Keep Guests (and Yourself!) Entertained

As locals, we often have out-of-town guests and family who come to our region. What sites would you love to show them? What spots are best for kids? Where do you like to take them to eat? If you don’t have enough room, where do you suggest they stay?

To make the coming summer’s guest list a bit easier to manage, we have organized a couple of options for the perfect day in the region.

The Eastern Side of the Region

1. Start with a tasting and tour at Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton. The winery is open year-round, doors open at 11 a.m. daily.
2. Pop-in at Harvard General Store in Harvard Center for lunch and sit in the outdoor picnic table area.
3. Follow up with a visit to Fruitlands Museum in Harvard and take in views of the region.
4. Then drive into Ayer/Shirley for dinner at Bull Run in Shirley or, both in downtown Ayer, Markoh’s on Main or Lucia’s Tavola. In Pepperell, find the Lazy Bubble.
5. Finally, catch a game of pool at The Billiards Café, also in downtown Ayer.
6. For a place to stay in the evening, Devens is convenient to the North Central Massachusetts eastern regional border with two hotels: Spring Hill Suites and Hilton Garden Inn.

The Central Part of the Region

1. Start with breakfast! Find several eateries in the Leominster/Fitchburg/Princeton area. Identity Coffee in Downtown Fitchburg and Main Street Gift and Café in Downtown Leominster offer excellent coffee, as does Mountainside Bakery & Café in Princeton.
2. After breakfast, visit the Fitchburg Art Museum, also in downtown Fitchburg.
3. Then, to keep everyone moving, visit Hollis Hills Farm for pick-your-own fruits and a fun farm vibe.
4. Ready for lunch or an early dinner? Downtown Fitchburg has the Pauper’s Pantry, Zapata, Slattery’s, Victor’s on Main, Tacos and Tequila, and Dario’s, to name a few, all in the same area, so no need to travel too far.
5. Then, it is a great time to take a ride out of town to Sholan Farms in Leominster to give kids some time to run around, pick some fruit, and see the views.
6. For dinner, the Old Mill in Westminster — classy with a traditional American menu — provides a great spot for the whole family. And there’s fun family dining at Il Forno in Lunenburg. Filled with other options, Leominster has eateries from Asian to Latin food. Options in-town are plentiful.
7. Stay at Great Wolf Lodge right in Fitchburg, conveniently located just off Route 2 about ten minutes from Leominster/Fitchburg exits heading west. Great Wolf has rides and pools for the whole family and lets children get remaining energy out before bedtime.

The Western Side of the Region

1. Start with breakfast in Petersham center at Petersham Country Store. The Country Store offers a nice local selection of foods and great breakfast sandwiches. Shop there, too, for antiques, kids’ toys, notecards, wine, beer, and other items for gifts, perhaps for your overnight host or hostess. Petersham Country Store is located across the street from the common and library for those who may want to stay awhile on the quaint common.
2. From there, take a ride to Tully Lake in Royalston to get some time in the lake or on a trail on a nice summer days when it’s great to be outside. Under care of the Trustees of the Reservations, Tully Lake offers classic tent camping, canoe and kayak rental for paddling up Tully River, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, disc golf, volleyball, or cornhole.
3. When getting hungry after outside activity, head to Red Apple Farm for some blueberry picking, a beer, room for kids to run, and lunch or snacks. The farm features a store, brewery, cidery, and more!
4.  In the evening, head to downtown Gardner for dinner at Moon Hill Brewing and Gardner Ale House.
5. A great spot to wind down for the night (unless camping at Lake Tully) is Colonial Hotel, also in Gardner.

Diverse in landscape and options for spring and summer fun, travelers and sightseers will find plenty to keep them busy whether they prefer to stay in town or want to spend all time out of doors. For locals and guests, we wish an incredible season with all our wonderful region has to offer!