Where to go in New England

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Things to do in New England this fall

In season across New England right now.

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Places to stay in New England

Inns, resorts and small hotels, listed by the people who run them.

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  • Marblehead, MA

    Harbor Light Inn

    Lovely town, romantic inn: It’s a perfect combination for your Marblehead getaway

    In the heart of the Harbor District in one of the loveliest towns on Massachusetts’ North Shore, the Harbor Light Inn exudes a calm, welcoming, romantic atmosphere in everything from the soft sunsets through its small-paned windows to the chimes from a mantel clock to the finely tooled furnishings in its common rooms and spacious guest quarters. Rooms, each individually styled, feature options including traditional seasonal fireplaces or gas fireplaces and two-person jetted tubs. A continental breakfast buffet is included, served in the dining room or, in season, on garden tables overlooking the pool. An intimate, popular tavern serves wine, beers, cordials and bar bites. Make your getaway special by ordering wine, flowers, chocolates or other delicacies for your room. In-room massages also can be arranged.

    58 Washington Street 781-631-2186
  • Salem, MA

    Salem Waterfront Hotel

    Witches, pirates and a heated pool: Of course your kids will love this vacation!

    Salem is a great place for families to explore, and the Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites is the perfect base from which to launch your adventures. Breath-taking views, fun attractions and history are just steps away from the Pickering Wharf hotel, which has a heated indoor pool, marina, pub and patio serving three meals a day and a fitness center. Kids will love all the attractions in town that feature witches and pirates, and adults will admire the Peabody Essex Museum and the House of the Seven Gables. A heritage trail and kids tour will show you all the historical highlights. Stroll the shops on Pickering Wharf or walk out to Derby Wharf Lighthouse. Take the ferry to Boston or a coastal cruise. Ask about the Family Vacation Package.

    225 Derby Street 978-740-8788
  • South Casco, ME

    Migis Lodge on Sebago Lake

    Happy kids, relaxed parents at this Full American Plan resort by the lake

    Is that a sigh of relief heard when parents drive up to Migis Lodge on Sebago Lake, or the summer breeze drifting through the pines? At this Full American Plan resort nestled in the pine forest on the shores of a pristine lake, parents know they’ll have spacious accommodations in the Main Lodge or private cottages, all meals taken care of, and no bored children. In addition to supervised children’s camp programs (including during dinner!), there are so many activities to choose from. Go water skiing, canoeing, kayaking, sailing or fishing. Play tennis, basketball, pickle ball or disc golf. Parents: You can get a massage, book a personal trainer or just relax on your cottage porch with a cold beverage, knowing your kids are having a blast.

    Click here to see more Migis Hotel Group properties.

    30 Migis Lodge Road 207-655-4524

Resort in White Mountains offers grand vacation experience all four seasons

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Eat and drink in New England

Diners, breweries, farm stands and dinner out, listed by the people who run them.

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  • Sunderland, VT

    Hill Farm

    Farm-Fresh Dining Makes Every Stay Even Better.

    At The Restaurant at Hill Farm in Sunderland, the menu is elevated and seasonal, from dishes built around fruits and vegetables freshly picked at the market garden just outside the kitchen door to craft cocktails, Vermont beers, and a thoughtful wine selection. Book the room and the reservation together for a full culinary trip. Mornings include a hearty breakfast with every stay, and the alpaca-shaped scones are a guest favorite. Enjoy a boutique hotel stay and a meal at the restaurant that changes with the season. Prepare for real Hill Farm hospitality, and bring your appetite.

    458 Hill Farm Road 802-375-2269
  • Dummerston, VT

    Scott Farm

    Pick your own, browse the farm market & Stone Wall Park, sip on ciders & enjoy live music

    At Scott Farm Orchard in Dummerston, apples have been in active cultivation since 1791. Today, this 571-acre Landmark Trust USA farm grows more than 100+ heirloom varieties, along with other fine fruits. Pick your own in-season, then browse the Farm Market for a rotating selection of apples, cider donuts, pumpkins, hand pies and local specialty products. Taste the orchard in liquid form with sweet, bubbly and hard ciders, or settle in at Pippin’s Café for baguette sandwiches, cider flights and live music on the weekends, all with one of Vermont’s most scenic views. Plus, don't miss a stroll through the farm’s beautiful Stone Wall Park.

    707 Kipling Road 802-490-2865
  • Boothbay Harbor, ME

    Fisherman's Wharf Inn

    Coastal cuisine served in dining rooms with eye-popping views: That’s the Fisherman’s Wharf experience

    A succulent lobster dinner on the outside deck looking out over the harbor. A sizzling grilled-to-order steak and a glass of wine in the dining room with panoramic water views. A hearty sandwich and glass of local beer in a cozy pub. That’s the award-winning dining experience at the Fisherman’s Wharf Inn’s restaurant. With its fabulous water views, it’s no surprise that the menus lean toward reinvented coastal cuisine using the freshest local ingredients. You might want to start with crab cakes or steamers, then move to baked haddock, fisherman’s pie or, of course, lobster taken from trap to table. But there’s also a large selection of salad, pasta dishes, burgers, chicken and steaks. The kids’ menu has all their favorites, from chicken fingers to veggies and ranch dressing.

    Visit our sister properties - Tugboat Inn - Boothbay Harbor Inn

    22 Commercial Street 207-633-5090

Events in New England

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About New England

Welcome to Visit New England!

Home of gorgeous beaches and mountains,
Colonial history, foods and family fun

What can you expect from a visit to the New England states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut? For starters, everyone’s seen images of the region’s natural beauty: the craggy coastline of Maine, the blazing fall foliage of Vermont, the mountain peaks of New Hampshire. Moving toward the middle and southern states: the dune grasses and beaches of Cape Cod and heroes of the American Revolution in Massachusetts, the Colonial streets and Newport, RI mansions of Rhode Island, and the classic town greens and steepled churches of Connecticut.

Click Here to View a Map of New England

Beaches of New England

Everyone who loves New England and water fun has a favorite beach. Among the most well-known are the sandy sweeps and bending dune grasses of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. At the opposite end of image and mood (but without sand), are the swimming holes of the old Vermont marble quarries and the tumbling waters of rock strewn mountain streams. Those images only touch of the variety of salt-water and fresh-water swimming places in New England.

Take a Rest

Even the most energetic vacationers need to kick back at the end of the day. Lodgings across New England serve every taste. How would you like to drift into sleep to the lapping of ocean waves from a beach or oceanside resort? Awaken to the hoot of loons in a mountain resort? Sip a leisurely cup of coffee at a boutique hotel or bed-and-breakfast inn in a historic neighborhood in charming Portland ME, Burlington VT, Boston MA, Portsmouth NH, Providence RI, or New Haven CT? Family friendly and pet-friendly lodgings welcome kids and dogs, too.

Romance & Luxury

Start your romantic getaway plans with a walk along a windy beach dune or a sunset cruise on a mountain lake. Move on to a candlelit dinner in a 300-year-old converted stagecoach inn. Romance can go with dazzle, too, like at high-rise luxury hotels in places like Portland ME, Boston MA, and Providence RI, some with rooftop restaurants or pools. In winter, farmers offer horse-drawn carriage rides (or even snowmobile or dog sled rides for the hearty). Romantic dining, from a café in some city’s Little Italy to a restaurant alongside a sweet village green, is everywhere.

Got Kids?

Children’s fun is everywhere. Would your children love to ski or snowboard? Poke through granite caves alongside a churning ravine? Ride river rapids or take a zip line dive down a mountain? Play and swim at a sandy ocean beach or a mountain lake? Take a cruise off the Maine coast on a classic windjammer? Maybe visit the olden times at a living history museum like Old Sturbridge Village or Mystic Seaport? Indoors, children’s museums and science museums are found almost everywhere, two of the best aquariums anywhere are in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Dining

New England’s traditional foods range from Maine lobsters and blueberries to Boston baked beans and Vermont cheese and maple syrup. In this region book-ended by the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island Sound, and Vermont’s Lake Champlain, nearly every eatery serves a fine platter of seafood. Do you love friendly, down-home diners? New England has them.

Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

People have their favorite New England seasons, but it can be hard to choose the single best. The sugar maples of the New England mountains burst into brilliant color in fall, with Columbus Day as the usual epicenter of the show. All through the season, smart travelers plan a self-guided foliage drive. Winter brings snow sports of all kinds to the mountain regions, where the ski areas rank up with the best ski spots across the nation. Summer is a time for beaches – from the sandy stretches of Cape Cod to the fresh waters of tree-lined inland lakes and swimming holes.

Cruising: Small Vessels, Big Scenery

New England is loved for its waterways, most famously for its waterfront along the Atlantic Ocean, but also the historic Lake Champlain, the mountain-ringed lakes of New Hampshire, the fly-fishing and rafting resource of the Housatonic River, and the many beautiful bays. Maine’s famous windjammers offer cruises, as do boat pilots on Lake Winnipesaukee. Many cruises offer specialty events like sunset views or wine tasting, or a chance to watch lobstermen pull in their catch. Essex, Connecticut, offers a combined land-and-water adventure on am antique train followed by a river paddleboat.

Museums and Shopping

She loves museums; he loves to shop. Let’s start with Boston, MA’s fabulous arts, history, and science museums. Two favorites are the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for art and a medieval courtyard and the USS Constitution Museum, with “Old Ironsides” docked nearby. Shopping is grand at Newbury Street and the famous Faneuil Hall Marketplace. It’s not fair, though, to focus on a single city. Art and history and science museums are plentiful and fascinating in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

Colonial and Revolutionary History

You can find stories of the creation of America almost everywhere, along with tales of the region’s seafaring history. Boston, MA has the Freedom Trail among stores, churches and houses where the Revolution of 1776 was planned. The Industrial Revolution was founded at Slater Mill in Rhode Island, when a Brit smuggled plans for a water-powered mill out of England. Living history museums include Plimoth Patuxet. The Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, ME, is one of several that tell the histories of Native peoples.

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