Travel in state Massachusets

While there’s no shortage of renowned vacation destinations found all across New England, few regions can match the idyllic beauty of Cape Cod. Located in the eastern reaches of Massachusetts, this storied peninsula draws visitors in droves each summer to take advantage of the scenic beaches and ideal sailing conditions—and as an added bonus, the region is no slouch when it comes to drinking and dining, either. High-end restaurants abound all across Cape Cod, with Wequassett Resort & Golf Club offering a wide array of both sophisticated and casual dining venues for guests to enjoy.

With tax season upon us, many Americans are anxious to know what it will mean for their tax payments — and refunds. The good news is that the average tax refunds have been increasing over the past few years, and according to the IRS, that trend is still continuing as of the latest data. This means, there's the potential for even more surprise money to hit your pocket this tax season.

Attention, Marriott Bonvoy fans — you can now place your bets and earn Marriott Bonvoy points. Yes, you can potentially gamble your way to a free hotel stay.

MGM Resorts International and Marriott International are coming together to bring travelers an all-new level of access to exclusive experiences and even better benefits. 

JetBlue and Spirit Airlines officially ended their merger plans on Monday, weeks after a federal judge blocked the effort. 

JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines announced on Monday that they would walk away from their planned $3.8 billion merger after federal antitrust regulators successfully challenged the deal in court. JetBlue said it would pay Spirit $69 million to exit the deal.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kate Boardman, a 36-year-old former teacher and current content creator from Massachusetts who has lived abroad for the past 12 years in countries including Vietnam, Australia, Guatemala, and Bahrain. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

As one of the oldest cities founded in the USA and considered by many to be the cradle of the American Revolution, Boston is a gift to history buffs.

More than 44,000 lives were lost in traffic crashes in the United States in 2023. The number marks a 4% decline from 2022, but compared to pre-pandemic 2019, it’s a 13.6% spike, demonstrating “the seriousness of this public health crisis.”

You'll soon be able to earn and redeem Hilton Honors points for a journey into the great outdoors.

Powder laps in the morning and performance art in the afternoon — such is the winter life in Western Massachusetts. The region’s ranging mountains and snow-covered forests create a spectacular backdrop for outdoor recreation such as skiing and snowshoeing while its small towns have long provided respite for artists. In the 19th century, painters, artisans, and writers began retreating from nearby big cities to the Berkshires and surrounding areas to find solitude and the space to create. (Take, for example, Edith Wharton, who needed space so badly she had a 35-room mansion built in Lenox called The Mount.)

There are two ways to view road trips. Planning and packing for a car trip can feel like a chore or an adventure. Spending hours, even days, sequestered in a vehicle stuffed with road-trip essentials can feel claustrophobic, or it can create a private space where you have the rare opportunity to share dedicated quality time and mood-boosting playlists with a travel companion. Even the occasional hiccup can be viewed as an exercise in problem-solving rather than a logistical nightmare when you’re road-tripping with a loved one.

Massachusetts may measure in at just 27,363 square kilometers, but what this historic state lacks in size it certainly makes up for in biodiversity. From the craggy peaks of the Berkshires to the tip of Provincetown, classic New England fauna can all be found in abundance across the commonwealth—but when it comes to winter birdwatching in particular, it’s best to head east. Carved eons ago by moving glaciers, Cape Cod serves as a top summer vacation destination, while the dead of winter brings ample opportunity for birdwatchers hoping to lengthen their life list. With winter in its final throes, don’t miss out on the last few weeks of cold-weather birding across this stunning Bay State region.

With the dawn of another election year, even a cursory glance at the headlines serves as a reminder of how volatile and divisive U.S. politics have become. Add to that a string of global crises and conflicts, and the desire to somehow escape from the chaos becomes easily understandable.

If there's one rule grief counselors and bereavement support groups agree on, it's that making a big decision following a loss is not a good idea. Whether it's changing jobs, discarding keepsakes, or selling your home and moving, the general advice is to wait from six months to a year before embarking on a path that could be life-altering.

Good things come to Marriott Bonvoy and MGM Rewards members who wait.

When the explorer Bartholomew Gosnold arrived at the Cape of St. James in 1602, he was so taken by the abundance of the fish there that he renamed it Cape Cod. Within years, New England soon cemented itself as a global leader within the fish trade, and some four centuries later Boston still owns its reputation as a seafood town. There’s something about the chilly, high-salinity North Atlantic waters that just produces excellent fish—and any local would admit that no visit here is complete without getting a lobster roll, chowder, or at the very least some fried clams.

JetBlue’s stock fell by nearly 50% in the past year as it reeled from the loss of its merger with Spirit Airlines and declining revenues. 

Last June, a segment on FOX 5 Vegas calling for Super Bowl LVIII volunteers caught my attention.

Tech is invaluable for travel directions, reviews and reservations, but it can also help us better navigate and connect with the spaces we move through in niche ways. That might mean finding the quietest cities, small titbits of interesting local history, or songs and books that were written about the areas we're passing through—all of which help to enrich our travel experience.

Spirit Airlines is expanding its presence in South Carolina, adding flights from Charleston to Boston and New York City this spring.