PLYMOUTH COUNTY VALLEY AT A GLANCE

First stop: Plymouth Rock and Mayflower II, enduring symbols of the Pilgrims’ arrival in the New World. The region also offers picturesque harbors, historic lighthouses, state-of-the-art golf courses, and acres of cranberry bogs that turn ruby red as harvest time approaches.

CHECK IT OUT

Plymouth bills itself as "America's Hometown." The colonists’ struggle to build a new community and their relationship to the indigenous Wampanoag are brought to life at Plimoth Plantation, a re-creation of the 1627 Pilgrim community. Whale watch cruises and party fishing boats leave from Plymouth harbor. Edaville USA’s two-mile, narrow-gauge railroad and amusement rides are perennial family favorites. As is the Brockton Rox, a Minor League Baseball team whose home base is Campanelli Stadium in Brockton. The nearby Fuller Craft Museum is a dazzling showcase for contemporary crafts. Duxbury’s Art Complex Museum features a Japanese garden and tea hut. For dramatic views of Hingham Harbor and the Boston skyline, stroll or bike to the top of one of the four drumlins comprising World’s End in Hingham.

WHAT'S NEW?

It’s been 387 years since the Mayflower landed in Plymouth Harbor and 50 years since the British-made replica, Mayflower II, docked at the State Pier. The latter’s anniversary is being celebrated throughout the summer and fall of 2007.

Plymouth County Convention and Visitors Bureau