New England is famed for its fall colors which will be at their peak during this year's Science Literacy Project—and the schedule allows some time for enjoying them. If you stay in the Boston area you'll get a sampling, particularly if you head for one of the parks; if you manage to venture beyond the city limits you'll find even greater rewards.

Explore one of the country's oldest public parks (Boston Common on Beacon Street) or the 265-acre Arnold Arboretum, co-designed by Frederick Law Olmsted of Central Park fame.

Needless to say, the area is saturated with history. Boston's Freedom Trail is a walking tour that links a series of historic sites. Guided and self-guided tours along the Black Heritage Trail explore the history of Boston's 19th-century African-American community on the north slope of Beacon Hill.

On the Cambridge side of the Charles River ("Boston’s Left Bank"), there’s the Museum of Science, MIT and Harvard. According to the visitors' section of the MIT website, nearby shopping venues include Central Square (restaurants and music clubs), Harvard Square (bookstores and street performers), Inman Square (improv comedy) and Porter Square (Japanese eateries and shops).

Regardless of which side of the river you're on, from October 22 to 23 you can watch the Head of the Charles® regatta, the world's biggest two-day rowing event.