Day Trips® New England. Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler

403 Pages·2014·11.454 MB·English

by  Maria Olia

day trips
no planning required! ®
Need a day away to relax, refresh, renew? Just get in your car and go! This
second edition of Day Trips New England is your guide to hundreds of exciting
things to do, see, and discover in the New England region. With full trip-planning
information and tips on where to eat, shop, and stop along the way, you can
make the most of your time off and rediscover the simple pleasures of a day trip.  d
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• Explore everything New England has to offer by setting off on a day trip y
within and around seven base destinations: Boston, Cape Cod, Portland,
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Providence, New Haven, Burlington, and Manchester. r
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• Pick and choose from a total of 50 itineraries and even more themed trips–– p
perfect for locals looking for new discoveries and travelers wanting to make s
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the most out of their stay.

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• Turn your day trip into an extended getaway with the accommodations infor-
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mation provided for you.
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Maria Olia is a freelance writer and near-native New Englander who has lived
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in the Boston area for thirty years. Her work has appeared in the Boston Globe,
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Mobil Travel, and Working Mother Magazine. She is the author of Insiders’ Guide
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to Massachusetts (Globe Pequot Press) and The Little Black Book of Boston. a
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new england
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Front cover photo, looking toward Martha’s Vineyard from Nobska Point e
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n getaway ideas for the local traveler
GPP Travel is an imprint of
Globe Pequot Press maria olia
Guilford, Connecticut
GlobePequot.com
day trips® series
day trips
®
new england
second edition
getaway ideas for the local traveler
maria olia
®
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All the information in this guidebook is subject to change. We recommend
that you call ahead to obtain current information before traveling.
Copyright © 2014 Morris Book Publishing, LLC
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or
by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in
writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot
Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.
Day Trips is a registered trademark of Morris Book Publishing, LLC.
Editor: Tracee Williams
Project Editor: Lynn Zelem
Layout: Joanna Beyer
Text Design: Linda R. Loiewski
Maps: Mapping Specialists Ltd. © Morris Book Publishing, LLC.
Spot photography throughout licensed by Shutterstock .com
ISSN 2325-4327
ISBN 978-0-7627-9672-4
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
help us keep this guide up to date: We would love to hear from you concerning your
experiences with this guide and how you feel it could be improved and kept up to date.
Please send your comments and suggestions to: editorial@GlobePequot. com.
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contents
introduction .....................ix day trip 06
using this guide ..................xi
the heart of the
boston commonwealth .............. 61
worcester, ma ................... 61
day trip 01 sturbridge, ma ................... 65
the hub of new england ........... 3 cape cod
boston, ma ....................... 3
day trip 02 day trip 07
quirky intellectualism ............ 24 quintessential new england
cambridge, ma ................... 24 summer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
hyannis, ma ..................... 68
day trip 03
day trip 08
a tale of two revolutions .......... 32
lexington, ma .................... 32 family vacation playground ....... 72
concord, ma ..................... 36 brewster, ma .................... 72
lowell, ma ....................... 39 orleans, ma ..................... 75
chatham, ma .................... 79
day trip 04
day trip 09
the dark arts & maritime
heritage .................... 43 ye old cape cod ................. 83
salem, ma ...................... 43 sandwich, ma .................... 83
gloucester, ma ................... 48 falmouth, ma .................... 86
ipswich, ma ..................... 51 day trip 10
day trip 05 beautiful beaches ............... 88
presidents, pilgrims & whales ..... 54 eastham, ma .................... 88
quincy, ma ...................... 54 wellfleet, ma ..................... 91
plymouth, ma .................... 56 provincetown, ma ................. 93
new bedford, ma ................. 59 day trip 11
the vineyard .................... 97
martha’s vineyard, ma ............. 97
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iv contents
day trip 12 burlington
romance of the sea ............. 103
day trip 20
nantucket, ma .................. 103
made- in- vermont ............... 167
providence
burlington, vt ................... 167
day trip 21
day trip 13
down on the farm .............. 171
the creative capital ............. 111
shelburne, vt .................... 171
providence, ri ................... 111
middlebury, vt ................... 174
day trip 14
day trip 22
legendary seaside mansions ..... 120
powered by ice cream—
newport, ri ..................... 120
from foothills to
day trip 15
mountain peaks ............. 176
island serenity ................. 128 waterbury, vt ................... 176
block island, ri .................. 128 montpelier, vt ................... 179
stowe, vt ...................... 181
new haven
day trip 23
day trip 16
mountain hamlets .............. 184
the elm city ................... 135 norwich, vt ..................... 184
new haven, ct ................... 135 quechee, vt .................... 186
woodstock, vt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
day trip 17
killington, vt .................... 190
authors’ homes, art & roses ...... 141
hartford, ct ..................... 141 manchester
day trip 18
day trip 24
along the river & shore .......... 147
the queen city ................. 193
madison, ct .................... 147
manchester, nh ................. 193
essex, ct ....................... 150
old lyme, ct .................... 152 day trip 25
mystic, ct ...................... 153 historically charming & hip ....... 196
day trip 19 portsmouth, nh .................. 196
so very town & country .......... 158 day trip 26
woodbury, ct ................... 158 lakeside pleasures ............. 202
litchfield, ct ..................... 161 wolfeboro, nh ................... 202
kent, ct ........................ 163 meredith, nh .................... 205
weirs beach, nh ................. 207
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contents v
portland day trip 32
southern new england colonial
day trip 27
trail ....................... 253
maine’s cultural capital. . . . . . . . . . 213 quincy, ma ..................... 253
portland, me .................... 213 providence, ri ................... 254
day trip 28 newport, ri ..................... 256
day trip 33
coastal maine quaint ............ 218
the kennebunks, me .............. 218 northern new england
wells, me ...................... 222 colonial trail ................ 258
ogunquit, me ................... 224 salem, ma ..................... 258
the yorks, me ................... 226 exeter, nh ...................... 260
day trip 29 portsmouth, nh .................. 261
the craggy coast ............... 229 food & drink
freeport, me .................... 229
bath, me ....................... 232 day trip 34
rockland, me ................... 233
new england food tour .......... 264
camden, me .................... 235
providence, ri ................... 264
day trip 30 boston, ma ..................... 267
moose in the woods ............ 238 burlington, vt ................... 269
poland spring, me ............... 238 day trip 35
bethel, me ..................... 241
new england seafood trail ....... 272
sebago lake, me ................. 242
chatham, ma ................... 272
historic trips boston, ma ..................... 273
mid- coast maine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
day trip 31 day trip 36
colonial history ................ 246 new hampshire & massachusetts
boston, ma ..................... 246 wine trail ................... 276
cambridge, ma .................. 247 lee, nh ........................ 276
lexington, ma ................... 248 south hampton, nh ............... 277
concord, ma .................... 250 bolton, ma ..................... 277
deerfield, ma ................... 251 new marlborough, ma ............ 278
richmond, ma ................... 279
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vi contents
day trip 37 day trip 42
southern new england maine lighthouse tour ........... 300
wine tour .................. 280 york, me ....................... 300
north dartmouth, ma ............. 280 cape elizabeth, me ............... 301
westport, ma ................... 281 bath, me ....................... 302
little compton, ri ................. 281 boothbay harbor, me ............. 302
portsmouth, ri ................... 282 bristol, me ..................... 303
middletown, ri ................... 283 rockland, me ................... 303
day trip 38 day trip 43
litchfield hills wine tour .......... 284 christmas in new england ....... 305
brookfield, ct ................... 284 boston, ma ..................... 305
new preston, ct ................. 285 newport, ri ..................... 307
litchfield, ct ..................... 286 stowe, vt ...................... 308
sandy hook, ct .................. 286 day trip 44
day trip 39
the mohawk trail ............... 310
vermont brewery tour ........... 288 deerfield, ma ................... 310
windsor, vt ..................... 288 shelburne falls, ma ............... 312
bridgewater corners, vt ............ 289 north adams, ma ................ 314
burlington, vt ................... 289 day trip 45
morrisville, vt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
unspoiled southern vermont ..... 317
day trip 40
brattleboro, vt ................... 317
maine brewery tour ............. 291 grafton, vt ...................... 320
kennebunkport, me .............. 291 weston, vt ..................... 321
portland, me .................... 292 manchester, vt .................. 322
bar harbor, me .................. 293 day trip 46
scenic & seasonal down east nature walks & scenic
drives ..................... 327
day trip 41 bar harbor, me .................. 327
acadia national park .............. 331
cape cod lighthouse tour ........ 296
falmouth, ma ................... 296 day trip 47
chatham, ma ................... 297 fall foliage & mountain
nauset beach, ma ............... 298 magnificence ............... 334
truro, ma ...................... 299 north conway, nh ................ 334
provincetown, ma ................ 299 mount washington ............... 338
bretton woods, nh ............... 339
franconia, nh ................... 340
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contents vii
day trip 48 day trip 50
trains, trains, trains ............. 343 new england family fun .......... 359
mid- coast maine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343 boston, ma ..................... 359
white mountains ................. 344 cape cod, ma ................... 363
essex, ct ....................... 345 white mountains ................. 364
hyannis, ma .................... 346
appendix:
arts & culture
festivals & celebrations ...... 366
index ......................... 373
day trip 49
the berkshire hills are alive
with music, dance & art ...... 350
lenox, ma ...................... 350
stockbridge, ma ................. 354
pittsfield, ma .................... 356
williamstown, ma ................ 357
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about the author
Maria Olia has called Massachusetts her home for the past three decades. She is a
travel guidebook and freelance writer whose work has appeared in the Boston Globe,
Mobil Travel, and Working Mother magazine, among many other publications. She lives in
Newton, Massachusetts, with her husband and four children. When she isn’t researching
her next travel writing project, she spends her time frequenting her favorite Boston haunts.
acknowledgments
Many thanks to my husband, Masoud, for your love and support. Thanks also to my chil-
dren, Bijan, Kian, Cameron, and Leda—true New Englanders all—for inspiring me to do my
best. Finally, with gratitude to my parents: my mother, Josephine Dascanio, Charlestown
born and raised, who first brought me to Boston; and to my father, Robert Dascanio, who
gave me the gift of travel.
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introduction
The six- state New England region is an all- season vacation destination that offers an unri-
valed landscape of forested mountain byways, wind- swept beaches, and sophisticated
cities. Those iconic New England scenes really do exist here: covered bridges, blaz-
ing fall foliage, lighthouses perched above a granite shore, peaceful village greens, and
cobblestone- paved streets.
From the Pilgrims to the American Revolution to the Industrial Revolution, New England
is the country’s historic heart—said to be the only true province in America. Geographically
it’s a relatively small region that packs a lot of attractions and diverse experiences within its
borders. You’ll find that New Englanders have a sense of history and a pride (some would
even say self- importance) in their roots. The essential New Englander shares an unwaver-
ing loyalty to the Red Sox and a bit of stoicism, born and bred no doubt from enduring the
region’s brutal winters.
There is both breathtaking beauty and tremendous variety in this corner of the US to
explore. Since the earliest days of the colonies, events in Massachusetts have greatly
influenced American history. From the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth, to Boston’s role as the
center for opposition to British rule, which led to the Revolutionary War, Concord’s literary
greats like Emerson, Thoreau and Hawthorne, and Alcott, crusading abolitionist and suffrage
movements, and more recently pioneering same-s ex marriage and universal healthcare, Mas-
sachusetts has a historical and cultural importance that far surpasses its relative size. Boston
is New England’s largest city, steeped in both rich history and modern- day appeal. With its
colonial- era architecture, world- renowned cultural and academic institutions, surprisingly chic
hotels, and a locavore dining scene that is constantly evolving with restaurants of seemingly
every ethnic and gastronomic stripe, Boston is an essential stop to any visit to the region.
Within an easy drive of the city are several other historic towns—nearby Concord and Lexing-
ton, Salem to the north, and Plymouth to the south. In the far western part of the state, natural
beauty and the arts converge in the Berkshires, a destination known for its summer festivals
including Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony.
Head south to Cape Cod where 300 miles of shoreline enchants with some of the best
swimming beaches in New England including the seemingly endless sands and spectacular
dunes of the Cape Cod National Seashore. At the very tip of the Cape, Provincetown, once
a sleepy Portuguese fishing village, is a gay extravaganza where the people- watching on
Commercial Street is always first class. Just a short ferry ride off the mainland, the islands
of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are known for great natural beauty—and as enclaves
for the very wealthy.
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