This trip to Massachusetts began with a celebration. One of my best friends from college was getting married in Northampton, and Victor and I had planned to attend. Since we were crossing the Atlantic for the occasion, we decided to turn it into something more: part family reunion, part exploration of New England.
Before the wedding, we first made our way to the Adirondacks in New York to visit my uncle and aunt, where my parents and brothers also joined for a holiday together. Afterwards, Victor and I had a day or two just for ourselves, the perfect chance to explore a part of Massachusetts I had long wanted to revisit.
That is how we found ourselves on a crisp morning, driving out from Boston, rental car packed, bound for Lexington and Concord. Along the way, we discovered bakeries tucked into small-town main streets, historic taverns and battlegrounds, the homes of America’s greatest authors, and even a beloved local ice cream stand. What started as a simple stopover on the way to Northampton became one of the most memorable parts of the journey.
Breakfast in Lexington
Our first stop was Lexington, a town where the past feels present in every corner. As we entered, the first landmark we saw was Munroe Tavern, a red colonial building that once served as a headquarters and field hospital during the Revolutionary War. Even just driving past, its weathered clapboards and proud silhouette seemed to whisper stories of conflict and resilience.
We parked near Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington’s main street, and wandered along in search of breakfast. That is how we found Nouvé Bakery, a French-Japanese bakery that had only just opened when we visited. The display case was a work of art, filled with delicate fruit pastries, savoury buns, and glossy tarts. We shared a strawberry and blueberry danish, buttery and bright, along with honey toast that was thick, golden, and lightly crisp on the edges. The mix of French technique and Japanese precision gave everything an elegance that lingered long after the last bite.
Fueled for the morning, we continued our walk.
Walking Through Revolutionary History
Lexington is layered with Revolutionary history, and it seemed that every few steps we encountered another story. We walked up to the Old Belfry, a small wooden tower that once summoned townspeople with the toll of its bell. Not far away stood Lexington Common, or Battle Green, where the opening shots of the Revolutionary War were fired on April 19, 1775. It was here that local militiamen faced the British Regulars, a clash that changed the course of history.
Nearby, we saw Buckman Tavern, where many of those militia members gathered on the morning of the battle. Standing in front of it, I tried to imagine the tension of that day, ordinary farmers and tradesmen waiting for the arrival of soldiers who represented the greatest military power of the time.
Among the most moving moments was pausing by the plaque that commemorates Prince Estabrook, an enslaved man who was among the militia that day. He was wounded in the battle, making him the first Black soldier to fight in the Revolution. His story, inscribed on a simple rock, added another layer to the complexity of America’s beginnings.
Before leaving Lexington, we also walked past the Hancock-Clarke House, a 1737 home where both Paul Revere and William Dawes rode on the night of April 18, 1775, to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock of the British advance. The house still stands as a quiet reminder of that tense night.
Minute Man National Historical Park
From Lexington, we drove into Minute Man National Historical Park, which preserves the route of the British march and the skirmishes that followed. The first sign we encountered told the story of Josiah Nelson, a farmer and housewright. According to family tradition, he ran out to ask passing riders for news of the British, only to discover they were British officers. One officer slashed his head with a sword, making him the first casualty of the Revolution. His wife, Elizabeth, bandaged his wound, and he then rode to spread the alarm to neighbouring towns.
Walking the park’s trails, we passed Paul Revere’s capture site, where his midnight ride came to an abrupt end. The park is dotted with stone walls, grassy fields, and ruins where houses once stood. Even the open meadows felt alive with memory, as if the air itself carried echoes of footsteps and musket fire.
Literary Concord
Our next destination was Concord, a town that is as much about literature as it is about revolution. We began with a visit to Thoreau Farm, the birthplace of Henry David Thoreau. Though he later made his mark at Walden Pond, it was here that his life began in 1817.
We then drove past The Wayside, a house with a remarkable history. In 1775, it was home to Samuel Whitney, muster master for Concord’s minutemen. Later, it became home to three literary families: Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Margaret Sidney (Harriet Lothrop). It is rare to find a single home that connects both revolutionary history and the transcendentalist movement.
Next door is Orchard House, where the Alcott family lived from 1858 to 1877. This was where Louisa May Alcott wrote and set Little Women in 1868, at a desk her father built for her. Touring the house felt like stepping into the novel itself. The rooms remain much as they were, filled with artefacts that bring the Alcotts to life. Behind the house stands the Concord School of Philosophy, founded in 1879 by Bronson Alcott and others. Its lectures, inspired partly by Plato’s Academy, drew thinkers like Emerson and included readings from Thoreau’s journals. The school may be long gone, but its spirit lingers in Concord’s intellectual air.
A Late Lunch
By now it was well into the afternoon, and we were ready for food. We stopped at Concord New London Style Pizza, a family-owned spot that has been serving pies since 1967. The name intrigued us. Unlike thin New York slices, this was a Greek-style pan pizza with a thick, golden crust that was chewy yet crisp at the edges. Each bite was hearty, comforting, and distinctly New England.
Sitting in the unpretentious dining room, we learned that this style of pizza originated in New London, Connecticut, in the 1960s, before spreading to Massachusetts. It was fun to feel like we were tasting a piece of local food history.
Author’s Ridge and Sweet Treats
After lunch, we strolled through Concord, eventually making our way to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. The cemetery is a peaceful, wooded space, and on Author’s Ridge, we visited the graves of Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Their names carved into modest stones felt surprisingly humble for figures who shaped so much of American thought and literature.
Leaving the cemetery, we circled back toward town, where I had noticed Bedford Farms Ice Cream across from the pizza place. Founded in the 1880s, Bedford Farms started as a dairy before shifting to ice cream in the mid-20th century. The Concord shop opened in 2001, and on that warm afternoon, it was filled with families and couples savouring cones.
I chose a classic flavour, and Victor picked something more adventurous. We sat outside, cones in hand, letting the sun and the sweetness carry us into the late afternoon. There was something timeless about it, a reminder that simple pleasures are often the most enduring.
Reflections at Walden Pond
Our final stop was Walden Pond State Reservation, forever linked with Henry David Thoreau. The pond is larger than I had imagined, its calm waters framed by forest. Families swam, children paddled inflatable rafts, and hikers traced the paths along the shore.
Standing at the edge of the water, I thought of Thoreau’s decision in 1845 to live here in a small cabin, stripped of material comforts, seeking a deliberate life. Even with the chatter of modern visitors, the place retains a stillness that invites reflection. The light shimmered on the water, and for a moment it felt as though the centuries between Thoreau’s time and ours had disappeared.
Closing the Day
As the evening settled, we left Concord with full hearts and tired feet. The day had carried us through revolutionary battlefields, literary landmarks, local eateries, and a pond that continues to inspire. What had begun as a simple detour on the way to a wedding in Northampton had become one of the most memorable chapters of our journey. Massachusetts revealed itself not only as a keeper of history but as a place alive with stories, flavours, and the enduring beauty of its landscapes.
Massachusetts reminded us that history, literature, and everyday pleasures can be discovered all in one day.
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