Modern Boutique Hotel on Wooded Grounds in Historical District

Set on a wooded 125-acre complex in Sudbury’s historic district, The Wayside Carriage House Inn looks like a quaint red colonial lodging house. Inside, however, the inn has all the modern amenities of a sophisticated boutique hotel. There’s a full-service spa on the premises and an extensive bar. Each morning, a complimentary continental breakfast is served in the dining room. Guest rooms are spacious and elegantly decorated with cherry-wood furnishings and gilt mirrors, and large windows offer sweeping views of the landscaped grounds.

The inn stands on a complex that features numerous colonial-era landmarks. A complimentary shuttle ferries visitors between sites, which include a one-room schoolhouse and a water-powered gristmill. A stroll across the wooded, pedestrian-friendly property leads to the four dining rooms at Longfellow’s Wayside Inn, which was founded in 1707. Fireplaces illuminate period decor inside the formal main dining room and the Tap Room, which was built in 1775 as an extra kitchen for the inn's growing clientele. A seasonal dinner menu includes hearty steaks and classic New England cuisine, such as grilled Block Island swordfish ($23.95) and filet mignon with a brandied mushroom sauce ($25.95).

Sudbury, Massachusetts: Colonial-Era Attractions near Boston

Sudbury lies about 25 miles west of Boston near the center of Middlesex County, a hub of early American history and site of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, considered the first engagements of the Revolutionary War. Relics from that era abound in the region and can be seen in galleries, on guided tours, and in museums. The Concord Museum has the famous “one if by land, two if by sea” Revere lantern and more than 250 artifacts related to writer Henry David Thoreau. Though the colonial atmosphere is prevalent, modern-day cafés and boutiques are sprinkled throughout the district, and an approximately 40-minute car ride will transport you to Boston’s lantern-lit neighborhoods and world-class museums.