Sugar and Spice has an extensive menu divided based on the regions of Thailand. We recommend trying their crispy duck, boat noodle soup, and chili basil noodles.

This ramen chain originated in Japan and is a dinner favorite for us. We recommend the shio and kara miso ramen, as well as the takoyaki! They also have a location in Back Bay, which is great to stop at after a long day of shopping.

This restaurant has quickly become a staple in our house. Located between Harvard Square and Central, Dumpling House has something to satisfy any craving for Chinese food. We recommend the wontons in chili oil, the flat noodles, or any of the "Sichuan style" meat dishes.

If you are looking for a more upscale seafood dinner, Hourly is a great place to try. They have a wide selection of raw oysters from across the Northeast, as well as delicious shrimp and scallops.

North End is an Italian neighborhood brimming with great food. It is located within walking distance of the New England Aquarium, Fanuiel Hall, and many of the other popular attraction in Boston. Whether you stop in for a coffee and cannoli or a pasta dinner, we highly recommend checking out North End.

This downtown Concord diner, owned by the same family since the 1930’s, specializes in
creative and delicious breakfast and brunch dishes that will definitely leave you satisfied and is a
McCalmon family favorite. Serving a wide range of items from superfood smoothies and power
bowls to Nutella brioche french toast, here you’ll find something for everyone. Helen’s partners
with local Walden Woods Farm to craft a true farm-to-table experience. Helen’s is open 8-7 on
the weekdays and 8-3 on the weekends. Www.helensrestaurantmenu.com.

Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner for over 20 years, Main Street’s specializes in
American comfort food classics crafted from food produced at their family farm in Concord and
sourced from other local farms. You will not leave hungry. And if you’re a fan of tater tots, you
won’t be disappointed. Open 7:30 - 9 Friday and Saturday, 7:30 - 4 Sunday.
Www.mainstreetsmarketandcafe.com

Much more than a wine and cheese shop (though they carry the very best of both sourced
from around the world), this is the place to go for amazing deli sandwiches of all kinds. If
you’re in the mood to sit on a bench in the library’s front park and enjoy the crisp October
weather while munching on a French Picnic, Tuscan Ham, or Caprese sandwich (just to name
three of many), this is your first stop. Open 10-5:30 Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Www.concordcheeseshop.com

Located in picturesque West Concord (just a couple of miles from Concord’s town
center), Saltbox Kitchen serves up New American small plates and craft deli meals made with
ingredients from local Saltbox Farm, and is Concord’s only craft brewery. If you’re looking for
a delicious meal that’s lighter than what Helen’s and Main Streets offer, Saltbox Kitchen is a
great choice. Open Friday-Saturday 9-6. Closed Sunday. Www.saltboxkitchen.com

If your tastes trend more international, Karma serves up a wide variety of Chinese,
Japanese, Malaysian Curry, and sushi. From their website: “Fusion sushi, a cross between
Japanese flavors and delicate sauces and styles of France, is Karma’s specialty.” Set just a few
blocks south of Concord’s town center, the restaurant is a quiet, beautiful space. Open Friday-
Saturday 11:30-11, Sunday 12-10. Www.karmaconcord.com

A couple of miles from the Concord city center is the McCalmon’s favorite Chinese restaurant in
the area, and they’ve made sure to go there on every visit to MA since Joe was in high school.
Set in a nondescript converted residence at the end of an access road leading toward the nearby
state penitentiary (no, not kidding!), this gem specializes in Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine that
is among the best we’ve had. Try the Bubbling Beef or Fish in Black Bean Sauce - it does not
disappoint. And for a little more fun, a large hibachi grill station dominates the middle of the
restaurant. Open 11:30-9 seven days a week. Www.Asiangourmetma.com

This shopping district is home to Newbury Street, Boylston Street, Copley Place, and the Prudential Center Mall. These locations are home to high-end shopping establishments and some of the most expensive homes in the city.

Located in the heart of Boston on the Freedom Trail, Quincy Market is an outdoor marketplace with food, clothing, souvenirs, and more!

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts
of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that
I had not lived.” Between July 1845 and September 1847, Henry David Thoreau built a small
wood cabin on the shores of a serene lake and strived to simply his life. His experience there
spawned the American classic Walden. One of America’s greatest Transcendentalists, Thoreau
has inspired generations to view simple living as an ideal. Getting to Walden Pond is simple - it
is just across Route 2 from Concord. Parking is expensive for out-of-state plates, so if you can
carpool with a local, you should. Open 5-6:30 seven days a week. Visitor Center open 10-4.
https://www.mass.gov/locations/walden-pond-state-reservation

“One if by land, two if by sea.” “The British are coming!” “The shot heard around the
world.” All of us know these bywords by heart. On the evening of April 17, 1775, Paul Revere
and William Dawes were sent out by different routes toward the town of Lexington, to warn
Samuel Adams and John Hancock of plans for British soldiers to arrest them and to confiscate
suspected military stores stockpiled in Concord. There were in fact no plans to arrest Adams and
Hancock, but the rumors of an expedition to capture the colonials’ valuable weapons cache were
true. Twenty-one companies of elite British Grenadiers and Light Infantry set out from Boston
on April 18, intent on marching to Concord to confiscate the weapons. Yeah … they would have
liked to have had that one back. The first battle of the American Revolution spanned an entire
day and ranged over 16 miles, with British soldiers under growing and constant fire from
colonial “Minute Men” and militia. You can learn all about the battle at the Visitor Center and
spend the day walking along the Battle Road, learning about the battle that led to American
independence, and imagining what it must have been like to be a British or Colonial soldier on
that fateful day. Open dawn to dusk. Visitor center open 9-5.
https://www.nps.gov/mima/planyourvisit/minute-man-visitor-center.htm

Follow the red brick trail through downtown Boston to see some of the cities most notable Revolutionary War! Walking this trail allows you to explore Boston past and present. In order to walk the trail from start to finish, we recommend starting at Boston Common!

This is one of our favorite spots to visit on the weekend! This Victorian style garden is home to numerous sculptures, a serene lake, and beautiful fall foliage. Plus, it is just across the street from the shopping district, Newbury Street!

Since 1912, Ms. Alcott’s childhood home, “Orchard House” (and the setting for her novel
“Little Women”), has been open to visitors. Set just steps from the Battle Trail, you can step
back into the past and view her inspiration for her classic masterpiece. Reserved timed-entry
admission highly recommended (which you can secure via the website). Open Mon-Sat 10-5,
Sun 11-5 https://louisamayalcott.org/

America’s most famous philosopher lived in Bush House between 1835 and his death in
1882. Still owned by the Emerson family, it operates as a museum and contains most of
Emerson’s original furnishings. Emerson wrote his Essays here and the house served as a
meeting place for the Transcendentalist Club and as a gathering spot for America’s most beloved
luminaries, including Henry David Thoreau and Louisa May Alcott (Bush House is located about
a quarter-mile from Alcott’s Orchard House). Open Thursday-Saturday 10:30-4:30.
https://www.ralphwaldoemersonhouse.org/

A local landowner donated this property to the National Wildlife Service in 1944.
Visitors can travel easy paths through open grasslands, mature forest, around wet marshes, and
alongside the Concord River. The observational tower and pier allow for great wildlife watching,
especially birding. Noted ornithologists consider the Concord Unit to be one of the best inland
birding areas in the state. Open sunrise to sunset. https://www.fws.gov/refuge/great-
meadows/visit-us