Boston—Walking Trails Through History

True confession: The only time I've ever fallen asleep on my feet is at the end of the Freedom Trail walking tour in Boston, Massachusetts. True, I was nine years old. (Note to parents: Don't make your kids finish this tour in the summer.) But I was also following a historic path jam-packed with enough material to satisfy even the most avid scholar. Boston's historic trails are a serious learning experience—if you're coming here, put on sturdy shoes and get ready for an intense course in America's past.

The most famous of all is Freedom Trail which follows the path of the American Revolution. This trail encompasses 16 historical sites and spans 2.5 miles. Notable stops include Boston Common, the Paul Revere House, and Bunker Hill Monument.

Top 3 Cheap East Coast Escapes

These historic cities each have a reputation for being pricey, but they all offer plenty of free and low-cost fun. Here's our guide to some of the top money-saving attractions in each:

Boston
Don’t bother renting a car. Boston’s public transportation system is excellent, and you can buy a seven-day unlimited pass for $15 to the city's extensive "T" subway and transit system. Admission to the historic Paul Revere house is just $3.50, while a tour of Red Sox home Fenway Park is $12. With plenty of mom-and-pop eateries and small ethnic restaurants to choose from, cheap eats aren’t hard to find.

Boston Weekend Escapes: Cross-Country Ski Maine's Carrabassett Valley

Poplar Stream Falls and Flagstaff Lake, located in Maine's Carrabassett Valley area, are the first in a series of 12 planned state-of-the-art "huts" that will eventually thread together a 180-mile path through the state's mountainous western region. Today, you can snowshoe or cross-country ski during the winter months into either of these two backcountry huts, located 11 miles apart for added hut-to-hut adventuring. The well-appointed huts serve hearty lunches and dinners, plus are equipped with comfy bunkhouses, warming woodstoves, and hot showers!

Cross-country skiing trail at Flagstaff Lake, Carrabassett Valley, Maine (courtesy, Maine Huts & Trails)

Boston Day Trips: Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, Salem

Salem, Massachusetts' Turner-Ingersoll Mansion was made famous by Nathaniel Hawthorne after he took the building's architecturally inspired pseudonym as the title to his 1851 novel, The House of the Seven Gables. Built in 1668, Seven Gables now stands as New England's oldest surviving 17th-century wooden mansion. Salem is an easy 45-minute drive north of downtown Boston.

Photo credit: Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, Massachusetts (Photodisc/Getty)

Must-See Boston: July 4th Celebrations in Beantown

Beantown throws one great July 4th celebration—as it should, considering it's the staging ground of the Tea Party, Paul Revere's ride, and Bunker Hill. Each year, join big-name performers as well as the much-loved Boston Pops as they perform at the Esplanade. Watch more than 20,000 pounds of fireworks, with some that climb to 1,500 feet, light up the Charles River—while Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture booms in synch with the explosions.

Photo credit: Boston harbor (Digital Vision)

Paddle the Northeast's Northern Forest Canoe Trail

Threading its way through New York, Vermont, Québec, New Hampshire, and Maine, the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail was officially completed in 2006 with campsites and portages along its entire route. Today the trail offers stretches of scenic wilderness, whitewater, and flatwater intermingling with mill towns, forests, and farms that gave rise to the region's historic industrial growth.

Photo credit: Canoe in Québec (Corel)