, and who among us is not a Boston Red Sox fan?).

U.S. President John F. Kennedy was born and raised in Boston. His presidential museum also is located here, on a spit of land on the University of Massachusetts campus with a wonderful view of Boston Harbor. Open to the public, the museum is a fitting testament to the slain president, still beloved more than 40 years after his assassination.

Head on over to the Boston Common, located right near the state capital, and be sure to check out the Bull & Finch Pub, known from television views worldwide as the “site” of the bar for the show Cheers. (The outside of the pub was shot for the show; the pub’s interior was filmed on a soundstage in Los Angeles).

The Commons – the oldest city park in the country -- is located near the historic and tony residential district of Beacon Hill. Be sure to visit the Boston Public Garden next door to the Commons. Another lovely park to visit is the Franklin Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. Be sure to check out the Franklin Park Zoo while you’re there. Speaking of the Common, which is the oldest public park in the country

Boston is home to some of the country’s premier colleges and universities. In fact, Harvard College, established in 1636, is one of the oldest colleges in the country (at least two buildings from that time are still in use!). Another must-visit college is the world-famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Are the fine arts and cultural activities more to your liking? Boston can fulfill your yearnings quite nicely. Visit the Boston Opera House, the Citi Performing Arts Center, and the Orpheum Theatre. Don’t forget the Boston Ballet, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and, of course the Boston Pops.

In fact, the Boston Pops is a huge part of one of Boston’s largest festivals/celebrations: the huge Fourth of July celebration on the shores of the city’s Charles River, complete with incredible fireworks (displayed in sync during the Pops’ Fourth of July concert.

Another must-see event (or even must-do, if you’re in the proper physical condition) is the annual Boston Marathon, held each April. More than 20,000 runners from around the world run through the city’s streets. It’s a sight not to be missed.