1. Nantasket Beach Resort
City: Hull, MA
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (781) 925-4500
Address: 45 Hull Shore Dr.
Description: There are many reasons to stay here, but the universal favorite is the oceanfront location. There’s also an indoor pool with retractable roof and a large fitness center. Lots of extras make this a solid choice in the good-value category. Each of the resort’s 105 tidy marine-minimalist rooms comes with a gas fireplace, balcony, and jetted tub; many rooms have an ocean view. And all rates include a continental breakfast and free Wi-Fi.
2. Toast
City: Hull, MA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (781) 925-5221
Address: 121 Nantasket Ave.
Description: Locals start the day right with down-home breakfasts of blueberry pancakes (with real maple syrup), hefty 3-egg omelets, and bottomless cups of coffee. At lunch diners go for the clam chowder and sandwiches, such as the corned beef Reuben. It’s a laid-back ambience and prices are reasonable, so expect to wait on a summer weekend. Closed Mon.
3. Marvels’ Lunch Box
City: Hull, MA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (781) 925-4614
Address: 163 Nantasket Ave.
Description: Directly facing Nantasket Beach, this strictly take-out joint is all about the lobster roll. Here, 5 ounces of fresh, sweet tail and claw meat are tossed in just enough mayo and celery and then heaped into a toasted roll. The addition of corn and carrots makes for an untraditional—but still very good—clam chowder. Take your order to the beach or enjoy on the many benches out front. Open daily Memorial Day through Labor Day.
4. Hull Lifesaving Museum
City: Hull, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (781) 925-5433
Address: 1117 Nantasket Ave.
Description: Because of its treacherous rocky shoals and its peninsula location at the entrance to busy Boston Harbor, Hull has historically witnessed a high number of shipwrecks. Built in 1889, the Port Allerton Life Saving Station served in several capacities as part of the US Coast Guard. Now a museum, the site showcases Hull’s maritime history and has loads of interesting exhibits including ship logs and other wreck artifacts, historic photographs, and newspaper clipping accounts of daring rescues. Open Nov through June, Mon, Wed, and Fri 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; July through Oct, Mon, Wed, and Fri 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sat and Sun 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
5. Fort Revere Park
City: Hull, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (781) 925-1777
Address: 60 Farina Rd.
Description: A 1⁄2-mile uphill walk from the center of Hull to the top of Telegraph Hill garners fantastic views of Boston Harbor. The Massachusetts Bay colony set up a coastal defense here starting with a beacon tower in 1673. You can still see the abandoned remains of the ramparts of an American Revolution–era pentagonal fortification and a later 1890s fort here. The observation tower and small military museum on the site are currently closed to the public, but the 8-acre park has picnic benches and grills and is used for free summer outdoor concerts and movies.
6. Nantasket Beach
City: Hull, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (781) 925-1777
Description: Out-of-towners have been flocking to Nantasket Beach since the mid-1800s. Just 20 miles south of Boston, it’s located on the ocean side of the peninsula that juts out into Boston Harbor. The nearly 3-mile stretch of beach features fine gray, pebbly sand. Check a tide chart before you come; high tide takes away almost the entire beach, bringing the ocean right up to the retaining wall.
7. Paragon Carousel
City: Hull, MA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (781) 925-0472
Address: 205 Nantasket Ave.
Insider Pick:
Description: For many, a day at Nantasket Beach is not complete without a ride on the Paragon Carousel. A Hull treasure, this 1928 carousel is the last vestige of the much-loved seaside Paragon Amusement Park. Manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, it has 66 magnificent carved horses, 2 Roman chariots, and an antique Wurlitzer band organ. Housed under a restored pavilion, it operates Mar through Oct, weather permitting.