Not the Usual Tourist Attractions
Just the Very Best of New England for Discriminating Travelers
Our scenic New England Driving Tour is rich in history and culturally diverse, featuring beautiful scenery and easy driving distances. A tour of New England by car is the perfect holiday in the USA whatever the season, and spectacular when the fall foliage is on display. Drive only 2 1/2 hours from New York’s airports to central Connecticut. Or drive only 2 1/2 hours from Montreal’s airports to central Vermont. New York to Boston is 4 hours. Boston to Central Vermont is 3 1/2 hours. And all the while you will be enjoying scenic countryside, charming small towns, and interesting places to stop and visit.
New England States
Attractions
Note: I am the innkeeper at the Governor’s House in Hyde Park and I created this page to help travelers find the best of what interests them and create their own scenic driving tours of New England. I am a native of New England, ex-school teacher, and inveterate traveler who knows New England well. Each list has been prioritized by my personal preferences. I am happy to use my experience to help you plan a route that includes what you’ll enjoy most and, of course, a stay here at the Governor’s House.
Suzanne Boden is the Innkeeper at The Governor’s House in Hyde Park Vermont
CONNECTICUT
Mystic Seaport Museum
American maritime history, kids’ sailing programs, harbor cruises in classic boats, wooden boat building, summer theater, and the Charles W. Morgan which is the last wooden whaling ship in the world
75 Greenmanville Ave., Mystic
860-572-0711 or 888-973-2767
The Mashantucket Pequot Museum
4000 years of Native American history.
110 Pequot Trail
Mashantucket
800-441-9671
Wed. – Sat. 10:00 – 4:00 closed holidays
Town of Essex
Charming, classic small town beside the Connecticut River, it was once prominent for shipbuilding, burned by the British during the War of 1812, and has been recognized as the “best small town in America”.
The Connecticut River Museum on the water at the end of Main Street houses the Revolutionary War submarine, the Turtle, and offers afternoon and evening sailing cruises aboard a schooner.
Dine at the Griswold Inn on Main Street which opened in 1776.
www.GriswoldInn.com 860-767-1776
Essex Steam Train and River Boat
Vintage steam engines and passenger cars chug along through scenic countryside along the Connecticut River.
Valley Railroad Co., Railroad St., Essex
860-767-0103
Goodspeed Opera House
An 1867 opera house on the shore of the Connecticut River is home to the American musical and the birthplace of Annie and
Man of La Mancha.
6 Main Street, East Haddam
860 873-8668
Deep River Ancient Fife and Drum Muster
Since 1953, but reenacting an 1879 event, the annual parade and muster of up to 70 fife and drum corps from all over the country is held on the third Saturday of July. Reenacters, refreshments.
Davitt’s Field, Main. St., Deep River
Yale Center for British Art
The largest collection of British art outside the United Kingdom.
1080 Chapel St., New Haven
203 432-2800
Tues. – Sat. 10:00 – 5:00, Sun. noon to 5:00
Yale Art Gallery
Among the impressive collection, you’ll recognize some things from your American history book.
Free admission.
1111 Chapel St., New Haven
203 432-0600
Tues. – Sat. 10:0 – 5:00, Sun. 1:00 – 6:00
Thurs. until 8 p.m. Sept. – June
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Painting, sculpture, and American decorative arts. An impressive collection of Hudson River School paintings and the large canvases produced by Jonathan Trumbull for the US capital. The studies for these are on display at the Yale Art Gallery and make an interesting comparison.
Nice museum cafe.
600 Main. St., Hartford
Mon. – Fri. 11:00 – 5:00, Sat. & Sun. 10:00 – 5:00, 1st Thurs. of the month until 8:00 p.m.
The Mark Twain House
Guided tours of the author’s Victorian mansion.
351 Farmington Ave., Hartford
Visit Harriet Beecher Stowe’s house next door.
White Flower Farm
Shopping, display gardens, gardening events.
167 Litchfield Rd., Morris
(Route 63, Litchfield)
800 503-9624
R J Julia Booksellers
Independent bookseller with many store events in the charming shoreline town of Madison.
768 Boston Post Road (Route 1), Madison
Mon. – Sat. 10:00 – 8:00, Sun. 10:00 – 6:00
203 245-3959 (phone or text)
Monte Cristo Cottage
This Victorian cottage was the home of America’s only Nobel Prize-winning playwright, Eugene O’Neill.
325 Pequot Avenue, New London, CT 860-443-5378
Check the website for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford for production schedule.
www.oneilletheatercenter. org/visit
RHODE ISLAND
Newport
Charming cobble-stoned down and wharf area with charming shops and wonderful architecture, the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and the famous Cliff Walk.
For sailing try www.sailnewport.org or www.sail-newport.com.
Newport Mansions
Marble House, The Breakers, and Rosecliff are just three of the great houses of the Colonial and Victorian periods and “summer cottages” for the very wealthy from the opulent Gilded Age which are maintained by the Preservation Society of Newport County. They are open for public viewing and also used as venues for musical events. Some are decked out in period holiday decorations and there are evening holiday tours which include music and refreshments. www.newportmansions.org.
Newport Music Festivals
Fort Adams State Park
Annually in August
Cliff Walk
This national recreational trail within a national historic district is a unique combination of ocean-side nature trail and spectacular architecture. Begin at Easton’s Beach and watch for uneven places and poison ivy.
Block Island
This small island with lots of beach and clean, clear water might be the best place to sample New England’s fresh seafood. It was originally inhabited by Naragansett Indians, discovered in 1614 by a Dutch explorer named Adrian Block, settled in 1661, and used for keeping a lookout for British ships during the Revolution. Rumor has it that Captain Kidd buried some of his treasure there. There are regular ferries form several places and a daily twelve-minute flight from Westerly, Rhode Island. Leave your car on the mainland and rent a bike. There are several places for overnight accommodation including the 1854 Spring House.
www.blockisland.com or www.blockislandinfo.com.
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston and the Freedom Trail
The Boston Freedom Trail was created over 50 years ago and has grown to 2.5 miles of red-brick path which leads through the city connecting 16 nationally significant historic sites including museums, churches, meeting houses, parks, a ship, Paul Revere’s house and others, and Faneuil Hall with its bustling market and waterfront.
The John Hancock Tower of 62 stories has an observatory which gives a good panorama of the city and a display which shows how Boston grew and changed shape as the hills were used to fill in the back bay which explains the need for Paul Revere’s Ride at the opening battles of the Revolutionary War.
200 Clarendon Street 617-247-1977
Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum
Thurs. – Mon. 10:00 – 5:00
www.bostonteapartyship.com
The Boston Pops Orchestra has its summer home at Tanglewood in the Berkshires, but does a series of free concerts in the Hatch Memorial Shell along the Charles River early in the season, including the famous Fourth of July Concert featuring Tchaicovsky’s 1812 Overture with church bells and cannon. Perfect for picnic suppers, but get there early. See Lenox information below.
Museum of Fine Arts
Some of the most rare and important artistic treasures in the world are in the collection of more than 450,000 objects and many paintings will be recognizable from American history textbooks.
Sat. – Tues. 10:00 – 4:45, Wed. – Fri. 10:00 – 9:45
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston
617-1267-9300 www.mfa.org
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
The Gardner Museum is three floors around a courtyard and houses her impressive personal collection of art.
Tuesday – Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
280 The Fenway 617-566-1401
Concord
Scene of the “Shot Heard Round the World” that sparked the American Revolution, center of the nineteenth century transcendentalist movement, home of Emerson, Hawthorn, the Alcotts, and others, and the place where Thoreau built his cabin at Walden Pond, Concord is a charming New England town very rich in history.
Visitconcord.org
The Concord Museum has a good collection of author-related items and the Ralph Waldo Emerson Memorial House right across the street gives tours.
Lexington Road & Cambridge Turnpike
978-369-9609 www.concordmuseum.org
Visiting Orchard House where Louisa May Alcott grew up and dramatized with her family is a little like stepping into Little Women.
399 Lexingon Road
978-369-4116 www.louisamayalcott.org
Walden Pond is no longer the peaceful retreat it was when Henry David Thoreau built his cabin there in 1845, but you can swim, fish, kayak or canoe, and hike in summer or cross-country ski and snowshoe in winter, including a hike (or ski) to a recreation of the cabin. Thoreau’s Path on Brister’s Hill is a one-mile, self-guided, interpretive trail through Walden Woods.
915 Walden Street (Route 126)
978-369-3254 www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/walden www.Walden.org
It is possible to rent a canoe or kayak and paddle to the North Bridge, scene of the first battle of the American Revolution and made famous by Longfellow’s poem “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere “. Then walk to the visitors’ center or to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s home, The Old Manse.
South Bridge Canoe Rentals
496 Main Street (Route 62)
978-369-9438 Southbridgeboathouse
Sleep Hollow Cemetery
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathanial Hawthorne, and Louisa May Alcott are all buried in the Author’s Ridge section.
www.concordma.gov
The Concord Bookshop is worth a visit.
65 Main Street
978-371-2672 www.concordbookshop.com
The Minuteman Bike Trail follows Battle Road, the route of the British retreat after the battle at Old North Bridge, from Bedford to Lexington Common and on to Somerville and Cambridge.
Minutemanbikeway.org
The Minute Man Visitor Center in Lexington is a good place to begin your visit of the historic sites in 1775. Massachusetts celebrates Patriots’ Day each April 19th with reenacted battles.
Minute Man National Historical Park, Route 2A
781-674-1920 www.nps.gov/mima
Plimoth Plantation
A recreated 1627 village staffed with knowledgeable costumed roll-players who tell the story of the earliest English settlement in New England and the birthplace of our Thanksgiving holiday. The Wompanoag Homesite is a recreated Native American settlement. The Mayflower II is a reproduction of the ship which carried the Pilgrims from Plymouth, England in 1620.
Open March – November.
A great place to celebrate Thanksgiving (3rd Thursday in November) with either their traditional Victorian turkey dinner or the typical meal of 1650 which comes with entertainment, but no forks.
Note: The spelling of the modern town is Plymouth.
137 Warren Avenue
508-746-1622 www.plimoth.org
Old Sturbridge Village
Experience life in the New England of 1830 in this village created with authentic period buildings. Costumed historians portray farmers, housewives, blacksmiths, millers, soldiers and others. Special activities and events showcase the extensive collection. Wagon and stagecoach rides. Farm animals. Food is available in the tavern or the bake shop. Nice book and gift shop. Open year round except winter Mondays.
Route 20, Sturbridge
800-733-1830 www.osv.org
Close by is the Publick House, an inn built in 1771 with traditional dining and guest rooms.
508-347-7323 www.publickhouse.com
Lenox
Nestled in the gently rolling Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts, Lenox was the summer home of many wealthy turn-of-the-last-century families. The beautiful quiet countryside still exists, but now also offers a home to many visual and performing artists.
Tanglewood is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and is the beautiful setting for symphonic, chamber, popular artist and jazz performances weekdays and weekends throughout the summer. Several venues have indoor seating, but the grounds are perfect for picnicking.
Shakespeare and Company
30 years of Shakespeare productions. A schedule which includes many plays on several indoor and outdoor stages: morning, noon and night. There are free family performances, forest trails to stroll, and grounds for picnicking. June through October.
70 Kemble Street, Lenox
413-637-3353 www.shakespeare.org
The Mount
An expert on architecture, interior design, and gardens, the author Edith Wharton herself designed the formal gardens around her elegant 1902 mansion, visited by her friend Henry James who penned
The American Scene in one of its guestrooms.
Summer lecture series. Cafe.
2 Plunkett Street, Lenox
413-551-5100 www.edithwharton.org
Norman Rockwell Museum
A large collection of Norman Rockwell’s art and his studio.
Open May – October.
Route 183, Stockbridge
413-298-4100 www.nrm.org
Chesterwood
The home, studio and garden of Daniel Chester French, sculptor best known for the statue of Abraham Lincoln in Washington DC’s Lincoln Memorial and depicted on the US penny.
Open 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. May to October
4 Wiliamsville Road, Stockbridge
413-298-3579 www.chesterwood.org
Hancock Shaker Village
200-year-old Shaker site with 20 historic buildings, working farm, herb gardens, and craft demonstrations. Talks on Shaker life, worship, agriculture and technology, and Shaker suppers.
Hiking and cross-country ski trails and guided walks.
Buildings open April – Oct.
Route 20, Pittsfield
413-443-0188 www.hancockshakervillage.org
Arrowhead
Herman Melville’s country home where Moby Dick was written. It was immortalized in the short story “The Chimney”
780 Holmes Road, Pittsfield
413-442-1793 www.mobydick.org
Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
The largest collection of contemporary art in the country is housed in a Nineteenth Century factory building.
87 Marshall Street, North Adams
413-664-4481 www.massmoca.org
Deerfield
In the 1700’s, Deerfield was the frontier and the region is still called the Pioneer Valley. The small village of Deerfield is a brilliant example of 18th Century architecture and it is possible to visit eleven of the beautiful houses as well as a museum store and the Hall Tavern Visitor Center. There are demonstrations of 18th Century open-hearth cooking and shoe making. A one-third-mile footpath to the Deerfield River is fully accessible, May – December.
84B Old Deerfield Road, Deerfield 413-775-7214
The Deerfield Inn
Built in 1884, the Deerfield Inn lies in the center of this National Historic Landmark village offering Champney’s Restaurant and Tavern and 24 guest rooms in the center of Deerfield’s historic district. With cozy nooks for relaxing, a porch for dining, and horse and carriage rides in summer, it’s a truly unspoiled New England experience.
81 Main Street
Deerfield
413-774-5587
Richardson’s Candy Kitchen
This family-run business is home to delicious specialty candies, hand-dipped chocolates, original recipe fudge and seasonal specialties like chocolate-covered strawberries and chocolate caramel apples.
Route 5 & 10, Deerfield
413-772-0443 www.richardsonscandy.com
Salem
Salem was a thriving commercial port during the age when clipper ships plied the oceans of the world and there are many stunning examples of Federal-style architecture that survived from that time. With treasures from far-off places, prosperous sea captains in 1799 founded the Peabody Essex Museum. Several buildings also survive from the 1600’s when Salem was notorious for its Witch Trials and tours recreate some of the events from that time.
Salem Maritime National Historical Site
Open daily 9:00 – 5:00 except some holidays, this is a good place to start. They offer a free 27-minute movie, Where Past is Present which is close-captioned and translations are available in several languages. To download a walking tour of Hawthorne’s Salem, go to the website.
Peabody Essex Museum
It is not surprising to find a huge collection of art and artifacts in this, the oldest continuously-operated museum in the country.
Tues. – Sun. and holiday Mondays, 10:00 – 5:00
East India Square 978-745-9500
The House of the Seven Gables
The novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem and made famous the House of the Seven Gables in a book of that name. The house is the oldest surviving 17th-century wooden mansion in New England. Open daily June 30 – October 31, 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
115 Derby Street
978-744-0991 www.7gables.org
Adams National Historical Park
The beloved farm of Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams with 11 buildings on 14 acres is beautifully preserved and open May 1st through October 31st. Visit the houses on conducted house tours only, first come, first serve. The grounds are open daily 9:00 to 5:00.
1250 Hancock Street, Quincy
617-770-1175
Adams National Historic Park
Nantucket & The Vineyard
Two islands off the Massachusetts coast with a lot of charm, great beaches and often a lot of summer visitors. Both are delightful in the fall. There are ferries and commercial flights.
Martha’s Vineyard is the closer. Buses connect the six towns so leave your car on the mainland and rent a bike on the island. Edgartown is an old port known for sailing. Oak Bluffs has many prettily-painted Victorian houses and the nation’s oldest carousel. Fresh seafood abounds.
Nantucket is the name of the island and also the town which was an early whaling port and still retains much of the character of the time with beautiful old houses and cobbled streets leading away from the wharf. Open to the public are four buildings maintained by the Nantucket Historical Association: the Whaling Museum, Quaker Meeting House, a Greek Revival residence called the Halvern House, and the Old Mill which is the oldest functioning mill in the country. The island has beautiful beaches and is great for biking, swimming, sailing and sea food.
Endeavor Sailing offers day sails and charters May to October.
508-228-5585
The Whaling Museum
A wonderful museum in an old candle factory where you’ll learn about the exciting and dangerous life of the whalers and see first hand how really big a sperm whale is!
$15, seniors(65+) $12, 6-17 $8, also a combination ticket for the Whaling Museum and 4 other sites maintained by the Nantucket Historical Association.
15 Broad Street, Nantucket
508-228-1894
Longfellow House
Built in 1759, the classic Georgian mansion was General Washington’s headquarters during the American Revolution. Almost a century later, it was home to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and a gathering place for friends including Thoreau, Emerson, Hawthorn, and even a visit by Charleas Dickens.
105 Brattle Street, Cambridge
617-876-4491
Northampton
A classic, lively college town with lots of good places to eat. The Norwottuck Rail-Trail is a ten-mile, wheel-chair accessible bike trail which follows the old railroad bed across the Connecticut River and on to the town of Amherst.
Emily Dickinson Museum
A 90-minute guided tour of the Homestead and The Evergreens starts at the Visitor Center. “This was a Poet” is a 40-minute introduction to the poetry of Emily Dickinson. The grounds are open free of charge during museum hours and there is a self-guided audio tour to accompany your walk.
March through December, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; closed some holidays.
Main Street, Amherst
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
Changing exhibits showcase the illustrations of Eric Carle and other artists. There is a reading library, a hands-on art studio, and an auditorium for theater and film. Children of all ages will be delighted with the impressive interactive exhibits and the possibilities for being creative themselves while their adult companions will be happy to find that the well-planned building on beautiful grounds and the very helpful staff make it so easy for everyone to have a wonderful museum experience. Don’t miss the fabulous museum shop.
125 West Bay Road, Amherst
413-658-1100 www.CarleMuseum.org
Longfellow’s Wayside Inn
In 1862 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow visited this inn that started as a stagecoach stop in 1716 and used it for his book of poems, Tales of a Wayside Inn which includes his famous “Paul Revere’s Ride”. Today there is a restaurant, tap room, bake shop, and ten guest rooms as well as lovely grounds and a grist mill to explore.
72 Wayside Inn Road, off Route 20, Sudbury
978-443-1776
Brimfield Antiques Fair
This is probably the best antiques event in the country with 5,000 dealers buying and selling fine Early American antiques, Victorian pieces and absolutely everything else. It happens three times each year and lasts several days. The 2010 dates are May 11 – 16, July 13 – 18 and September 7 – 12.
Brimfield
Antique Shops
There is a stretch of Route 7 in western Massachusetts in and near the town of Sheffield which is lined with antique shops. There are dozens of shops of every description and a wide variety of quality. Some specialize in a certain period, others concentrate of specific items like table settings or books.
VERMONT
Shelburne Museum
Superb collection of American design on 45 acres: fine art and folk art. Something for everyone from samplers, toys and teacupsto covered bridges, locomotives and lighthouses, a Rembrandt, and a working carousel. Recent special exhibits have included Mary Cassatt paintings and the glass of Louis Comfort Tiffany.
Adults $25, reduced rates for children, students, teachers & Vermonters Ticket is good a second day.
1511 Harbor Road, Shelburne, just south of Burlington
802 985-3346 www.shelburnemuseum.org
Shelburne Farms
Near-by Shelburne Farms on the shores of Lake Champlain is a working 1400-acre farm and National Historical Landmark originally laid out in 1886 on 3800 acres by Frederick Law Olmstead as a model agricultural estate. It is now an environmental education center with guided tours, children’s farmyard, an inn, and dining mid-May to mid-October as well as special events and eight miles of walking trails that are open all year.
802 985-8686
Burlington
On the shore of Lake Champlain with the Adirondack Mountains in the distance and home of Ben & Jerry’s, this small city with a “college town” atmosphereand unique, lively down-town mall also has a variety of museums and lots of interestingthings to do along the shores of Lake Champlain plus ferries and tour or dinner boats on the lake. A bike path causeway reaching far into Lake Champlain and seasonally connects to the islands by ferry. Rent sail boats by the hour at Community Sailing.
Leunig’s Bistro on the mall doesn’t exaggerate when it boasts the “panache of Paris”.
802-863-3759 www.leunigsbistro.com
Frog Hollow Gallery is a contemporary gallery on the mall dedicated to the exposure and appreciation of Vermont fine art and craft.
Mon. – Wed. 10 – 6 , Thurs. – Sat. 10 – 8, Sun. 12 – 4
85 Church Street
802-863-6458 www.froghollow.org
Spirit of Ethan Allen Cruises: www.soea.com
Billings Farm & Museum and Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historic Site
The farm and forestry operation that Frederick Billings started in 1871 continues today as a first-class working farm and museum to tell the story of Vermont’s rural past.
Open daily May 1 – October 31, 10:00 – 5:00, weekends November – February & Christmas week.
GPS: 5302 River Road, Woodstock , 43.63152 – 72.51588
802-457-2355 www.billingsfarm.org
It is possible to tour the mansion and grounds of the adjacent Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Site which display a good collection of American art and artifacts. The trails and carriage roads are groomed in winter for cross-country skiing.
Route 12 North & River Road , Woodstock
802-457-3368 (ext. 22 for visitor information) www.nps.gov/msbi/index.htm
Woodstock
A charming New England town in the Vermont hills with beautiful Colonial architecture, a down-town shopping area with many unique shops, and a seasonal farmers’ market on the town green.
Close by is the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site and the National Historic Landmark Cheese Factory with on-going cheese-making open to the public.
Woodstock Chamber of Commerce 888-4969-6378
F. H. Gillingham & Sons
You won’t want to miss F. H. Gillingham. Many places claim to be the ultimate Vermont country store, but this general store is the real thing. You’ll find everything from those special hard-to-find grocery labels to beautiful things for the home or table and certainly anything that’s on your Christmas shopping list and all the very best quality. Open Monday – Saturday 8:30 – 6:00,
10:00 – 4:00 Sundays, longer summer & holidays.
16 Elm Street, Woodstock
802-457-2100
Long Trail
The 270-mile footpath follows the main ridge of the Green Mountains from Massachusetts to Canada. Built between 1910 & 1930, it’s the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the country and the beginning of the Appalachian Trail. There are 175 miles on its 82 side trails. Guides and maps available.
802 244-7037
http://www.greenmountainclub.org
Catamount Trail
This 300-mile cross-country ski trail with a variety of terrains and difficulty goes from Massachusetts to Canada and connects with the VAST trails.
8020-864-5794
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
Five acres and fourteen buildings display small watercraft, steamboats, lighthouses, and nautical history and archaeology in addition to special exhibits and events.
open daily mid-May – Mid-October, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
4472 Basin Harbor Road, Vergennes
802-475-2022 www.lcmm.org
Stowe
Quintessential small town New England and world class resort nestled into the Green Mountains with a wealth of great restaurants and dozens of art galleries and charming shops. In winter ski, snowshoe or try dog-sledding; there’s great hiking, canoeing and biking in summer as well as theater and music. And fall is still the best season of all with a panorama of color painting the mountains and hills. The 4.5 mile Toll Road, an intermediate ski trail in winter, winds nearly to the top of Vermont’s highest peak, Mount Mansfield at 3850 feet. A paved recreation trail weaves its way rising gently for five miles along a bubbling river from the charming town center into the foothills. There are several well-marked access points with parking. In winter it is snow-covered and used by cross-country skiers, but is wheelchair accessible the other three seasons.
Montpelier
The country’s smallest state capital may just be the most charming. The historic capital building is open to the public and free. You’ll find several nice independent bookshops and many restaurants including three associated with the New England Culinary Institute, but you won’t find McDonalds since Montpelier is the only state capital without one.
Visit the State of Vermont Welcome Center in Montpelier.
800-VERMONT or http://www.1-800-vermont.com
Scenic Drives
Driving in most of Vermont is spectacular in winter and summer, but even better when the fall foliage makes the hills blaze with color. Many country roads follow streams which bubble down from the mountains along rocky beds and you’re never far from the mountains. Downloadable driving directions for several tours including Smugglers’ Notch State Park, named for the bootleggers who brought whiskey from Canada during Prohibition, a loop through the hills to the north with a dozen covered bridges, and a drive along the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail through scenic farm country from Hyde Park to St. Johnsbury with a stop at the Cabot Cheese Factory.
Antiques Collaborative
Thirty showrooms and up to 165 dealers of the best fine art and antiques Vermont has to offer, including fine period furniture, silver, vintage quilts, rare books, toys, fine porcelain and glassware, oriental carpets and hundreds of original paintings and prints.
Open every day except Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Route 4, Quechee
802-296-5858 www.antiquescollaborative.com
Snowflake Chocolates
Named for “Snowflake” Bentley, a local scientist who pioneered the study of snow crystals and gained fame with his photographs of snowflakes, this little family-run chocolate shop hand-dips chocolates the way they should be done.
They also have a shop at the Blue Mall in Burlington. Try the dark-coated maple creams.
Route 15, Jericho, VT
802-899-3370 www.snowflakechocolate.com
Kipling’s Naulakka
Rustic life in the Vermont woods must have suited Rudyard Kipling as wrote that he was never happier than when he moved to Vermont in 1893 and built his house at Naulakka. It was there that he wrote and published The Jungle Books. The four-bedroom house in Dummerston is maintained by the Landmark Trust. It is not open to visitors, but may be rented by the week. Contact the Landmark Trust in England for details 01628-825925.
Northshire Book Store
A wonderful rambling book shop where you can spend hours shopping for for books, music, children’s books, and great gifts. Events for adults and children.
Sun. – Wed. 10:00 – 7:00, Thurs. – Sat. 10:00 – 9:00
4869 Main Street,
Manchester Center, VT
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Mt. Washington
Part of the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, Mt. Washington was named for General George Washington in 1784. At 6,288 feet, it is the highest peak in the Northeast. Agiocochook, it’s native American name, means “home of the Great Spirit”. Legendary for severe weather, it holds the record for the highest wind speed on earth. The Appalachian Trail passes across its summit. The Tuckerman Revine Trail attracts hikers in summer and fall and serious skiers in early spring. Views from the mountain and of the mountain have been popular with artists since the mid-1800’s. Taking advantage of the wind, soaring has become popular. The toll road and cog railway give access to the summit. The weather can be erratic and severe in all seasons. Please take precautions before enjoying this natural treasure.
Built in 1869, the cog railway was the first mountain climbing cog railway in the world and continues to lead the way with its news biodiesel engine. An old-fashioned steam engine still makes one run each morning. Open May through November for the three-hour trip.
603-278-55404 www.thecog.com
The Auto Toll Road provides access to the summit for cars, with some restrictions.
www.mountwashingtontollroad.com
Saint Gaudens
St Gaudens National Historic Park celebrates the sculpture of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, most famous for his Abraham Lincoln: The Man, also known as “Standing Lincoln”.
Route 12A, Cornish
603-675-2175
www.nps.gov/saga/learn/news/lincoln.htm
Windsor-Cornish Covered Bridge
The first bridge crossing the Connecticut River to connect Windsor, Vermont and Cornish, New Hampshire was a classic Towne design covered bridge built in 1796. The 1866 bridge still standing has two spans and a length of 469 feet, the world’s second longest. The toll was two cents to walk east to “wet” Cornish, but three cents to return to “temperance” Windsor. Drivers were admonished to WALK YOUR HORSES OR PAY TWO DOLLARS FINE. No toll is necessary today, but be sure to read the old toll rate posted at the Cornish entrance.
Kankamangus Highway
This is New Hampshire Route 112 between I-93 and North Conway and named for a great chief of the Pennacooks. There are no services, just 35 rustic miles of spectacular scenery through the White Mountain National Forest with pristine spots for picnics and hiking. In winter the road may be closed due to snow. A perfect route to take when traveling from Maine to Vermont or vice versa and wonderful when decorated with fall foliage.
I-93 and Franconia Notch State Park
The section of route I-93 north of Concord, New Hampshire that passes through Franconia Notch State Park is very beautiful even without the Old Man of the Mountains, a natural stone contour on the mountain face and long New Hampshire’s symbolic logo which fell a few years ago. It is a great spot for hiking and picnics. The original Ariel tram at Cannon Mountain, the first of its kind on the continent, has been replaced, but still makes a nice ride to the top for summer viewing as well as winter skiing.
www.nhparks.state.nh.us/state-parks
Robert Frost Farm
It is possible to visit this peaceful farm and stop along the stone walls that border the property to read one of his well-loved poems, “Mending Wall” or download an interpretive brochure from the website.
Grounds open year round.
See website for barn opening times.
122 Rockingham Road, Derry
603-432-3091
Frost Place
A poet-in-residence program, but also a museum open in summer with Frost memorabilia and signed first editions as well as a half-mile nature trail which displays some of the poems he wrote here.
Ridge Road, Franconia
603-823-5510
Toadstool Books
A welcoming place with a great selection of books and events and a very helpful staff. Three locations:
222 West Street, Keene, 603-352-8815, Mon. – Sat. 10:00 – 9:00, Sun. 10:00 – 6:00
12 Depot St., Peterborough, 603-924-3543, Mon. – Fri. 10:00 – 6:00, Sat. 10:0 – 5:00, Sun. 10:00 – 4:00
Lorden Plaza, Milford, 603-673-1734, Mon. – Sat. 9:00 – 9:00, Sun. 11:00 – 5:00
League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair
This juried craft fair featuring many hand-made regional items started in 1933 which makes it the country’s oldest. It opens on the first Saturday each August and runs for nine days.
Sunapee State Park, Newbury
MAINE
Acadia National Park
Located on a cluster of islands on the Maine coast, Acadia National Park is known for its natural beauty. It has spectacular ocean-side campsites and a series of carriage roads with beautiful views. Mt. Cadillac at 1,530 feet is the highest point on the Atlantic coast. Park rangers offer a series of walks, talks, hikes, boat cruises, and bike rides. The June to October schedule can be found in the park newspaper, The Beaver Log. Sailing and sea kayaking nearby take advantage of the spectacular scenery. The park is open year round, but much of the Park Loop and the visitors’ center are closed for the winter.
Route 3, Bar Harbor
207-288-3338
acadiamagic.com/CadillacMountain.html
Acadia Park Kayak offers day, sunset and night guided tours.
207-266-1689
Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor is located on the rocky coast of Mount Desert Island and surrounded by Acadia National Park. Tourists have flocked there for more than 150 years, starting with the Hudson River artists and writers. Where, in the mid-1800’s there were classic huge wooden hotels where families would spend whole summers, now there are lots of cozy B&B’s. It’s the right place to look for day cruises and whale-watching trips. There are also ferries from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
Bar Harbor Whales
207-228-2386
Portland
Portland is Maine’s largest city, an important port since colonial times. While it still has a vibrant working waterfront which ranks among the most important commercial ports in the US as well New England’s second largest fishing port, it also has a safe and charming waterfront with many shops, restaurants, and architecturally interesting buildings. The Maine Historical Museum has rotating exhibits and the Longfellow House next door which was the poet’s boyhood home is a good example of Colonial American architecture. The Portland Museum of Art and the city’s surprising number of art galleries are active with frequent gallery walk evenings which are very popular and draw a good cross section of the population. It is possible to take the over-night ferry from Portland to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
Camden
Camden and near-by Rockport are those quintessential New England towns with old-fashioned charm and lots of antique shops. Both are located on the shores of Penobscot Bay and so offer fishing and boating opporturnites aa well as multi-day windjammer cruises where you’ll actaully help sail. Expect the beaches to be beautiful, but also as rocky as the rest of the coast.
Campobello
President Franklin Roosevelt’s summer home is found on a remote island that is actually on the very southeastern corner of New Brunswick, Canada. The island which is now reached via the Roosevent Internationl Bridge from Lubec, Maine, has been a summer destination since the mid-1800’s and Roosevelt first visited as a boy when his family had a house built there. He left the property jointly to the US and Canandian governments as a tribute to the good relationship between the two. It is the only national park that is shared by two countries. The island is located at the mouth of the Bay of Funday and the challenging walk to the East Quoddy Lighthouse must be timed to accommodate the tides which are the greatest in the world. Visit in summer to see soaring eagles and fields of lupine.
L L Bean
The original L L Bean store in Freepart has become an institution. It’s always open, yes 24-hours a day and 365 days a year, which makes it easy to stop in on your travels. It is a great source of outdoor clothing and camping gear.
95 Main Street, Freeport
877-755-2326
www.llbean.com/shop/retailStores/freeportFlagshipStore/freeportLander.html#map
RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN
Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT
Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, MA
Plimouth Plantation, Plymouth, MA
Nantucket Whaling Museum, Nantucket, MA
Shelburne Museum, Burlington, VT
Billings Farm, Woodstock, VT
Eric Crale Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA
whale watch cruise, Bar Harbor ME
Essex Steam Train, Essex, CT
Orchard House, Concord, MA
Mashantucket Pequot Museum, Noank, CT
Deep River Ancient Fife and Drum Muster, Deep River, CT
canoe to Old North Bridge, Concord, MA
CITIES & TOWNS
Boston, Massachusetts
Burlington, Vermont
Concord, Massachusetts
Nantucket, Massachusetts
Newport, Rhode Island
Lenox, Massachusetts
Bar Harbor, Maine
Salem, Massachusetts
Portland, Maine
Stowe, Vermont
Northampton, Massachusetts
Woodstock, Vermont
Camden Maine
Essex, Connecticut
From Vermont and New Hampshire, it is an easy drive to Montreal and Quebec City across the border in Canada. Quebec City is a charming French-speaking Old World city on the St. Lawrence River. Montreal is sophisticated and culturally rich with friendly people, wonderful food, and an underground shopping plaza which connects many central-city streets. A valid passport is required for border crossing.
MUSEUMS & HISTORIC HOUSES
Adams National HIstoric Site
Shelburne Museum, Burlington, VT
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Plimouth Plantation, Plymouth, MA
Freedom Trail, Boston, MA
Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT
Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, MA
Billings Farm, Woodstock, VT
Deerfield, Massachusetts
Isbaella Stuart Gardiner Museum, Boston, MA
Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, MA
Yale Art Gallery, New Haven, CT
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT
Mashentucket Pequot Museum, CT
Wadsworth Atheneum,Hartford, CT
Nantucket Whaling Museum, Nantucket, MA
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
Massachusetts Museum of Modern Art, MA
Longfellow House, Cambridge, MA
Mark Twain House, Hartford, CT
Longfellow’s Wayside Inn, Sudbury, MA
Emily Dickinson House, Amherst, MA
Concord Museum & Emerson House, Concord, MA
Connecticut River Museum, Essex CT
Orchard House, Concord, MA
The Old Manse, Concord, MA
MUSIC & THEATER
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston, MA
Boston Pops, Tanglewood, MA
Newport Festivals, Newport, RI
Shakespeare and Company, Lenox, MA
Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, CT
Deep River Fife and Drum Muster, Deep River, CT
Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, New London, CT
ART
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Yale Art Gallery & Center for Bristish Art, New Haven, CT
Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT
Shelburne Museum, Burlington, VT
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, MA
Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA
Chesterwood, Stockbridge, MA
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA
Massachusetts Museum of Comtemporary Art, North Adams, MA
LITERATURE
Orchard House, Concord, MA
Mark Twain House, Hartford, CT
Longfellow House, Cambridge, MA
Emily Dickinsion Museum, Amherst, MA
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA
Longfelow’s Wayside Inn, Sudbury, MA
Robert Frost Stone House Museum, Shraftsbury, VT
Robert Frost Farm, Derry, NH
Frost Place, Francionia , NH
Concord Museum & Emerson House, Concord, MA
The Mount, Lenox, MA
The Old Manse, Concord, MA
Arrowhead, Pittsfoeld, MA
Walden Pond, Concord, MA
Naulakka, Dummerston, VT
THE OUTDOORS
Hiking & cross-country skiing:
Long Trail, VT
Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, ME
Walden Pond, Concord, MA
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Site, Woodstock, VT
Catamount Trail, VT
Norwottuck Rail Trail, Northampton to Amherst, M
Cliff Walk, Newport, RI
Shelburne Farms, Burlington, VT
Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield,MA
Stowe Recreation Path, Stowe, VT
Deerfield accesssible path, Deerfield, MA
Biking and bike trails:
Norwottuck Rail Trail, Northampton to Amherst, MA
Nantucket & Martha’s Vineyeard ,MA
Block Island , RI
Stowe Recreation Path, Stowe VT
Concord bike tours, Concord, MA
Burlington, VT
Canoe & kayak
Concord, MA
Bar Harbor, ME
Walden Pond, MA
Sailing:
Mystic Seaport , Mystic, CT
Camden, ME
Newport, RI
Nantucket, MA
Connectucut River Museum, Essex, CT
Burlington, VT
Whale watch:
Bar Harbor Whales, Bar Harbor, ME
SCENIC DRIVES
Acadia National Park , ME
Mt. Washington, NH
Smugglers Notch State Park, VT
Covered Bridge Loop, VT
Hyde Park to St. Johnsbury, VT
I-93, NH
I-89, NH and VT
I-91, VT
SHOPS
Antiques:
Brimfield Fair Brimfield, MA
Quechee Collaborative, Quechee, VT
Bookshops:
Northshire, Manchester, VT
R. J. Julia, Madison, CT
Toadstool Books, NH
Concord Bookshop, MA
Chocolates:
Snowflake Chocolates, Jericho, VT
Richardson’s Candy, Deerfield, MA
Other:
White Flower Farm, Morris, CT
League of New Hamapshire Craftsmen’s Fair, Newbury, NH
Frog Hollow Gallery, Burlington, VT
L L Bean, Freeport, ME
Every effort is made to keep the information on this page current,
but we cannot be responsible for mistakes or changes and
we advise checking the websites for things like opening times and prices.