Turkey and Taboos: A Maverick Massachusetts Thanksgiving

In the land where pilgrims once set buckle-shod feet upon Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts holds the key to a Thanksgiving rife with both reverence and rebellion. To embark on this peculiar pilgrimage through America's historical backbone is to taste tradition and touch the unconventional underbelly of festivities in a state that defies expectations at every cobblestoned turn.

Let us begin by paying homage to where it all started: Plimoth Plantation (137 Warren Ave, Plymouth, MA 02360). Here you can throw historical accuracy to the wind as you dine with costumed interpreters who revel in their anachronistic roles—passing turkey legs like scepters of flesh and cornbread as though they were bricks for building nations. This isn't your grandmother's dinner table; it’s time travel on a platter.

But why settle for one temporal plane when you can transcend eras? Saunter over to Salem—yes, that Salem (19 12 Washington Square N, Salem, MA 01970)—where witch hunts are long past but spirits linger among us still. In this town known more for its October haunts than November feasts, find yourself attending sances instead of soup kitchens. Invite spectral guests for dinner because nothing says 'Thanksgiving' quite like dining alongside those who witnessed the first one... or so we imagine.

For those craving modernity cloaked in historic garb—a paradox most pleasing—venture into Cambridge (1 JFK St., Cambridge, MA 02138) amidst Ivy League echelons where intellects clash over pumpkin pie debates about Thoreau’s solitude versus Emerson’s society at illustrious eateries within Harvard Square. It is here amongst the clink of glasses filled with mulled cider from nearby orchards that poetry meets policy; idealism shakes hands with realism.

Now let us jet-set away from crimson academia towards Boston's Little Italy—the North End (263 Hanover St., Boston, MA 02113), where mafia lore tangles deliciously with strands of homemade pasta fresher than new dollar bills. Partake in la festa dell’ringraziamento at one-of-a-kind trattorias serving up Italian-American fusion fare which might just include squash tortellini topped liberally with sage butter—an ode to old-world customs while embracing new-world indulgence.

Dare not ignore Concord's revolutionary spirit huddling near hearths within Colonial homes along Monument Street (84 Monument Sq., Concord, MA 01742). Imagine whispers between Louisa May Alcott and Nathaniel Hawthorne debating abolitionist strategies amidst roasted chestnuts—all whilst plotting ways to escape Aunt March’s prattle about appropriate marriage prospects between bites of heritage turkey laced heavily with cranberry sauce sharper than Jo March's wit.

And if authenticity tickles your fancy—and I know it does—we must talk turkey trots! Join locals donning costumes ranging from Puritans to punk rockers racing through streets aimlessly as Paul Revere once did except now proclaiming "Thanksgiving is coming!" Lace-up hearty boots ready for leaf-strewn adventures in Echo Bridge Parkland (Hemlock Gorge Reservation entrance located off Elliot Street - Route16), Newton Upper Falls —because exploration knows no season—and work up appetites expansive enough only legends could fill them.

As dusk settles across bay state bounds conjuring imagery straight out trifles penned by Poe himself—grasp tightly onto tankards frothed high inside beer halls reminiscent yet bolder than Sam Adams' wildest tavern dreams try something local such as Lord Hobo Brewing Co.’s 'Boom Sauce'. All while muttering odes beneath breath acknowledging New England weather fickler even than moods swayed by Dickinson poems read aloud among friends gathered close—in heart if not always bench space due pandemic decorum echoing centuries-old measures against less microscopic threats...

To conclude this gallivant through gastronomy and ghosts alike visit sites online such The Freedom Trail Foundation website ([link]), Plimoth Plantation site ([link]), Historic Salem Inc.'s resources ([link]). For instantaneous updates follow @VisitMA on Twitter or dig deeper into local quirks via #MassachusettsTraditions hashtag sensation sweeping autumnal cyberspace faster than fallen leaves chased by nor'easter winds bidding farewell till next year’s oddities beckon anew...