Boston

It can be annoying in unique ways. Dreadful traffic through a confusing maze of streets that seem patterned after 17th century London. That accent that can range from Kennedyesque to downright grating. Boston is a city that seems eternally under construction - check out The Big Dig website for the latest scoop on a public works project that has been in progress since the early 1990s.

Still, when you walk along the Charles River, or enjoy a decadent meal of fresh seafood at Legal Sea Foods, or take in a Red Sox game in legendary Fenway Park, you can't help but realize what an authentically American city Boston really is.

You shouldn’t visit Boston without seeing The Freedom Trail. Boston is a city best seen by foot, and the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail includes 16 historic sites, most relating to the American Revolution. Start in Boston Common and follow the red line in the pavement past the site of the Boston Massacre, King's Chapel and the U.S.S. Constituion, among others. One of the highlights - the Old North Church, the oldest church building in Boston (1723). On April 18, 1775, Robert Newman hung two lanterns in the church steeple as a signal to Paul Revere that the British were approaching Lexington and Concord by crossing the Charles River.

Don't be misled by travel guides that claim you can see The Freedom Trail in a few hours or even a day. For a true stroll through history, and a close-up view of Boston, take 2 days and do it right.

“Don’t fire till you see the whites of their eyes!”

Symphony Hall opened in October, 1900. It was the first concert hall specifically designed according to acoustic principles and is considered among the top five concert halls in the world. The sound quality is remarkable and the hall’s lineup - the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, and the world’s finest jazz and classical musicians - is second to none. The attempt at musical excellence is best summarized by the single name inscribed above the state: Beethoven.

Bananas are an important export crop. The bananas are harvested, washed and packed on plantations like this one in the eastern lowlands. The bananas that pass quality standards are exported, many to the United States.