New England
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
 York, Maine. www.visitmaine.com (Qinhe/Shutterstock) If you want a glimpse of the U.S. in its infancy, when the bells of freedom first began to ring, visit New England. In what is still a relatively new nation, this is a region rich in the country's earliest history.
As you tour the halls where America’s founders conferred, well-versed guides will recall what first stirred the political leaders’ passions. Then drive out to the forested countryside and visit the villages, each with its own charm. On the coast, try your hand at catching fish or crabs, or take a tour boat in search of seals and whales. You’ll find New England enchanting. Start by delving into the mysteries of the seafaring life in aptly named Mystic, Connecticut. In this pastoral seaside town, Mystic Seaport Museum of America and the Sea provides a look at a working shipyard plus a variety of exhibits, including an 1841 whaling vessel. Then visit Hartford, the state capital, and see the Old State House. Built in 1796, it’s one of the oldest government houses in the U.S. Here, you’ll also find humorist Mark Twain’s quirky home. Take in the view from the observation deck of the 34-story-high Travelers Tower, home to the nation’s first casualty insurance company, founded in 1863. Just to the east of Connecticut, tiny Rhode Island is the smallest state in the nation. In the capital, Providence, visit the Mile of History on Benefit Street, where you’ll see numerous historic homes, office buildings and churches. You can tour the area on foot or by bus. In northern Rhode Island, stop at Woonsocket to visit the Museum of Work and Culture, which chronicles the lives of textile mill workers in the early 1800s. Head north to Massachusetts and into Boston, the state capital. Immerse yourself in colonial history by walking the two-and-a-half-mile Freedom Trail past many of the city’s historic sites. You can stop at Union Oyster House and enjoy a plate of oysters, as Daniel Webster once did. Walk through Boston Common, one of the nation’s oldest parks, where groups often assemble to espouse their favorite causes. Nearby, shop and dine along trendy Newbury Street. The Massachusetts coast is one of America’s favorite summer playgrounds. The hook-shaped peninsula called Cape Cod is a popular retreat for Northeasterners. On the Cape, visit the town of Wellfleet to indulge in old-fashioned pleasures: an ice cream cone and a movie viewed from inside your car at a drive-in theater. Cape Cod National Seashore, at the end of the peninsula, is a beachcomber’s haven and Provincetown is an appealing arts colony and resort town. Off Cape Cod, the island of Martha’s Vineyard is a vacation colony that’s second home to many high-pro- file Easterners. Here you’ll find the nation’s oldest working carousel in Oak Bluffs and the Whaling Museum in Nantucket. Want to see some whales at sea? A power catamaran will take you out in search of them. And be sure to take in a clambake before you leave. Clams, vegetables and, often, lobsters are steamed over a fire pit on a bed of seaweed and eaten — mostly with the hands — outdoors. In New Hampshire, visit Portsmouth to walk the cobblestone streets and shop for antiques. In northern New Hampshire, the rugged White Mountains are prime ski territory in winter and popular for hiking in the summer. But this range is at its most spectacular in autumn, when the trees turn orange and red. You can take the cog railway up Mount Washington more than 6,000 feet to the highest point in the Northeast. In Cornish, at New Hampshire’s western border, you can drive through the nation’s longest wooden covered bridge into Windsor, Vermont. Vermont is famous for its maple syrup. It’s made in the springtime, but you can tour a syrup farm at any time of the year. In Rutland, the New England Maple Museum will inform you on the state’s signature product. Vermont is also renowned for its colorful leaves in the fall; Green Mountain National Forest is a favorite location for a glimpse of nature in seasonal transition. On the shores of Lake Champlain in northern Vermont, sample the nightlife in the city of Burlington. While you’re here, you can also visit the home of Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen. Nearby, in the town of Shelburne, you’ll find a reconstructed eighteenth-century village, including rail station and lighthouse — both added more than 100 years later, of course. Rudyard Kipling fans will want to visit the Vermont home in Dummerston where he lived for four years and wrote the “Jungle” books and “Captains Courageous.” East of Vermont, at the far northeastern corner of the U.S., is Maine, its craggy coastline filled with inlets, rivers and coves. You can fish or boat on the water or simply watch seals and seabirds — and lobstermen checking their traps. The southern coasts are known for their well-tended beaches. Up the coast, visit Portland’s art museum and enjoy authentic New England chowder or fried clams. The nearby mid-coast area is home to the Maine Maritime Museum in the shipbuilding town of Bath. You can observe first-hand how boats are built and learn why it’s bad luck to paint one blue. Eat a lobster roll in Wiscasset and, to the north, visit Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. You can drive past horror and fantasy author Stephen King’s house in Bangor on the way to Acadia National Park. After a day of climbing its steep cliffs and exploring its secluded coves, reward yourself with an upscale dinner in Bar Harbor.
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Visit the New England region
Click the links below to read more about the New England region Attractions
Transportation
Accommodations
Vermont
Portland, Maine
Covered Bridge
Boston, Massachusetts |
