As you approach the Tri-Town area of Leominster (LUH-minster), Fitchburg, and Lunenburg, rooftops begin to supplant treetops and Boston radio stations crowd the dial. Although “the Hub” is still some 30 miles away, its gravitational attraction seems to compel a majority of cars to exceed the speed limit. If you already know that you would rather walk barefoot over hot coals than be caught driving in Boston, you can start looking for accommodations now, as you are within the sphere of the MBTA Commuter Rail service to downtown (617/722-3200 or 800/392-6100). Purely by way of an example, the 80-minute journey from end-of-the-line Fitchburg to Boston’s North Station, made 10 times daily on weekdays, five times daily on weekends, costs around $12 roundtrip—equivalent to a couple hours’ parking in most Boston lots.
Accommodations here, along I-495 on the perimeter of the Boston metropolitan area, are largely geared toward business travelers, though the aptly named Friendly Crossways Retreat (978/456-3649), at 247 Littleton County Road, just north of the Route 2/I-495 junction in the hamlet (not the college) of Harvard, has dorm beds and a few private rooms, too.
Practicalities aside, one very positive reason to spend time out here is the presence of Fruitlands, (daily May–Oct.; $10; 978/456-3924), 102 Prospect Hill Road, the Harvard College museum of American arts and crafts.
