cover image The Most Scenic Roads in Massachusetts: 20 Routes Off the Beaten Path

The Most Scenic Roads in Massachusetts: 20 Routes Off the Beaten Path

John Gibson. Down East Books, $13.95 (175pp) ISBN 978-0-89272-556-4

Seasoned guidebook author Gibson (New Hampshire's Most Scenic Roads; Walking the Maine Coast) shares some of Massachusetts' loveliest roads less traveled in this slim volume. For summer visitors to the Bay State or longtime residents of the Commonwealth, these 20 point-to-point and circular routes take drivers through woodlands, past shorelines and along historic back roads. Some routes overlap, but nearly the entire state is covered in mini-excursions that can be completed in an hour or two or lingered over for a day. Route 1, for example, covers Greenfield to North Adams, in the northwestern portion of the state, and is about 50 miles long. The hilly terrain is home to a preserved village from colonial times and maple sugar operations. Route 10 links Lynn, Marblehead and Salem; drivers on this 17-mile cruise will see coastal vistas and historical landmarks, such as the home of Nathaniel Hawthorne. For each route, Gibson gives specific directions, maps and photographs.