Just 16 miles north of Boston are the historic North Shore towns of Salem and Marblehead. Settled in 1626, Salem is best known for the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The 1.7 mile Heritage Trail links all of Salem's historic sites together on a red line painted on the sidewalk. Among the many sights of interest, highlights include the superb Peabody Essex Museum, with internationally renowned collections of maritime art, and American and Asian decorative art. For a flavor of Salem's own history, visit the Witch Dungeon Museum or the Salem Witch Museum, and The House of the Seven Gables.

The Hawthorne Hotel is a restored Federal-style hotel within walking distance of all Salem's attractions. For a cozy B&B, a good choice is the Morning Glory Bed & Breakfast, a Georgian Federal home located directly across the street from Salem's House of Seven Gables. The third floor deck offers views of the harbor; both breakfast and afternoon tea are included in the reasonable rates.
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Just east of Salem is the charming town of Marblehead. Famous in Colonial times as a sailing capital, today's visitors enjoy the water views, appealing shops and restaurants, and historic buildings. The Pheasant Hill B&B has three spacious, comfortable, well-furnished suites. Its quiet location and spacious grounds are only a few minutes walk to picturesque Marblehead Harbor, and local shops, galleries and restaurants. For a romantic getaway splurge, try Spraycliff, a Victorian Tudor home. Most guest rooms have dramatic ocean views and fireplaces.
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Halfway between Boston and Salem is the Diamond District Breakfast Inn. This Georgian clapboard mansion was built in 1911 by a Lynn shoe manufacturer. Original mahogany woodwork and an ocean view highlight the living room, and French doors lead to the garden veranda.

Lace up those comfy walking shoes and follow the three-mile red brick road to sixteen historic sites on the Freedom Trail, starting at Boston Common, past Old South Meeting House, Faneuil Hall, Old North Church, and ending at Bunker Hill Monument.

A small sampling of the many first-rate museums includes the Museum of Fine Arts; the interactive Children's Museum; the elegant Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum with paintings by Rembrandt, Botticelli, Raphael, Titan, and Matisse; the John F. Kennedy Library & Museum; the Museum of Afro-American History/African Meeting House, New England's largest African American history museum; and the exciting Museum of Science.

Cambridge is home to both Harvard and MIT and has dozens of great restaurants, coffee shops, and bookstores. Famous museums include Harvard's art museums, including the Fogg, famous for its Impressionist and Picasso collections; and the Sackler, known for its Asian art collections. The science and archeology museums are equally impressive.

Near Kenmore Square, The Gryphon House is a Richardsonian Romanesque mansion built in 1895. A century later, real estate developer Ed Hatfield bought the structure, planning to replace the rundown apartments with condos. "No way are you going to rip out this magnificent curving stairway and original French wallpaper!" exclaimed Ed's wife Teresa Blagg. The felicitous result of their compromise is the inn, which opened in 1998. Each of the eight spacious guest suites is beautifully decorated with hand-painted murals and antiques, plus individual temperature controls, gas log fireplace, TV/VCR, two-line phone, wet bar, and bathroom with oversize tubs and showers. If you don't mind stairs, two top-floor suites have lovely views of the Charles River.

Under the same ownership are the Harborside Inn and the Newbury Guest House, both offering excellent locations, comfortable accommodations, and self-serve breakfasts. The Harborside is close to the waterfront, between the Aquarium and Faneuil Hall, and was originally built in 1857 as a molasses factory. Rebuilt in 1997 as an inn, many of its 54 guest rooms have brick walls, hardwood floors with Oriental rugs, and traditional furnishings. Light sleepers should ask for an interior atrium room; those facing State Street overlook a section of the Big Dig, and can be noisy midweek. Occupying two 1882 townhouses, the Newbury has an ideal on Boston's trendiest shopping street, close to the Hynes Convention Center. The 32 guest rooms are modestly furnished; ask for a room like #201 with a bay window facing the back alley for maximum light and quiet.

Nearby:

Brookline: Two miles from downtown is The Bertram Inn, a 1907 mansion with oak paneling, a sweeping staircase, and leaded windows, plus 14 well-equipped guest rooms. Shops, restaurants, and the T stop are close by. Pluses include the friendly, helpful staff; the generous breakfast buffet. afternoon tea and cookies; and the triple sheeted beds, generous bathroom amenities, and plush terry robes. Equally appealing is the casual and welcoming Beech Tree Inn, a Victorian home built in 1910, with 11 guest rooms. Long-time resident innkeeper Katherine Anderson welcomes both families and pets, and loves to share her extensive knowledge of Boston with her guests.

Jamaica Plain: A Victorian home built in 1855, Taylor House has been beautifully restored as a three-guest room B&B, with handsome faux-painted walls, brand-new bathrooms, queen-size beds, excellent lighting, TV/VCRs, and telephones. Innkeepers Dave Elliott and Daryl Bichel have also restored the nearby Adamshurst, with three suites.
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Hotels:
For a special-occasion splurge, book a water-view room at the Boston Harbor Hotel at Rowes Wharf. Built in 1987, this 230-room luxury hotel is beautifully appointed with all the requisite amenities. The Rowes Wharf restaurant offers sweeping water views, so reserve a table for the Sunday brunch if you can't book a room. Nearby, overlooking the bustling Faneuil Hall Marketplace, is the posh Regal Bostonian with 201 luxury guest rooms and a rooftop restaurant. Located in the Back Bay residential neighborhood, the popular Eliot Hotel offers 95 elegant suites. On-site family ownership ensures an excellent staff and maintenance, although the rooms are not large, and the bathrooms compact. Clio, a fine restaurant, is on the ground floor.