Issuu

N E W E N G L A N D ’ S M AG A Z I N E

Travel Guide To

NEW ENGLAND 200+ Editors’ Picks All-New for 2025

N E W E NGL A N D.COM ///

PLUS:

M AY / J U N E 2 0 2 5

Fried Clams Worth the Drive Great Museums’ Hidden Gems Fashion-Forward Inns & Hotels

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CONTENTS MAY / JUNE 2025

S’ CH

BEST OF

NEW ENGLAND EE

MAG

TRAVEL

Whether you’re bound for the White Mountains, Cape Cod, the Maine coast, or any other summer-fun destination in our six-state region, Yankee’s annual travel guide to New England proves one thing for sure: You won’t run out of ideas to jump-start your adventures. NEW FOR 2025: Our editors round up the top 10 experiences to have this summer in every state, plus Boston.

54 /// Best of New England

Massachusetts 56 // Boston 72 // New Hampshire 82 Maine 98 // Vermont 108 // Rhode Island 118 // Connecticut 126

Yankee (ISSN 0044-0191). Bimonthly, Vol. 89 No. 3. Publication Office, Dublin, NH 03444-0520. Periodicals postage paid at Dublin, NH, and additional offices. Copyright 2025 by Yankee Publishing Incorporated; all rights reserved. Postmaster: Send address changes to Yankee, PO Box 37128, Boone, IA 50037-0128.

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TOAN TRINH/ST YLING BY MONICA MARIANO

Among the coolest spots in Boston this summer? Its superlative scoop shops. See p. 74

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3/26/25 3:04 PM

Making memories

since 1902.

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Every season is unforgettable at Omni Mount Washington Resort & Spa. Spend warmer days perfecting your game on two golf courses surrounded by the White Mountains. When the leaves begin to turn, enjoy Mother Nature’s tapestry as it unfolds to stunning grandeur. Gondola rides with 360° views, thrilling zipline tours through the trees, and a relaxing 25,000 square foot spa make for memorable moments any time of year.

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CONTENTS

22 /// The Beauty of It All No matter how or where your travels unfold, New England provides a backdrop like no other for photos and memories alike. 34 /// Belly Up!

Yankee’s food editor digs into the whys and wherefores of fried-clam excellence—and where to find it. By Amy Traverso

44 /// Stylish Stays From Connecticut to Maine, see how fashion pros are turning inns and hotels into au courant overnights. By Dennis Sarlo ON THE COVER This issue’s cover image comes from New England travel and lifestyle blogger Jess Kirby, photographed by Craig Mackay aboard the antique motor yacht Temma off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island. To learn more about Jess, her connection to New England, and what she loves most about this region today, look for our exclusive interview: newengland.com/jess-kirby

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side trips 14 /// Armchair Inspiration Books, podcasts, and other cultural tidbits that offer a little bit of New England to go. By Brian Kevin 16 /// Double Features For every must-see treasure at these museums, there’s an equally worthy under-the-radar gem. By Katrina Farmer 18 /// Sipping Away Where to find refreshing summer cocktails with a New England twist. By Courtney Hollands 134 /// All-Access Pass Travel destinations that go the extra mile for people with disabilities. By Ryan Cashman 140 /// Minor Leagues, Major Fun Come root for these hometown teams, and you might just see the baseball stars of tomorrow. By Mel Allen 145 /// A Salute to History With the nation’s 250th birthday just around the corner, it’s not too early to begin Revolutionary road-tripping. By Bill Scheller

advertising resources Spring Gift Guide.......................................................52 15 Reasons to Visit Vermont......................................112 Retirement Living.......................................................137 Marketplace.................................................................142 Weekends with Yankee...................................................152

D O U G L A S F R I E D M A N ( H O T E L ); © A S H L E Y G R E E N – U S A TO D AY N E T W O R K V I A I M A G N I M A G E S ( B A L L PA R K )

features

140

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What Whatdo dothey theylong longfor, for,as as III long long for What do they long for, as long for One salt smell of the sea once One salt smell of the sea once One salt smell of the sea once more? more? – –From FromEdna EdnaSt. St.Vincent VincentMillay's, Millay's,Inland, Inland, 1892 1892 – From Edna St. Vincent Millay's, Inland, 1892

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A NOTE FROM YANKEE’S TRAVEL EDITOR

Welcome I

LARA BECKIUS

f you can’t picture a circa-1979 Toyota Corolla wagon with a metallic lavender paint job, I get it. For starters, you might be younger than me. But I’ve actually never seen another car in that particular shade. My frugal parents must have scored some incredible steal on a “test color.” I remember the “purplemobile” fondly because it was our family’s first real getaway car. Lake George, Lake Placid, the Jersey Shore … we never ventured far from our Hudson Valley home, and that was part of the magic: realizing so many unknown-to-me wonders were close at hand. My mother was obsessed with Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough after reading about how people queued up for its lobster rolls, so off to Mystic, Connecticut, we went. I remember the aquarium. The seaport. But the sharpest memory is of my little brother and me in the back seat of that glittery car with souvenir stuffies we’d named Mysty Mouse and Conetta Cat. (See? I always loved playing with words.) I’d found a place I wanted to hold on to. In my early 20s, my obsession became Yankee’s annual “Travel Guide to New England” summer issue. It thrilled me the way the Sears catalog had as a kid. Evocative writing. Tantalizing images. So many ideas for weekend escapes in states I was falling hard for every time I drove east. If you’d told me then that one day I’d be Yankee’s travel editor, I would have been floored (most days, I still am). But the planets began to align. I’d been producing a New England website since before Google was a thing. I’d written seven books. And then, along the winding road of work and life, I met Mel Allen, the most incredible mentor and friend. By opening the Yankee door for me, he gave me the greatest gifts: colleagues who care deeply about this region, its people, and its stories; and the opportunity to connect with and inspire all of you, our Yankee readers, who feel like kindred souls to me. Sharing the best of New England is a nonstop mission for our team of editors and in-state contributors. We’ve poured our energy into this alltravel May/June issue because we believe, more than ever, in the value of authentic guidance. We want you to have peak experiences in this region that still pulsates with revolutionary ideas of what America can be. I hope you’ll hold on to this special issue just as you’d treasure a letter from a best friend, filled with advice you trust and eager anticipation of the places you’ll go together. Places like The Sparkle Barn (p. 108), which I discovered last July. It’s been excruciating waiting nearly a year to encourage you to explore this whimsical realm—the only place I know of in New England that would make my childhood ride look drab.

Kim Knox Beckius kimkb@yankeepub.com 6 |

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Photo: Joe Michael

Summer Fun Starts Here

South County, Rhode Island boasts 100 miles of coastline with 20 beautiful public beaches to relax or play. Dine on fresh, local seafood. Hike, bike and enjoy miles of forests and wildlife preserves. Best of all, avoid the trafﬁc. Learn more at SouthCountyRI.com

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Publisher Brook Holmberg

EDITORIAL

Senior Managing Editor Jenn Johnson Executive Editor Ian Aldrich Senior Food Editor Amy Traverso Senior Digital/Home Editor Aimee Tucker Travel/Branded Content Editor Kim Knox Beckius Associate Editor Katrina Farmer Associate Digital Editor Christabel Barry Contributing Editors Ben Hewitt, Rowan Jacobsen,

Nina MacLaughlin, Bill Scheller, Julia Shipley, Kate Whouley Editor at Large Mel Allen ART

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Hosts Amy Traverso,

Executive Producer

Richard Wiese

Laurie Donnelly

Directors of Photography

Senior Producer

Corey Hendrickson, Jan Maliszewski

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Editor Travis Marshall

Associate Producer

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Sponsors Maine Office of Tourism American Cruise Lines Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism Country Carpenters New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development Grady-White Boats

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Armchair Inspiration

Even before you set out on your summer travels, these 12 wide-ranging cultural nuggets offer a little bit of New England to go. | BY B R I A N K E V I N 1. B O O K: Six Walks (2022) From Cape Cod’s beaches to Maine’s Allagash country, author Ben Shattuck rambles in the footsteps of Henry David Thoreau. And while Shattuck’s meditations may or may not confer transcendental insights, they sure do evoke the last vestiges of New England’s wilderness.

8. M OV I E : On Golden Pond (1981) The loons are calling! And the symbolism is heavy-handed! But that doesn’t spoil this ’80s film classic, which finds Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn grappling with mortality at their beloved summer cottage. It was shot on New Hampshire’s Squam Lake but channels Great Pond in Maine’s Belgrade Lakes, where screenwriter Ernest Thompson spent the summers of his youth. 2

3. M OV I E : Moonrise Kingdom (2012) In director Wes Anderson’s ensemble comedy, Rhode Island’s Conanicut Island stands in for the granite-ringed isle of New Penzance, where summer camper Sam and local girl Suzy steal away for an adolescent tryst. The film pairs big-time camp nostalgia with an appreciation of New England islanders’ laconic, daffy charisma.

9. A L B U M : Yankee Division (2011) Twelve instrumentals, here lilting and there austere, channel the New England landscape’s many textures. Composer and pianist Ben Cosgrove takes inspiration from natural and built environments, and on this record, the Massachusetts native goes all in on his backyard. 3

5. D O C U M E N TA RY: Weckuwapok (The Approaching Dawn) (2022) As daylight breaks over a meadow on Maine’s Schoodic Peninsula, cellist Yo-Yo Ma joins Passamaquoddy musicians and storytellers in welcoming the sun. This 13-minute digital film, by the Reciprocity Project, documents a uniquely moving 2021 ceremony, threaded with sublime aerial footage from the corner of the Wabanaki homeland better known as Acadia National Park.

of this Boston-bred band croons, “I have seen old Israel’s arid plain / It’s magnificent, but so’s Maine!” Missing from the lineup but also worth seeking out is Richman’s ’70s gem “Roadrunner,” the Massachusetts night-driving anthem often proposed as the “official rock song of the Commonwealth.”

6. A L B U M : Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers (1976) On the Modern Lovers’ first single, “New England,” the famously earnest frontman

7. B O O K: New Hampshire (1923) If it is, in fact, “restful just to think about New Hampshire,” as Robert Frost puts it, then consider the title poem of his Pulitzer-

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10. T V: Gilmore Girls (2000–2007, 2016) Hear us out: The network dramedy (revived as a Netflix miniseries) was filmed on a Warner Bros. lot, but for legions of fans the Gilmores’ home of Stars Hollow is smalltown Connecticut. The fictional village’s inn, gazebo, diner, and other sites are based on real landmarks in the Berkshire foothills. You can do a lot worse for Nutmegger charm. 11. P O D C A ST: Welcome to Provincetown (2022) Gentrifying resort town, queer bastion, haven for free expression: P-town has layers, and documentarian Mitra Kaboli peels them back in a dozen-ish episodes that are by turns hilarious and poignant. Kaboli shadows the town’s artists, drag queens, and washashores—all of them seekers, all of them a lot, all of them vulnerable. 12. M OV I E : Little Women (2019) The 1933 adaptation was filmed mostly in Hollywood; the 1994 version in British Columbia. So let’s hear it for Greta Gerwig’s take on the Alcott classic, filmed entirely in Massachusetts and chock-full of Victorian architecture, white steeples, and pastoral tableaus. Jo and Laurie silhouetted against a foliage-filled valley on Groton’s Gibbet Hill? We’re not crying, you’re crying.

TC D/ P R O D. D B/A L A M Y S TO C K P H OTO (M OV I E S T I L L )

2. P O D C A ST: Rumble Strip (since 2013) Though inspired by the sort of reported storytelling you’d hear on This American Life, Vermont journalist Erica Heilman’s acclaimed podcast avoids neat narratives and folksy romanticizing about her home state. Instead, she spins field interviews with Vermonters of every stripe—sugar makers, garbage collectors, a preteen neighbor— into vivid environmental portraits.

4. B O O K: The Lost Summers of Newport (2022) What went down in the old boathouse of a once-opulent Newport “summer cottage”? This bestseller by a trio of beach-read stars —Karen White, Lauren Willig, and Beatriz Williams—plumbs the decadent past of Newport’s Gilded Age mansions, “monoliths of stone and marble towering above the sea cliffs like Zeus on Mount Olympus.”

winning collection a tranquil little getaway. Nailing the Yankee vernacular and exalting nature without sentimentalizing it, the poems are like Frost’s famous woods: lovely, dark, and deep.

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3/26/25 3:09 PM

“YOU HAVE TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT!”

Think you know senior living? Edgewood and The Baldwin might surprise you.

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Double Features

A stellar example of the museum’s wideranging collection, this 12th-century Buddha —the largest Japanese wooden statue statue—the in the U.S.—stands 10 feet tall and commands its own gallery. Legend has it that the statue was stored for centuries in a farmhouse after its original temple burned.

Made of honeybee wings sourced humanely from RISD’s campus hives, artist Luci Jockel’s Bee Wing Lace Neckpiece honors the natural world and highlights the importance of pollinators. The design was inspired by lace in the museum’s collection.

shelburnemuseum.org currier.org

Created as part of a 1960s national ad campaign to promote Vermont’s granite industry, Norman Rockwell’s The Craftsman sketch is one of three works by the legendary illustrator newly acquired by the Shelburne Museum from the Rock of Ages quarry. (The name “Norwell” engraved on the headstone is a playful self-reference.)

Paul Revere himself made the celebrated Sons of Liberty Bowl in 1768 at his Boston workshop, likely by melting down old silver coins. The secret society of Revolutionaries who commissioned the bowl used it for serving rum punch at their meetings.

For another perspective on U.S. history, look for the large stoneware storage jar crafted in 1857 by an enslaved South Carolina man named David Drake. Adding a line of verse and his name, “Dave,” to his work was a daring move for someone who had to learn to read and write outside the law.

Think the Currier is a small-town museum? Think again. One of many well-known pieces in its collection is Monet’s The Bridge at Bougival, an 1869 oil painting of a tranquil scene outside Paris. You’ll also find works by Calder, di Suvero, Matisse, Picasso, Sargent, Andrew Wyeth, and more.

Installed just this year, Judy Pfaff’s Glazed and Confused: Rockin’ Lobster Majolica wall sculpture gives a modern nod to Victorian-era pottery with its jumble of cardboard, wire, and fake flowers in an organic shape and its mix of bold colors.

Sprawling 16 feet high and 110 feet long, Rudolph F. Zallinger’s The Age of Reptiles mural dominates the newly renovated Burke Hall of Dinosaurs—and proves that while our understanding of these creatures may have changed, their powerful hold on our imagination has not. Known as NWA 12760, the largest piece of the moon on display anywhere in the world is the highlight here. The meteorite weighs 128 pounds! (Although this specimen is strictly notouch for visitors, you can hold a sizable piece of moon rock elsewhere at the museum.)

RISD MUSEUM (BUDDHA); ANDY DUBACK (ROCK WELL); ©MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON (BOWL); H O L LY S L O A N E ( S C U L P T U R E ) ; ©YA L E P E A B O D Y M U S E U M ( M U R A L ) ; M M G M ( T O U R M A L I N E )

risdmuseum.org

THE COOL SURPRISE

peabody.yale.edu mainemineralmuseum.org

CURRIER MUSEUM OF ART MANCHESTER, NH YALE PEABODY MUSEUM NEW HAVEN, CT MAINE MINERAL & GEM MUSEUM BETHEL, ME

THE CROWD-PLEASER

Board the 220-foot steamship Ticonderoga in its landlocked berth, and explore the four decks, pilothouse, and crew’s quarters. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the ship’s arrival at the Shelburne Museum—a feat of maritime preservation.

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON BOSTON, MA mfa.org

SHELBURNE MUSEUM SHELBURNE, VT

RISD MUSEUM PROVIDENCE, RI

New England’s museum collections span history, time, and even space. Within these cultural treasure chests you’ll find famous art and artifacts, but also under-the-radar gems you didn’t know you needed to see ... until now. | BY K AT R I N A FA R M E R

By expanding the range of expertise showcased in its galleries, the Yale Peabody aspires to create a more welcoming, engaging, and relevant museum. Case in point: Eternal Cities, a mesmerizing sculptural art piece created in 2023 by local Syrian American artist Mohamad Hafez. Named for its unusual pink or red core and green exterior, watermelon tourmaline was first identified in 1910 at a quarry in Maine. This example of Maine’s state mineral— and its most popular gemstone— has been cut to show off that stunning color.

For more stellar picks to inspire your New England travels this summer, go to newengland.com/museums2025. 16 |

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C O U ST E AU M A RT I N I THE SHIPWRIGHT’S DAUGHTER | MYSTIC, CT

Sipping Away These six refreshing summer cocktails with a New England twist are worth traveling for. BY COURTNEY HOLLANDS

Talk about a taste of place: In this umamiladen sip of the sea, gin infused with seaweed from nearby Stonington Kelp Company meets Rhode Island–crafted Industrious Spirit Company’s Ostreida Oyster Vodka (distilled with bivalves), plus Lillet Blanc and vermouth. The hyperlocal take on a Vesper martini is named for oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, of course. shipwrightsdaughter.com C L E A R LY C R E E M E E BARR HILL | MONTPELIER, VT

Subtly bitter fenugreek seeds and citrus bring balance to this clarified milk punch, which is made with house-infused Barr Hill Vodka and boasts the cutest little clip-on garnish we ever did see: a dainty waﬀle cone. The result? A not-too-sweet tribute to the Green Mountain State’s favorite frozen treat, the maple creemee. barrhill.com ST R AW B E R RY F I E L D S COASTAL ALCHEMIST CORKS & COCKTAILS | OGUNQUIT, ME

Pine-forward Wild Bevy Distilling Forij Slacktide gin—hailing from nearby Wells, Maine—and basil and green tea foam add bright, grassy notes to strawberry shrub for a drink that’s more savory than sweet. You might want to sip Strawberry Fields … forever. coastalalchemistogt.com L A DY STA R D U ST THE WILDER | PORTSMOUTH, NH

Vinegary hot sauce sourced from The Wilder’s sister restaurant, Anju Noodle Bar, is blended with El Jimador blanco tequila, juice, and fruit puree in this glam rocker of a pineapplemango margarita, finished with a mouthtingling Tajín spice rim. wilderportsmouth.com A H S H U C KS ROW 34 | BOSTON, MA & OTHER LOCATIONS

Any libation served at Row 34 should pair well with a dozen oysters, and this smooth, pretty-in-pink cocktail—featuring Bostonmade Bully Boy Amaro Rosso, vanilla vodka, lemon, and honey, and hints of citrus from the grapefruit oil garnish—goes down especially easy. row34.com E S P R E S S O C H O C O L AT E M A RT I N I PAPER PLANE | CAMDEN, ME

Crafted with freshly brewed dark espresso and accented with a chocolate truﬀle from Lindt (whose U.S. headquarters is in New Hampshire), Paper Plane’s modern, architectural take on the perennially popular coffee-and-vodka quaff is almost too lovely to drink. Almost. paperplanecamden.com

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PHOTO BY ADAM DETOUR

3/20/25 1:57 PM

ALRE A DY

With 17 miles of sun-bathed beach, bountiful coastal cuisine, and relaxing places to stay, this is where people with too much going on go to forget about it all. So, if you’ve been looking for your happy place, Relax, you’ve found it.

VisitNSBFL.com

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Dive Into Florida’s Foodie Paradise There’s a moment at the start of every vacation when you truly arrive. Maybe it’s when you catch your first shimmering glimpse of the ocean, or cross the bridge that connects you to an island paradise. Or maybe it’s sipping a tropical cocktail as you watch the sunset from a treetop restaurant. In New Smyrna Beach, on Florida’s east coast, you feel a similar thrill every time you clink a glass or pick up a fork. The area beckons visitors with 17 miles of pristine beaches, bustling villagelike hubs, and a vibrant arts scene of galleries, performances, and festivals. It’s all so accessible now that Avelo and Breeze Airways fly low-cost direct routes into visitorfriendly Daytona Beach International Airport from Hartford, New Haven, Providence, and White Plains. Here’s the delicious surprise: New Smyrna Beach’s treasure trove of eateries rivals that of many larger destinations. There is more culinary variety, sophistication, and innovation than you’d ever expect from a nostalgic beach town. Consider Norwood’s Restaurant & Treehouse Bar, an area landmark since 1946, famous for its succulent seafood, house-aged steaks, and leafy deck perched high in an oak tree overlooking the intracoastal waterway. Meet friends here at sunset for live music, baconwrapped scallops, and a cocktail crafted with house-made syrups and freshly pressed juices. Or if you’re in

Avanu

a wine mood, discover a new favorite among their impressive collection of very affordably priced bottles gathered from around the world. Just blocks from the beach, Third Wave Café occupies a Craftsmanstyle cottage, operating as a laidback bistro during the day and an elegant dinner spot at night, complete with a lush garden in back. Not only are the daily seafood

selections enticing, but they’re also environmentally friendly thanks to Chef David Moscoso’s dedication to cooking with local and sustainable ingredients, a commitment recognized by the prestigious James Beard Foundation. You can also feel good about the wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas, Wagyu short ribs, and candied salmon—all must-tries. In this city teeming with natural beauty, a picnic by the ocean indulges all of your senses at once. To get started, head to Paco Submarine, which redefines sandwich-making as a serious craft. Everything here is made from scratch: that includes smoking bacon for the BLT and curing pastrami for The Clayton, a layering of meat, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and creamy mustard on rye. Each sandwich gets its own style of bread, which is also homemade. If you can’t wait to spread out your blanket, order some fries to eat on your trek over the causeway. They’re as good as you’ll find anywhere, Belgium included. If you’re craving a cup of coffee with a side of Bohemian charm, visit Luma, an open-air café with hanging chairs and shady porticos. Revel in the chill atmosphere or grab something to go and warm your toes in the sand while watching surfers ride the waves. Tiki culture is alive and well at Avanu on Flagler, where gastropub classics are accented with Asian

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NEW SMYRNA BEACH AREA VISITORS BUREAU

In New Smyrna Beach, it’s the restaurants making waves.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH AREA VISITORS BUREAU

Third Wave

and Polynesian flavors. Check out the rooftop to bask in ocean breezes and behold incredible views of the palmy surroundings. The crispy Korean fried chicken, lemongrass seafood noodles, and playful bar menu are irresistibly inviting after a sunbaked day on the shore. At Café Verde, it’s immediately clear you’re about to eat well on vacation. Their menu features plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options. This bright, airy space is the perfect spot for imaginative salads, grain bowls, globally flavored entrées, and craft cocktails. Their BLT scallop tacos topped with house-made salsas are an edible getaway all on their own. Across the Indian River from the beach, Spanish River Grill brings an authentic taste of Spain to Florida. The whipped feta, garlicky mushrooms with house-made bread, and crispy chicken a la plancha pair perfectly with a glass of sangria or Spanish wines from a well-curated list. For dessert, the Basque cheesecake is a light, fluffy, caramelized wonder. Just heavenly.

Speaking of otherworldly baked goods, the Dutch Oven Bread Co. opens soon on Canal Street in the midst of shops and galleries (there’s a sister bakery a short drive away in Edgewater). Pick up a crusty, chewy baguette, and recharge with a mouthwatering fruit danish or an enormous cinnamon roll. Just down the street, there’s Shebeen, where you can indulge in treats like truffles with a matcha latte or a fruit-topped

waffle with an icy-cold chai. Their inventive ice creams include “boozejee” flavors for adults only. In a town replete with bright colors, warm hospitality, and Old Florida charm, New Smyrna Beach’s restaurants stir richness into the mix, creating a destination where every meal is a reminder to embrace the good life and “Relax Already.” Start planning a delectable escape at visitnsbfl.com.

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To find the most commanding views of the New England coast and ocean, look to a lighthouse. From their windswept homes on cliffs and headlands, they invite visitors to come see what they see—which on Block Island, sitting just a short ferry ride from the Rhode Island mainland, means sharing the Southeast Lighthouse’s lofty vantage atop Mohegan Bluffs. PHOTO BY BLOCK ISLAND TOURISM / ROSS DRAPER

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THE No matter how or where

BEAUTY your travels unfold,

OF IT New England provides

ALL a backdrop like no other.

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A few miles north of Kingfield, Maine, there is a curve in Route 27 where the trees edging the narrow roadway suddenly part. People call this the “Oh my gosh!” corner— because when faced with the spectacular visage of Sugarloaf Mountain rising out of the North Woods, what else can you say? That kind of exclamation, that catching of the breath, is one way we know we are experiencing beauty. We have all felt it, and indeed it’s one of the reasons we travel to new places. We grow more alert, we look more closely, we await being astonished. We are open to all that we find. These pages will take you to the grand sweep of the ocean, to skies burnished by sunset or speckled with stars so bright they seem to burn a hole from another world. You will soar above craggy bluffs rising from the sea, and over a tiny island in a shimmering lake. There’s a covered bridge, too, inviting you to see beauty in an enduringly simple, perfectly engineered way for villagers to get where they needed to go. More than anything, look through these photos and then find their equal wherever you may travel in New England: villages, cities, woods, waterways, orchards, farms. Be alert for even the smallest moments of beauty, as when you stroll through a green and lovely cemetery and then there you are, by the tomb of the poet Longfellow, and you are in two worlds—his and yours. Such encounters are waiting for you throughout this region, where travelers have come for generations to find themselves seeing with wide-eyed wonder and the inevitable “Oh my gosh!” —Mel Allen 24 |

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 MOUNT AUBURN CEMETERY (MA) Inspired in part by English landscaping tradition and Paris’s parklike Père Lachaise, the nation’s first “garden cemetery” (opened in 1831) welcomes the public into its tranquil heart every day of the year. Its 175 acres in Cambridge and Watertown pay tribute not only to those laid to rest here—including Julia Ward Howe, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Isabella Stewart Gardner—but also to nature, eternally restorative in all its forms. PHOTO BY ROBERT BENSON

 SQUAM LAKE (NH) In contrast to the busy summer playground that is nearby Lake Winnipesaukee, Squam Lake has an unhurried, almost romantic air—a loch amid the New Hampshire highlands. Take a boat tour to be charmed by its scattering of islands and stretches of undeveloped shoreline, and keep an eye out for the loons, bald eagles, and great blue herons that nest here. PHOTO BY WILL ZIMMERMANN

 BURT HENRY COVERED BRIDGE (VT) “Covered bridges weren’t built to star on calendars,” writes New Hampshire author Howard Mansfield in his 2016 book, Sheds. “They weren’t built to be pretty.” Yet the same structures that once were practical solutions to 19th-century problems— including this classic Town lattice truss bridge in North Bennington—are now scenic lures for 21st-century visitors. PHOTO BY BRIANA LYONS

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 GRACE FARMS (CT) A mere 10 minutes from Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, you’ll find another gorgeously unconventional building: the River, whose metal-clad roof floats like a silver ribbon above the contours of the land. But where Johnson’s iconic window-walled structure brings the outside indoors, the River helps immerse humans in the natural landscape of Grace Farms, where all but three of the 80 lush acres at this culture and humanitarian center are protected habitat. PHOTO BY SAHAR COSTON - HARDY  ACADIA NATIONAL PARK (ME) As a largely rural state, Maine offers some of the most pristine night skies imaginable. This celestial bounty is celebrated each September at the Acadia Night Sky Festival, one of the East Coast’s biggest and bestknown night sky events. You don’t have to wait till fall, though, to get a front-row seat to Acadia’s cavalcade of stars: The curtain goes up every night. PHOTO BY NATE LEVESQUE

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 NEXT SPREAD ALYSON’S ORCHARD (NH) A steep, west-facing hillside at this 350-acre property in Walpole gives its trees abundant exposure, which in turn produces exceptional fruit. That same hillside gives Alyson’s visitors abundant views—of the Connecticut River Valley and onward to Vermont—which in turn produce exceptional memories. PHOTO BY MICHAEL PIAZZA

 NEXT SPREAD BREWSTER TIDAL FLATS (MA) It’s the little things that make North America’s largest tidal flats so perfect for sunsets— namely, the ripples and runnels in the sand that create the illusion of molten stained glass right at your feet. The flats extend nearly 10 miles along the coast of Cape Cod, which means viewing spots are ample. But as the photo on the next spread suggests, Paine’s Creek Beach is hard to beat. PHOTO BY BETTY WILEY

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 NEWPORT MANSIONS (RI) The sheer amount of money that went into Newport’s Gilded Age estates (The Elms, shown, cost $1.4 million in 1901, or more than $50 million today) is impressive. What inspires real awe, though, is the exquisite artistry and craftsmanship on display here—a tribute not to the wealth made by some, but to the beauty created by many. COURTESY OF THE PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF NEWPORT COUNTY/GAVIN ASHWORTH

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 SILVER SANDS STATE PARK (CT) Habitat for wildlife, buffer against ocean storms, and just plain lovely to look at, tidal marshes lend a quiet appeal to New England’s famous coast. At Silver Sands State Park in Milford, a three-quarter-mile boardwalk ensures this delicate ecosystem leaves a lasting impact on the viewer, not the other way around. PHOTO BY JOE PARSKEY

NEWENGLAND.COM

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 SHELBURNE FARMS (VT) In a region of rocky soil and notoriously changeable weather, few things say resilience like gardens whose roots go back decades. Among New England’s horticultural gems are the gardens at Shelburne Farms, sited between Lake Champlain and the property’s 19thcentury mansion turned inn. Created by the former lady of the manor, Lila O. Webb, they’ve been extensively restored—much to the delight of visitors to these verdant grounds more than a century onward. PHOTO BY ADAM SILVERMAN

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 ARAGOSTA (ME) The reservations-only Hillside Greenhouse at chef-owner Devin Finigan’s destination restaurant and inn on Deer Isle might be the prettiest dining room you’ll ever see. (The nearby Forest Greenhouse, added in 2023, could be a close contender, though.) PHOTO BY ALISSA HESSLER  BASH BISH FALLS (MA) Immortalized in paintings by Hudson River School artist John F. Kensett, this 60-foot cascade draws wonderseekers literally right and left, from Massachusetts’s Bash Bish Falls State Park and the adjoining Taconic State Park in New York. PHOTO BY KAT CARNEY/CAVAN IMAGES

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Belly Up! Yankee’s food editor embarks on a grand clam tour in search of New England’s best fried bivalves. BY A M Y T R AV E RS O

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THIS PAGE: At Bob’s Clam Hut in

Kittery, Maine, the fried clams (shown upper right) come two ways—Bob’s and Lillian’s—but share a uniform deliciousness. OPPOSITE: Bessie Woodman

at Woodman’s of Essex in Massachusetts circa 1918. Just a few years earlier, she and her husband, Lawrence “Chubby” Woodman, had debuted the seafood treat that would set New England on the path to fried-clam fame.

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3/20/25 4:08 PM

COURTESY OF CL AM BOX OF IPSWICH

P R E V I O U S S P R E A D : C O U R T E S Y O F W O O D M A N ’ S O F E S S E X ( A R C H I VA L P H O TO); G R E TA R Y B U S ( B O B ’ S C L A M H U T )

n July 3, 1916, an Essex, Massachusetts, man named Lawrence “Chubby” Woodman breaded some local clams and dropped them in the fryer he used to make potato chips at his Main Street concession stand. The fried clams were so good that at the town’s Fourth of July parade, Chubby and his wife, Bessie, earned an unheard-of $35. Word spread, and copycats emerged. According to Woodman family lore, none other than Howard Johnson himself learned to make fried clams from Chubby. I tend to regard such origin stories with a pinch of skepticism. After all, most food inventions happen on such a small, domestic scale that they’re rarely recorded; their fame is often apocryphal. But Chubby and Bessie documented their story convincingly enough that it’s accepted as culinary history. In my personal history, I am a relative latecomer to fried clams. I didn’t enjoy them as a child, then got distracted by chowder and lobster rolls for a few decades. I share this because my current love for fried clams is still in the honeymoon phase, and I’d like to think my judgment is unclouded by nostalgia, or by loyalty to any clam shack of my youth. So when the opportunity arose to travel up the New England coast tasting basket after box of fried clams in search of the best, I was ready. All in all, I visited more than two dozen restaurants, sticking strictly to coastal towns. My original intent was to visit only true clam shacks, those rustic eateries that serve their food with a side of salt air. However, after visiting some noteworthy restaurants on the recommendation of locals, I realized I had to be more openminded. You can visit Yankee’s website for a list of top clam shacks, but this story is really about the clams themselves. Speaking of which: I focused solely on the whole-belly variety. Clam strips are also derived from clams, sure, but they are to fried clams what a ringtone is to a symphony. Both are technically music, but.... Before hitting the road, I spent (perhaps too much) time defining the many variables that affect the quality of fried clams: sweetness, brininess, plumpness, tenderness, crunch, seasoning, coating-to-clam ratio, oil quality, value, and, to a lesser extent, tartar sauce. In other words, the ideal fried clams should be reasonably priced, plump, tender, crunchy, and perfectly seasoned, with a good sweet-brine balance and a moderate amount of coating, and always cooked in fresh oil. If they’re served with a great homemade tartar sauce, all the better. (And in the best-case scenario, they’re premium clams dug from the rich soil of the Great Marsh on Boston’s North Shore or from similar environs on the New England coast. Clams from sandy sea beds just don’t get the same nutrient wash.) It didn’t take much research to realize how hard it is to consistently turn out great fried clams. The delicate meat can go from tender to rubbery in seconds. Frying oil is expensive, and changing it is time-consuming and messy. Top-quality shucked clams can run around $150 per gallon wholesale, which brings up an important point: For all the places I visited, I never found an inexpensive serving of clams—a medium order cost about $30 no matter where I went—but quality varied widely. So before you order, ask where the clams come from and whether they’re large or small. If you can’t get a clear answer on their origin, or if they’re small and thus easier to overcook, consider another menu option. Don’t waste your hard-earned dough on bad clams. But enough background—let’s get to the results. The following 15 eateries served the best fried clams I tasted on my travels. Don’t see your favorite spot? Let us know. But while there will always be new clam shacks to discover, I can guarantee you’ll eat well at any of these picks.

WOODMAN’S OF ESSEX

COURTESY OF CL AM BOX OF IPSWICH

P R E V I O U S S P R E A D : C O U R T E S Y O F W O O D M A N ’ S O F E S S E X ( A R C H I VA L P H O TO); G R E TA R Y B U S ( B O B ’ S C L A M H U T )

Massachusetts We begin where it all began (and where third-, fourth-, and fifth-generation Woodmans still operate the restaurant today). Here, plump local clams are dunked in evaporated milk, coated in corn flour (a boon to gluten-free diners), and fried until just golden brown. Because the cooks shake off any extra coating before frying, the clams are crisp but not bready. And the kitchen’s light hand with salt allows the brine and sweetness of the clams to shine through. Essex; woodmans.com MAY | JUNE 2025

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CLAM BOX OF IPSWICH

Like Woodman’s, the Clam Box is considered by many to be the most popular and beloved fried clam spot in Massachusetts. It helps that every day at about 2:30 p.m., owner Johanna Aggelakis shuts down the line so staff can replace the day’s cooking oil to keep the seafood light and crisp. The Clam Box gets its clams locally, and their rich flavor is worth any wait you might encounter. Ipswich; clamboxipswich.com THE PARK LUNCH

Upon walking into this hometown sports bar near Newburyport’s

Fried clams may have put the Clam Box on the map, but so has its architecture: Built in 1935, the Ipswich, Massachusetts, restaurant was designed to resemble a giant to-go container.

waterfront, you might be a bit suspicious. There are pennants and other memorabilia on every wall, the bar scene is hopping, and the menu runs from pizza to burgers to tuna melts. But the fried clams here are legitimately excellent: sweet, plump, tender, briny, and served with an excellent homemade tartar sauce and coleslaw. What a difference all that extra effort makes on the plate. Newburyport; parklunch.com | 37

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In addition to serving up whole-belly goodness, Blount Clam Shack’s seasonal waterfront location in Warren, Rhode Island, ranks as one of the best outdoor dining spots in the state.

LENNY & JOE’S FISH TALE

In-the-know clam lovers favor this 46-year-old Connecticut institution for its consistently great clams. “We have people who have been coming for 20, 25 years,” says Jake Raye, who’s worked at the restaurant for nearly a decade. “Even the kids we get in seasonally, we’re really careful about getting them trained.” The other secret to success? Using wild-caught clams, fresh off the boat, from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or Connecticut—whatever’s freshest. Madison and Westbrook; ljfishtale.com SEA SWIRL

LITTLE WHALE

Chef Michael Serpa’s Newbury Street restaurant is a stylish ode to New England clam shacks, and these fried clams are perfect. Local clams are dipped in buttermilk, 38 |

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coated with a semolina-flour blend, and fried until golden. Pickle-rich tartar sauce is the chef ’s-kiss finish. (Watch Serpa make his clams on the new season of Weekends with Yankee; check your local PBS listings.) Boston; littlewhaleboston.com

Connecticut THE SANDPIPER

Looking out over East Haven’s town beach, this recently renovated restaurant stands out for its sweet and extra-crunchy clams and its commitment to frying in fresh oil. Prices are reasonable, especially for waterfront real estate, and your seafood-averse companions can enjoy pizza or steak while you pop those golden nuggets. East Haven; sandpipereasthaven.com

Rhode Island MATUNUCK OYSTER BAR

Owner Perry Raso’s commitment to pristine bivalves is all-consuming— he’s been digging clams since he was a kid. As you dine, admire the view of Potter Pond, where Raso’s team raises oysters and scallops. The crisp and juicy fried clams are shatteringly crisp, delicate, sweet, and full-bellied. They’re so good, in fact, that they’re justifiably served with rémoulade (the fancier French tartar sauce), plus homemade fries. Wakefield; rhodyoysters.com

ANGEL TUCKER

MAC’S SEAFOOD

There are Mac’s restaurants in Provincetown, Wellfleet, Eastham, and Chatham, each with slightly different menus. But they all make richly seasoned and not-too-greasy fried clams, which happen to be gluten-free and sourced from the North Shore. Also served at all locations is the superlative homemade tartar sauce, studded with finely chopped pickles and jazzed up with a bit of lemon juice. Multiple locations; macsseafood.com

When Yankee put out a call on social media asking for fried clam recommendations, Sea Swirl came up multiple times, and with good reason: Everyone loves a nice plump belly, and these bellies are the plumpest. They’re sweet with a nicely assertive brine, a thin-butcrisp coating, and great seasoning. The midcentury building, once a Carvel ice cream stand, adds a layer of retro summer charm. Mystic; seaswirlofmystic.com

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of the famous summer traffic jam at Red’s) specializes in fried seafood, and the big-belly clams here are perfectly crisp and lighter than most. The restaurant uses a convection frying system, which cooks the inside more quickly so the outside absorbs less oil. Wiscasset; seabasket.com FIVE ISLANDS LOBSTER CO. Boasting the prettiest view of any seafood shack in Maine, Five Islands is made up of three buildings perched on a pier: the lobster building, the ice cream building, and the “Love Nest,” where the fried food is made. They use excellent local clams, just as plump as the Ipswich variety, and are wonderfully consistent in their timing: No overcooked bivalves here. Georgetown; fiveislandslobster.com

BLOUNT CLAM SHACK

Maine

BAGADUCE LUNCH

FROM TOP: Mac’s on the Pier in Wellfleet,

Massachusetts, part of a locally owned chain that’s become a Cape Cod summer staple; Woodman’s of Essex clams in all their golden-fried glory (available as a mail-order kit, too, for fans who want to fry ’em up at home).

BOB’S CLAM HUT

Bob’s is so devoted to its fried clams that it makes them two ways: Bob’s style, in which the clams are simply dredged in a corn-and-white-flour mix, and Lillian’s style (named after legendary employee Lillian Mangos), in which they are first bathed in an egg-and-milk wash. Both are excellent, so get a “two 40 |

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ways” order and decide for yourself. Kittery; bobsclamhut.com THE SEA BASKET

Though famed far and wide for its lobster rolls, Red’s Eats isn’t the only seafood spot in the charming midcoast town of Wiscasset. The Sea Basket on Route 1 (well south

Set on a peninsula jutting into the wide Bagaduce River, this seasonal stand does its best work in the deep fryer. Crunchy and fresh, the fried clams are standouts here; the tartar sauce is homemade. Bagaduce Lunch also offers peekytoe crab rolls and freshly picked crab meat to go (an increasingly rare find in Maine these days). Even better, you can drive your boat up to the dock. Penobscot; Facebook

New Hampshire ROW 34

Row 34 is known for its superior seafood sourcing, so it’s no surprise that its clams are sourced from Massachusetts’s North Shore and the fertile mud flats of Barnstable on Cape Cod. The fried whole bellies are particularly sweet, with just enough brine for balance, and bearing the dark gold color of a perfectly timed fry. The crowning touch? Lemon-rich tartar sauce, made in-house. Portsmouth; row34.com

VA N E S S A L E R OY/ T H E N E W YO R K T I M E S / R E D U X ( M A C ’ S O N T H E P I E R ); J O E S T. P I E R R E ( F R I E D C L A M S)

Yankee has hailed Warren as one of New England’s best food towns, and Blount Clam Shack is a jewel in its crown. The restaurant’s parent company is a seafood wholesaler, so the fried clams are always served close to the source. They’re juicy little flavor bombs, too, impeccably seasoned and wonderfully crisp. The tartar sauce and coleslaw could be better, but the clams are good enough to make you overlook that small disappointment. In the summer, go to Blount’s waterfront trailers on Water Street; off-season, the year-round café and market is the spot. Warren; blountretail.com/market/home

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Stylish Stays From Connecticut to Maine, fashion pros are turning inns and hotels into au courant overnights.

“No, never!” Christian Siriano hates to choose favorites. two furniture lines, debuted his own retail concept, No, not among his A-list clients or the fashion creations and bought a home in Westport. “I love Westport,” that have made him a world-renowned designer. This Siriano says. “It’s a wonderful community that celebrates time, it’s among the spaces he designed for the brandmodern living. I think art and artistic expression are new Delamar Westport, which is set to open in June appreciated here.” and put its own chic twist on New He has translated that love for England’s luxury hotel scene. modernity and artistic inspiration in “It’s too hard to choose,” Siriano his work at Delamar Westport, where says, though he adds, “I do think he designed the aforementioned lobby the lobby is quite a ‘wow’ moment W E S T P O R T, C T and three signature suites, including compared to what people might the sprawling 3,000-square-foot think a Connecticut hotel lobby presidential suite. While each space would look like. I really want people from all over the is different, they share a blend of soothing textures and colors, with creams, caramels, and soft blues working world to arrive at this space and enjoy it.” Siriano certainly made an entrance on the fashion in harmony. scene back in 2008, when he launched his eponymous “I really wanted each space to feel modern and fresh, but warm, like you are walking into your own home,” collection before dressing the likes of Michelle Obama, Siriano says. “The [furniture] pieces we created are Lady Gaga, and Oprah. Since then, he’s developed

Delamar Westport

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S H A N E L AVA N C H ER (P O RT R AI T ); S K E TC H BY C H R I ST IA N S I R IA N O

BY DEN N IS SA R LO

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S H A N E L AVA N C H ER (P O RT R AI T ); S K E TC H BY C H R I ST IA N S I R IA N O

Shown amid his sculptural furniture designs, Project Runway phenom Christian Siriano has been busy dressing up the world of interiors. TOP LEFT: Siriano’s conceptual sketch of the lobby at the new Delamar Westport in Connecticut.

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contemporary, with curved silhouettes being a theme throughout. Nothing is too bold or too sharp.” A palette of touchable, texture-rich fabrics is at the heart of this work, creating the calming environment that defines the Delamar Westport. “All the fabrics were really important in this design,” Siriano says. “That’s the case whether I’m working on a beautiful dress or a custom chair. Fabric can make a piece of furniture come to life and feel unique, even if the shape is classic.” It’s this updated take on classic forms and restful ambience, combined with that signature Siriano touch, that makes Delamar Westport such a notable addition to the area. Now that’s how you make a fashionable entrance. delamar.com/hotels/delamar-westport

The Waldoboro Inn WA L D O B O R O , M E

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Creative director and co-owner of The Waldoboro Inn, Alexa Stark, in the inn’s richly decorated living room; among the unconventional objets d'art are vintage wine decanters arrayed on a guest room mantel; in Room 5, Stark paired lavender walls and a dramatic Chinese wall hanging with orange silk velvet pillows upcycled from curtains in her childhood bedroom.

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GREG GILMAN/GOULD ACADEMY (PORTR AIT); NOL A LOGAN (PROPERT Y)

Color, creativity, and a delightful touch of visual humor await guests at The Waldoboro Inn, a late 19th-century sea captain’s house that fashion designer Alexa Stark purchased with three partners in 2022 and quickly imprinted with her signature style. The result? Spaces that blend the contemporary with the classic, weaving vintage touches together with up-to-the-moment art for a feeling that’s both inviting and ingenious. Each of the Waldoboro’s three guest rooms has its

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C O U R T E S Y O F TO D D S N Y D E R & M AT T H E W B R O O K S ( P O R T R A I T ); DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN (PROPERTY)

GREG GILMAN/GOULD ACADEMY (PORTR AIT); NOL A LOGAN (PROPERT Y)

own unique personality, with antiques and modern pieces chosen to delight. One-of-a-kind touches include a French settee with spray-painted flowers, a carnationcolored clawfoot tub and matching sink, and a collection of antique eel hooks (they look like a cross between a back scratcher and a spatula, for the uninitiated). And Stark’s dedication to supporting the arts can be seen not only in the Waldoboro’s fashionable design, but also in its artist-in-residence program, where visiting creatives can work in a studio in the property’s carriage house. Much like the drinks served at the inn’s inviting wine bar, this passion for art and inspiring creativity make for a perfect pairing. thewaldoboroinn.com

The past few years have seen Todd Snyder (LEFT), menswear designer and creative director for Woolrich Black Label, putting his visual stamp on the luxury Maine resort Hidden Pond. Among the 20 bungalows he's redesigned here are the Sea-Side (ABOVE), featuring whimsical oystershell wallpaper by John Derian, and the Country-Side (BELOW), which channels a more woodsy, rough-hewn vibe.

Hidden Pond K E N N E B U N K P O R T, M E

While planning a fashion collaboration with L.L. Bean that would make its debut in 2020, menswear designer Todd Snyder found himself falling in love with Maine. MAY | JUNE 2025

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That collection also inspired his redesign of a twobedroom cabin at the acclaimed Kennebunkport resort Hidden Pond, and has since resulted in his taking on the redesign of the property’s 20 bungalows. Each bungalow embodies one of three themes that characterize Maine itself. “Sea-Side” pays homage to the traditional beach house, with whitewashed woods, sisal rugs, oyster-shell wallpaper, and an overall light aesthetic. “Mountain-Side” mixes blues, browns, grays, and greens for a more rugged feel as it calls to mind Mount Katahdin, the state’s highest peak. “CountrySide” is a nod to Snyder’s first Hidden Pond project, the L.L. Bean–inspired From Away Lodge, with an outdoorsy aesthetic and walnut-colored woods. In every bungalow, locally sourced antiques and vintage decor sit beside works by area artists to create an atmosphere that’s authentically Maine—no matter which of the state’s stunning natural environments you choose. hiddenpondmaine.com 48 |

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White Barn Inn KENNEBUNK, ME

For Auberge Resorts’ White Barn Inn in Kennebunk, designer Jenny Wolf brought her eclectic eye to the property’s 27 guest rooms, suites, and cottages, as well as its two dining spaces. A tall design order, indeed, given that this 150-year-old inn has played host to countless celebrities and earns industry accolades year in and year out, including being named “Maine’s Leading Boutique Hotel” in 2024 by the World Travel Awards. Wolf ’s diverse background served her well in taking on a such a storied property—she worked in visual

GLEN ALLSOP (PORTRAIT); NOE DEWIT T (BEDROOM); AUBERGE RESORTS COLLECTION (LIVING ROOM & AERIAL)

After working for—and being inspired by—American fashion icon Ralph Lauren, Jenny Wolf (INSET) set out into the world of interior design. Her work for Maine’s White Barn Inn encompasses everything from refreshing the lobby (BELOW), riverside cottages (LOWER LEFT), and other spaces, to creating the look and feel inside the property’s brand-new luxury houseboat, the Cora (LEFT).

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merchandising at Ralph Lauren and grew up in New Orleans and South Carolina. What she ultimately created is a seamless mix of styles and eras that stays true to the inn’s classic buildings while keeping the overall feeling firmly in the present. The full effect reads a bit like “Shaker meets Seaport,” with handcrafted furniture and tasteful prints blending with a touch of modernity that often feels Scandinavian. Case in point: a sitting room that pairs oil paintings, black-and-white photography, and the wry visual note of a zebra-print rug. All in all, White Barn Inn’s refreshed and elegant design not only befits its rich past, but also is sure to spark ideas for its guests when they return home. aubergeresorts.com/ whitebarninn 50 |

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33 Main LENOX, M A

How do you discover what to do in a new place? Simple: Ask a local. Berkshires-born Annie Selke took that to heart when creating 33 Main in her beloved Lenox, Massachusetts. With a background in fashion merchandising and product development (at Ferragamo and Saks Fifth Avenue) as well as experience launching her own home furnishings lines, the designer was uniquely qualified to undertake the task of transforming a 19th-century Federal-style home into an eye-catchingly modern inn. Each of 33 Main’s eight guest rooms is outfitted with Selke’s own furniture and decor, along with plush mattresses from renowned Swedish brand Hästens. To make the experience even more relaxing, all of the spaces feature dreamy palettes in a range of creams, blues, and soft pinks. Upon arrival, guests are treated to freshly baked cookies in their rooms, while a late afternoon cocktail hour offers an ideal way to wind down after a day spent exploring the area. And you’d be hard-pressed to find a better home base to do so: The inn is located in the heart of Lenox, with everything the Berkshires has to offer just a short ride, bike, or hike away. thirtythreemain.com

SEAN MCLAUGHLIN

“I’ve always found it helpful when designing any space to put everything up on the wall, step back, assess, add, and delete ... until it all comes into balance aesthetically,” says Annie Selke (LEFT). Her style infuses her Massachusetts inn, 33 Main, whose Swedish-blue front door (TOP RIGHT) pays tribute to one of her all-time favorite colors, and whose dining room pairs one of her rug designs with equally vibrant wall decor.

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Whether you’re bound for Cape Cod, the White Mountains, the Maine coast, or any other summer-fun destination in our six-state region, the following pages prove one thing’s for sure: You won’t run out of ideas to jump-start your travels. I L L U S T R AT I O N A N D T Y P E D E S I G N B Y M I K E M U L L A N

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10 BEST THINGS TO DO THIS SUMMER B Y K I M K N OX B E C K I U S

produce that Cape Cod has to offer.

If your job allows you to work from anywhere, why wouldn’t you choose an outdoor table at The Raw Bar at Island Creek Oyster Farm in Duxbury (islandcreekoysters.com)? The Wi-Fi is reliable. Serene bay views and hyperlocal oyster selections will help clear your head. And there’s no task that can’t be made more palatable with a side of cheesy baked lobster dip.

HAIL A POPS ICON

SUP BY THE SEA Turning 100 is a big deal, so Supper on the Bay gatherings will have extra sparkle this year at Harwich’s Wequassett Resort and Golf Club (wequassett.com). On Thursday evenings in August, you can claim a seat at a long seaside table and dine in familystyle lavishness on the freshest sea fare and 56 |

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They called him “The Kid” when Keith Lockhart took the baton of the Boston Pops at the age of 35. More than 2,200 concerts later, his dynamic tenure as the face and grace of America’s Orchestra will be toasted August 22 at Tanglewood in Lenox (bso.org) with a 30th anniversary celebration featuring Bernadette Peters, Ben Folds, Lynn Ahrens, and other special guests.

BOOKMARK IT If you recognize the name Jeff Kinney, you probably know a tween who’s devoured his Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series. But did you know Kinney and his wife, Julie, have owned a destination bookstore in Plainville for 10 years? While Kinney admits

An Unlikely Story (anunlikelystory.com) isn’t exactly making him rich, he’s undeterred in his drive to revitalize everything that surrounds his downtown shop, once a general store. Pitch in by attending one of the many author talks held in the Second Story event space, or by curling up in the café with a matcha latte and a mystery or a beer and a biography.

FEEL A POWER SURGE Enormous garments suspended from tipi poles. Glass dance floors pulsing with kaleidoscopic light. Films. Soundtracks. Insights. The Jeffrey Gibson exhibit Power Full Because We’re Different has swept into massive Building 5 at North Adams’s Mass MoCA (massmoca.org) with an energy that electrifies the daunting space. Gibson, who last year became the first

solo Indigenous artist to represent the U.S. at the Venice Biennale, is known for multifaceted installations like this, celebrating queer and Indigenous communities and giving voice and visibility to two-spirit gender expression.

TAKE THE WHEEL “Van life” appeals to all ages, and Acton-based Walden Campervans (waldencampervans. com) offers fully outfitted vehicles—some even dog-friendly—that make it easy to try this way of vacationing. Owners Mike and Susie Patrick go the extra mile, creating complimentary customized itineraries that showcase New England’s most exceptional off-thegrid destinations. Mike joined Weekends with Yankee cohost Richard Wiese for a campervan adventure in Maine this season that might just inspire your own road

ISL AND CREEK OYSTERS

GET OUT OF YOUR SHELL

NEWENGLAND.COM

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ISL AND CREEK OYSTERS

Savor oysters within view of the actual waters where they were raised at The Raw Bar at Island Creek Oyster Farm in Duxbury.

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family home into America’s first museum devoted exclusively to contemporary realist art. It hasn’t taken long for their New Salem Museum & Academy of Fine Art (newsalemmuseum.com) to attract lovers of the genre to the tiny town of New Salem. You’ll be mesmerized each time you visit and discover the walls of this 19thcentury home sporting works by living masters and the icons—like John Singer Sargent and Andrew Wyeth—on whose shoulders they stand. Stop by New Salem General Store (newsalemgeneralstore.com) to pick up made-to-order sandwiches to enjoy on the patio.

E A

trip (check your local PBS listings).

SAVOR LOCAL FLAVOR Like an unexpected mirage on a Berkshires back road, Cantina (cantina229.com) is a glowy little restaurant that enchants from the get-go. Reopened last fall in New Marlborough by new owners Peter Chapin and Maddie Austin, it takes farm-totable to the next level: Most menu ingredients are grown or raised 58 |

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on Mill River Farm (millriverfarm.org), which is run by Chapin and his mother, Jan Johnson. Sip a cocktail infused with fresh-picked herbs while you peruse the week’s hyperseasonal selections, and you’ll immediately feel part of a foodie community.

PLAN AN ARTFUL ESCAPE Not even two years ago, ardent collectors Vincent and Laura Barletta transformed their beloved-for-generations

JOIN THE REVOLUTION The 250th-anniversary Reenactment of the Battle of Bunker Hill (battleofbunkerhill250. com) won’t be held in Boston, although the Bunker Hill Monument Association plans a June 17 commemoration at the obelisk that marks the battle’s actual location on Breed’s Hill. To accommodate spectators and upward of several hundred reenactors, Gloucester’s Stage Fort Park will step in to play the

battleground during two days of immersive events, June 21 and 22. You won’t just see the fighting unfold—you’ll learn how civilians of all classes, allegiances, genders, and races perceived, participated in, and were affected by the Revolutionary era.

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SAR A BILL PHOTOGR APHY FOR WALDEN CA M P ERVA N S; TO N Y LU O N G (M AS S M O CA)

GET BACK TO NATURE It’s like meditation in motion, strolling among sculptural works beautifully sited in the great outdoors. In the Berkshires, you could spend a whole weekend encountering art in the MAY | JUNE 2025

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wild. TurnPark Art Space in West Stockbridge (turnpark.com) has 16 acres of former quarry lands to explore yearround. In Lenox, The Mount (edithwharton.org) installs a new array of contemporary juried works across 50 acres, open free to the public

May 24–October 19. And sculptor Andrew DeVries (andrewdevries.com) gives visitors free range to frolic with the dancers and jesters along the Sculpture Trail at his gallery in Middlefield, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday, May 16–October 19 (donations accepted).

ABOVE: Oversized garments

mix ancient traditions and modern influences in Jeffrey Gibson’s Power Full Because We’re Different at Mass MoCA. FAR LEFT: The only thing better than finding the ideal home base for your New England vacation? Finding one that travels with you, à la the well-equipped adventuremobiles from Acton-based Walden Campervans.

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EDITORS’ PICKS

EAT & DRINK BURGER The Bistro Box, Great Barrington Run by two graduates of the Culinary Institute of America, this cheerful, seasonal window-service spot nestled beneath towering pines is no ordinary burger joint. Foodies come from miles away to dig into the signature Box Burger crowned with tomato-bacon jam, sharp cheddar, and garlic aioli, along with sides of Parmesan-truffle fries and crispy veggie spring rolls. Indulgent shakes and sundaes feature artisan ice cream from

BURGER: The Bistro Box, Great Barrington

Hadley’s Maple Valley Creamery. Watch for creative daily specials, and come early on weekends and sunny days to beat the crowds. thebistrobox.rocks

CLAM SHACK Straight Wharf Fish, Nantucket After a nationally publicized two-year legal fight with prominent billionaires who own wharf houses nearby, this stylish, laid-back clam shack finally opened last summer. The food is simple but fantastic (no surprise—it’s overseen by Gabriel Frasca, chef-owner of the renowned

Straight Wharf Restaurant next door). Pair the clam roll with pickled lettuce and tartar sauce with hand-cut onion rings and a crisp organic white wine from Crete. Harbor views and a warm white-oak interior make the scene more chic than shack. straightwharffish.com

CREATIVE COCKTAILS Steel & Wire, Worcester Named for and adorned with photos that honor Worcester’s rich industrial history, this intimate space blends the warm welcome of a neighborhood bar with the inventive cocktail program of a hip lounge. Talented mixologists will pour you anything from a classic martini to a thoroughly modern Fiery Passion (with jalapeño tequila, Aperol, passion fruit, and lime). Enjoy your sips while nibbling on hummus and charcuterie or—if it’s trivia night—testing your wits against those of your fellow patrons. steelandwirebar.com

FARM DINNERS Chatham Bars Inn Farm, Brewster Farm-to-table cuisine has been a Chatham Bars Inn hallmark since the resort’s inception … in 1914. These days, New England’s ultimate dining-at-thefarm experience takes place 20 minutes north, in the fields where the resort cultivates its own bounty of vibrant, peakflavored produce. Seated at communal tables, sharing a Wednesday evening’s four-course feast, you’ll feel nourished by both the earth that feeds you and the festive company of your new friends. chathambarsinn.com

OPEN KITCHEN

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COREY HENDRICKSON

Heirloom Lodge, West Stockbridge Counter seats overlooking the action are a hot ticket at this newcomer, and that’s not solely because chefowner Matt Straus was a theater kid at Skidmore. The renowned sommelier, chef, and restaurateur who founded San Francisco’s Heirloom Café has new “props” to play with at his first East Coast venture: namely, ultra-fresh local ingredients, assembled with the eye of a sculptor who chisels away the unnecessary. Even rotisserie chicken for two feels like a revelation in a space that is somehow totally 1797 and totally today. heirloomlodge.com

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WooSox at Polar Park

Off The Common Antiques

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Cornerstone Ranch

AND

YOUR WAY ACROSS

CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS New England Getaway Itinerary The Farm at SummitWynds

The Publick House Historic Inn

Fly, drive or take the train to Central MA this summer for a getaway you’re sure to enjoy. Don’t miss our Lavender Farm Fest in June, explore Worcester breweries, and catch a baseball game. Stay overnight so you can visit shops, horseback ride wooded trails and hike. For upcoming events, visitor tips, & so much more, consider us your local guide to the heart of Massachusetts.

start planning at

Salem Cross Inn

Wormtown Brewery

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in store I-91, Exit 24 · 25 Greenfield Road, South Deerfield, MA WILLIAMSTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS CLARKART.EDU 877.636.7707 · yankeecandle.com/village Generous support for this exhibition is provided by Carol and Bob Braun, Richard and Carol Seltzer, and the Tavolozza Foundation. Dame Laura Knight, A Balloon Site, Coventry (detail), 1943, oil on canvas. Imperial War Museum, London, Art.IWM ART LD 2750

HOUSE TOURS AUTHOR TALKS READINGS & MUSIC FAMILY PROGRAMS SCULPTURE PARK and more!

Tanglewood Music Center

Where stories come alive!

VISIT US IN LENOX, MA

EdithWharton.org

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MARTHA'S VINEYARD

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EDITORS’ PICKS: MASSACHUSETTS PIES Petsi Pies, Somerville It’s hard to choose a favorite from this venerable bakery, which is beloved for both sweet and savory creations. But you can’t go wrong with a slice of apple crumb or, available in autumn, sweet potato– pecan. Or feed the whole family with the hearty bacon-leek-Gruyère pie. Founded in 2003 by talented baker Renee “Petsi” McLeod, this sunny spot near Porter Square is now helmed by Jill Remby, who carries on McLeod’s tradition of excellence in decadence. petsipies.com

ROMANTIC RESTAURANT The Red Inn, Provincetown One of the most enchanting spots on the Outer Cape to celebrate a special occasion, this rambling 1805 house

the bones of the house, with luxury in details such as chandeliers, decorative fireplaces, and Frette sheets and linens. The 11 rooms and suites include a concierge service—a must with selfcheck-in (aka no front desk). It’s an easy walk to Pioneer Village and Forest River Park (an ideal spot from which to watch the moon rise). coachhousesalem.com

ISLAND RETREAT The Edgartown Collection, Martha’s Vineyard Comprising five stylishly updated historic inns, this 69-room boutique property offers walkable access to the many enticing restaurants and boutiques of Edgartown, on the east side of Martha’s Vineyard. Inviting amenities abound, including sunny porches and patios,

common spaces. You’ll appreciate the emphasis on “green living,” too, with easy access to a rail trail, on-site EV charger, independently ventilated rooms, and organic linens, towels, and toiletries. thetrailinadams.com

SHOP & PLAY ART GALLERY Salmon Falls Gallery, Shelburne Falls Master glass artist Josh Simpson, the proprietor of this airy gallery overlooking the Deerfield River, has earned international acclaim for his dazzling “Megaplanet” glass orbs, which are displayed at the Corning Museum of Glass and other illustrious institutions. Here you can browse his pieces, including many smaller and more affordable items like tumblers, vases, and pendants. But you’ll also find gorgeous works by more than 90 artists, including leather wallets, fiber wall art, and handforged jewelry. salmonfallsgallery.com

AUTHOR’S HOME

in Provincetown’s peaceful West End presents a seasonally changing menu of exquisite contemporary New England fare, with an emphasis on seafood. The lobster salad and local diver scallops with a citrus beurre blanc are among the stars. For brunch, book a table on the covered deck overlooking Provincetown Harbor. There are also eight overnight accommodations with sleek furnishings. theredinn.com

STAY BOUTIQUE HOTEL The Coach House, Salem A “Witch you were here” sign welcomes you to Instagrammable privacy at this upscale property. You’ll find history in

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waffle robes, and Lather bath products; a thoughtfully curated breakfast and afternoon snacks also come with your stay. theedgartowncollection.com

REFRESHED LODGING The Trail in Adams, Adams Count on a blissfully restful night when you tuck yourself into one of these nine artist-decorated rooms with en suite baths; maybe you’ll even drift off in the unique “floating” bed suspended from the ceiling in the Beau & Joe room. This semi-urban retreat was reopened in 2023 by Yina Moore, founder and director of the nearby Adams Theater. She kept the bold colors and playful patterns of the former Topia Inn while modernizing the

FAMILY ATTRACTION Heritage Museums & Gardens, Sandwich The top draws at this eclectic cultural campus are the encyclopedic collection of some 18,000 historic artifacts, from antique toys and maritime art to vintage automobiles, and the 70 acres of lovingly tended gardens. But kids especially enjoy scampering among the 80 treetop platforms that make up an exhilarating aerial adventure park. Make your way through the verdant forest canopy using bridges, ladders, and ziplines, and treat yourself afterward to a brownie sundae at the on-site Lilly’s Café. heritagemuseumsandgardens.org

RAREBRICK

ISLAND RETREAT: The Edgartown Collection, Martha’s Vineyard

Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, Concord When you tour the house where Louisa May Alcott both penned and set her seminal novel, Little Women, you’ll feel as though the author and her sisters might pop back through the turquoise front door at any moment. The collection of family possessions is remarkably intact, as is the spirit that has propelled her semi-autobiographical story through time and around the world. As Lexington and Concord mark 250 years since the outbreak of the Revolution, you’ll also be entering a structure that housed father-and-son militiamen and that has witnessed history since 1650. How lucky we are Louisa’s dad ignored neighborly advice to tear it down. louisamayalcott.org

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Perfectly Scituated

See Plymouth County SeePlymouth.com

Scituate Lighthouse, Scituate Town of PLYMOUTH

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Plymouth County Convention & Visitors Bureau

South of Boston’s Only Himalayan Salt Cave in the Heart of Scituate Harbor

Perfectly “Scituated” halfway between Boston and Cape Cod

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EDITORS’ PICKS: MASSACHUSETTS

FAMILY ATTRACTION: Heritage Museums & Gardens, Sandwich, p. 66

EcoTarium, Worcester Celebrating its 200th anniversary this year, the EcoTarium (originally called the Worcester Lyceum of Natural History) is a fun-filled destination for families with school-age kids. You’ll find live animal exhibits, interactive science experiments, a planetarium, and outdoor play areas designed to connect children with nature. A 12-minute open-air train ride is a multigenerational favorite. To honor the attraction’s bicentennial, a stunning new courtyard mural features hundreds of individual tiles painted by local families and community members. ecotarium.org

FLEA MARKET Brimfield Antique Flea Market, Brimfield Everyone from the most ardent collector to the occasional bargain hunter flocks to this thrice-annual mega rummage sale that’s been going strong since 1959. Thousands of dealers sprawl along a mile of U.S. Route 20, and

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treasures of all kinds await: Depression glass, vintage signs, patchwork quilts, elegant Shaker tables, plus myriad collectibles, from the trendy to esoteric. Each iteration of the market runs Tuesday through Sunday: May 13–18, July 8–13, and September 2–7 this year. brimfieldantiquefleamarket.com

HISTORIC SITE Lowell National Historical Park, Lowell Thanks to its auspicious setting on the Merrimack River, Lowell became the nation’s earliest planned textile factory town and, by the mid-19th century, its preeminent industrial center. Composed of several refurbished and unaltered buildings, this 142-acre park interprets the city’s rise, subsequent decline, and ongoing revitalization. Highlights include the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, the Pawtucket Dam and Gatehouse, a park devoted to native son Jack Kerouac, guided boat tours, and vintage trolley rides. nps.gov/lowe

ISLAND RIDES NanTukTuk, Nantucket This clever pedicab service was started in 2023 by Michael Gormley, an enterprising young man from New Hampshire who lived in Sri Lanka for 10 months. The ubiquitous tuk-tuks there, and the fact that his grandmother couldn’t negotiate the cobblestones of downtown Nantucket, gave Gormley the idea to start the company. He’s expanded his pickup territory and added more bright-red tricycle cabs to his fleet. It’s huge not to deal with Nantucket parking (and the name is very fun to say). nantuktuk.org

LIVE MUSIC VENUE The Cut, Gloucester Pop, rock, and country acts—including Alisan Porter, American Authors, and Los Lobos—have performed in this industrialchic club since it opened in downtown Gloucester in January 2024. Shows take place mostly on weekends and range from tribute bands and DJ sets to open-mic comedy and stand-up acts. thecutlive.com

C O U R T E S Y O F H E R I TA G E M U S E U M S & G A R D E N S

FAMILY-FRIENDLY MUSEUM

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SPRING Into History Celebrating History in Every Season

58 Main St, Concord, MA • 978-318-3061 • visitconcord.org

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EDITORS’ PICKS: MASSACHUSETTS

Ox & Yoke Mercantile, Sturbridge For timeless kitchen items like iron trivets, redware pottery, and handformed tin bakeware, shop the Ox & Yoke Mercantile at Old Sturbridge Village, where those Village-made crafts are beautifully displayed for sale, alongside an array of on-theme gifts. Need a 19thcentury-style dress? They’ve got you. You can visit this destination shop without purchasing admission to the museum, or hit up the online store to have handcrafted items shipped to you or to loved ones near and far. Every purchase helps sustain this living-history museum and its myriad educational programs. osv.org; shop.osv.org

NEW PERFORMANCE VENUE Doris Duke Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow, Becket Dance enthusiasts will greet this new performance space with open arms, as the 220-acre campus of Jacob’s Pillow has felt the absence of the original theater, lost to fire in 2020. Twice as big, with seating for up to 230 people,

FLEA MARKET: Brimfield Antique Flea Market, p. 68

the design balances technological innovation with connecting the “magic box” to the land: It can be completely darkened for video and live streams, or fully opened to the outdoors. Undoubtedly, it will impact the future of dance around the world. An opening celebration runs July 6–12, followed by the world premiere of Andrew Schneider’s HERE. jacobspillow.org

Honorees were selected by Yankee editors with contributions from Meg Lukens Noonan, a Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award–winning freelance writer and Nantucket devotee; and Andrew Collins, a travel writer based part-time in New Hampshire and author of numerous guidebooks, including Ultimate Road Trips USA & Canada.

JOEL LAINO

MUSEUM GIFT SHOP

You can’t what happened Youunderstand can’t understand what happened 250 years without understanding 250ago, years ago, without understanding what happened here first. what happened here first. The events ideasand that tookthat roottook hereroot in Plymouth, Theand events ideas here in Plymouth, Massachusetts, carved a carved path toathe American Revolution. Massachusetts, path to the American Revolution. The Mayflower CompactCompact was signed November 11, The Mayflower wasonsigned on November 11, 1620. This historic was the beginning of a 1620. Thismoment historic moment was the beginning of a groundbreaking experiment in civil government. groundbreaking experiment in civil government. Yet, this story is not only theabout Pilgrims. The Indigenous Yet, this story is about not only the Pilgrims. The Indigenous Woodlands People have lived here from time immemorial. Woodlands People have lived here from time immemorial. In moments of collaboration and conflict, success and In moments of collaboration and conflict, success and failure, unity andunity division, self realization or servitude, the failure, and division, self realization or servitude, the great American Experiment encompasses all. great American Experiment encompasses all. Join Plimoth Patuxet Patuxet to explore stories Join Plimoth to these explore these stories in pursuit a moreofperfect forunion all. for all. inof pursuit a moreunion perfect

Commemorate Massachusetts 250 with Commemorate Massachusetts 250 with

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WICKED WILD WALKS of Plymouth Discover Plymouth’s rich tapestry of stories, shocking tales of America's ancestors, and four centuries of dramatic and educational history.

TOURS

FIND US, FOLLOW US, CELEBRATE WITH US!

Quincy400.com

Playtime With Plimoth’s Dark Dolly Bawdy Bards & Silly Shenanigans Kids in the Colonies Misbehavin’ Ladies Bathsheba Beyond the Grave Who Shot J.R. Newcomen?

EVENTS

Kids Events Wicked Wild Murder Mystery Events and so much more!

wickedwildwalks.com

PRESENTED BY

F O U N DAT I O N

moo! Come celebrate community, creativity, and culture this summer when CowParade comes to Sturbridge, MA. CowParade opens June 21 Plan your visit at

WWW.OSV.ORG Similar painted cows will be on display at OSV. Sunflowers Wild by Mike Bryce CowParade New England

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The colorful, f lavorful, and semi-chaotic glory of the North End’s festas (or feast days) celebrates the southern Italian heritage of honoring beloved saints and martyrs with processions, music, food, and prayer. Streets fill with revelers, live music echoes off brick buildings, and the air is scented with savory sausage and peppers. Two of the largest are the Fisherman’s Feast (fishermansfeast.com), August 14–17, and Saint Anthony’s Feast (stanthonysfeast.com), August 28–31, but all are worth checking out.

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Boston’s skyline seem to outshine any other on the harbor. Water taxis board at Fan Pier or Long Wharf on the Boston side and disembark on the Eastie side just steps from Mida (midarestaurant.com), chef Douglass Williams’s award-winning Italian restaurant, where the meatballs, gnocchi cacio e pepe, and clam pizza hold their own against the scenery.

PEDAL THE PARKS Don’t get so distracted by the harbor’s sapphire waters that you forget the city’s Emerald Necklace. Urban AdvenTours (urbanadventours.com) runs a four-hour guided bike tour through the beautiful string of parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. From the Esplanade to the Southwest Corridor

Park and the Arnold Arboretum, you’ll cover more than 15 miles and several of the city’s most beloved urban oases. Or, strike out on your own with a rented e-bike from the network of Bluebikes (bluebikes.com) parked all over Boston, and you’ll barely break a sweat.

SOAK UP FREE CULTURE The Boston Landmarks Orchestra (landmarks orchestra.org) hosts openair concerts at the Hatch Shell throughout the summer. Grab snacks and a beer before the show at the Esplanade’s Night Shift Brewing beer garden (nightshiftbrewing .com). Alternatively, Free Shakespeare on the Common (comm shakes.org) presents performances of As You Like It from mid-July

through early August on Boston Common. Nab picnic supplies at the newly opened Flour Bakery (flourbakery.com) at the nearby Concession Pavilion and savor a repast beneath the stars.

CATCH A TROPICAL WAVE Tiki Boat Boston (tikiboatboston.com) operates a f leet of three pontoon boats, all decked out in full tiki bar fashion with palm roofs and tropical silk f lowers arranged around a full bar complete with bartender and DJ. Parties of up to 24 can sip mai tais and palomas while cruising Boston Harbor and soaking up views of iconic landmarks on the 90-minute trip. Private and corporate reservations are available, too.

M AT T C O N T I

JOIN THE PARTY

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M AT T C O N T I

The narrow streets of Boston’s traditionally Italian neighborhood, the North End, fill with revelers, live music, and all kinds of fantastic food aromas during Saint Anthony’s Feast.

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GET YOUR LICKS IN Take inspiration from the Massachusetts Ice Cream Trail (visitma .com/massachusetts-icecream-trail), which highlights 100-plus sweet spots across the state, to plot your own scoop-filled journey across Greater Boston. Emack and Bolio’s in Charlestown and the Back Bay, Gracie’s in Somerville, and Honeycomb Creamery in Cambridge are all worth a visit, along with locally owned mainstays like New City Microcreamery, Toscanini’s, and Christina’s in Cambridge; Boston Ice Cream Factory in Dorchester; Crescent Ridge at the Boston 74 |

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Public Market; and vegan specialist FoMu in the South End, Fenway, and Quincy Market.

TAKE A SKY-HIGH DIP The Colonnade Hotel (colonnadehotel.com) boasts a lovely rooftop pool with views of the Back Bay and the South End, food and drink service, and cabanas to rent. It’s open to the public Monday through Thursday and on Sunday afternoons for a fee of $55, which seems fair for a full day of waterside luxury in the heart of the city.

CHOW DOWN IN CHINATOWN Along with roughly 7,000 residents, Chinatown is

home to legacy eateries and newcomers, plus bakeries, barbecue spots, and enough other treasures to fill a weekend itinerary. Boston Chinatown Tours (bostonchinatowntours .com), led by longtime resident Jacqueline Church, takes you to the best of the best, with delicious bites and deep insights along the way.

GO ‘FOURTH’ AND CONQUER There’s more to Independence Day in Boston than the Pops and fireworks. Attend the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence from the balcony of the Old State House in the morning, then head to

the Seaport to view the turnaround cruise of the USS Constitution (ussconstitutionmuseum .org). In the afternoon, head to Downtown Crossing for an ice cream social and the reading of Frederick Douglass’s electric 1852 speech NEWENGLAND.COM

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COURTESY OF THE COLONNADE, BOSTON

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COURTESY OF THE COLONNADE, BOSTON

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“What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”

ROLL WITH IT A great lobster roll eaten by the water is the ultimate expression of the form. ReelHouse Oyster Bar (reelhouse MAY | JUNE 2025

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oysterbar.com) sits at the very end of Fan Pier, and its lobster roll, served cold with mayo or hot with butter, is excellent. The restaurant is upscale, with seafood towers and caviar service (along with Neapolitan-style pizzas for the seafood-averse).

Looking for a seafoodshack vibe? James Hook & Co. ( jameshooklobster .com) has all the classics —hot and cold rolls, lobster pie, chowder— just a stone’s throw from the spot where Fort Point Channel meets the harbor.

ABOVE: The scenic rooftop

pool at The Colonnade Hotel raises the question: Who needs a beach when you’ve got the city at your feet? FAR LEFT: At Greater Boston’s top-shelf ice cream spots, it’s hard to stop at just one cone, let alone just one scoop. (Pictured, from left: Toscanini’s, New City Microcreamery, Crescent Ridge, FoMu, and Honeycomb Creamery.)

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EDITORS’ PICKS

EAT & DRINK AFFORDABLE SEAFOOD Yankee Lobster Co., Boston Located at the far eastern end of Northern Avenue, this Seaport District standby does quality seafood at reasonable-forBoston prices: Fish sandwiches, fish and chips, and fried clam strips come in at $20 or less, and the abundant fisherman’s platter, heaped with enough fried seafood to feed two, is about $40. It helps that the restaurant fronts a wholesale operation that moves thousands of pounds of fresh lobster on any given day. yankeelobstercompany.com

BAGELS

BAKERY Colette, Boston Baguettes, croissants, éclairs, macarons, quiches—there isn’t a single thing at this South End bakery-café that fails to delight us. Of particular note are the canelés and the classic flan Parisien, brimming with custardy goodness, and the brioche filled with chocolate-hazelnut praline. Small and charming (mignon, as the French would say), Colette is the neighborhood spot we all wish we had. Additional locations in Medford and Melrose. colettebakery.com

BRUNCH Bar Vlaha, Brookline Prime-time dinner reservations can be tough to get at Bar Vlaha, whose superlative Greek cuisine has seen it consistently lauded as one of Boston’s best restaurants. Brunch, on the other hand, is a more relaxed affair—and it’s just as terrific. Standouts include saganaki, fried sheep’s milk cheese in a

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BRUNCH: Bar Vlaha, Brookline

Metaxa brandy sauce with pistachios and a bit of jam or seasonal fruit; tsoureki, a Greek take on French toast with fruit, whipped cream, and fantastically creamy maple yogurt; and the tangy, spicy egglover’s dream known as shakshouka. barvlaha.com

foodies. Savor the wood-fired seafood, the cheddar-scallion cornbread with miso butter, and any of the imaginative peak-produce salads (think: beets and berries, or peaches and purslane). fieldandvinesomerville.com

COFFEE SHOP

SRV, Boston Nine-year-old SRV always captivates us. How can a restaurant be this consistently great for so long? The menu is deeply Italian with a special focus on Venetian cuisine, yet it also surprises (think: pasta stuffed with beets and poppy seeds, a classic in Northern Italy but rare here). Plus, they have two outdoor patios for summer dining. With new chef de cuisine Jacey Vaccaro at the helm, we can’t wait to see what comes next. srvboston.com

Ogawa Coffee, Boston If the work-from-home trend has thinned out the crowd of coffee drinkers in downtown Boston, you’d never know it at this buzzing spot near Downtown Crossing. The only U.S. outpost of a three-quarter-century-old Japanese coffee company, Ogawa is most notable for its skill in coaxing maximum flavor out of its beans without adding acidity or bitterness, as its popularity proves. ogawacoffeeusa.com

FARM-TO-TABLE DINING Field & Vine, Somerville The vibes at this seasonal-dining haven are downright Edenic: twinkling lights, abundant greenery, and a friendly mix of neighborhood regulars and visiting

ITALIAN RESTAURANT

LUNCH Sofra Bakery & Café, Allston and Cambridge We have long loved Sofra’s contemporary spins on traditional dishes from Turkey, Lebanon, and Greece. But almost as soon as the original Cambridge location

BIRCH

Bagelsaurus, Cambridge Greater Boston has seen a bagel renaissance these past few years, with a number of excellent spots graduating from pop-ups to full-fledged brick-andmortar operations (Exodus Bagels in Roslindale and Brick Street Bagels in the South End, to name two). But Bagelsaurus still rules them all, thanks to bagels blessed with tender-but-chewy interiors, crackling exteriors, and just-right coatings—delicious on their own or as the foundation for an astoundingly good breakfast sandwich. bagelsaurus.com

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where urban explorers go to wander and stroll, and savor and taste the best locally sourced food around.

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EDITORS’ PICKS: BOSTON

opened in 2008, it outgrew its small space. With its much larger second café now open in Allston, Sofra offers spacious comfort in which to enjoy classics like spinach falafel with beet tzatziki, lamb shawarma, and heirloom tomato galettes with feta. Don’t skip dessert: The sesame-cashew bars and chocolate earthquake cookies are signature treats. sofrabakery.com

STAY AFFORDABLE OVERNIGHT

BOUTIQUE HOTEL The Newbury Boston, Boston Rebranded and completely reimagined in 2021, The Newbury continues the luxe heritage of its original incarnation as the nation’s very first Ritz-Carlton hotel, circa 1927. Its refined rooftop Italian restaurant, Contessa, keeps foodie guests fully sated, while its more

AFFORDABLE OVERNIGHT: Hotel 1868, Cambridge

NEW FAMILY ATTRACTION: Museum of Ice Cream, Boston, p. 80

lounge-y street-side bar offers a perfect place to linger. With in-room tea service and your very own fireplace “butler,” you can’t help but feel you’ve landed someplace truly special. If at all possible, splurge for a park-side room: The sweeping views of the Public Garden are worth it. thenewburyboston.com

HOTEL LOBBY Four Seasons Hotel Boston, Boston Superstar designer Ken Fulk refreshed the common areas of this downtown stalwart to highlight its location

across from the Public Garden, with an ethereal Maxfield Parrish–esque mural behind the front desk and a series of lobby “living rooms” inspired by grand country houses. Guests and visitors alike can dine in style at the Fulkenvisioned Coterie, a sleek bar-café with botanical-inspired cocktails and both French and New England classics (e.g., steak frites and lobster rolls). fourseasons.com/boston

SHOP & PLAY BAKERS’ MECCA Elmendorf Baking Supplies, Cambridge The modest scale of this storefront belies its outsize appeal for carb lovers: a full-service café, kitchen supplies ranging from French whisks to proofing baskets to sanding sugars and sprinkles, a range of baking books, and knowledgeable staffers to answer any question. They even mill flour here from local grains, using it in the café’s pastries and also bagging up the good stuff for shoppers to take home and turn into the best bread they’ve ever made. elmendorfbaking.com

HIDDEN-GEM MUSEUM Nichols House Museum, Boston If you’ve ever longed to peek behind the facade of a stately Beacon Hill townhouse, now’s your chance. The Nichols House Museum beautifully preserves the former residence of Rose Standish Nichols, a landscape architect and writer—and niece of legendary sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens—who lived here from 1885 until her death in 1960. Inside the rooms, you’ll find period

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COURTESY OF HOTEL 1868 (LOBBY); COURTESY OF MUSEUM OF ICE CREAM, BOSTON (KITCHEN)

Hotel 1868, Cambridge To find a quality stay priced consistently under $300 per night—even on peak summer weekends—head to Cambridge’s Porter Square, situated within easy reach of adjacent Harvard and Davis squares and their abundant restaurants, shops, and theaters. Located across the street from a subway stop, this chic 50-room hotel offers a gym, business facilities, concierge service, and modestly sized but generously comfy rooms. hotel1868.com

NEWENGLAND.COM

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SO MUCH TO

a e S vibrant arts & culture heritage & historic sites natural beauty ocean/farm to table food

PLAN YOUR NEXT GETAWAY AT NORTHOFBOSTON.ORG

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Welcome To America’s Oldest Restaurant

A National Historic Landmark On The Freedom Trail One Block From Historic Faneuil Hall

Specializing In Hearty Portions Of Yankee Style Seafood, Fresh New England Lobster And Grilled Meats 617-227-2750 41 Union Street • Boston Sunday-Thursday 11 am-9 pm • Friday & Saturday 11 am-10 pm • Functions Validated Parking • All Major Credit Cards Honored • Reservations Recommended Visit Our Website • www.unionoysterhouse.com

furniture, Flemish tapestries, pieces by Saint-Gaudens, and mementos that tell the story of Nichols’s life as she moved through Boston’s literary, political, and artistic circles. nicholshousemuseum.org

NEW FAMILY ATTRACTION Museum of Ice Cream, Boston The city’s latest entry in the “immersive experiences” category, this candycolored ode to America’s favorite dessert invites visitors into a fantasy world that encompasses a ball pit filled with oversize ice cream sprinkles (sadly, nonedible), a simulated airplane flight on the “Creamliner,” interactive ice cream trivia, and a tasting lab where the samples include lobster ice cream (buttery and creamy, but not overtly lobster-y). museumoficecream.com

SMALL ART MUSEUM McMullen Museum of Art, Brighton In 2021, Fidelity vice chairman and Boston College alum Peter Lynch donated $20 million worth of his personal art collection to this BC-owned institution on Commonwealth Avenue. The gift included works by such heavy hitters as Sargent, Cassatt, Picasso, and Homer, now on display on the museum’s first floor. Upstairs, special exhibits on topics such as illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the Irish Arts and Crafts movement, and the Cuban avant-garde are curated as expertly as in much larger museums, but on a more intimate scale. mcmullenmuseum.bc.edu

MOVIE THEATER Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline How rare it is to find a 1933 Art Deco movie palace selling out on any given night of the week—and rarer still that it should show a dizzying range of new releases, retrospectives, midnight screenings, documentaries, and films shot in 70mm (and serve up a mean tub of popcorn with real butter, to boot). With its long-awaited expansion finally completed, the Coolidge has added classes and seminars to the mix. Simply put, it’s a national treasure for Bostonians to call their own. coolidge.org

NATURE ESCAPE Boston Nature Center & Wildlife Sanctuary, Mattapan Sixty-seven acres in all, these woods, meadows, and wetlands offer blessed relief from urban life without the need to venture beyond city limits. Equally diverting are the various educational

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3/26/25 3:38 PM

EDITORS’ PICKS: BOSTON

MOVIE THEATER: Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline

trail welcomes nature lovers of all abilities. massaudubon.org

NEW ENGLAND STYLE FIX (MEN’S) Sault New England, Boston It’s not just the merchandise that makes this store so appealing—it’s the merchandising. In his South End shop (there’s a second location in Portsmouth, New Hampshire), owner Philip Saul evokes a world of oxfords and flannels, regattas, and striped silk ties with vintage New England–style home accessories and locally made leather wallets. Sault’s ever-growing lines for women and kids are worth a look, too. saultne.com

ANTON GRASSL

NEW ENGLAND STYLE FIX (WOMEN’S)

programs, spanning birding excursions and foraging walks to poetry workshops and crafting classes. (Where else can you make your own candles and herbal oils using plants harvested on-site?) Meanwhile, a mile-long universal-access

La Ligne, Boston Among La Ligne’s founders is Boston native Meredith Melling, which may be why there’s more than a little New England style in this NYC-based clothing line. In La Ligne’s recently opened boutique on Newbury Street, modern takes on nautical stripes appear in many colors and fabrics, monogramming is

IN THE IN KEY OF IN THE KEYOF OF THE KEY

SUMMER SUMMER SUMMER

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encouraged, and cardigans get a star turn. But for all its nods to the classics, this is decidedly fashion-forward clothing, with silhouettes that tuck and swing in all the right places. Bonus: Many popular pieces come in sizes from XXS to 3X. lalignenyc.com

SECRET FASHION STASH Designers Circus, Allston The Filene’s Basement era of deep discounts on designer fashion may be sadly over, but this nondescript shop in Allston Village is doing its best to fill the void. Owner Kathleen O’Neill had her own clothing line for decades and now sells clothing by about 80 independent designers from around the world for at least half off retail. Styles range from earthy to cutting-edge, and with a bit of digging, you’ll always find something that suits you—and that no one else has. designerscircus.biz Honorees were selected by Yankee editors led by senior food editor Amy Traverso, longtime Boston resident and the cohost of Weekends with Yankee.

Get your tickets at tickets Get youryour tickets at Get tanglewood.org tanglewood.org tanglewood.o 3/24/25 2:51 2:55 PM PM 3/19/25

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BEST OF

NEW ENGLAND N

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10 BEST THINGS TO DO THIS SUMMER B Y K I M K N OX B E C K I U S

Hatchland Farm milk and cream.

Our love for Super Secret Ice Cream (supersecreticecream.com) is no secret: We visited this farm-to-homemadewaffle-cone destination in Bethlehem during Season 8 of Weekends with Yankee (weekendswithyankee.com). And we’re not surprised Kristina Zontini’s creative creamery is a semifinalist for a “culinary Oscar”—a James Beard Award for Outstanding Bakery— especially since she herself was a semifinalist last year in the Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker category. You be the judge when you dig into tiny-batch flavors like blueberry basil and rhubarb almond crunch, all scratch-made with organic sugar and

LET THE DOGS OUT

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Whitefield’s Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa (mountainview grand.com) has catapulted into a new category of dog-friendliness with its Mountain Paws program. In addition to creature comforts like homemade treats, plush pet beds, and food and water bowls, furry guests receive a Tractive GPS & Health Tracker, allowing them to romp freely through the resort’s 1,700 acres.

PADDLE TO THE PEARLS You’ll never forget the thrill of kayaking out to a floating farmhouse and

slurping oysters fresh from the tidal waters of Little Bay. Two-hour outings with PK Paddle Tours (pkpaddletours.com), in collaboration with Hidden Coast Shellfish (hiddencoastshellfish.com), blend wildlife observation and ecological insights with one-of-a-kind gastronomic indulgence. Public tours depart June through mid-October from Durham; private excursions can be booked year-round.

HIT THE HIGH NOTES If it’s been a while since you were spellbound, you owe yourself tickets to a performance at Blow-Me-Down Farm in Cornish, the summer home of Opera North (operanorth.org). Picnic

in this mountain-view setting before ducking under the weatherproof tent, where all ages are mesmerized by the pageantry and vocal gymnastics of opera reimagined for a new era. Summerfest runs June 27–July 27 and features stagings of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, an operatic retelling of Antoine de SaintExupéry’s The Little Prince, and the musical Man of La Mancha, as relevant today as when it debuted 60 years ago.

CHECK OUT A ROCK STAR The Beatles sang about diamonds in the heavens. If you’re a rock hound, you can harvest your own amethyst, feldspar,

C A I T B O U R G A U LT

EMBRACE COLD COMFORT

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C A I T B O U R G A U LT

Launched in a ski shed in founder Kristina Zontini’s backyard, Super Secret Ice Cream debuted its Bethlehem scoop shop in 2022.

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quartz, garnet, and uraninite at “The Mine in the Sky.” Ruggles Mine (rugglesmine.net), atop Isinglass Mountain in Grafton, reopened last summer after sitting dormant since 2016. First tapped for minerals in 1803 and operated as a tourist attraction starting in the early 1960s, it’s still a place of wonder, where $30 buys you “license” to collect up to 84 |

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a five-gallon bucket of rocks. Plus, there’s tent and self-contained RV camping for just $10 a person per night.

HEAD FOR THE HILLS An unpaved country lane leads to a dream of an inn that’s less than two hours from Boston but far, far away from the city’s pace. In New Durham, Top of the Ridge Farm

(topoftheridgefarm.com) sits high and remote enough to have a White Mountains view, and getting there in a heartbeat means you’ll be relaxing in a red Adirondack chair, noshing on the inn’s signature charcuterie board, and sipping your favorite beverage before you know it. Although the building has 18th- and 19th-century origins, your

private chamber is bright and contemporary. And it’s one of only four, so you’ll feel like this adultsonly haven is all yours.

GET YOUR NOM ON When Scott Letourneau and his wife, Karen, returned to New England after more than two decades in Oregon, they found themselves missing the NEWENGLAND.COM

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K ATA S A S VA R I (O P E R A N O R T H )

MAG

STUART HORNE (TIDELINE PUBLIC HOUSE)

TRAVEL

TAKE A DEEP BREATH

K ATA S A S VA R I (O P E R A N O R T H )

STUART HORNE (TIDELINE PUBLIC HOUSE)

firepits to chase away after-dark chills.

year-round craft beer and food truck scene. So in 2023, they transformed the site of Durham’s old town hall into Tideline Public House (tidelinepublichouse.com), a family-friendly indooroutdoor hangout with 16 beers on tap and as many as seven food vendors dishing up bites for all tastes. There’s more: an on-site mercantile, two overnight rooms, and MAY | JUNE 2025

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Salinated breezes and the ocean’s rolling rhythms can take you deeper into your yoga practice. So join Hampton Beach Yoga & Mindfulness (hamptonbeachyoga.com) near the Seashell Stage in Hampton Beach for free yoga classes at 7 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 17– September 4. You’ll need to preregister online using the provided code, and there’s a limit of two free classes per person per month.

JOIN THE PARTY Our Yankee Publishing siblings at New Hampshire Magazine throw an annual Best of New Hampshire celebration (nhmagazine.com/best-ofnh) spotlighting their own honorees, and this year’s fete at Flag Hill Distillery & Winery in Lee is your chance to sip and savor your way around the state, all in one place. Secure your tickets for June 26, then dress your gardenparty best for an evening of music and good cheer.

COMMENCE TOETAPPING The tickets go fast for outdoor summer concerts

FROM LEFT: The laid-back dining scene at Tideline Public House in Durham; stepping lively at an Opera North performance under the Summerfest big top at Cornish’s Blow-Me-Down Farm.

in the Meadow at The Word Barn in Exeter (thewordbarn.com). These top-notch shows have the intimacy of a backyard bash, and even your dog is invited (if your dog likes New Orleans jazz, say, or gritty folk-rock). Book the on-site Airbnb, and you’re guaranteed admission even if the evening’s show is sold out. The music jumps inside the renovated 17thcentury barn if storm clouds threaten. For our New Hampshire Editors’ Picks, see p. 96 >>

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the musical

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Thisis unique and popular family owned and operated restaurant one This unique and popular owned and operated restaurant isis one Th unique andfamily popular restaurant is one ofofof Lunch and Dinner Daily thepopular Lakes Region’s most loved since 1989! 1989! This unique andand popular family owned and operated restaurant is one of of This unique family owned and operated restaurant is one the Lakes Region’s most loved since the Lakes Region’ sGourmet most loved since 1989! Live Musical Entertainment Nightly! thethe Lakes Region’s most loved since 1989! Lakes Region’s most loved since 1989! Serving Award-Winning Gourmet Pizza, Pasta, Seafood, Steak, Serving Award-Winning Pizza, Pasta, Seafood, Steak, Chicken, Veal, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soup, Salads, Serving Award-Winning Gourmet Pizza, Pasta, Seafood, Steak, Serving Award-Winning Gourmet Pizza, Pasta, Seafood, Steak, Award-winning Italian Menu Featuring all Your Favorites! Chicken, Veal, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soup,Pizza, Salads, Serving Award-Winning Gourmet Sandwiches, Desserts, Beer, Wine and and Spirits! Chicken, Veal, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Soup, Salads, Chicken, Veal, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soup, Salads, Desserts, Beer, Wine Spirits! TwoSandwiches, Bars and an Vegan, International Wine List! Pasta, Seafood, Steak, Chicken, Veal, Sandwiches, Desserts, Beer, Wine andand Spirits! Sandwiches, Desserts, Beer, Wine Spirits! Lunch Dinner Daily Lunch && Dinner Daily Join us in THE GROTTO AT GIUSEPPE’S for Karaoke, Thursdays at 10 p.m. ReservationsVegan, Highly Recommended and Greatly Appreciated! Lunch & Dinner Daily Lunch & Dinner Daily Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Soup, Salads, Reservations Highly Recommended and Greatly Appreciated! and DJ and dancing, Fridays and Saturdays 10 p.m.–1 a.m. Reservations Highly Recommended andand Greatly Appreciated! Reservations Highly Recommended Greatly Enjoy outdoor outdoor seating (weather permitting), orAppreciated! dining in Enjoy seating (weather permitting), or dining in Sandwiches, Desserts, Beer, Wine & Spirits! “The Greenhouse” overlooking the Waterfalloratat Mill Falls, outdoor seating (weather dining in in Enjoy outdoor seating (weather permitting), or dining “The Greenhouse” the Waterfall Mill Falls, • permitting), Delivery (within 5overlooking miles) Reservations highly recommended Take-out • Enjoy The Upstairs Main Dining Room, orthe “The Grotto” Giuseppe’s. “The Greenhouse” overlooking the Waterfall at Mill Falls, Greenhouse” overlooking Waterfall atatatMill Falls, NH Lunch Dinner Daily •& The Upstairs Main Dining Room, or “The Grotto” Giuseppe’s. Corner of“The Routes 3 & 25 Mill Falls Marketplace, Meredith, TheThe Upstairs Main Dining Room, or or “The Grotto” at Giuseppe’s. Upstairs Main Dining Room, “The Grotto” at Giuseppe’s.

Lunch and Dinner Daily Live Musical Entertainment Nightly! PIZZERIA RISTORANTE Reservations are highly recommended (603) 279-3313 Corner of Routes Routes 33 && 25 25 • Mill Mill Falls Marketplace, Marketplace, Meredith, NH NH Corner of •Menu Falls Meredith, Award-winning Italian Featuring all Your Favorites! Menu, daily specials, menu, hours and info. at giuseppesnh.com & greatly appreciated! Corner of Routes 3 & 25 • Mill Falls Marketplace, Meredith, NHNH Corner of Routes 3 & 25 • Mill Falls Marketplace, Meredith, (603) 279-3313 • Menu, Daily Specials, Hours & Info at www.giuseppesnh.com (603) 279-3313 • Menu, Daily and Specials, Hours & Info at www.giuseppesnh.com Lunch Dinner Daily Two Bars andSpecials, an International List! (603) 279-3313 • Menu, Daily Hours & Info atWine www.giuseppesnh.com (603) 279-3313 • Menu, Daily Specials, Hours & Info at www.giuseppesnh.com Enjoy outdoor seatingEntertainment (weather permitting), or dining Live Musical Nightly! Join us in THE GROTTO AT GIUSEPPE’S for Karaoke, Thursdays at 10 p.m. in “Th eandGreenhouse” overlooking theall10Waterfall DJ and dancing, Saturdays p.m.–1 a.m. at Mill Award-winning ItalianFridays Menuand Featuring Your Favorites! Falls,Two ThBars e Upstairs Main Dining Room, and5an International Wine List! or • Reservations highly recommended (within miles) at Take-out • Delivery “Th e Grotto” Guiseppe’s

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This is where you want to be!

Summer Sum m 2025 25 25 by Marc Camelotti translated by Beverly Cross and Francis Evans directed by Brendon Fox

Dial M for Murder

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher based on the play by Frederick Knott directed by Laura Kepley

OUR

YEAR

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The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

book by Rachel Sheinkin music & lyrics by William Finn

by Karen Zacarías directed by Melissa Crespo

conceived by Rebecca Feldman directed by Jen Wineman

Hay Fever by Noël Coward directed by Brendon Fox

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3/25/25 1:58 PM

Where Cozy Meets Wild – A Luxury Glamping Escape in the White Mountains

Treehouses, hobbit homes, and boutique cabins—Alpine Garden is where nature and comfort collide. Experience peaceful nights, stunning views, and campfire memories, all just minutes from North Conway. Reserve your stay today.

THE MARGATE RESORT LOCATED ON 400 FEET OF PRIVATE SANDY BEACH ON THE SHORES OF LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE AND OFFERING 141 BEAUTIFULLY APPOINTED GUEST ROOMS.

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3/25/25 1:59 PM

EDITORS’ PICKS

EAT & DRINK CRAFT BREWERY Blasty Bough Brewing Company, Epsom Set in a cozy restored farmhouse, this sustainability-focused nanobrewery turns out complex, inventive ales such as the cardamom-and-vanilla-spiced Högmåne Scottish ale and The Welcome Table, a heady Belgian-style golden strong ale. After filling up on a Korean-spice-rubbed brisket sandwich or a hummus-and-veggie plate, head upstairs to enjoy the music of some of the region’s leading folk acts in the intimate listening room. Although Blasty Bough’s setting is pastoral, it’s less than a 20-minute drive from Concord. blastybough.com

FARM-TO-TABLE DINING The Hungry Diner, Walpole The sprawling field beside this festive farmer-owned restaurant is filled with tables, a swing set, and various outdoors games, giving the feel of a family picnic. The kitchen sources most of its ingredients, including beef, pork, and poultry, from its nearby sustainably operated farm (which also offers cozy accommodations in a 1774 country inn). Dig into thoughtfully prepared comfort food like mac and cheese with fried chicken and jalapeños, and sample a flight of beer from the impressive list of 16 on tap. hungrydinerwalpole.com

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES The Sandwich Creamery, North Sandwich Located 20 minutes from Lake Winnipesaukee’s north shore, this beloved family dairy sells decadent ice cream sandwiches out of a self-serve general store across from a small patch of greenery with picnic tables and a playground. The novel flavors rotate but might include the Moose (peanut butter cookies with chocolate ice cream) and the Lemon Blue (lemon cookies with blueberry ice cream). Also on offer here: ice cream pints, cheeses and other gourmet snacks, prepared foods, and colorful crafts. Facebook

JAPANESE RESTAURANT Nichinan, Portsmouth Savor artfully prepared modern Japanese fare in this sophisticated, softly lit

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oasis named for Portsmouth’s sister city on Japan’s southernmost island. The 50-seat space is tucked inside the plush Hotel Thaxter, fashioned out of an 1860 church. Standout dishes include the fatty tuna sushi with kumquat and pickled cucumber, and chilled soba noodles with king crab. Be sure to peruse Nichinan’s impressive craft cocktail list. nichinanrestaurant.com

LOBSTER ROLLS The Little Red Schoolhouse, Campton You might not expect to find the state’s most delicious lobster rolls in the foothills of the White Mountains, 100 miles from the nearest lobster buoy. But this seasonal (late May–mid-October) counter-service spot set in a historic schoolhouse serves up succulent rolls, hot-buttered or lightly tossed in mayo, along with burgers, fried seafood, and addictively good garlic fries. There’s a nice selection of local beers and ice cream, and seating is at picnic tables or in a double-decker screened-in porch with panoramic views of the mountains and the Pemigewasset River. littleredschoolhousenh.com

PIZZA Zizza Authentic Pizzeria, Milford We know just how much of a hot-button issue pizza can be, but Zizza inspires us to all just get along. The names are fun (say hello to the meat lover’s Zizza Mizza), while the preset combos are deliciously creative (fried eggplant, ricotta, Parmesan, and fresh basil? Yes, please!). And if you’ve still got a hankering for something extra, do yourself the favor of taking home a few of the house-made cannoli. zizzapizza.com

SPECIAL-OCCASION DINING Stages at One Washington, Dover Chef Evan Hennessey has earned a slew of accolades for his sublimely inventive multicourse feasts, served on exquisite earthenware in a rustic-chic third-floor space in downtown Dover’s historic Washington Street Mills complex overlooking the Cocheco River. The “progressive New England” tasting menu changes frequently to take advantage of what’s fresh and available nearby,

with recent dishes including hazelnut and miso hummus with goose-leg confit and pickled mussels, and roasted lobster soup with preserved pear, puffed quinoa, and dry kimchi. Lighter bites and curated sips are served in the intimate and informal Living Room lounge. stages-dining.com

VINEYARD Zorvino Vineyards, Sandown When Jim and Cheryl Zanello bought their 80-acre Sandown retirement property in 2000, they planted a few grapevines to dress up the land. Then they kept planting. In the decades since, Zorvino Vineyards has become an acclaimed destination that’s only furthered the Northeast’s growing winemaking cred. Among the flavors born here are the Marquette, a barrel-aged red that pops with fruit flavor, and La Crescent, an easydrinking white that will cool down any hot summer day. zorvino.com

STAY COUNTRY INN The Lyme Inn, Lyme Operated as a stagecoach tavern in the early 1800s, this venerable four-story hotel stands out for its sophisticated rooms and suites, many of them overlooking the handsome Lyme Common. Romantic restaurant Ariana’s serves creative, contemporary, regionally sourced fare in a post-and-beam-style space with a stone fireplace. If you’re seeking an attractive base for exploring the campus of Dartmouth College and the surrounding Upper Connecticut River Valley, look no further. thelymeinn.com

FAMILY RETREAT Sundeck Cottages, Gilford In 1980, a young Carl Johnson began a summer ritual of vacationing with his grandparents at “Sun Deck” Cottages, a lakeside resort on Lake Winnipesaukee. Today, Carl and his family do the hosting as the owners of this seasonal retreat of simple but charming private cottages—plus apartment units and a lakefront house rental—that have welcomed parents and kids for more than 70 years. The big lake is just steps away, so bring your kayak or paddleboard, and most definitely bring your swimming

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gear. For additional summer diversions, Weirs Beach is a short drive away. sundeckcottages.com

LUXURY B&B Cranberry Meadow Farm Inn, Peterborough Chef-owner Carolyn Hough harvests most of the ingredients for guests’ breakfasts from her garden and nearby farms. Come fall, homemade yogurt and granola might be followed by caramelglazed apple hand pies and freshly laid eggs topped with Swiss chard pesto. Any calories gained can be burned on trails that begin right from the 83 acres surrounding this exquisitely nurturing inn. Hike to Cranberry Meadow Pond, then on to the summit of Pack Monadnock. cranberrymeadowfarminn.com

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and classic Colonial designs, inside his rustic barn studio beside the picturesque Washington town common—the highest village center in New Hampshire. Gibson also displays and sells stunning antique pieces dating back as far as the early 18th century. gibsonpewter.com

DAY HIKE Mount Tecumseh Trail, Waterville Valley If you’re looking to ease your way into conquering all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000-footers, Mount Tecumseh is a great peak to tackle first. While it was recently found to be a few feet shy of qualifying for the Granite State’s 4K club, it still offers a challenging five-mile out-and-back climb that rewards you with sweeping views of the Waterville Valley … and those bigger northern summits you may want to bag next. waterville.com/hikes/ mount-tecumseh

Just L, Littleton A cornerstone of this historic downtown shopping district on the edge of the White Mountains, Lance Williamson’s shop abounds with midcentury decor and other intriguing items, mostly from the 1950s to the 1990s. You might find a Marcel Breuer–designed Wassily chair or a whimsical tulip lamp, or anchor pieces like teak dining room tables and low-slung sofas. There’s also a great selection of smaller gifts and accent pieces, from Russian nesting dolls to vintage vinyl to 1950s CorningWare. Facebook

OUTDOOR RETAILER

BIKE TOUR

PYO BERRY FARM

PortCity Bike Tours, Portsmouth Proving that sometimes two wheels are better than four, PortCity’s guided trips let you soak up New Hampshire’s Seacoast in an unforgettable way. The company offers a range of options, from a two-hour pedal through Portsmouth’s historic neighborhoods to a photo-worthy exploration of harbor and islands. But for our money, the three-and-a-half-hour coastal ride and lobster roll journey is the summer trek that will keep your spirits riding high long after you’ve retired the bike for the day. Private and custom tours are also available. portsmouthnhhistoricalbiketours.com

CRAFTS GALLERY Gibson Pewter, Washington Second-generation craftsman Jonathan Gibson meticulously casts, hammers, and spins pewter tankards, candlesticks, pitchers, oil lamps, and more. You can watch him work, using traditional tools

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REI Co-op, Bedford While outdoor people prefer to be, you know, outside, REI’s newest New England store inspires one to linger indoors. Surveying its 22,000 square feet, you can practically feel the endorphins kicking in. Paddleboards and boots, bikes and climbing gear, bocce sets and kites—they’re all there, along with knowledgeable staffers who are always amped at the chance to assist you in getting you back outdoors in no time. rei.com

native plants and whimsical gifts in the garden shop, too. bedrockgardens.org

USED BOOKSTORE Old Number Six Book Depot, Henniker However much time you’ve allotted for your visit to this bibliophile’s dream, prepare to tack on at least an extra hour to peruse the 160,000-plus titles that stuff the floor-to-ceiling shelves. Opened in 1976 by the married pair of educators who still run it today, Ian and Helen Morrison, the shop boasts books in practically every genre, along with a rich collection of old magazines (including some long-ago Yankee issues). Even better, it operates much as it did half a century ago: no website, no email, just a landline and two owners who are delighted to welcome you. 603-428-3334 Honorees were compiled by Yankee editors with contributions from Andrew Collins, a travel writer based part-time in New Hampshire and author of numerous guidebooks, including Ultimate Road Trips USA & Canada.

Monadnock Berries, Troy Encompassing 10 acres of land that’s been farmed for more than two centuries, and with majestic Mount Monadnock for a backdrop, Monadnock Berries’ setting is as delicious as the grape-size blueberries clustered on row after row of bushes. Grab a snack at the rustic café and farm stand before heading out to harvest delectables that also include gooseberries, currants, and raspberries. monadnockberries.com

SCULPTURE GARDEN Bedrock Gardens, Lee It’s hard to think of a more enchanting way to pass a sunny afternoon than with a ramble through this collection of shade trees, lawns, water features, and art installations. The serene Spiral Garden and striking Belgian Fence are favorite spots in which to commune with nature, and handmade benches and swings throughout the property provide seating for contemplation. Check out the array of

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Nicolle Littrell’s Belfast-based business, DoryWoman Rowing (dorywomanrowing.com), is all about introducing the sport to folks who’ve never imagined taking the oars. As we learned when catching up with this Registered Maine Guide for Weekends with Yankee Season 9 (check your local PBS listings), Littrell’s little wooden dory is a safe space to experience the exhilaration of setting out into a briny world filled with life. Her warm personality ensures that you’ll feel comfortable from the first stroke.

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soccer team in Maine, and now fans are gaga for the Portlandbased Hearts of Pine (heartsofpine.com). Their inaugural USL League One season features matches all summer and into October, so get yourself to Fitzpatrick Stadium. And get your hands on some merch, too—the team’s logo is as beautiful as their name suggests.

BRING ON THE BRINE An oyster-and-winetasting excursion with Damariscotta River Cruises (damariscotta rivercruises.com) is an indulgent two hours of scenery and gastronomy. Damariscotta is Maine’s oyster capital, and on this cruise you’ll motor past several of the farms that cultivate the 10 different oysters you’ll

sample, all expertly paired with wines by an onboard sommelier. If you arrive back at the dock a bit tipsy, walk down Main Street to The Shuck Station (theshuckstation.com), where you can linger over dinner and another dozen oysters straight out of the nutrient-rich river.

JUST ADD WATER You haven’t been rocked to sleep like this since you were a baby. The latest collaboration between Kennebunk’s esteemed White Barn Inn (aubergeresorts.com/ whitebarninn) and interior designer Jenny Wolf has a sweet name: Cora. It’s an ultraluxurious houseboat with a rooftop deck, afloat on the Kennebunk River but tethered to the property’s private dock. So you’re not going anywhere

… except into a deep, tranquil dream state.

CELEBRATE FLOUR POWER Operating out of what was their Camden home’s garage, Chelsea Kravitz and Chris Dawson have made The Place (thisistheplace.me) a waitin-line destination. The New York Times writer Melissa Clark helped, naming this tiny bakery one of the best in the nation. Here’s a tip: Stalk their Instagram and preorder by noon on Thursday for the weekend ahead. Their croissant cinnamon buns are a must. Wondering where Maine’s next bakery sensation might be hiding? Our eyes are on Mount Vernon’s lakeside Scapes Cafe (Facebook) and its filled Polish donuts (available weekends only).

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Flaky, buttery, fruit-filled, sugar-dusted ... breakfast pastries from Camden bakery The Place are worth getting out of bed for.

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LOBSTER-SIZE IT When a mere lobster roll won’t do, devour a whole-lobster dinner at Nunan’s Lobster Hut in Kennebunkport (nunanslobsterhut.com). Even locals can’t resist the draw of fresh-caught “bugs,” boiled, precracked to make feasting easy, and served with sweet butter. It’s a formula that’s kept this family-owned business busy for 72 years.

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who make pursuits like moose viewing, fishing, kayaking, and whitewater rafting both successful and safe. Even in the most remote parts of the state, you’ll find Registered Maine Guides who know the ins and outs of the terrain, and their knowledge guarantees that you’ll come away from your adventure with new confidence and skills.

PICNIC WITH THE HORSES The MSSPA (msspa.org) has been saving neglected and abused horses for more than 150 years. Their farm home in Windham is a picturesque picnic spot, with umbrella tables available to those who reserve visits with

these lovingly tended equines: Time slots are available at no charge (although donations are appreciated) Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Order takeout from Yolked Farm to Table (yolkedfarm totable.com), 15 minutes north of the farm, for an elevated alfresco lunch.

HEAR THE FORCE As the Portland Symphony Orchestra (portlandsymphony.org) wraps up its 100thanniversary season, it’s tuning up for powerful performances of Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert (May 3 and 4) featuring a screening of the film that introduced us to Luke, Leia, Han, and Obi-Wan and the

live accompaniment of John Williams’s beloved score. The centennial celebration continues through the final rousing note of Dvořák’s New World Symphony on June 17.

GO EVEN GREENER From restoring habitat for endangered New England cottontails to serving responsibly harvested seafood, Cape Elizabeth’s Inn by the Sea (innbythesea.com) takes sustainability

INN BY THE SE A (BOARDWALK); MICHAEL D. WILSON/ V I S I T M A I N E (G U I D E ); R YA N D AV I D B R O W N (OY S T E R S)

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INN BY THE SE A (BOARDWALK); MICHAEL D. WILSON/ V I S I T M A I N E (G U I D E ); R YA N D AV I D B R O W N (OY S T E R S)

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The verdant grounds of Cape Elizabeth’s Inn by the Sea, which gives pride of place to native plants; fly-fishing is just one of the outdoor skills taught by Registered Maine Guides (here, Jeffrey Labree of Libby Camps); briny beauties at The Shuck Station in Newcastle.

seriously. Having long been recognized as an eco-leader, the beachside property deepens its commitment this year by planting a tree for every reservation. Your vacation memories will live on as a fire-ravaged forest in Colorado is reborn. MAY | JUNE 2025

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EDITORS’ PICKS

BEER GARDEN Odd Alewives, Waldoboro Scattered with patio tables, firepits, and lovely flower gardens, the half-acre spread behind Sarah and John McNeil’s gorgeously renovated 1820s barn is a superb spot for a pastoral happy hour. The McNeils stopped brewing their own beer this off-season to focus on a wider menu of Maine suds and their to-die-for woodfired pizzas. Toppings are grown on-site or sourced nearby—try the pickle pie, with sour-mustard pickles from nearby Morse’s Sauerkraut, or the early-summer seasonal pizza with smoked alewives in a rich cream sauce. oddalewives.com

BISTRO Water Street Kitchen & Bar, Wiscasset Fresh seafood and pasta are the specialties at this Mediterranean-leaning restaurant overlooking the Sheepscot River. Chef-owner Ed Colburn’s signature paella de Mariscos is worth the 45-minute wait. In the meantime, sip the white-bean soup and share the Brussels sprouts and truﬀle fries. On a stormy day, the cozy lounge, with its fireplace and tin-sided bar, competes with tables on the year-round glassed-in porch. waterstreetmaine.com

BRUNCH Ocotillo, Portland Melanie and Pliny Reynolds first turned Portlanders on to the sublime simplicity of Texas-style breakfast tacos at their TexMex barbecue joint, Terlingua. At their new breakfast-lunch-and-dinner stop, Ocotillo, tacos share a menu with decadent Benedicts, huevos done proper, and some stiff brunch cocktails. The Southwest-mod dining room is loud and lively; the ramadacovered patio an oasis. ocotillo.me

COCKTAIL BAR Papi, Portland Inspired by the cantinas of Old San Juan, lively Papi feels as if it’s anchored the Old Port longer than its two years, in part because the baroque interior—with its distressed walls, bodega candles, and lush hanging greenery—feels so lived in. Cofounder LyAnna Sanabria has earned industry raves for her maximalist, Latininflected cocktails, such as the Tamarindo Lindo: Ojo de Tigre mezcal, tamarind, sumac, strawberry, and black pepper. ¡Ay qué rico! papiportland.com

COFFEE SHOP Bintliff’s Corner Brew, Gardiner Owner Roger Bintliff restored a portion of downtown Gardiner’s 19th-century Dingley Block, and the warm, welcoming vibe of

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his hardware store turned coffeehouse owes a lot to the pumpkin-pine plank flooring, weathered original brick, shelves full of antiques, and dried flowers hanging from exposed beams. Linger over loads of creative specialty drinks (try the habanero mocha latte) and a full brunch menu to boot. bintliffs.com

FRENCH RESTAURANT Chez Rosa, Kennebunkport It’s French fare with Maine flair, prepared inside a bright, airy barn tucked off Dock Square. Expect both reimagined classics such as fish Wellington and traditional ones like steak frites and Maine lobster vol-au-vent. The menu invites crafting a meal from appetizers, fromage, and charcuterie; consider pairing cheese fondue with a bistro salad. A decidedly French wine list meets a mostly Maine beer list. chezrosabistro.com

MAINE MEAL The Dolphin Marina and Restaurant, Harpswell It’s worth the leisurely drive down the Harpswell Peninsula and out to the tip of Basin Point to this oceanfront restaurant located on land owned by the Saxton family since the early 1900s. Go for the ultra-fresh seafood, especially the raveworthy fish chowder or lobster stew, each served with a blueberry muffin. While feasting, savor panoramic views over island-sprinkled Casco Bay. thedolphin.me

OYSTER BAR North Beacon Oyster, Rockland Intimate, approachable, and the rare raw bar where the turf on the menu also shines, chef-owner Mike Mastronardi’s North Beacon takes advantage of the local catch and harvest. Try the lobster sliders and New England cioppino—but know that Mastronardi also makes a mean steak frites and the Midcoast’s best, gooiest cheeseburger. northbeaconoyster.com

STAY ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORT Quisisana, Center Lovell Year after year, families return to this pines-sheltered, cottage-style resort edging western Maine’s Kezar Lake for a getaway like no other. Guests of all ages bond over porch parties, hearty meals,

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EDITORS’ PICKS: MAINE

and a slew of water and land activities, but they come for the daily performances. Staff members—most recruited from top performing arts schools and venues— morph into stars, exchanging uniforms for costumes to perform Broadway musicals, chamber concerts, piano recitals, and opera. quisisanaresort.com

ALL-SEASON ACADIA HOTEL The Pathmaker Hotel, Bar Harbor There’s no beating the location of this new 46-room boutique-ish property, a short stroll from Bar Harbor’s Village Green, Main Street shops, and low-tide trail to Bar Island. The Ethan Allen– furnished rooms couldn’t feel fresher, and underground parking is a boon during the congested summer season. (Rates are a steal the rest of the year, when most Bar Harbor lodging goes dark.) pathmakerbarharbor.com

MaineWindjammerFleet.com Take the helm, help raise sails, go for a hike, or just sit back and relax. The choice is yours! Find your perfect cruise aboard one of our 9 historic vessels.

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BEACH HOTEL

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The Nevada, York Watch the sun rise out of the Atlantic through plate-glass windows at the curvaceous, L-shaped, aqua-trimmed Nevada. Henry de la Pena built this hotel facing Long Sands Beach to resemble the flybridge of the USS Nevada, on which he served during World War II. Today this reimagined hotel retains its 1950s vibe but welcomes guests with beachy Art Deco style, contemporary amenities, and Lulu’s tiki bar, plus a commitment to sustainability. thenevadahotel.com

BOUTIQUE HOTEL

The Alex Katz Foundation Collection at the Portland Museum of Art

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Rockport Harbor Hotel, Rockport With views over a well-protected harbor on one side and toward the Camden Hills on the other, this dog-friendly new hotel blends in with its long-standing brick neighbors. Twenty-one spacious studios and suites pamper guests with indulgent bedding, spa-inspired bathrooms, kitchenettes, fireplaces, and private balconies. Meanwhile, the cozy Oak Room restaurant earns nods for its wood-fired pizzas. rockportharborhotel.com

SEASIDE COTTAGES Kamrooz Aram (Iran, born 1978), Untitled (Arabesque Composition), 2020, oil, oil crayon and wax paper on canvas, 48 x 40 inches. Portland Museum of Art, Maine. Gift of the Alex Katz Foundation, 2022.1.3. © Kamrooz Aram. Image courtesy Petegorsky/Gipe Photo

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The Dunes on the Waterfront, Ogunquit Sea-salted memories are guaranteed when you stay in this idyllic waterfront colony with picket fences and seashell paths. Reopened in 2024, these adorable, newly kitted-out white cottages are spread amid shady green lawns, colorful gardens, a heated pool, and a firepit. Paddle, row, or ride the shuttle boat to the namesake

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Attean Lake Lodge

Nestled on Attean Lake, "the most beautiful lake in Maine," our alloff f er a ff inclusive lakeside cabins offer stress-free getaway on a 24-acre Jackman Jackm man. Enjoy meals, meals island near Jackman. housekeepin ng, activities, actiivit a ities, and housekeeping, entertainment—un unplug lug and relax! entertainment—unplug

www.atteanlakelodge.com holden@atteanlakelodge.com 207.668.3792

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EDITORS’ PICKS: MAINE

POLAND SPRING RESORT

Where every meal is a memory Come for the view, stay for the scratch-made meals, sunset oyster roasts, and nightly porch desserts.

MORE THAN A HOTEL

a perfect yet affordable getaway!

Choose from our three inns or twelve charming cottages and treat yourself at our two delicious restaurants. Explore our 500 acre playground! Play a round on our 18-hole Donald Ross golf course, enjoy our pickleball and grass tennis courts and so much more!

SUMMER RETREAT Otyokwa, Bremen Up to 25 guests can share Otyokwa’s five lovingly-if-minimally restored sleeping cabins, built as a boys camp in the 1930s and lining a half mile of silent shoreline on Pemaquid Pond. Every rustic detail—from the rec hall’s old-school record player to the striped wool throws on the bunks—oozes tasteful Vacationland nostalgia. Bigger groups can spill into a farmhouse and two gorgeous houseboats. otyokwamaine.com

WELLNESS STAY

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dunes. Or crack open complimentary sparkling rosé and snacks, then settle into an ocean-facing porch chair. dunesonthewaterfront.com

www.monheganhouse.com

The Longfellow, Portland The Longfellow embraces health for people and the planet. That starts with limiting single-use plastics whenever possible. Rooms are certified as ideal for restful slumber: Heavenly bedding, a clock with meditations and sound baths, and blackout curtains help achieve this. Enhance your stay with a massage or time in a meditation lounging chair or the hot-cold infrared sauna. Then indulge in delicious, wellness-forward food and drinks in the inviting lounge and café. longfellowhotel.com

SHOP & PLAY ACADIA TOUR Island Time Ebike Rentals, Southwest Harbor Six years since the National Park Service OKed pedal-assist rides wherever bikes are allowed, about half of all cyclists on Acadia National Park’s carriage roads are riding e-bikes. Island Time got in on the trend early. Its guides know MDI trivia cold, and the leisurely four-hour tours take in views of the Bubbles and other landmarks along the way. And the hills? No sweat. islandtimeebike.com

ART GALLERY Karma, Thomaston For a contemporary-art gallery based in New York and L.A., a seasonal outpost in a sleepy Midcoast village seems surprising. But Thomaston’s former St. James Catholic Church feels made for it. Credit the vaulted ceilings, the light pouring through the rose window, and a yearslong renovation undertaken by painter Ann Craven after she bought the place in 2016. Last summer’s group show included heavy hitters like Katherine Bradford and Alex Katz. karmakarma.org

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CULTURAL SITE Tekαkαpimək Contact Station, Patten In the Indigenous Penobscot language, tekαkαpimək (pronounced deh gah gah bee mook) means “as far as one can see.” It’s a fitting name for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument’s new visitor center atop Lookout Mountain, which is set amid the traditional homeland of Maine’s Wabanaki tribes. Exhibits and displays at this green-built architectural stunner share the region’s history and heritage and introduce its mountains and waterways from the Wabanaki perspective. nps.gov/kaww

MOUNTAIN GOLF COURSE Sugarloaf Golf Course, Carrabassett Valley Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., Sugarloaf’s parkland-style 18-hole course takes advantage of its natural mountain topography and woodland setting. Narrow fairways, elevated greens, massive bunkers, dense forests, and the gurgling Carrabassett River challenge golfers. The eye-popping 11th hole, nicknamed “Precipice,” plays over the river, dropping 128 feet from tee to green. Unsurprisingly, the dreamy mountain views, especially in autumn, make it hard to keep your eye on the ball. sugarloaf.com/sugarloaf-golf-club

NEW PRESERVE Anna M. Tondreau Preserve, Harpswell What the Tondreau Preserve lacks in size, the 57-acre tract makes up for with terrain. Its 1.4-mile trail system crosses wetlands, climbs a gnarly ridge, skirts mossy boulders and crumbling stone fences, and reaches two isolated coves that are havens for wading birds and waterfowl. It’s a jewel among the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust’s 20 public-access preserves. hhltmaine.org/ anna-m-tondreau-preserve

RAINY-DAY HIDEOUT Another Round, Portland The rare family-friendly hangout on Portland’s Congress Street has good espresso drinks, a tap list of local brews, and a library of more than 200 board games, from classics (Clue! Scrabble!) to retro oddities (Crocodile Dentist?) to esoteric indie offerings (Catan! Wingspan!). Find a new fave, and you can buy it to take home. anotherroundmaine.com Honorees were selected by Yankee editors with contributions from Brian Kevin, features editor at National Geographic and former editor of Down East; and freelance writer and Maine guidebook author Hilary Nangle.

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10 BEST THINGS TO DO THIS SUMMER B Y K I M K N OX B E C K I U S

Don your Western wear and bring the whole family to the largest working ranch east of the Mississippi. Saturdaynight pro rodeos are held for 10 weeks each summer at Castleton’s Pond Hill Ranch (pondhillranch.com). The bleacher seats’ sunset views of the Adirondacks are worth the price of admission, and it’s a kick to witness authentic bull riding, steer wrestling, and calf roping—all conducted humanely as dictated by the rodeo circuit’s governing body.

REV YOUR ENGINE Take the wheel of one of the sturdiest, most capable vehicles ever made, and find a thrilling sense of freedom and confidence. Manchester’s The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa (equinoxresort.com) 108 |

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is where you’ll find the Land Rover Experience Driving Center (experience.landroverusa .com), but you don’t need to be a guest to book an off-road experience that will have you navigating steep hills, dramatic side tilts, water, rocks, and whatever sloppy weather Mother Nature may dream up.

SHOP WITH AWE When life hands you lemons, The Sparkle Barn (thesparklebarn.com) will help you find the zest. You’ll encounter eight dragons and a magic garden before you even venture inside this quirktastic Wallingford gift shop. Unimaginable finds await, but this is more than a destination for retail therapy. Head upstairs to the Bloom Room and discover artist and owner Stacy Harshman’s free gift to anyone who

craves comfort and inspiration—a realm so saturated with whimsy, it startles awake the child within.

GET JAZZED The Stowe Jazz Festival (stowejazzfestival.org) has gotten big, and that means a new venue, the Stowe Events Field, for this 100-percentfree three days of live performances. Be there July 18–20 as the festival bends notes in another way this year, bringing only women-led bands to the main stage.

JOIN A FAMILY FETE If you’re Stowe-bound, make the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort (vontrappresort.com) a part of your travel plans. Whether you stay for a few nights, attend a Music in the Meadow or Oklahoma! in Concert performance, or grab a

fresh-brewed lager at the Bierhall, you’ll find more than a few of your favorite things on tap as the resort—founded and still owned by the von Trapp family of The Sound of Music fame— celebrates 75 years.

TAKE IT SLOW AND BREEZY Untether from land and go where the moody winds of Lake Champlain move you on a Whistling Man Schooner Company sailing cruise (whistlingman.com) out of Burlington. Whether you’re aboard the Friend Ship or the Wild Rose, both replicas of early 20th-century lobstering sloops, this throwback mode of travel keeps you remarkably in the present. BYO beverages and finger foods, and keep your eyes peeled for Champ, the local lake monster.

O W L’ S I R I S P H O T O G R A P H Y

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Part gift boutique, part art installation, The Sparkle Barn in Wallingford conjures up a floral fantasy in its Bloom Room.

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FEEL THE BEAT At Manchester’s Earth Sky Time (earthskytime .com), the spirit of Woodstock meets Vermont rurality in the Concerts on the Farm, held Sunday evenings from Memorial Day through Indigenous People’s Day. Admission is discounted for students and farmers. Healthy salads, woodfired pizzas, beer, and wine are for sale. 110 |

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Dancing barefoot isn’t mandatory—but why wouldn’t you?

FALL IN PUPPY LOVE You’ll never forget your playdate with at least 10 golden retrievers— the photo ops alone are priceless. There’s more to Jeffersonville’s Golden Dog Farm (goldendogfarm.com), though, as we discovered while visiting this family-owned organic

producer of maple, honey, cider, and sheer happiness in Weekends with Yankee Season 9 (check your local PBS listings). The Golden Retriever Experience can be booked on select dates year-round, and gifting this heartwarming adventure is as easy as tossing a tennis ball.

GET A HOBBY Do you have a favorite pastime you’ve neglected?

Or one you’d like to try for the sake of relaxation, exhilaration, or social connection? The Woodstock Inn & Resort (woodstockinn .com) has introduced a new Passion Pursuits program, designed to start you on your way during your vacay. The inn’s “Passionistas” offer guidance in everything from fly-fishing and pickleball to gardening and antiquing. You can even learn to fly a

C O U R T E S Y O F W H I S T L I N G M A N S C H O O N E R C O M PA N Y (S A I L B O AT ); B EC C A W O R P L E (G O L D E N D O G FA R M ); S A B I N G R AT Z (C H E E S E )

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hawk with the founder of New England Falconry, Chris Davis.

BE YOUR CHEESY SELF

CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE: Go where the wind takes you on a Lake Champlain cruise with Whistling Man Schooner Company; a taste of what’s to come at the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival in August, hosted by Shelburne Farms; shaking it off at Jeffersonville’s Golden Dog Farm.

C O U R T E S Y O F W H I S T L I N G M A N S C H O O N E R C O M PA N Y (S A I L B O AT ); B EC C A W O R P L E (G O L D E N D O G FA R M ); S A B I N G R AT Z (C H E E S E )

Vermont is a cheese lover’s dream. In Brattleboro, the Vermont Country Deli (vermontcountry deli.com) sold 81,000 pounds— more than 40 tons!—of its ridiculously delicious cast-iron-baked mac and cheese last year. Ready to do more than snack?

Reserve a hands-on cheesemaking class or “Cheesemaker for a Day” experience at Hartland’s Fat Sheep Farm & Cabins (fatsheepfarm vermont.com), where staying overnight means waking to the bleat of lambs and the glint of sun dancing off mountains. Save the date, too, for this year’s Vermont Cheesemakers Festival at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne (vtcheese.com/festival): August 10.

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Tour the Lincoln family’s Georgian Revival mansion, built by presidential son Robert Lincoln in 1905. Step out into the European parterre-style garden, designed to resemble a stained-glass window, where the fragrance of our heirloom peonies fills the air.

W m he Ch of un Do we

Voted “Vermont’s Best Retro Escape” in beautiful Manchester, VT. Ten charming, locally owned cabins in a park-like setting offering a vintage vibe with modern amenities. Great for couples, small weddings, reunions, and gatherings. Pets welcome in select cabins. Reasonable rates.

Pe M lo ho an be tra rid so

A Historic Register–listed 1793 country inn offering 25 guest rooms, and full tavern and dining room serving dinner nightly. Patio dining in-season. Located directly across from the Quechee Gorge and hiking trails. Breakfast included daily. Call for Spring/Summer packages.

Photo: Courtesy of Vermont Tourism

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Where world-class theater meets Vermont charm. From the heartwarming nostalgia of White Christmas to the soaring melodies of Almost Heaven, Season 89 brings unforgettable stories to life on stage. Don’t miss a moment—visit our website or call the box office!

Have an immersive experience with history at our whole-house overnight vacation rentals, including Rudyard Kipling’s 1892 estate, an 1849 farmhouse overlooking our heirloom apple orchard, an 1802 retreat on 30 private acres, and a charming 1915 sugarhouse. Your stay supports the preservation of historic places.

A Little of Austria. A Lot of Vermont® Celebrating 75 years in 2025! Family fun and outdoor adventures await you across our 2,600-acre mountain resort run by the family that inspired The Sound of Music. Spectacular mountain views, history, farm and brewery tours, and European-style and New England cuisine featured across four restaurants.

Perfectly situated on 700 acres, Mountain Top Resort offers luxury lodge rooms, cabins and guesthouses, indoor/outdoor restaurant and tavern, pool, lake, private beach, horseback riding, 60km of trails, skiing/snowshoeing, sleigh rides, spa, spectacular views, and so much more!

Your home away from home for northern New England’s many attractions. Tucked in the center of historic St. Johnsbury, VT, this Victorian Colonial Revival home is a short walk to churches, museums, and downtown shopping. Enjoy our comfortable rooms and amazing breakfasts!

The idyllic Vermont retreat for couples, families, and adventurers. Enjoy cozy log cabins, luxury homes, mountain views, on-site spa services, endless trails, a private outdoor pool and pond, wedding and event spaces, and connection with nature

This modern small resort in a historic village offers luxury accommodations and a stylish restaurant serving inventive farm-to-table cuisine. An elegant inn with small cottages, it’s set in a lovely mountain valley, with a saltwater pool, racquet courts, and hiking, fishing, and biking nearby.

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Take a bite out of Vermont’s tastiest adventure! Savor craft cocktails, creamy cheeses, fresh local flavors, stunning mountain views, and cozy spots celebrating the region’s rich food heritage. If burgers aren’t your thing, explore the Valley’s many delicious options!

On the Dorset Green since 1796, Vermont’s oldest operating inn has been updated with elegant rooms and fireplace suites with jetted tubs. Its historic tavern andrestaurant offer an awardwinning wine cellar and superior cuisinein a refined setting. The charming village is also famous for outdoorpursuits and cultural activities.

Visit Stratton Mountain, where everything you love about summer is right outside your door. Enjoy scenic lift rides to the summit of southern Vermont’s tallest peak, 27 holes of championship golf, hiking, mountain biking, music, village dining, and more with special lodging offers.

This renovated farmhouse-style B&B is in the heart of Woodstock. Stroll downtown through the covered bridge, hike the nearby national park, visit Billings Farm & Museum or the Quechee Gorge, and enjoy walking to dinner each night. Guests rave about the breakfast in bed!

A reinvented luxury farmhouse bed & breakfast for sophisticated, social travelers. Twenty-three rooms and suites, cozy tavern, seasonal heated saltwater pool, outdoor patios with firepits, and pop-up events just walking distance to town! Also specializing in private events.

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EDITORS’ PICKS

EAT & DRINK ARTISAN CHOCOLATES Tavernier Chocolates, Brattleboro Tavernier combines fine chocolate from Ecuadorian cacao trees with locally sourced and endlessly inventive ingredients—think wild peppermint, spruce needles, morel mushrooms, even slowcured organic garlic. Along with bars and boxed individual bonbons, specialties include drinking chocolate and “chocolate charcuterie,” a sliceable pâté with flavors ranging from miso to maple, chèvre to lavender. tavernierchocolates.com

DINER

DRIVE-IN RESTAURANT A&W, Middlebury No, the servers don’t roller-skate to your car. But they do take your order there, and ferry your tray right to the rolled-down window of your—well, probably not a ’59 Chevy. Burgers, fries, hand-breaded chicken tenders, Coney dogs, and, of course, that famous frosty-mug-taste root beer are all featured at this veritable museum of delicious roadside eats. awrestaurants.com/locations-list/vt

FARM-TO-TABLE DINING Maple Soul, Rochester Better to call it “farmer-to-table”: When dinner service gets under way at this comfortably elegant eatery in a former late-1800s home, the patrons tucking into executive chef Jim Huntington’s pitchperfect cornbread, baby-back ribs, and other down-home fare might include the very folks who provided the ingredients. Not only does Maple Soul partner with 30-plus local farmers and producers, says general manager Jen Huntington, but “we always welcome them here to see what we’re doing with their product, to be part of the conversation.” Similarly, the

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ARTISAN CHOCOLATES: Tavernier Chocolates, Brattleboro

Huntingtons make a point of visiting their partners’ operations, which include their sole chicken provider, Happy Bird in Isle La Motte, and regular microgreens supplier Uphill Farm, right in Rochester. The result is a New England–meets–North Carolina menu with a lot of maple, a lot of soul, and a lot of integrity … which means a lot of fans, too, so reservations are strongly advised. maplesoulvt.com

ITALIAN GROCERY AR Market, Barre Vermont’s most historically Italian city has the Italian market it deserves. With its initials representing alimentari (groceries) and Roscini (a family surname of Italianborn owner Peter Colman), AR Market offers shelves packed with imported Di Martino and Rustichella pastas, San Marzano tomatoes grown in Campania’s volcanic soil, almond cantucci and amaretti, fine olive oils, and much more. Colman’s other business, Vermont Salumi, smokes and cures on-site, and there’s a wood-fired pizzeria next door. armarketvt.com

LOCAVORE BUTCHER SHOP Roma’s Butchery, South Royalton The village meat market is back, thanks to master butcher Elizabeth Roma and her

custom-cut, head-to-tail butcher shop. Drawing on more than a dozen farms within a 25-mile radius, Roma does pork, lamb, poultry, and grass-fed beef in a variety of cuts. She makes her own sausage, too, and offers handcrafted salumi from Waitsfield’s Babette’s Table. romasbutchery.net

SMALL PLATES Frankie’s, Burlington Hen of the Wood alums Jordan Ware and Cindi Kozak have brought new energy to the space formerly occupied by the latelamented Penny Cluse Café, creating an ever-changing menu where small plates— perhaps littleneck clams with charredscallion butter and house focaccia, or pork croquettes with pickled rhubarb sauce—are the stars. Just don’t call them starters: Double up, and that steak entrée might have to wait for next time. frankiesvt.com

WINERY Whaleback Vineyard, Poultney A restored 19th-century barn near the waters of Lake Saint Catherine is the home base for this Stone Valley winery. Whaleback’s grapevines number more than 6,000 plants across nine beautiful acres, all helping to produce a range of only-inthe-Green-Mountain-State favorites, from

CL ARE BARBOZA

The Country Girl Diner, Chester Everything seems to take on a relaxed, mid-20th-century feel when you chow down on a towering Texas burger heaped with onion rings, a stack of plate-size pancakes, or a slab of one of co-owner Jess Holmes’s peanut butter pies. She uses Vermont eggs, Cabot butter, and local maple syrup in the kitchen at this beautifully preserved diner, a 1944 Silk City classic. countrygirldiner.com

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ADVERTORIAL

INN to INN WALKING TOUR

MAP I LLU ST R ATI O N BY M I C H A E L B Y E R S

VERMONT

COH O INN &

MOTOR LODGE

WALK FROM INN-TO-INN AND SEE VERMONT AT 10 MILES A DAY The “Vermont Inn-to-Inn Walking Tour” is a four-day, selfguided walk averaging 10 miles a day, mainly through old country roads of gravel and through the villages of Chester, Weston, Proctorsville and Ludlow. The four historic inns– CoHo Inn & Motor Lodge, Inn Victoria, Golden Stage Inn, and The Governor’s Inn are linked by their owners’ shared love of Vermont and a commitment to their under the radar walking tour. The oldest and longest running tour of its kind in the state, Vermont Inn-to-Inn Walking Tour is well established and focused on guest safety and comfort

your day with refreshments and a home-cooked meal; and, in the morning, send you on your way with a hearty breakfast, snacks for the road, a map of your walking route, and best wishes for a pleasant day. Its a large circle divided by four Inns; you end up back at the same inn you started at four days earlier. A final feature that sets this tour apart from so many others? You’re on your own, so you can set your own pace. Walk alone or with friends; do as much or as little of the walk as you like. Basically, the tour is as idiosyncratic as the state in which you’re walking. Join us from early-May through the end of October.

It’s simple and efficient. The innkeepers transport your bags door to door, Vermont sherpa-style; greet you at the end of

833-Inn-2-Inn (833-466-2466) www.VermontInntoInnWalking.com

THE WALK PART 1: (13 miles)

PART 2: (10.7 miles)

INN VICTORIA TO GOLDEN STAGE INN

GOLDEN STAGE INN TO THE GOVERNOR’S INN

INN VICTORIA

321 Main St., Chester, VT 802-875-4288 InnVictoria.com

GOLDEN STAGE INN

399 Depot St., Proctorsville, VT 802-226-7744 GoldenStageInn.com

PART 3: (6.7 miles)

THE GOVERNOR’S INN TO COHO INN & MOTOR LODGE THE GOVERNOR’S INN

86 Main St., Ludlow, VT 802-228-8830 TheGovernorsInn.com

PART 4: (11.8 miles)

COHO INN & MOTOR LODGE TO INN VICTORIA COHO INN & MOTOR LODGE

287 Route 100, Weston, VT 802-824-6286 CoHoInn.com

“It’s a meditative walk. Long before the village of Chester appears and I’ve come full circle, I realize that my life has become breathtakingly simple in the last few days. I walk; I look at wildflowers; I avoid poison ivy; I take a deep breath and listen to nature singing; I wonder what’s up ahead; I try to remember to look back from time to time. Occasionally I hum–and then try to get the song out of my head. “And then I take another step. Am I closer or farther away? It’s my path, my walk. I get to decide.” –Annie Graves, Yankee Magazine, May/June 2012 | To read more, visit: NewEngland.com/Inn

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EDITORS’ PICKS: VERMONT

RUSTIC RETREAT: Quimby Country, Averill

STAY

AFFORDABLE OVERNIGHT COHO Inn & Motor Lodge, Weston While the former Colonial House Inn is still a stopover on the long-standing Vermont Inn-to-Inn Walking Tour, owners Ali and Lane Knaack have been busy forging their own path since taking over in May 2024: rebranding, refreshing, and renovating (the last part being ongoing, with the goal of bringing AC units and other upgrades to the COHO’s midcentury motel annex). The couple’s personal touch can be seen, too, in the wealth of snowboarding books and memorabilia on hand (Lane is a former pro) and the curated offerings of local beer, wine, and charcuterie; outside are Ali’s flower beds, which have been known to yield fresh-cut blooms for the main inn and dining room. cohoinn.com

HISTORIC INN The Tillerman, Bristol A rambling 1790s structure and seven cheery, gable-ceilinged guest rooms are the historic part, while the food and drink are thoroughly modern. The seasonally changing menu relies on local farms, and mozzarella is made in-house. Best

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seats? The dining rooms are lovely, but sip a Vermont brew or craft cocktail in the clubby parlor, then amble over to the bar for a distinctively garnished pizza— and taste why The Tillerman earned a 2024 Yankee Food Award for its pies. thetillermanvt.com

INN CUISINE Derby Line Village Inn, Derby Line A white mansion located less than a mile from the Canadian border is the domain of Austrian chef-owner Fritz Halbedl, whose menu showcases his native fare—schnitzel in a choice of traditional preparations, sauerbraten, spaetzle, and the sweet souﬀlé known as Salzburger nockerl—plus a selection of steak, pasta, and seafood dishes, and Austrian wines. Upstairs are five sumptuously furnished guest rooms; the “Majesty” is our favorite. derbylinevillageinn.com

ISLAND CAMPING Burton Island State Park, St. Albans Surrounded by the waters of Lake Champlain but just a 10-minute passenger ferry ride from companion state park Kill Kare, Burton Island offers tent sites, leantos, and three cabins. There’s a surprisingly cosmopolitan feel here, as the park is frequented by Quebec boaters who use its marina and enjoy the Burton Island Bistro, with its wine selection and homemade omelets. vtstateparks.com/burton.html

RUSTIC RETREAT Quimby Country, Averill Tucked between Forest and Big Averill lakes—and set deep in an early 1900s North Woods dreamscape—the 19 cozy cottages at Quimby Country have welcomed generations of rusticating families. High-summer accommodations include three hearty meals a day in the lodge; in shoulder seasons, there’s a B&B plan. All cottages have woodstoves, and some have full kitchens, too. quimbycountry.com

SHOP & PLAY

FAMILY ATTRACTION Great Vermont Corn Maze, Danville Polite Vermonters won’t tell you to get lost—unless they’re talking about New England’s largest and most challenging corn maze, 24 acres of frustrating fun that’s taken ears and ears to create. A new design takes shape each season, which begins in late July when the stalks grow tall and runs through mid-October. Afraid you’ll never get out? Try the “Scenic Maze” route, which comes with directions. vermontcornmaze.com MARK FLEMING

the Vermont Apple Blend fruit wine to Whaleback’s signature white, Moonlight in Vermont. Drink up the setting in the farm’s tasting room, set inside a Colonial farmhouse. whalebackvineyard.com

MODERATE HIKE Jerusalem Trail, Starksboro The 2.4-mile Jerusalem Trail starts off gently, at Jim Dwire Road, and remains

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MARK FLEMING

deceptively easy until you duck under a sap line and cross a logging road. Watch for blue blazes as you scramble over rocks to meet the Long Trail. Turn left, and it’s a short hike down to the Green Mountain Club’s Glen Ellen Lodge. Take a right, and in another 1.8 miles you’ll be atop 4,083foot Mount Ellen. greenmountainclub.org

MOUNTAIN BIKING Millstone Trails, Barre In a state with serious trail-riding cred, Barre’s former quarry lands are a haven for newbies and experienced pros alike. The rocky playground boasts more than 30 miles of trails across 1,500 acres of ever-changing terrain. Cruise into the season along the large, gentle loops in the Barre Town Forest or take on the steeper climbs of Millstone Hill and its “Gnome Man’s Land,” whose trails live up to names like Roller Coaster, Vortex, and Screaming Demon. Fascinating quarry relics and scenic overlooks are sprinkled throughout (don’t miss the dramatic eastfacing Sunrise Lookout, which sits atop the plunging rock walls of an abandoned quarry). millstonetrails.org

Come Closer To What Matters. Woodstock, Vermont | woodstockinn.com

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OUTDOOR FOOTWEAR Farm-Way, Bradford Though muck boots remain a fixture at this haven for everything outdoorsy, the offerings venture way off the farm: from sandals and sneakers to hiking boots and, yes, clogs. Brands include Merrell, Blundstone, Keen, OluKai, and even exquisitely crafted hikers made by Italy’s Zamberlan. Inventory runs deep for men, women, and kids, and there’s plenty of staff around to help with try-ons. vermontgear.com

PERFORMING ARTS VENUE Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph When Upper Valley Baroque artistic director Filippo Ciabatti first visited the Chandler, he clapped his hands in the middle of the hall to get a sense of the acoustics. He was immediately impressed, as are the audiences at this 1907 gem, a gift of Randolph native Albert Chandler. Along with concerts in varied genres, the Chandler hosts theater and dance (the Grand Kyiv Ballet was a recent visitor), and Randolph’s late-

June 21–October 26

summer New World Festival is a perennial favorite. chandler-arts.org

RETAIL HUB The Essex Experience, Essex Fast food and fast fashion, begone. At this former outlet mall, a Main Street vibe pulses through 20-plus independent shops and restaurants that include the state’s largest collection of Vermont art and crafts (ArtHound Gallery) and a smallbatch distillery and brewery with a James Beard semifinalist in the kitchen (Black Flannel and Christian Kruse, respectively). Also local-leaning are the music and events at the Double E cultural hub, where a rescued 1700s barn serves as an outdoor stage. Even that shopping-mall staple, the cineplex (Essex Cinemas), channels the kind of small-town theater where blockbusters share billing with classic, indie, and international films. essexresort .com/essex-experience-vermont Honorees were selected by Yankee editors with contributions from Bill Scheller, Vermont-based freelance writer and a frequent contributor to Yankee magazine.

Shelburne, Vermont

shelburnemuseum.org

Chelsea Bighorn (Lakota, Dakota, and Shoshone-Paiute), Jingle Cone Chainmail (Detail), 2023–25. Aluminum cans, paint, and jump rings, 6 x 65 in. Courtesy of the artist.

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10 BEST THINGS TO DO THIS SUMMER B Y K I M K N OX B E C K I U S

DRINK IN A SUNSET If there’s a more glorious slope of lawn in New England than the one at Newport’s Castle Hill Inn (castlehillinn.com), it’s probably not open to everyone—but Castle Hill’s is. Claim an Adirondack chair (first come, first served), and order bubbly or a glass of crisp white wine. You have everything you need to chef ’s kiss the sun goodnight.

HAVE A SAND BLAST South County’s funfor-all Atlantis Rising International Sand Sculpture Competition (southcountyri.com/ atlantis-rising) returns after a one-year hiatus, and it’s relocating to a

new venue and moving up from October to May. Yay! Head to Ninigret Park in Charlestown May 30–June 1 to marvel at massive, intricately carved sand creations. Live music, food, photo ops, and locally made goods add to the festive energy—and keep an eye out for the two ginormous troll sculptures tucked into the 227-acre park last year by Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo.

TAKE A WHISTLESTOP FOOD TRIP Providence’s new Track 15 food hall (track15ri.com) transforms historic Union Station into an exciting dining hub with indoor-outdoor seating for you and

about 400 friends you haven’t met yet. Savor diverse fare from seven all-star vendors: Dolores (Mexican); Dune Brothers (seafood); Giusto PVD (Italian); Little Chaska (Indian); Mother Pizzeria (pizza); There, There (burgers); and Tolia (Turkish).

GET IN THE GAME Newport has deep tennis roots, and that’s just one aspect of the game that will be getting extra love when the International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com) reopens in May following a multimillion-dollar transformation. Be among the first fans to engage with an augmented-reality

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With a cocktail in one hand, you can use the other to wave at passing sailboats on Narragansett Bay from the Adirondack chairs at Newport’s Castle Hill Inn.

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sculpture in the Celebration Gallery, which toasts the sport across generations. The new Hall of Famers’ Gallery features a cast racquet representing each legendary inductee. Even the Roger Federer hologram is serving up some new surprises.

APPRECIATE A PIZZA MASTER Chef Robert Andreozzi of Providence’s Pizza Marvin (pizzamarvin.com) made a Caprese with bluefin tuna, tomato gelée, stracciatella, and pepperoni vinaigrette for the annual A Taste of New England event that was unreal. A year later, I still think about it— obsessively. No surprise: This year Andreozzi has been named a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best Chef–Northeast for the second time. If you’re a pizza-loving foodie, you know what you must do.

GO BIG-BIRDWATCHING Big Beautiful Bamboo Birds … you don’t have to be able to say it 10 times fast to appreciate how remarkable these six towering bird sculptures by artists The Myth Makers are. They landed last summer at Blithewold in Bristol 120 |

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(blithewold.org), and they’re flying away after August 11 this year, so wing your way to this multifaceted waterfront estate, where the largest giant sequoia on the East Coast will also make you look remarkably small in photos.

STEP RIGHT UP “Stomping divots” isn’t the name of a punk band—it’s an amusing thing you’ll get to do when you attend a Newport Polo match (nptpolo.com). You’re encouraged to bring your own picnic food and wine, and at $25 for lawn seats (children 15 and under are admitted free), you can’t beat the value for the upscale vibes. Each match has a theme: It’s an excuse to dress your summerchic best to cheer on the ponies and players. Yet for all the frivolity, the June–September schedule features serious international competition. USA’s rematch with Scotland on June 21 is bound to be a highlight of this biggest-ever season. Expect bagpipes.

PLAY ALL DAY Unlimited pinball, Skee-Ball, and arcade games … no quarters, no tokens. That’s what NEWENGLAND.COM

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$10 buys at Pawtucket’s Electromagnetic Pinball Museum and Restoration (electromagneticpinball museum.com), where you can play your way through time and space as you wander a collection of 100-plus games that date from the ’40s to today. Curious about their history? Or how they work? The team here will indulge your desire to geek out. If your eyes are glued to the flippers of a rare MAY | JUNE 2025

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game, though, they get that, too.

MAKE AN ITALIAN DETOUR Federal Hill in Providence is known for its Italian eateries, but over in Middletown, the Puerini family quietly made and served more than 5,000 pounds of fresh pasta last year at their unassuming little Ida’s Restaurant (idasrestaurant.com). That’s the weight of a smallish adult elephant! If you’re in

the Newport area, try this local favorite for espresso martinis, mac and cheese with homemade cavatelli, and lasagna stacked so high it leans like that tower in Pisa.

REACH THE BEACH With 16 cool suites, Stone House Inn in Little Compton (newportexperience.com) feels like such a secret hideaway. Especially when you wander across the back lawn, turn left,

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Sipping and

snacking in style at a Newport Polo match; the Roni Island pizza plus baked clams, gourmet frozen custard, and house-made cocktails, all from Providence’s Pizza Marvin; a beachy masterpiece at South County’s Atlantis Rising International Sand Sculpture Competition.

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EDITORS’ PICKS

EAT & DRINK

COMFORT FOOD

GAME-TIME GRUB

Ocean Mist, Wakefield You can’t get much closer to the water than this local institution perched directly above the shoreline, where waves roll under the wooden deck. And in such an intimate venue, you can’t get much closer to the entertainment, which is part of why many consider Ocean Mist to be the best live-music spot in Rhode Island. Utterly unpretentious, full of sun-browned characters, and boasting an impressive weekly lineup of rock, reggae, and blues bands, the Mist is also the rare beach bar where breakfast is more than a hangover cure—the food is excellent. oceanmist.net

Ye Olde English Fish & Chips, Woonsocket Woonsocket may be famed as Rhode Island’s center of French Canadian culture—Acadian immigrants once worked the city’s textile mills—but this bastion of British comfort food is perhaps Woony’s best-known eatery. Founded by émigrés from Yorkshire in 1922, the nofrills restaurant remains true to the recipe carried across the pond more than a century ago, other than replacing lard with vegetable oil for frying. The fish is local, the golden chips sliced in-house, the food savory and delicious—just like in ye good olde days. 401-762-3637

Boon Street Market, Narragansett A cavernous former train depot situated along the Narragansett Pier has quickly become this seaside town’s hottest social stop since opening last summer. Part food hall, part indoor-outdoor bar, Boon Street Market readily switches from an affable summer hangout to a lively sports bar when games are on. What remains constant is the quartet of fast-casual dining options: Mexican, Italian, a burger and barbecue joint, and a noodle bar. boonstreetmarket.com

COFFEE SHOP

DOUGHNUTS

BEACH BAR

Rise ‘N Shine Coffee Bar, Providence Rise ‘N Shine is a sweet side-street surprise. Housed in a historic carriage house, this IYKYK gathering place serves locally roasted coffee, pretty lattes, and fresh pastries with a side of Wi-Fi. Owner Neal Kaplan has outfitted the picture-perfect space with comfy seating, newspapers at the ready, and a footwearcentric theme that pays soulful homage to his cobbler great-grandfather and the building’s former life as a shoe shop. risenshineri.com

URBAN GREEN SPACE: Providence River Parks, p. 125

Knead Doughnuts, Providence and Westerly There are doughnuts that are cheaper by the dozen, doughnuts that are mixed-media works of art, and then there are Knead Doughnuts: classics worth their weight in gold. Look for the varieties made of brioche dough, a recipe of fresh yeast, butter, and real vanilla bean, fermented for 24 hours for maximum flavor. The Jelly is a masterpiece of hand-rolled brioche filled with seasonal jam and tossed in granulated sugar. “Knead” we say more? kneaddoughnuts.com

ICE CREAM Brickley’s Homemade Ice Cream, Wakefield When an eatery can be spotted by its long line of customers, it’s a safe bet that folks know its offerings are worth the wait. Such is the case at Brickley’s, a familyowned ice cream shop serving up more than 45 flavors of homemade ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbets, and sorbets from a window on Main Street. Adding to the allure is the intoxicating aroma of waﬀle cones baked on-site. brickleys.com

INLAND OUTDOOR DINING The Tree House Tavern & Bistro, Warwick A bit off the radar (yet a 10-minute drive from T.F. Green Airport), this hidden gem features a perennially scrumptious seasonal menu with a dedicated tea menu and Instagram-worthy desserts presented in tantalizing fashion. The interior is lovely, but plan ahead to dine in the gardens—a magical spot aglow with lanterns hanging from trees—the kind of setting that could only be dreamed up by a motherson florist team turned restaurateurs. thetreehousetavern.com

The Lobster Bar, Newport Heading to Bowen’s Wharf is a must-do when visiting the City by the Sea, but be sure to venture all the way to the end or you’ll miss The Lobster Bar. At this expansive, indoor-outdoor restaurant, you’ll discover a jovial atmosphere, friendly staff, and 180-degree views of the harbor. The menu offers something for everyone (even landlubbers) and earns bonus points for its flights of mini lobster rolls: traditional, naked, and fried. lobsterbarri.com

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EDITORS’ PICKS: RHODE ISLAND VINEYARD Sakonnet Vineyard, Little Compton New England’s oldest vineyard makes its home in Little Compton, but it’s hardly a stodgy institution. New stewards James Davids and Marissa Stashenko have made mindful updates to the property, along with launching new wines and a new menu. Beyond light bites such as flatbreads and charcuterie, recent offerings include lobster rolls, roasted chicken, and cookies. Situated on 169 acres, it’s a beautiful place for a taste of the Farm Coast. sakonnetwine.com

STAY COASTAL B&B Sea Breeze Block Island, Block Island You can visit Block Island, or you can be immersed. If the latter is what you’re after, Sea Breeze is the place to stay. A quick veer off a main road, and you’ve arrived at the compound of small cottages, artfully decorated and nestled among gardens with an Atlantic Ocean backdrop. A chef-cooked breakfast is delivered each morning by picnic basket. seabreezeblockisland.com

Margin Street Inn, Westerly The simplicity-loving Quakers who built the 19th-century Greek Revival and Colonial Revival mansions that make up this luxurious inn might raise an eyebrow if they could see what their former homes have become. But modern guests revel in the beautifully styled common spaces, the spacious suites outfitted with Matouk and Ralph Lauren linens, the morning reveal of artist and innkeeper Sarah Cooper’s ever-changing frittatas, and the landscape adorned with heritage trees and historic outbuildings. Downtown is a pleasant 0.8-mile walk along the Pawcatuck River. marginstreetinn.com

SHOP & PLAY BODY & BATH BOUTIQUE Beauty and the Bath, Wickford Part of North Kingstown (which just celebrated its 350th), the village of Wickford is as picturesque as can be. Built around a natural harbor, it boasts one of the largest collections of 18th-century architecture and a thriving shop-small community. Among its merchant-boosters is Lori Lyons, longtime owner of Beauty and the Bath. Her cheerful shop is replete with sleepwear, gifts, and bath and body products in scents that range from luxe to local (e.g., Rhody fave Del’s Lemonade). beautyandthebath.com

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COMMUNITY ARTS VENUE The United Theatre, Westerly This 1926 theater hasn’t just been renovated—it’s been transformed. Three screening rooms, a black-box theater, and other performance and display spaces occupy the restored vaudeville venue as well as the long-shuttered Montgomery Ward department store next door. Visitors can catch a movie, hear a band, attend a lecture, browse an art gallery, or pose in a yoga class. unitedtheatre.org

GUIDED ADVENTURE Rhode Island Lighthouse and Newport Harbor Tour, North Kingstown It doesn’t get more Ocean State than this 90-minute cruise. Listening to narration by a historian who delivers information with the panache of a TV journalist, you’ll pass by 10 historic beacons and lesserknown small islands. Journey under the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge, see the house built on a rock known as Clingstone, and take in views of rolling lawns behind grand mansions. fastferry.com

JAZZ VENUE Courtland Club, Providence On Sunday nights, jazz heats up a former bakery on Federal Hill. Circa-1920 ovens still occupy the wall behind the stage, but the club’s “New England tropical” food is 21st-century hip. The unmarked

entrance at 51 Courtland Street conveys a speakeasy vibe: Be brave, walk in, and you’ll be welcomed with a knowing wink from the eclectic crowd of regulars bent over craft cocktails and nodding to the groove. courtlandclub.com

NEW FAMILY ATTRACTION Harmony Railway & Gift Shop, Chepachet It’s no accident this gift shop on Putnam Pike resembles an old railroad station: The front porch doubles as the depot for a diesel-powered miniature train that runs around a half-mile track for the amusement of visitors as well as the satisfaction of retired-firefighter-turned-conductor Russ Gross. The ride ends back at a well-curated shop full of local crafts, farm-raised honey, soaps and lotions, and plenty of trainrelated swag. harmonyriproducts.com

PUBLIC ART The Avenue Concept, Providence Providence’s reputation as Rhode Island’s cultural capital is written all over the city’s walls: Nearly 50 monumental murals enliven old red-brick buildings, with themes ranging from simple (fish, flowers, pets) to whimsical (an angel-wing selfie wall) to meaningful (Gaia’s “Still Here,” which depicts Narragansett artist Lynsea Montanari and nods to the state’s extant Native American population). The

MARK FLEMING

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VINEYARD: Sakonnet Vineyard, Little Compton

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nonprofit Avenue Concept facilitates selfguided tours of the city’s public art with a free mobile app. theavenueconcept.org

SUMMER APPAREL Three Islands, Watch Hill The Westerly neighborhood of Watch Hill is like a mini Chatham. Within a brief stretch, there’s a candy store, an ice cream parlor, restaurants, and boutiques including Three Islands. Founded by cousins Justin Goff and Phil Barney, who became smitten with all things Bali while on a surfing trip, the clothing brand’s seasonal flagship is where you can find “a little sunshine for your closet,” made from hand-screened batik. threeislandslifestyle.com

SUMMER THEATER

URBAN GREEN SPACE Providence River Parks, Providence Begun in 1994 with the opening of Waterplace Park and the Providence Riverwalk, then greatly enhanced by the river-spanning Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge in 2019, the necklace of parks girding Providence’s downtown rivers is finally complete. The opening of 195 District Park on the Providence River’s west side six years ago and the addition of Point Street Park in 2023 allow unfettered strolls from the heart of downtown to the mouth of Narragansett Bay. downtownparks.org Honorees were selected by Yankee editors with contributions from Elyse Major, a Rhode Island–based journalist and editor in chief at Hey Rhody Media Co.; and Bob Curley, prolific freelancer and author of books on Rhode Island and Caribbean travel.

PHOTO: ROSS DRAPER

Theatre by the Sea, Wakefield In Wakefield, summers at the shore have meant show tunes as well as sno-cones since 1933, when Theatre by the Sea opened in an old barn on Cards Pond Road. The footlights of this rustic summerstock stage once drew such luminaries as Mae West and Marlon Brando. Saved from extinction more than once, the theater

now offers a four-show run of summer musical staples like Hairspray; arrive early for cocktails in the shady courtyard before the curtain goes up. theatrebythesea.com

Picture yourself here.

Journey to a world of adventure, bliss, family fun, nature and zen.

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More than 20 holiday movies have been filmed in Connecticut, and you don’t have to wait for actual flurries to fly (the directors don’t!) to open your heart to a bit of magic. Follow a stretch of the new Connecticut Christmas Movie Trail (ctvisit.com/ articles/christmas-moviesin-connecticut), and you’ll encounter screenworthy towns, cozy eateries, attractive inns like Wethersfield’s Silas W. Robbins House (silaswrobbins.com), and maybe that old flame you’ve never erased from your brain. You never know.

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much to the future as the past in its “Then, Now, Next: 200 Years and Counting” exhibition, opening May 22 in the midst of a yearlong bicentennial celebration for this Hartford institution. There’s a jolt of energy that’s fueling museum programming, expansion plans, and events that you’ll sense even before you wander through the multisensory exhibition “Coffee: A Connecticut Story,” also on view through early 2026.

GET YOUR FLICKS IN The Mansfield Drive-In (mansfielddrivein.com) turned 70 last year, and with nightly double features on three outdoor screens, it’s as robust as ever. Affordable ticket prices make it easy to splurge on fresh-popped corn, fried dough, and slushies. Your quiet canine is welcome to

join you for an underthe-stars night of entertainment. If you’d like to make a weekend of it, the dog-friendly Daniel Rust House (thedanielrusthouse.com) is eight minutes away in Coventry.

HAVE A HOWLING GOOD TIME Rain or shine, it’s a water-play day at Great Wolf Lodge (greatwolf .com/connecticut). This new indoor water-park resort in Mashantucket will welcome its first families on April 25, so get there while grand-opening deals are available and the hoopla is at a high. Kids will love the nonstop entertainment and loglodge-style rooms, while their parents find the 21-and-up North Hot Springs inviting. Word is there’ll be a waterslide here unique in the Great Wolf universe.

ELEVATE YOUR TASTE BUDS One of Connecticut’s premier chefs is back on top of the world, and you can be among the first to savor what Jeff Lizotte is cooking up in his window-walled space atop the Hartford Steam Boiler building. At The Foundry (thefoundryct.com), expect an always-changing, seasonally inspired menu of dishes that exist only here at this moment in time. All signs indicate this will be summer’s toughest reservation to score, so plan accordingly.

PLAN A CHILL GETAWAY Norfolk is known as the “icebox of Connecticut,” and naturally cooler temperatures make this an ideal escape for hiking at Dennis Hill State Park and Haystack Mountain State Park

REBELLION GROUP

FIND CHRISTMAS IN JULY

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From 20 floors up, get a new perspective on Hartford’s dining scene—and the city itself—at The Foundry.

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Chamber Music Festival (music.yale.edu/norfolk).

EAT TO THE BEAT Toes in the sand, drink in hand—be sure to allow time for a privatebeach stroll before your reservation at The Wharf Restaurant (thewharfmadison.com) at

HIT THE TRAIL Thanks to the 2024 debut of the Connecticut Oyster Trail (ctvisit.com/ articles/connecticutoyster-trail), you now have a handy map to the Nutmeg State’s bevy of bivalve farms and the restaurants that serve their salty-sweet harvest. Only have time for one stop? Make it Fair Haven Oyster Co. (fairhavenoysterco.com), overlooking the lovely Quinnipiac River, where you can trust that chef Emily Mingrone is serving the best raw-bar selections, along with

S O N JA ZI N K E P H OTO G R A P H Y (N O R FO L K C H A M B ER M U S I C F EST I VA L); D O M M I G U E L P H O T O ( T H E W H A R F R E S TA U R A N T )

(ctparks.com), as well as for spreading out a blanket on the green for free Friday-night concerts. Stay at the comfortably regal Manor House Inn (manorhouse-norfolk.com) and you might bump into acclaimed musicians who are here to play in Yale School of Music’s enduring Norfolk

Madison Beach Hotel (madisonbeachhotel.com). Who knew some of the highest-caliber free summer concerts are in Madison on Thursday nights? You do now, so reserve a table on the porch and listen in as you devour grilled swordfish or a hot lobster roll. Lighter bites are available for purchase on the lawn on show nights if you’d rather bring your own chairs. Our Weekends with Yankee crew met up at The Wharf with Connecticut-based vegan chef Chrissy Tracey for Season 9 (check your local PBS listings).

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COURTESY OF THE CONNECTICUT SUN

OPPOSITE, FROM TOP: A water-view repast at The Wharf Restaurant at the Madison Beach Hotel; inside the dramatic Music Shed concert hall at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. RIGHT: Former UConn standout Olivia Nelson-Ododa helps the Connecticut Sun bring the heat.

clever cocktails and savory plates including what Gwyneth Paltrow has hailed as “one of the best cheeseburgers of my life.”

GET COOKING Dormant for years since the days when it attracted celebrity-chef teachers like Martha Stewart and Jacques Pépin, The Silo Cooking School in New Milford (thesilo.org) is making a comeback. Register for a public class or book a private session for your group, and experience the inspiring environs of Hunt Hill Farm as it aims to become Connecticut’s culinary epicenter once again.

COURTESY OF THE CONNECTICUT SUN

SEE THE ‘SUN’ RISE Just when you’re missing March Madness, the Connecticut Sun season (sun.wnba.com) is heating up at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville (mohegansun .com). From mid-May through mid-September, every WNBA star will make an appearance in this arena, but do consider cheering for the home team—the only pro-level squad in Connecticut. MAY | JUNE 2025

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EDITORS’ PICKS

EAT & DRINK CHEESE SHOP Fromage Fine Foods & Coffees, Old Saybrook Old Saybrook is blessed to have this fromagerie that sports some 250 cheeses from all over the world. Owner and cheese expert Christine Chesanek (her name practically says “cheese”) has been curating this wonderful collection and other gourmet specialty foods since 1992, and people come from all over the state to partake of the bounty. Fromage is also

renowned for gift baskets and charcuterie for picnics and holiday celebrations. fromagefinefoods.com

CINNAMON ROLLS The Flour Girl, Hebron This country bakery serves up a sensational treat on Sunday mornings: fresh-baked, generously iced, softballsize cinnamon buns well worth the earlymorning drive. Customers begin queueing up well before the 9 a.m. opening, and there’s an eight-per-customer limit—far more than a family of four can consume.

The icing is a homemade cream cheese recipe. Picnic tables out front and outdoor café tables in back provide seating for instant cinnamon roll gratification. theflourgirlct.com

IMMERSIVE DINING EXPERIENCE Beauty & Essex, Uncasville Like its sibling locations in New York, Vegas, and L.A., the newly opened Connecticut outpost of Beauty & Essex at Mohegan Sun is more than just a place to get a meal. Wagyu steak tartare, Japanese whiskey, and vintage Fender guitars are all on offer at this glitzy dining spot, where the visitor experience might begin with browsing the upscale pawn shop that doubles as the restaurant’s entrance. From there it’s on to the speakeasy Pearl Lounge and Bar, where a DJ keeps the vibe flowing, and then the bejeweled Peacock Dining Room. Shareable plates and generous entrées (including a threepound stuffed lobster) will encourage you to linger—and maybe, just maybe, work up the courage to buy that retro Vox amplifier you’ve always wanted. taogroup.com/ venues/beauty-essex-mohegan-sun

INLAND LOBSTER ROLL The InishShor, Colchester Owner Alex Levere was contemplating closing the doors to his struggling seasonal eatery until a viewer poll run by a local TV affiliate catapulted the tiny landlocked spot into the upper ranks of the state’s lobster roll purveyors. The InishShor’s Connecticut-style hot buttered lobster roll is rich and meaty, and it comes with fries and coleslaw—a tough combination to beat. theinishshor.com

PIZZA

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IMMERSIVE DINING EXPERIENCE: Beauty & Essex, Uncasville

Zeneli Pizzeria, New Haven Owned by four Albanian brothers who arrived by way of Naples, Italy, this Wooster Street pizzeria earns rave reviews—no easy feat in a pizza-crazed city. And it’s with good reason: Zeneli’s Neapolitan-style pies are covered with San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh ricotta, mozzarella, burrata, and Parmesan cheeses; crowned with such toppings as garlic, shaved prosciutto, and whole leaves of basil; then baked in wood-fired ovens. The pasta dishes are fire, too. zenelipizzeria.com

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exhibition on view!

COFFEE:

A CONNECTICUT STORY Discover Connecticut’s coffee connections across time and place.

GET TICKETS

on view through January 2026

Proudly celebrating a legacy of 200 years. EXHIBITIONS | PROGRAMS | EVENTS | MORE One Elizabeth Street Hartford, CT 06105 860.203.2361

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EDITORS’ PICKS: CONNECTICUT

Clamp’s, New Milford “No Sign, No Address, No Phone, Just Good Food.” So states this throwback eatery that’s been serving up great grub since 1939. Housed in a whitewashed shack with no indoor seating, the bare-bones operation has a cultlike following of both locals and visitors recreating in bucolic Litchfield County. Of particular note is the burger, made from beef ground daily by a local butcher shop. A few picnic tables and benches provide outdoor seating. Located at the intersection of Route 202 and Sawyer Hill Road; no website

SEAFOOD BAR Moby Dick’s Oyster Bar + Grill, West Haven What was once a cozy neighborhood watering hole has morphed into a lively seafood bar that serves as a gathering place for locals as well as shellfish aficionados from all over. Fresh oysters and clams on the half shell, tuna sashimi, a colossal shrimp cocktail, and lump crabmeat are available à la carte or together in the Moby Dick’s “Skyscraper” seafood tower. And the mussel pot for two is a marvelous meal unto itself. mobydicks203.com

WINGS The Bidwell Tavern, Coventry Originally a way station and watering hole for weary travelers, The Bidwell Tavern saw its story begin down the street in 1822. Housed now in another characterfilled 19th-century building, it has gained more recent fame for its chicken wings. Served in batches of 10, 20, or 30 wingettes and drumettes, all are deepfried and accompanied by blue cheese dressing. There are 40 different sauces and dry rubs, so bring friends and try a bunch. thebidwelltavern.com

STAY B&B The Watson Boutique B&B, Thompson An hour’s drive from Boston or Hartford, even closer to Providence and Worcester, and just a smidge over an hour from Newport, this inn can be thought of as the bull’s-eye of southern New England: a perfect home base from which to see and do so much. Yet amid a French Provincial aesthetic that carries straight through to morning’s breakfast spread, you may feel content to park yourself here—especially with innkeepers so

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willing to design custom experiences, from champagne picnics to in-room massages. thewatsonboutiquebb.com

BOUTIQUE HOTEL The Watershed, Norwalk From the moment you enter this freshly reimagined sanctuary with botanical-garden vibes, the bustle of the surrounding coastal community quiets, and relaxation is the law. A window-walled and wood-paneled lounge overlooks the Norwalk River. On-site Siena Ristorante serves up mouthwatering wood-fired pizzas. A retreat-like rooftop bar might distract you from sleep in one of the newly renovated rooms, where organic teas from nearby Grace Farms Foods soothe you while supporting a good cause. Zen out with your furry friend for an additional fee. thewatershednorwalk.com

GOURMET ESCAPE Lost Fox Inn, Litchfield Two fox statues perched atop columns of river stones beckon travelers into a recently reimagined historic retreat, where modern comforts and unforgettable meals are overseen by old painted portraits. The spirit of the original 1740s tavern lingers in rough-hewn beams and chestnut floorboards, and guest rooms are harmoniously furnished with a blend of vintage and new. It’s the Lost Fox Tavern & Restaurant, where Philippines-born chef CJ Barroso crafts a seasonal menu of New England–inspired fare, that’s the strongest magnet. Every dish is made from scratch and locally focused, even the fan-favorite seeded whole-grain bread with housecultured butter, radishes, and rosemary salt. lostfoxinn.com

HISTORY LOVER’S HOTEL The Abner Hotel, Litchfield A stone courthouse with a distinctive clock tower that since 1888 has been an architectural standout on the Litchfield Town Green legally changed its identity in 2024. Check into The Abner, a 20-room hotel named for Reverend Abner Reeve, and you’re just a short stroll from the independent law school established in 1774 by his son, Tapping Reeve; the first of its kind in the country, it’s now a museum. And so, in some ways, is this cool new place to stay, where the ultimate suite was once the judge’s chambers. There’s nothing stodgy here, though. The Courtroom restaurant is a convivial hub, and Verdict:, the rooftop bar, will have you deliberating over which well-crafted cocktail to swizzle. (Go for one made with Litchfield Distillery spirits.) theabnerhotel.com

FLOWER FARM: White Flower Farm, Morris

SHOP & PLAY BOOKSTORE Montgomery & Taggert, Chester Wander through the swoon-worthy selection at Connecticut’s first romancethemed bookstore, and find the perfect happily ever after. The cottage, with its own flower-filled reading garden and a lush nature preserve as its backdrop, has a bewitching origin story: Best friends Sarah Borgnis-Tobin and Elizabeth Tucker met working at a library before curating their own dream store. Locally made artisanal goods and bookish gifts are artfully displayed on antique tables, and there are cozy sitting areas and shelves for every subgenre imaginable. Fun fact: The Little Chestnut Airbnb above the store can be rented for your own romantic rendezvous. montgomeryandtaggert.com

CHARTER FISHING Nightjack Sportfishing, Stonington Long Island Sound is ideal for sportfishing, and chartering a boat is the best way to go after the big ones. You and up to five friends can set out on a half-day or full-day outing with this locally owned operation. Skipper John Alves provides all the gear you’ll need for fishing fun. Popular catches include striped bass, bluefish, black sea bass, fluke, scup, and tuna. nightjacksportfishing.com

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FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT Hartford Yard Goats Baseball at Dunkin’ Park, Hartford Play all! At downtown Hartford’s Dunkin’ Park, there are plenty of things for the whole family to do in addition to watching the city’s Double-A baseball team compete. Fans can enjoy a wide variety of tasty food and beverages (Bear’s Smokehouse always hits it out of the park), visit the live goats penned in the outfield bleachers, participate in fun promotions between innings, let the kids run the bases, and be dazzled by postgame fireworks on Saturday nights. yardgoatsbaseball.com FARM STORE Tonn’s Marketplace, Burlington Third-generation farmer Jordan Tonn and his wife, Aubri, bring 21st-century biz savvy to their burgeoning operation, which has grown by leaps since his grandfather launched a hobby farm and roadside stand. Their photo-perfect market, with a seasonally decorated antique farm truck and cute alpacas and Nigerian dwarf goats outside, is stocked with fruits and vegetables harvested from their orchards and fields that very day. The balance of the retail lineup is like a whirlwind tour of the best gourmet foods and gifts produced by Connecticut family businesses. Last summer, the Stage @ Tonn’s Marketplace made its debut, and when there’s live music, you can bet there’ll be local food trucks. (Happily, Tonn’s own Farmstead Ice Cream truck takes up weekend residence from April through fall.) tonnsmarketplace.com

playhouse stage inspired by Elizabethan theater tradition. Bring a picnic and blankets or chairs to spread out in front of this impressive construction. The company celebrates its 30th year of performances with the production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Admission is free; donations are happily accepted. elmshakespeare.org

TEAROOM AND COCKTAIL LOUNGE Fable, Southington There’s a mystical world in the heart of Connecticut where “romantasy” exists outside the book covers. By day, Fable’s allure is its menu of more than 60 teas, served hot or iced, with or without elixirs such as lion’s mane and rose. All around you are enticing gifts, from herbs and beauty potions to antiques and sparkly things. And there are book clubs, workshops, and classes: Make a fairy garden, perhaps, or learn to grow native plants. Then … the weekend approaches, and night descends. Purple light beckons you to enter Underworld through a back door. Tea? No, no, no. It’s time for a beautifully crafted cocktail, even if you’re here for a Sip + Read. Expect some nights to be much more high-

key, with live music, movie screenings, and themed parties. ctfable.com

TOUR Railroad Museum of New England, Thomaston It’s quite the pairing: The Railroad Museum of New England and Fascia’s Chocolates will celebrate their 100th Chocolate Decadence train tour when the 2025 season kicks off on May 10. Book a departure from Thomaston featuring a rotating choice of beverages—wine, beer, spirits—and you’ll sip as you learn to taste a variety of chocolates. All trains stop at Fascia’s for a make-your-own experience: The treats you design can be devoured when you get back home—if you can wait that long. rmne.org; experienceyourchocolate.com Honorees were selected by Yankee editors led by travel editor and Connecticut resident Kim Knox Beckius with contributions from Mike Urban, author of six books on New England cuisine and frequent contributor to NewEngland.com; and communications professional Lara Beckius.

FEBRUARY 22 –JUNE 22

THEIR KINDRED EARTH PHOTOGRAPHS BY WILLIAM EARLE WILLIAMS

FLOWER FARM White Flower Farm, Morris Celebrating its 75th anniversary, this family-owned farm ships plants, bouquets, and gardening accoutrements far and wide. But White Flower Farm is a place, not a catalog: one where you’ll be inspired by sweeping display gardens and impossibly lavish containers ... by the sheer variety of combinations of nature’s materials ... and even by the simplicity of the all-white Moon Garden, a perennial border that still blooms where it was first planted and that gave this nurturing nursery its name. whiteflowerfarm.com

SUMMER THEATER Elm Shakespeare Company, New Haven For 17 days at the end of August, Edgerton Park comes alive with nightly performances of a Shakespeare play presented on a sustainably built

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visit William Earle Williams, Monument, Freedom’s Crossing, New York City, 2024. Archival digital ink print, 22 x 22 in. Courtesy of the artist.

FloGris.org

96 Lyme Street Old Lyme, Connecticut Exit 70 off of I-95

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All-Access Pass Summer destinations and diversions that pave the way for people with disabilities. | B Y RYA N C A S H M A N

O N TH E WATE R Lake Williams Trail Boardwalk | Marlborough, MA It used to be that the only way to experience Lake Williams was from the shore … until the city of Marlborough installed a half-mile-long f loating boardwalk across the northern part of the lake. Wide enough to accommodate any mobility device, the ADA-friendly boardwalk allows you to feel as though you’re actually walking (or rolling) on water. Approached from the courthouse side, the boardwalk is a great spot to get wrapped up in the morning mist, catch a glimpse of local wildlife, or see the sky turn pastel at sunset. marlboroughma.gov/443/lake-williams-trail Community Sailing Center | Burlington, VT With 435 square miles of flat, sparkling water, Lake Champlain is a dream destination for sailors new and old—and, thanks to the Burlington-based Community Sailing Center, those with cognitive or physical disabilities, too. The center’s Adaptive Watersports Program offers three-hour group sails aboard a custom 23-foot Sonar keelboat 134 |

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designed with accessibility in mind, while private lessons emphasizing adaptive teaching methods are available on smaller Martin 16s. And with both boat types available as rentals, experienced skippers are invited to take the helm. communitysailingcenter.org/ adaptive-watersports Easton’s Beach | Newport, RI Despite Rhode Island’s small size, the state’s 400 miles of coastline boast some of the best beaches in New England. Easton’s stands out not only for its spectacular scenery, but also for its excellent accessibility. Beach mats and a beach wheelchair provide easy transfer from pavement to sand. Plus, you can roll along a wide concrete walkway to a half-mile section of the Cliff Walk and its breathtaking panoramic views of Gilded Age mansions, set like jewels along the coastline. cityofnewport.com/ visiting-newport/eastons-beach TR E KS & TR AI L S Wallace Barnes Accessible Nature Trail | Bristol, CT A new addition to the Harry C. Barnes Memorial Nature Center, this trail might just be the most accessible mile in all of Connecticut. Those using mobility devices will relish the smooth surfaces of its boardwalks and soft gravel paths. Meanwhile, a series of offset, highhandled benches—protected under timber-framed shelters—creates spaces for rest and reflection. Watch songbirds f lit through the trees, listen to Freeman Hill Brook babble under one of the trail’s bridges, or wait patiently for a heron to appear out of the reeds. elcct.org/ facilities/the-wallace-barnes-nature-trail

Adaptive Outdoor Education Center | Carrabassett Valley & Brunswick, ME With the founding of AOEC in 2015, Bruce and Annemarie Albiston brought their vision of a more accessible Maine wilderness to life. The all-inclusive programming across the state is truly Maine’s all-access pass to the great outdoors. Watersports your thing? Try a weekend waterskiing trip, or sail around the islands of Casco Bay. With rentals (bikes especially) available from their adaptive-equipment librar y, outdoor adventure options feel limitless. adaptiveoutdooreducationcenter.org The Driving Range | Bolton, VT Built by scores of volunteers over the span of two years, this latest addi-

C O U R T E S Y O F A D A P T I V E O U T D O O R E D U C AT I O N C E N T E R

isit the beach. Go for a carriage ride. Listen to music under the stars. Summer fun in New England is accessible, no matter how you get around or interact with new environments. Here, we round up one-of-a-kind experiences that are especially welcoming to wheelchair users and visitors with disabilities. It’s time for everyone to get out and enjoy the best our region has to offer.

NEWENGLAND.COM

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C O U R T E S Y O F A D A P T I V E O U T D O O R E D U C AT I O N C E N T E R

tion to Vermont’s renowned collection of mountain biking trails opened in 2024 as the first course of its kind in the state. Berms, descents, f lows, jumps—they’re all here, on a trail network specifically designed for adaptive riders. Part of a mission to make mountain biking more welcoming and accessible, the Driving Range encourages everyone, regardless of ability or equipment, to immerse themselves in the beauty of the Green Mountains. richmondmountaintrails.org/ the-driving-range

most cherished musical institutions. The paved pathways of Tanglewood, the BSO’s summer home in Lenox, allow scooters and wheelchairs to navigate the rural campus with ease. Concert programs are available in large print and Braille, and hearing aids are provided upon request. Exploring Boston? Check the Symphony Hall schedule for special performances featuring lower lighting and sound levels, noise-reduction headphones, and other aids for autistic or sensorysensitive concertgoers. bso.org

S I G HT S & S O U N D S Boston Symphony Orchestra | Boston & Lenox, MA Creative programming and thoughtful amenities help draw everyone into the wonder of one of New England’s

Acadia by Carriage | Acadia National Park, ME Acadia’s 45 winding miles of historic carriage roads have long brought visitors into the heart of this showstopping national park, filled with pristine

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For 10 years the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center has been on a mission to put Maine’s great outdoors within everyone’s reach. Above, participants in AOEC’s annual Wheel Together Retreat soak up a 360-degree vista at Quill Hill, an accessible hiking spot in Rangeley.

forests and ocean views. Now, thanks to a partnership between the Friends of Acadia and tour operator Acadia by Carriage, free horse-drawn carriage rides are available for wheelchair travelers who want to explore these famous pathways. The special carriage uses a heavy-duty ramp to accommodate many types of mobility devices, with room for two or three friends or family members to come along. Note: Be sure to book well in advance. acadiabycarriage.com | 135

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Riders of adaptive as well as twowheeled mountain bikes share the thrills at the Driving Range, a fully inclusive bike network in Bolton, Vermont.

close look at the magic of WaterFire. waterfire.org/access Castle in the Clouds | Moultonborough, NH When shoe tycoon Thomas Plant built the Lucknow mansion in the early 20th century, he likely wasn’t

Take it easy.

The people who choose to live at Wake Robin located in Shelburne, Vermont are forever looking forward. Whether it’s making new friends in this Life Plan Community, exploring new activities and hobbies, or learning new skills, the good stuff lies in front of you. If that sounds like you, come see for yourself. Wake Robin. It’s where you live.

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expecting his estate to become one of the most popular destinations in New Hampshire. Sitting atop 5,000-plus acres of preserved Ossipee Mountains woodlands, the Arts and Crafts–style stone mansion is reached via an accessible trolley that runs every 15 minutes. The fully accessible first f loor and gardens are open for rambling, and a video tour of the second f loor is available upon request. Afterward, enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner at the wheelchair-accessible Carriage House Restaurant, all while drinking in a wide-angle view of Lake Winnipesaukee. castleintheclouds.org/ visitor-information Old Man of the Mountain Historic Site | Franconia, NH Visitors in wheelchairs or scooters can “view” the Old Man of the Mountain, thanks to an interactive art installation that allows folks at differing heights (from 3 to 7 feet) to once again—or for the first time—see where the iconic “Great Stone Face” originally stood. From here, wend your way south on the eight-mile recreation trail through Franconia Notch. Or, head north to the wheelchair-accessible Cannon Mounta in Aeria l Tramway (cannonmt.com) to take in the sweeping views. So bring your adventurous spirit, and get ready to explore this storied White Mountains destination. oldmannh.org

MARK CLEMENT

WaterFire | Providence, RI This beloved public art experience draws people from far and w ide to see the three rivers in downtown Providence transformed by the ethereal glow of more than 80 bonf ires. Though the city’s Riverwalk—which includes ramps and an elevator—is generally navigable for those in wheelchairs or scooters, there’s also a WaterFire viewing area on Memorial Boulevard specifically reserved for visitors with disabilities that provides unimpeded views of the blazing displays. Alternatively, the festival’s Access Boat (by reservation) gets those with physical disabilities onto the water for an up-

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Minor Leagues, Major Fun

Need a sports hit? Come cheer for one of New England’s four MiLB teams.

TOP: Fireworks burst in the sky over

Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine, home to the Red Sox Double-A affiliate Portland Sea Dogs. ABOVE: Young WooSox fans show their hometown spirit at Polar Park in Worcester, Massachusetts.

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sky is lit up as if the sun were shining right above the field. Many fans walking with you toward the stadium wear vibrant team apparel, caps, and shirts (and you can bet that you, too, will bring home a new T-shirt emblazoned with a snazzy team logo). The gates open about 90 minutes before the first pitch. Once inside, amid the slowly filling stands, you see the backdrop of the city skyline. Then you turn your gaze to the perfectly groomed infield and manicured grass, freshly watered and, by May, the green of emeralds. You take it all in: The athletes sprinting in the outfield in their crisp uniforms, the sound of balls hitting mitts during infield practice, the voices of players as they warm up, the mascots that seem to come straight from the creative minds NEWENGLAND.COM

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C O U R T E S Y O F H A R T F O R D YA R D G O AT S

o really feel the allure of watching one of the four Minor League Baseball teams in New England, you need to see a game through the eyes of a child— either one who’s traveling with you now, or the youngster you once were. First, feel the crackle of anticipation. Each of the four teams—Connecticut ’s Hartford Yard Goats, Massachusetts’s Worcester Red Sox, Maine’s Portland Sea Dogs, and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats—plays in a picturesque stadium in the heart of its home city. Parking is both inexpensive and close. You join the throngs walking alongside you, all heading to the ballpark that looms just ahead, with the promise that something special awaits inside. If it’s a night game, the towers of lights are ablaze, and the

BY MEL ALLEN

C O U R T E S Y O F H A R T F O R D YA R D G O AT S

of Sesame Street or Disney as they pose for photos with the young fans. You’ve arrived hungry because ballpark food is the best, the same way that eating outdoors at a picnic or cookout is the best. Each park boasts its own specialties: the Yard Goats’ waff le cone mac and cheese, the WooSox’s George’s Coney Island dog, the Sea Dogs Biscuit (aka the team’s signature ice cream sandwich), and the Fisher Cats’ chicken tenders, served in honor of the Manchester, New Hampshire, restaurant that invented the finger food. In contrast to a baseball cathedral like Boston’s Fenway Park, these stadiums are more intimate. A packed house at Worcester’s Polar Park is just 9,500 fans, while others hold between 6,500 and 7,500. You feel how close it all is, hearing the crack of the bat as the ball soars into the air—or, at other times, the umpire’s shouted

Hartford Yard Goats Dunkin’ Park Hartford, CT milb.com/hartford

New Hampshire Fisher Cats Delta Dental Stadium Manchester, NH milb.com/new-hampshire

Portland Sea Dogs

Delta Dental Park at Hadlock Field Portland, ME milb.com/portland

Worcester Red Sox Polar Park Worcester, MA milb.com/worcester

“STEE-rike!” And when foul balls fly into the stands, you’re ready to pounce. You’ ll see many young players who are on the cusp of one day playing on Major League Baseball fields.

The Minor League squads are called “farm teams,” because this is where athletes mature and grow; it’s where the greatest players in history learned the game. The names of those who have shown off their skills in these New England ballparks read like a roster of all-stars: Édgar Rentería, Mookie Betts, Ricky Romero, and more. Some of the very players you see today might, in a year or two, be trotting out to a jam-packed Fenway Park (WooSox and Portland Sea Dogs), or playing with the Toronto Blue Jays (Fisher Cats) or the Colorado Rockies (Yard Goats.) And if you sit close enough to see their faces, you kind of feel they can see you, too. All the teams feature special events and promotions: fireworks, fans running the bases after games, early admission to watch batting practice, and more. Check each team’s website for a complete schedule.

Jubilant members of Connecticut’s Hartford Yard Goats after clinching a win at Dunkin’ Park with a walk-off home run.

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At Connecticut’s Nathan Hale Homestead, the annual Flag Field for Heroes celebration (July 6–26 this year) lends extra patriotic flair to the home of a family who sent six sons to fight in the Revolutionary War.

A Salute to History All across New England, the Revolutionary spirit lives on. | BY B I L L S C H E L L E R

he nation is gearing up to mark its largest celebration in half a century, as America’s 250th birthday arrives next year. Get in on the party early with a visit to one of the many historic sites and museums in New England that bring to life the story of the American Revolution and this country’s fight for independence.

COURTESY OF CONNECTICUT LANDMARKS

CONNECTICUT FORT GRISWOLD BATTLEFIELD STATE PARK, Groton. The largest Revolutionary

War engagement in Connecticut lasted only 40 minutes. Dubbed the Battle of Groton Heights, it was sparked by an attack on Fort Griswold led by the infamous American traitor Benedict Arnold, by then a British general. On September 6, 1781, some 1,600 of Arnold’s troops landed near the mouth of the Thames River, half at Groton and half at New London. At the time, Fort Griswold was manned by 165 militia and local volunteers, who put up a valiant defense before being overwhelmed. But the British

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victory was a hollow one, occurring just six weeks before their final defeat at Yorktown. This Connecticut state park incorporates the battlefield today. fortgriswold.org NATHAN HALE HOMESTEAD, Coventry.

America’s first famous spy—his statue stands at CIA headquarters—faced the gallows in 1776 with the words “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” A member of a prominent farm family, Hale grew up in a home on the site of the present Georgian house, built by his father the same year that the 21-year-old Yale graduate was hung by the British for espionage. Among the period

furnishings and artifacts preserved at the site is a trunk containing Hale’s belongings, returned to the family after his execution. ctlandmarks.org/nathan-hale-homestead OLD NEW-GATE PRISON, East Granby.

Medieval rulers built their own dungeons; magistrates in 18th-century Connecticut found one ready-made, in the shape of an abandoned copper mine. In 1773, the colony’s General Assembly authorized the use of the mine as a prison—and a few years later, the crimes that could send an offender into the bowels of New-Gate included loyalty to the British crown, whether active or merely suspected. Up to 40 Loyalists at a time were incarcerated, in what inmates described as “hell.” Today, guided tours take the non-claustrophobic through the site’s dank recesses. portal.ct.gov/ecd-oldnewgate

PUTNAM MEMORIAL STATE PARK,

Redding. Connecticut’s oldest state park commemorates an encampment by a | 145

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Continental Army division commanded by General Israel Putnam in the winter of 1778–1779. Assigned the task of defending the reestablished supply depot at nearby Danbury, along with approaches to West Point and the shores of Long Island Sound, Putnam’s division occupied a string of camps on terrain scouted by a little-known colonel named Aaron Burr. As at Valley Forge, soldiers bivouacked in miserable conditions, prompting a petition to Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull for promised blankets, clothing, and food allowances, along with warnings of increasing desertions. putnampark.org THE TURTLE AT THE CONNECTICUT RIVER MUSEUM, Essex. Long before

nuclear submarines and even U-boats, there was an operating submersible—used, albeit unsuccessfully, during the American Revolution. A Connecticut patriot named David Bushnell had the idea of furtively approaching a British warship to mount an explosive charge on its hull, and he had local mechanics build a one-man spherical sub, the American Turtle, to do the job. The first foray reached the warship, but pilot Ezra Lee couldn’t attach the bomb. Two more attempts also failed before the Turtle was eventually found and scuttled by the British. An exact model, with working parts, is displayed at the Connecticut River Museum. ctrivermuseum.org/turtle-submarine

MAINE BURNHAM TAVERN MUSEUM, Machias.

The first naval battle of the American Revolution was fought in early June of 1775 in the Machias harbor. The engagement wasn’t a fight between opposing naval forces: It was a confrontation between the townspeople of Machias and the British schooner Margaretta, anchored at the port. Opposed to the shipment of Maine lumber to build barracks in British-held Boston, locals boarded and seized the Margaretta, mortally wounding its commander and taking surviving crew members prisoner. The story is told today at Machias’s Burnham Tavern, built a mere five years before the battle known as the “Lexington of the Sea.” burnhamtavern.com

FORT GEORGE, Castine. Constructed of

palisade-topped earthworks surrounded by a moat, Fort George recalls a British attempt to establish a loyal colony in Revolutionary-era Maine, and a failed American attempt at recapturing it. In 1779, General Francis McLean seized Castine and built the fort to defend a planned colony called New Ireland. The

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“Penobscot Expedition” of Continental troops from Massachusetts, of which Maine was then a part, was repelled by the British that summer, and Castine remained in enemy hands until 1784—a year after the Treaty of Paris secured American independence. Today, only partial earthworks remain. mainetourism. com/listing/fort-george/3250 FORT HALIFAX STATE HISTORIC SITE, Winslow. Built by the colony

of Massachusetts at the outset of the French and Indian War, Fort Halifax was abandoned in 1766. But the fort’s wooden blockhouses and palisaded enclosure later served as the staging ground for an attack on what had become British Canada. In September 1775, Colonel Benedict Arnold—not yet a general, or a traitor— assembled 1,100 troops here for an assault on Quebec City. Just over half that number made it to the Saint Lawrence River, where the siege of Quebec failed. One blockhouse, the oldest in the United States, survives at the state historic site. maine.gov/forthalifax

MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON TEA PARTY SHIPS & MUSEUM,

Boston. It wasn’t just the three-penceper-pound tax on tea—it was the idea of

taxation by a British parliament in which Americans had no representation, and the East India Company’s monopoly on tea imports. Whatever the underlying issues, the tipping point came on the night of December 16, 1773, when irate Bostonians dumped more than 90,000 pounds of tea into Boston Harbor. Replicas of two of the tea-carrying ships, the Eleanor and the Beaver, are docked at Congress Street Bridge, and an adjacent museum holds one of the chests from which tea was heaved during the “Party.” bostonteapartyship.com

BUNKER HILL MONUMENT, Boston. Begun

in 1825 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Revolution’s first major engagement, this 221-foot granite obelisk doesn’t stand on Bunker Hill—nor was the battle fought there. It was on Breed’s Hill, also on the Charlestown peninsula, that Colonial and British forces met on June 17, 1775. Anticipating a British plan to fortify Charlestown, the Americans secretly erected a redoubt atop the hill. General William Howe’s successful attack on the fortification resulted in roughly 450 American and 1,000 British casualties. The summit of the monument is accessible by stairway, and a related museum stands across the street. nps.gov/bost/learn/ historyculture/bhm.htm NEWENGLAND.COM

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LEFT: Rising along the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, Vermont’s Mount Independence is regarded as one of the nation’s best-preserved Revolutionary War archaeological sites. ABOVE: Giving crates of tea the old heave-ho at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum.

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CONCORD BATTLE SITE, MINUTE MAN NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, Concord.

Emerson’s “rude bridge that arched the f lood,” where the “shot heard round the world” was fired, still stands today (in accurately reconstructed form), spanning the Concord River at Minute Man National Historical Park. Having continued their march toward Concord after the Battle of Lexington, British regulars were met at the bridge by 400 “minute men” militia from surrounding towns. That sharp engagement reversed the outcome at Lexington, as the British began a retreat toward Boston marked by continual American ambush fire along the battle road, much of which is preserved within the park. nps.gov/mima

LEXINGTON BATTLE GREEN, Lexington.

The opening volleys of the Revolutionary War were fired shortly after dawn on April 19, 1775. Seven hundred British regulars had been sent to seize a cache of Colonial arms believed to be stored at Concord. Town militias along their route had been warned about the British advance by Paul Revere and others, and it was at Lexington’s town green that militiamen faced the regulars. Militia Captain John Parker ordered his men

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to hold fire, but a shot rang out—from which side is uncertain—and the skirmish began. Eight colonials were killed, and one British soldier wounded. An anniversary reenactment takes place on the green each year. tourlexington.us

OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE, Boston.

Built in 1729 as a Puritan house of worship, the Old South Meeting House entered patriotic lore as the gathering place for 5,000 Bostonians protesting Britain’s Tea Act. The date was December 16, 1773, and among the speakers was Samuel Adams. Accounts differ as to whether Adams directly appealed to the throng to head for the harbor and stage the event remembered as the Boston Tea Party, but there is no doubt that this is where it began. Restored after occupying British troops converted it into a riding stable, Old South is now a stop along the Freedom Trail. nps.gov/bost/learn/ historyculture/osmh.htm

PAUL REVERE HOUSE, Boston. Paul Revere’s

house on North Square is downtown Boston’s oldest. Built about 1680 and purchased by Revere in 1770, it remained his property until 1800, serving through most of that time as a family residence. This was the home Revere left on the evening of April 18, 1775, to begin the “midnight ride” celebrated in Longfellow’s poem, and to which he returned after the British evacuated Boston. Having served at various times as a tenement and a cigar factory, it was eventually restored to its

18th-century appearance. Remarkably, its construction is 90 percent original. paulreverehouse.org

NEW HAMPSHIRE THE FORT AT NO. 4, Charlestown. The

stockade known as the Fort at No. 4 served a crucial role throughout New Hampshire’s Colonial history. It was constructed in 1744 to guard against French and Abenaki attacks on Plantation No. 4, the northernmost settlement along the Connecticut River. Serving as a garrison for British regulars and local militias during the French and Indian War, it figured in the exploits of Major Robert Rogers and his Rangers. General John Stark mustered some 1,500 troops here on his way to victory at the Battle of Bennington in 1777. Today’s fort is a 1960 replica. fortat4.org

FORT CONSTITUTION, New Castle. Dating

to the early 17th century and named Fort William and Mary in 1692 in honor of those British monarchs, Portsmouth’s Colonial-era harbor defense stands at the mouth of the Piscataqua River. At the outbreak of the Revolution, it was Britain’s only fortification in New Hampshire, and its cannons and powder were a tempting prize for local patriots. On December 14 and 15, 1774—four months before the battles at Lexington and Concord—rebels seized the fort and its supplies. Later renamed Fort Constitution, it served through World War II, and portions of its | 147

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meo3830786_YankeeMagPuzzleAD 11/7/17 9:54 A meo3830786_YankeeMagPuzzleAD 11/7/17 9:54 A ramparts remain. Note: Although the fort

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JOHN PAUL JONES HOUSE MUSEUM,

Portsmouth. The naval commander whose elaborate sarcophagus rests at the U.S. Naval Academy occupied far simpler quarters during his stay in Portsmouth. In 1777, John Paul Jones rented a room in a home run as a boardinghouse by a local widow. He returned to Portsmouth in 1781–1782 to supervise the construction of the America, the first U.S. ship of the line built for the Continental Navy. Launched in 1782, the America was never commanded by Jones; it was given by Congress to the new nation’s French allies. Later named for its onetime occupant, the Georgian home—built by African American housewright Hopestill Cheswell—is a museum commemorating Jones and his era. portsmouthhistory.org/jpj STARK PARK, Manchester. Hero of the

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Battle of Bennington and the man who coined New Hampshire’s state motto, “Live Free or Die,” General John Stark is commemorated at several Granite State locations. His birthplace is marked in present-day Derry, his childhood home stands in Manchester, and his statue graces the grounds of the capitol in Concord. Before Bennington, he told his men, “There they are, boys! We beat them today or Molly Stark sleeps a widow tonight!” The New Hampshire men and Vermonters won, Molly escaped widowhood, and today she and the general slumber together at Stark Park in Manchester. starkpark.com

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inconclusive in its outcome, Rhode Island’s only major Revolutionary War battle remains memorable as the war’s first in which a mixed-race brigade of white, Black, and Native American soldiers took part. The Americans hoped to seize Newport, at the southern tip of Aquidneck Island, with help from a French amphibious landing. But British discovery of the Americans’ plans, along with French Admiral Comte d’Estaing’s abandonment of the action due to damages to his ships in a storm, doomed the joint assault. The Americans, though, managed to hold their positions here, at Portsmouth. battleofrhodeisland.org/heritage-park

BUTTS HILL FORT, Portsmouth. Originally

created in 1776 as an American battery, southeastern New England’s largest earthworks fortress was occupied by the British late that year. Its substantial 1777 enlargement was accomplished

with forced labor, as General Robert Pigot pressed Portsmouth residents into service. The fort briefly changed hands again in 1778, when the British moved their troops toward Newport, and stood at the center of the American line during the Battle of Rhode Island. The fort’s seesaw history ended in December 1779, when the British left Rhode Island. Ongoing restoration projects aim to make the surviving ramparts more visible. battleofrhodeisland.org/butts-hill-fort CONANICUT BATTERY, Jamestown. Over a

five-year period during the Revolutionary War, the battery at Conanicut changed hands twice. An earthwork and cannon emplacement was ordered by the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1776, but was captured by the British that December. They held the position until October 1779, expanding the redoubt to its present shape overlooking West Passage. Abandoned by the British in July 1780, the battery was strengthened by the Marquis de Lafayette and manned by America’s French allies through 1781. Now preserved within parkland, the battery is the site of occasional ceremonies and cannon firings. jamestownhistoricalsociety.org/ conanicut-battery

FORT BARTON, Tiverton. In the days when

holding the high ground was the only way to observe enemy activity—and keep attackers at bay—Tiverton Heights was a crucial part of American defenses in Rhode Island. Across the narrow strait from Tiverton, British troops held Aquidneck Island, and artillery mounted here behind massive earthworks prevented them from crossing to the mainland. The fort was named after Lieutenant Colonel William Barton, who raided the British camp and kidnapped its commanding general. Portions of the earthworks remain, and an observation tower looks out over the Sakonnet River basin and Aquidneck Island. battleofrhodeisland.org/ fort-barton-site

VERMONT BENNINGTON BATTLE MONUMENT,

Bennington. In the town of Bennington, a 306-foot limestone shaft—the tallest structure in Vermont—commemorates an American victory in a battle actually fought across the border in Walloomsac, New York. British General John Burgoyne, heading south in order to cut off New England from its neighbor colonies, learned of critical supplies stored at Bennington. But his troops never reached their objective. They were cut off and defeated on August 16, 1777, weakening the British drive south and leading to Burgoyne’s surrender two months later after the Battle of Saratoga. benningtonbattlemonument.com NEWENGLAND.COM

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CATAMOUNT TAVERN SITE, Bennington.

The copper statue of a catamount that stands in a quiet corner of Bennington isn’t there just to represent the big feline—also known as a mountain lion—that once roamed Vermont forests. It also marks the location of the Catamount Tavern, a public house built in 1769 and frequented by Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys. It was here that Allen and company are said to have plotted the capture of Fort Ticonderoga. The tavern burned in 1871, and the statue was erected 25 years later. benningtonmuseum.org/visit/outdoor-walks/ driving-tour-of-historic-sites

CHIMNEY POINT STATE HISTORIC SITE,

Addison. Home to Native American and French colonial settlements, this promontory at the eastern approach to the Lake Champlain Bridge shared with New York’s Crown Point a crucial defensive role early in the Revolution. For more than a year following the 1775 American capture of Crown Point, Chimney Point was also occupied by Continental forces, and this narrow waist of Lake Champlain served as a base for American land and naval forces. An 18th-century tavern, visited in 1791 by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, has been restored as part of a state historic site. historicsites.vermont.gov/chimney-point HUBBARDTON BATTLEFIELD STATE HISTORIC SITE, Hubbardton. The

only battle of the Revolution fought in Vermont was a victory for the British, but one that cost them dearly. As American troops retreated from Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence, their rear guard was pursued by British troops under General Simon Fraser, along with German mercenaries. Fraser engaged the Americans, and might have been defeated if not for the arrival of the Germans. The Hubbardton battle, fought on grassy terrain preserved today as a state historic site, crucially delayed the British advance in the lead-up to the battles of Bennington and Saratoga. historicsites.vermont.gov/ hubbardton-battlefield

MOUNT INDEPENDENCE STATE HISTORIC SITE, Orwell. Visitors to this scenic

peninsula overlooking Lake Champlain find it difficult to imagine it as home to 12,000 American soldiers, encamped here as a bulwark, along with New York’s Fort Ticonderoga, against a British advance south along the lake from Canada. With three-tier fortifications designed in part by Thaddaeus Kosciusko, the rocky redoubt served its defensive purpose from July 1776 to July 1777, when the Americans abandoned Ticonderoga and began a strategic retreat marked by the Battle of Hubbardton. Mount Independence is preserved as a state historic site, laced with six miles of trails, some of which have interpretive signage. historicsites.vermont.gov/ mount-independence

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