Along Boston Harbor around Quincy and Hingham, Massachusetts - Quincy MA Off the Beaten Path

Preview: Though tourists usually bypass Quincy, it’s the only American city that was home to two U.S. presidents: John Adams and John Quincy Adams. You can see the family home of four generations of Adamses at the Adams National Historic Site. It’s hard to picture this stately gray house surrounded by farmland, gardens, and orchards, as it was when John and his wife, Abigail, moved in, in 1788. While John pursued his duties in Washington, Abigail busied herself managing the farm and adding a new wing to the house. Family possessions give a deep sense of how loved and used the house was as a family seat. A good-luck horseshoe hangs over the door where Abigail placed it. The wing chair that John Adams died in is still there. Waterford crystal bowls in a china closet are cracked because John Adams sprouted seeds in them. The lovely landscaped grounds hold formal gardens, lilacs with waist-thick trunks, and climbing wisteria. Your $3.00 ticket also admits you to the nearby Adams Birthplaces on Franklin Street, where John Adams and John Quincy Adams were born. The city of Quincy was one of the country’s preeminent builders of navy ships for more than sixty years. The Fore River Shipyard opened at the turn of the century and operated until 1986. It lay dormant for nine years, but in 1995 the city opened the U.S. Naval and Shipbuilding Museum in the former yard, just south of downtown Quincy. The museum’s centerpiece is a 700-foot heavy cruiser that served as the Sixth Fleet’s flagship in the Mediterranean, the USS Salem. Visitors can tour the machine shops, hospital, and crew’s quarters, as well as the bridge and the command center. The museum grounds house the military archives for Massachusetts from the Revolutionary War up to the present day. Open from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. on Saturday and Sunday, the museum charges $6.00 for adults and $4.00 for seniors sixty and over and children ages four through twelve. The museum is off Wharf Avenue; to get there, from Route 3A south, bear right at the rotary just before the Fore River Bridge. Just barely over the line from Quincy into North Braintree on Route 53, you’ll have to look hard to spot the discreet sign for Spazio in a tiny strip of shops at 200 Quincy Avenue. You’d never expect a restaurant of this caliber in such an unlikely setting, but it’s here, and enough people have found it to make reservations advisable. Begin with grilled quail stuffed with sausage and fresh thyme, served on a bed of caramelized vegetables and drizzled with a blend of port and plums. The last time we ate here, the daily special was a filet of salmon encrusted in potatoes and grilled, served over a ragout of fall vegetables, but each day brings new takes on the freshest locally caught seafood. Dessert might be a “simple” McIntosh apple tart or an espresso cheesecake in chocolate graham crust topped with mocha. Inspiring chef/owner Michael Richardi are the influences of Greek, Spanish, and North African foods found in the cuisine of southern Italy, where he returns twice a year to “cook with friends.” The above description is an excerpt from "Massachusetts: Off the Beaten Path." Whether you're a visitor or a local looking for something different, this chapter from the Off the Beaten Path series will help you take the "road less traveled" and discover hidden attractions, unique finds, and unusual locales that most tourists miss.
© Copyright Barbara Radcliffe Rogers and Stillman Rogers published by Insiders' Guide all rights reserved.


This travel guide comes from:
Massachusetts Off the Beaten Path Guide Book