Massachusetts Best Local Secrets 2011

BEST DIY CLAMBAKE
Harwich Shellfish Permit, Harwich Port
With 15 different areas, each on its own tide schedule, Harwich is tops for a do-it-yourself feast. The town offers a $15 one-day shellfish permit, plus good deals on season-long family permits. Digging is easy–the town annually reseeds its beds with 2 million baby clams. Harwich Harbor Master, 715 Main St. 508-430-7532; threeharbors.com

BEST FARM THEATER
Double Edge Theatre, Ashfield
Better known in the far-flung cities its members tour, this professional company performs on its own 100-acre farm on summer nights. Actors draw their audience along in the dusk from meadow to barn to hillside to pondside, amplifying their tale with music, dance, and amazing acrobatics. 948 Conway Road (Route 116). 413-628-0277; doubleedgetheatre.org

BEST MUSEUM LUNCH SPOT
Stone Hill Terrace Cafe, Williamstown
Hidden away up the hill behind the Clark Art Institute, near the museum’s new Stone Hill Center galleries, this seasonal terrace eatery offers great views of the Taconic Range and the Green Mountains. No need to pay museum admission. Sandwiches and salads: from $6.50. 225 South St. 413-458-2303; clarkart.edu

BEST FOODIE EMPORIUM
Sid Wainer & Son,New Bedford
Gourmet shops and restaurants throughout New England depend on Sid Wainer for exotic oils, chestnut puree, truffle products, and stinky cheeses, among other delicacies. Generous samples make shopping here almost a meal in itself. 2301 Purchase St. 800-249-0447, 888-743-9246; sidwainer.com

BEST BOSTON VIEWS
Buck Hill, Milton
It’s not the highest peak in the Blue Hills south of Boston, but its summit offers sweeping panoramas of both the Boston skyline and the Harbor Islands. The fields are full of wild blueberries free for the picking in July. Blue Hills Reservation, 695 Hillside St. (HQ). 617-698-1802; mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston/blue.htm

Best Free Family Fun
Robbins Farm Park, Arlington
This local favorite boasts stunning views of the Boston skyline, plus climbing structures, a terrific spot for flying a kite, and two 50-foot slides. 51 Eastern Ave. robbinsfarmpark.org