The New England "Word-of-Mouth" travel tips guide

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Nice Irish pub/restaurant -- Beckett's Pub is a brand new Walpole, MA, restaurant with a great Irish-American menu featuring bangers and mash, beef stew, Guinness Pie, Shepard's Pie and Irish potato skins. I recently had a fantastic turkey dinner and beef curry dish with fresh vegetables. Beckett's used to be the Kylemore, somewhat of a dive that never really reached the full potential of its Irish Cottage exterior. Now it is beautifully restored with gleaming hardwood floors, big windows, a much more attentive and interested staff, and some brand new wide screen televisions. The restaurant is well separated from the bar, so this place is definitely family-friendly. Beckett's Pub, 1065 Main St., Walpole, MA. Tel. (508) 668-1191. EH, posted 4/24/07.

A real downtown shopping area -- So many downtowns have become vacant, uninteresting and ugly. It's a disturbing suburban trend, but Norwood, MA, has really done a tremendous job in the past five years of making its downtown special. Antique stores, several restaurants, Middle Eastern and Asian markets, and local jewelry, clothing, furniture, art galleries, sporting goods and so many other stores make this clean, attractive and safe downtown somewhat of an anomaly in a sea of downtowns that have floundered. Norwood Center even has an old-fashioned bowling alley and town diner! The true testimony to Norwood Center is you can do your entire holiday shopping here without ever going to a shopping mall. EH, posted 4/24/07

A healthy health food store --We've found Holistic Health in Medway, Mass. to be a very friendly place where employees treat you very well. Unlike some health food stores that have a revolving door of personnel, Holistic Health allows you to build familiarity with its staff. They are personable, generally knowledgeable and nice to people of all ages. The selection of food and supplements is impressive and well laid out. They even have a naturopathic doctor on staff, Dr. Albert "Skip" Snow. Holistic Health Centers,176 Main St., Medway, MA Tel.(508) 533-4622. EH, posted 4/24/07.

An old-fashioned shoe store -- Michelson's Shoes in Needham, MA., definitely goes the extra mile. They understand English, listen to what you're saying, make sure you get measured correctly and have no time constraints -- they just want to make sure the customer is satisfied. With a perfect mix of older, skilled employees and younger ones who intuitively know what to do, Michelson's is your old-fashioned shoe store that you thought no longer existed. They might be a tad more expensive, but they carry all the best brands and the expert, personable service will do your feet well in the "long run." Michelson's Shoes,1082 Great Plain Avenue, Needham, MA. Tel.(781)449-2753 EH, posted 4/24/07

An easy hike with amazing Maine ocean views -- Fifteen to 20 minutes of hiking will get you to the top of 525 ft. high Gorham Mountain in Acadia Nationa Park, Maine. The views are unforgettable with various commanding views of the Atlantic Ocean and the myriad islands. The slight elevation affords better views than some mountains three or four times the height. Gorham Mountain is located south of Sand Beach and north of Otter Cliffs on the Acadia National Park scenic loop. EH, posted 4/24/07