Just a short drive north along the coast, Gloucester is a small fishing town brimming with beautiful views.  A good place to begin your adventures is the visitor's center. Volunteers there can point you in the right direction.  According to volunteer Rosie Sagall, one of the most popular activities is whale-watching. She said they guarantee you will see whales on your expedition.  Want to relax by the water? Check out Pavilion Beach. According to locals, it's the only beach with free parking.  "It's quiet and peaceful," said Winifred White, a Gloucester resident for 63 years.  White makes her…

Do you want to get out of the kitchen, but are bored of the same old places you always go to? Want some fresh ideas for tasty meals? Then the Patch Passport can help. We have assembled a list of local places with international flavors. Try one out and let us know what you think. Bon Appetit! Brazilian Brazilian Steakhouse Oliveira's Central Grill Tudo Na Brasa Chinese New China Pearl Sichuan Garden II Great Mandarin Restaurant Far East Cafe China Delight Oriental Chinese Restaurant Greek The Restaurant Giovanni's Indian Ambassador Indian Restaurant Italian Marco's Italian Cold Cuts Sal's …

Walk into The Mercantile on New Boston Street and you might feel like you’re in a country store with its old-fashioned cash register and unique collection of merchandise. Bird houses, whimsically painted, hang around the store. One, made of twigs, is so large it sits on the floor. On one counter is jewelry: necklaces, bracelets and earrings and individual beads, ripe for stringing. The clay beads are made on the premises. In another section are new baby gifts: teddy bears with binkies—pacifiers; baskets with bears and other baby accoutrements, from blankets to bibs and even a stork and gift …

Deb Loftus walked into an office downtown late in the day Wednesday tense and tight. She left unknotted. Loftus had a massage from Patricia Kelley, a nationally certified and Massachusetts-licensed massage therapist. “Massage is great for people who need to feel less stressed,” according to Loftus, who has experienced a number of particularly stressful events recently, from a death in her family to a job loss. “You only have one body. You have to take care of it." Loftus said she used to think that massage was “kind of frivolous.” No more. When she gets to her appointment, she said, “It’s …

Frances Norton and Carolyn Johnson used to be neighbors when they owned homes on Warren Avenue. Now they live in the same building on that street, where Norton once worked. That property, originally a family mansion “born” just before 1850, has been reborn twice, coming full circle as a home for local seniors. In between, for eight decades, it was a community hospital: Choate Memorial Hospital. Johnson was born at that hospital, in 1924. She remembers going to the hospital when she was little with a broken leg. Later, both she and Norton delivered some of their children there. (One of Norton’…

Two places in Woburn offer indoor fun for kids. And they’re as different as night and day. One is open regular weekday hours, with party hours in late afternoons, evening and on Saturdays and Sundays. An independent facility—there’s one and only one—it serves children to around age 10 during open play times. The other opens primarily to private groups. A franchise, it has essentially no upper age limit for guests. Through words and pictures, take a tour of The Klubhouse off Washington Street, at 90 Cummings Park and Jump On In at 470 Wildwood Ave. The Klubhouse The newer kid on the block, The…

Two paths diverge in woods near a well-known body of water in the city, and from the top of a winding, steep trail you can see the skyline of Boston. Although the body of water—Horn Pond—is hardly hidden, the view of Boston is one of the city’s hidden gems. Cliff Groat uses the Nolan Trail on Horn Pond Mountain to train. Groat takes the trail six times, up and down, each training session. It takes him an hour and a half, the Woburnite said. When he was a kid, Groat said he used to fish in Horn Pond. He forgot, he said on a hot and humid Sunday afternoon, about the trail until someone …

Patch will help be your guide as you become a tourist in your city. Whether you're new to Woburn or want to explore the city you've loved for years, we're here to show you what there is to see. Check back to Woburn Patch daily to see what excursion is next. We will feature stories, photos and videos showing off the best of Woburn. And you can tell us what you love about Woburn, and we'll include it as part of our project. We hope this project encourages you to shop local, eat local and be local. Patch wants to show you how much your own town has to offer. And although everything will appear …