When you think of Massachusetts, there’s a good chance you think of places to travel to like Boston, Cape Cod, Salem, Berkshire (duh!!!), Cambridge, or Nantucket/Martha’s Vineyard. There are probably some other great places I’ll leave. However, none of those destinations were chosen as the 22 most underrated destinations in the United States. As it turns out, the Bay State has two of them. What do you think about it?
CNN Travel has released its list of the most underrated destinations in the US. There are a few spots you might not be surprised to see. Cities like Buffalo, New York or Kansas City, Missouri. Southern Illinois is also on the list. As someone who’s been through Buffalo but also grew up in the Midwest, I can agree with all of those.
So where is an underrated Massachusetts destination?
It’s definitely not the Berkshires. Our area of the state is listed in the article as being of interest, while Boston and Cape Cod are also getting a lot of attention in general. But it turns out that the two most underrated destinations in the US are:
1. Springfield
Springfield certainly has a lot to offer and is probably not talked about enough. Here’s what CNN Travel had to say about their spot on the list:
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield is where the sport was born in 1891 as a YMCA indoor rainy-day activity, while the city’s stunning Dr. Seuss Museum and Sculpture Garden celebrate the Springfield-born children’s writer.
Both would be great attractions to visit. take a look!
For the second Bay State destination chosen, we travel just a little further north for:
2. Northampton
As for Northampton, CNN Travel also liked its culture:
The shops, restaurants, and LGBTQ scene make Northampton well worth a visit, or hop across the Connecticut River and hike a section of the New England Trail through the boreal forest.
Another fun fact about Northampton is that they have the most dispensaries in the Bay State.
So, it turns out that Central Massachusetts has a lot to offer. They have to be called one (actually two) of the most underrated destinations in the US. Luckily, they’re relatively close to all of these other great things we have in this state.