Freedom Trail, Boston

The Paul Revere House, the site of the Boston Massacre and the Old North Church (famous for its lanterns: "one if by land, two if by sea")—these are just three of the 16 historic attractions on the 2.5-mile red-brick walking trail that snakes through downtown, Beacon Hill and the North End and consistently named one of the best things to do in Boston. The fact that these are real places, still trod by real people, makes our country’s past seem much closer. Everything starts at the visitor center on the Tremont Street side of the Boston Common. Plan ahead and you can join a tour led by a colonial-costumed guide. If you're the self-guided type, be sure to slip into the 1826 Union Oyster House for a dozen on the half-shell and a pint of Sam Adams at the horseshoe bar where Daniel Webster ate and drank. It’s not technically a part of the Freedom Trail, but since you walk right by the front door, it may be hard to resist.

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