Classic New England: Five for the Road

Don't miss Winslow House, built in 1699 by Mayflower descendants. Virtually untouched by modernization, it was owned at the time of the Revolutionary War by physician Isaac Winslow, a Tory loyalist who embraced the British cause. (Probably the only reason it wasn't confiscated from him was that he was beloved by his patients.) Next to it stands the law office of Daniel Webster, secretary of state in the 1840s.

If you should visit the town during the second half of August, and especially if you bring the kids, don't miss the Marshfield Fair just off 3A (Aug. 17-26 this year). An extravaganza that seems plucked from the 1950s, it offers 60 acres' worth of rides, farm animals, fried dough, a demolition derby and plenty of sparkly, tacky attractions.

EATS: At Fairview Inn (133 Ocean St., 781-834-9144), entrees start at $15.95, with ocean views much better than "fair." If you've already enjoyed the Hingham Lobster Pound, you know the drill at Green Harbor Lobster Pound (131 Beach St., 781-834-4571) -- superb take-away from a shack; entrees $10 to $15.

SLEEPS: Doubles start at $200 at Fairview Inn (see above). Seven of the eight rooms have terrific ocean views.

Duxbury

About 10 minutes farther south on Route 3A lies Duxbury. The town feels a little like Nantucket, the kind of place that makes you sigh longingly and contentedly at the same time. Had the artist Carl Larsson been American instead of Swedish, he would have lived in Duxbury and painted his family against alluring backdrops of the town.

THE TOUR: Duxbury has a number of small historical museums in antique homes. It also boasts a great Art Complex Museum on 13 acres of woodland and open fields that features the unlikely combination of Shaker furniture and Asian art.

But the most important thing to do is just drive. Just about everywhere you go, you'll pass stretches of lovely homes, fronting or near the water. Washington Street, a stretch of village road a couple of miles long, is especially beautiful, with gorgeous old houses lining both sides of the road. Go down any of the narrow dead-end lanes to view the homes and tranquil Duxbury Bay. Shipyard Lane has a parking lot you can linger in.

At the north end of Washington Street, turn onto Powder Point Avenue to begin an excursion around Powder Point, a little knuckle of land that is the Duxbury of Duxbury. Let your car take you where it will. Weave in and out of streets with such names as King Caesar Road, Upland Road and Russell Road. You'll pass the entrance to Powder Point Bridge, the longest wooden bridge in the United States, leading to a pristine beach (with cold water that's hard to adjust to even in the height of summer). All along, the magnificent homes and views of the bay will transport you.

Heading off Powder Point, turn onto St. George Street. That will take you either to 3A for a leisurely and beautiful return trip to Boston, with the tall trees making canopies over the road in spots (figure an hour and 15 minutes if you get back on the highway from Hingham) -- or, a few miles farther along, to Route 3, which will have you back in Boston in less than an hour, without traffic.

EATS: Winsor House (390 Washington St., 781-934-0091, http://www.winsorhouseinn.com/), in an 1803 building, has an inviting interior, with dark woods and fireplaces. Entrees start at about $18; pub menu from $11.

Sun Tavern (500 Congress St./Route 14, 781-837-4100) offers elegant dining in a 1741 house. Entrees from $22.

SLEEPS: Powder Point B&B (182 Powder Point Ave., 781-934-7727, http://www.ppbab.com/) is a lovely antique home with doubles starting at $165. Winsor House (see above) has doubles starting at $150.

Lawrence Lindner has two books out this spring: "Puppy's First Steps: The Whole-Dog Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, Well-Behaved Puppy" (Houghton Mifflin); and "Fighting Weight," written with Khaliah Ali, Muhammad Ali's daughter (HarperCollins).