3 Places in Massachusetts You May Want to Skip, According to a Local

I consider Massachusetts my second home; my parents were born here. While I grew up in a neighboring state, I spent most of my life visiting relatives around the Bay State, vacationing on the Cape, and even went to college here. That being said, I've explored a good amount of the state, and while it's a big part of my life, there are certain places in Massachusetts I wouldn't take anyone, including my worst enemy. So, here they are:

1. Route 6 on Cape Cod... in the Middle of Summer

I love, love, love Cape Cod, and now that my dad lives on the peninsula, I spend a month or two here every summer. That being said, there is one place that causes me so much stress, I try to avoid it when possible. It's not the pristine beaches, the endless number of seafood restaurants, being in or on the water, biking the Rail Trail, or exploring the National Seashore or quaint seaside towns—it's Route 6. If you've ever driven Route 6 during the height of the summer season, it can take over an hour to get across the bridge and, depending on where you're staying on Cape, an hour or two or more on top of it. Route 6 traffic is unreal. However, if you're taking your annual family vacation here during the summer, I suggest leaving home very early to beat the traffic.

2. Fenway Park... on Game Day

Don't get me wrong—I LOVE Fenway Park and I've been going to Red Sox games here since I was a kid. However, if you're not actually going to a game, there's most likely no reason to be in the area around Fenway during game day. Why? Well, the Fenway area gets incredibly crowded with passionate Red Sox fans, both on foot and in cars. If you have somewhere to be, you won't get there anytime soon. Even the bars and restaurants by the ballpark become incredibly crowded on game day. However, if you don't want to attend a game but would love to see Fenway Park, take a tour of the beloved ballpark on a non-game day.

3. Plymouth Rock

When I was in elementary school, I swear Plymouth Rock was talked about in such a way that I pictured some massive boulder in the beachside town of Plymouth. I thought I'd be so impressed and, over the years, I would ask my parents countless times if we could take a trip to see Plymouth Rock, only to be told "no." It wasn't until adulthood that my dad took my kids and me on a detour to grab lunch in Plymouth on the way back to the Cape from Boston, and, of course, we had to take a look at the legendary rock. Well, to say I was disappointed would be an understatement. It was so small. I had waited my entire life to see this historic landmark, and I felt it was a bit of a letdown. However, the monument surrounding the rock is impressive, and the town of Plymouth is absolutely worth exploring! Of course, while in town, one must stop at Plymouth Rock just to say you've seen it, right?

As I stated earlier, I love the Bay State, but these are my top picks of places in Massachusetts to avoid for very specific reasons. What would you add to this list?

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