Overview:

New England is comprised of six states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Though many consider that it is at its most glorious in the fall, New England is a wonderful travel destination at all times of the year, because of its history, its special relationship with the sea, its back roads and scenic beauty, its changing seasons, and the great diversity between traveling the coast and the valleys and mountains.

Transportation:

Our itineraries are designed for travel by car. If you are staying in any of the major cities at the beginning of your trip, it is not necessary to pick up a rental car until you leave the city or just before any day trips you can make only by car, since public transportation systems are so convenient and all of the cities are great for walking. Ask your hotel if there is a car rental office nearby—if so, you might find out if that particular company can give you rates as competitive as any other. If you are really lucky, as with some of the rental companies, you might even have your car delivered to your hotel. There is no question that the less time you have to spend getting to your car and then turning it in at the end of your trip, the happier you will be. Inquire when you make your car reservation about all the add-on charges, and don’t be surprised at how much they increase the total rental cost. Do check to see if your home or car insurance or your credit card will provide you with coverage in the event of an accident.

Driving:

New England is not particularly large—in the central portions six hours of driving will generally take you from east to west or from south to north, unless you stretch out New England and try to go from southern Connecticut to the tip of Maine (more like a ten-hour trip). We have indicated in our itineraries a daily pace that we believe will make for a pleasant and comfortable trip, allowing you time to enjoy not only the scenery, but also the historic sights along the way. Allow more time if you want to do a lot of shopping, or if you have a special interest in any particular area.

Weather:

There’s a saying in New England “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes.” While the weather may be changeable, there are certainly some guidelines that will be helpful to the traveler in planning a trip. In the winter months of December through March, you can expect everything, from snow and ice to sleet and freezing rain. Temperatures often get down to zero and below, and there may be days, even weeks, when there is little snow and just brisk cold weather. Traditionally, in the latter half of January, there is even a period of warm weather, deceiving everyone into believing that winter is over. The spring months of April, May, and June are wonderful—with all of New England sprouting forth with bulbs of every description, and flowering shrubs and trees. The newness of everything with the green freshness of spring is hard not to love. However, occasionally in the spring there is a taste of winter weather that will remind you that the decision to bring a coat on your trip was indeed a very good one. Summer is a lazy time of year and generally has lovely weather, but there will be rain showers. Summer can also get hot and humid—on those days you’ll welcome the pair of shorts and short-sleeved shirt that you brought, and you’ll be grateful that your rental car and your hotel are air conditioned. Many a traveler will say that New England is best in the fall when the days are long and warm, the evenings are cool, and the foliage begins to turn.

Itineraries:

Though the same thread of “Yankee” (as defined by many) culture is woven throughout all six states, there are distinctive differences between the states themselves. Within each state, there are areas that are markedly different in terrain, weather patterns, and tourist attractions. These differences make for delightful trips. This book guides you on journeys that show off this diversity, and gives you the opportunity to choose the experiences you most want to have. Boston: A Grand Beginning describes our recommendations for what to see in this wonderful gateway city to New England. Five detailed driving itineraries (Sturbridge & The Connecticut Shore; Byways of Coastal Maine; Cape Cod, Nantucket; Martha’s Vineyard & Newport; Route 7 & Much More, and New Hampshire Beckons) describe routes through the various regions of New England, so that you can choose a journey through an area that fits both your time and travel constraints. Tailor these itineraries to meet your own specific needs by leaving out some sightseeing if time is limited, or linking several itineraries together if you wish to enjoy a longer vacation. Though several itineraries use Boston as their point of origination, and this is a logical starting point for travel to Cape Cod and the Berkshires, they may be accessed at any point en route and from any of the various points at which you may arrive in the northeast. Your entry into New England will probably depend on your destination—Manchester, New Hampshire—for ease of access into Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont; Providence, Rhode Island—for visiting Cape Cod, the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, and the small but activity-rich areas of Rhode Island; Hartford, Connecticut—for trips to the western portions of Connecticut and Massachusetts, and north into Vermont and New Hampshire; and Albany, New York—for alternative access to the western parts of New England. Although New York City is located at least an hour’s drive (more if you travel during congested commuter hours) from Connecticut and the start of the itinerary travels up the western side of New England, its airports may provide the best airfares and schedules for the international traveler, as well as the more distant U.S. traveler.

Antiquing:

If you have a passion for antiquing, you might already know that New England is full of treasures to satisfy almost any desire to start or add to a collection. Most of the antique shops in New England are small and privately owned, but in the last several years, “collectives” have become very popular. These are group shops representing a few antique dealers, or maybe as many as a hundred dealers. In the larger shops, there is a greater chance of finding the elusive object you’re searching for. Antiques are generally divided into objects of significant value and collectibles, the latter having less dollar value, but not necessarily of less interest-value to the buyer. Fortunately, in New England there is a wealth of both antiques and collectibles, and the real challenge is finding the shops in which those treasures you have always wanted will be waiting for you. To aid you in this, a good reference is Sloan’s Green Guide to Antiquing in New England, a compendium of 2,500 shops. Since no dealer can be familiar with the value of all objects in all categories, and generally has items in stock not within his general line of expertise, you may have an opportunity to purchase an overlooked treasure at a real bargain.

Fall Foliage:

While routes are picturesque in any season, our driving itineraries weave through some gorgeous regions, where the richness of your day will be matched not only by the color of the foliage, but also by each passing farm with pumpkins and gourds piled high, and cornstalks tied to fence posts. Fall Foliage highlights are referenced in the introductory pages of each itinerary, but if you were to choose the most traditional Fall Foliage route, you might want to consider the itinerary, New Hampshire Beckons. New England is special at any time of the year, but there is simply nowhere on earth where you can experience nature’s changing colors as you can here. When the days become shorter, the nights turn cool, the first frost coats the lawn, and the roof shingles sparkle with their early-morning ice, New England prepares for the magic season of fall foliage. Trees, shrubs, flowers and weeds all begin the transformation that changes their color from green to multiple hues of red, orange, and gold—and a million shades in between. It’s simply a time of magic! It’s also the time when nature performs a brilliant display reminiscent of fireworks on the fourth of July. It’s a time to be in New England. Fall foliage is generally at its peak in the first two weeks of October after the first bite of cold temperatures, and seems to be best when there has been the proper amount of rainfall during the spring and summer. This season of changing colors generally begins in the far northern reaches of New England (unless you happen to be on a winding lane in the Connecticut valley alongside a quiet pond where the cold air of the night has settled in and painted everything in sight with a vivid brush of intensity). The turning of the colors generally wends its way southward, unless it happens to turn west, or unless you happen to be on the peak of a mountain enjoying views for miles around. Remember, each rule about the timing of fall foliage has an exception. This is a special time in New England. Unless the weather is unusual, it will perform as it has for hundreds of years. Do not worry excessively (or perhaps at all) about being on exactly the perfect road at the precise moment when the foliage achieves its peak and the golden and red leaves fall from the trees. Generally, plan to be in New England between mid-September and mid-October—farther north in the middle of September, and in Massachusetts and Connecticut in the month of October. Reservations: The northeast’s fall foliage is without a doubt one of the most popular tourist attractions in the U.S. Finding places to spend the night is sometimes difficult, so reservations are a must. Hopefully, you’ll be able to find a place to suit your preferences among the inns recommended in this guide. If there is no room available, ask the innkeeper for his or her recommendation of an alternative accommodation—most innkeepers recommend only places where they themselves would stay, so you’ll be safe with their suggestions. Nonetheless, making a reservation as soon as you book your airplane ticket or plan your road trip is well-advised.

Pacing:

At the beginning of each itinerary, we suggest our recommended pacing to help you decide the amount of time to allocate to each one. The suggested time frame reflects how much there is to see and do. Use our recommendation as a guideline only. Choreograph your own itinerary based on how much leisure time you have, and whether your preference is to move on to a new destination each day or to settle in and use a particular inn as your base.

Restaurants:

A bonus to staying in a New England inn is that of dining in its restaurant. Your meal will be a great one and will feature regional fare ranging from seafood like lobster, clams, and bluefish to the wild game of pheasant and quail. The heritage of New England is turkey, and Thanksgiving dinners generally include the presentation of this bird with a variety of family stuffing recipes, from oyster and corn bread, to traditional herb bread with seasonings. At the end of a day of touring, you’ll find that the fireplace in the inn’s tavern, and another in the dining room, will lure you to both warmth and good dining. If a property has a restaurant, it is indicated by the fork and knife icon. In the inn descriptions on our website (www.karenbrown.com), we have an icon that indicates which meals are served. Lobsters: Second only to lighthouses, lobsters are considered one of New England’s premier attractions. Who could imagine a trip to New England without stopping for a lobster roll dripping in melted butter or donning a bib to indulge in a freshly cooked crustacean plucked right out of the shell? Seventy percent of lobsters harvested in New England are from Maine. It is said that New Englanders can easily taste the difference between a lobster caught off the shores of Maine versus Massachusetts—the distinction is said to be a reflection of the water and temperatures. For full appreciation of this regional delicacy, it is interesting to note a few facts about lobster. Of the thousands of eggs that are hatched from a single lobster those that do not cling to the jellylike mass at the end of the female’s tale will be lost to sea and awaiting predators. Lobster eggs take almost nine months to develop and even then, of the thousands that cling to the mother, very few survive. They spend much of their early life hiding on the ocean floor until they are large and strong enough to protect themselves. Lobstermen must adhere to minimum size standards when they cultivate their catch. Although, once cooked, lobsters are all red in color, surprisingly, when alive, they vary dramatically from greenish-brown with an orange underside to blue, red, white and yellow-spotted. A few tips about eating lobster: Always wear a bib! Twist off the claws. Separate the tail by bending it back until it breaks away from the body. Break the flippers off of the tail. Snap off the flipper. Use any method of preference for pushing the tail meat out and in removing meat from the joints. The small legs are good eating—remove the meat by sucking it out. Remove the inner body from the shell. There is some good meat in this section also. Crack each claw with a nutcracker to facilitate removing the meat. Enjoy and savor this delicacy! If you decide to purchase lobster directly from the fishermen and not simply order it off a restaurant menu, one cost-saving tip: lobsters with just one claw (termed culls) usually cost a fraction of those with two claws; result in more tail per poundage, and make the delicacy more affordable.

Maps:

For detailed trip planning, it is essential to utilize good, www commercial maps. Rand McNally maps are available for purchase on our website.

Icons Desription Summary:

Position the cursor over the icon on the bottom of the accomodations pages and the resulting text will tell what the icon symbol represents.

Air conditioning in rooms,

Beach nearby,

Breakfast included in room rate,

Children welcome,

Cooking classes offered,

Credit cards accepted,

Direct-dial telephone in room,

Dogs by special request,

Elevator,

Exercise room,

Mini-refrigerator in rooms,

Some non-smoking rooms,

Parking available,

Restaurant,

Spa,

Swimming pool,

Tennis,

Television with English channels,

Wedding facilities,

Wheelchair friendly,

Golf course nearby,

Hiking trails nearby,

Horseback riding nearby,

Skiing nearby,

Water sports nearby,

Wineries nearby.