Hopkinton

Hopkinton is in Massachusetts. It is the starting place of the Boston Marathon.

• Hopkinton State Park, Route 85, Phone: +1 508-435-4303, www.mass.gov. Bicycling, non-motorized boating, hiking, horseback riding, picnicking, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and swimming on 1450 acres. Group area that includes a pavilion, playing field, restrooms, picnic tables, and a large grill is available by reservation during the summer.

• Caffe Italiano, 28 Main Street., 508-497-0730, www.mariascaffeitaliano.com. A very small, full service restaurant, very elegant for the area. It is pricier than the local competition, but definitely a big step up.

• Carbones Restaurant, 280 Cedar St., +1 508-435-3465.

• Dinos Pizza, 77 W Main St., +1 508-435-7151.

• O'Tooles, 25 Hayward St., +1 508-435-3368.

• Pommery, 14 Birchwood Ln, +1 508-435-4549.

• There will be a new museum opening in this charming little town in central Massachusetts in September, 2008. Come out for the grand opening of the Little Red Shop Museum, located in the Little Red Shop, the town's oldest surviving industrial building on the shores of the Hopedale Pond. • Alan R.