The Isles of Shoals are a group of small islands six miles from shore in Portsmouth Harbor. A wonderful day-trip is to take the M/V “Thomas Laighton” to Star Island for a sun-splashed sea-spray picnic. Daily mid-June to Sept. $25, ages 6-12 $15. Isles of Shoals Steamship Company, 315 Market St., Portsmouth. 800-441-4620, 603-431-5500; islesofshoals.com
A guide to New Hampshire’s best ocean beaches.
Connecticut Hammonasset Beach State Park Boasting 900 acres, Hammonasset is two miles of sandy beach with mild ocean temperatures (we’ve enjoyed the sea there well into September) and a light surf, perfect for swimming, hiking, and surfcasting. More than 550 well-maintained campsites make for an inexpensive beach vacation when the big resort hotels are overflowing. […]
Looking for the perfect way to spend a summer day with your family? Here are our picks for the best New England waterways. Connecticut Farmington River. There’s no better way for a family to spend a summer day than floating down the Farmington together on bright-yellow inner tubes. Although the river flows for more than […]
Ashley Manor, Barnstable, MA Behind a removable bookshelf, a secret ladder connects the first and second floors of this Cape Cod home. Originally a refuge for Tories during the Revolution, it served a more patriotic cause before the Civil War. 3660 Main St. 888-535-2246, 508-362-8044 ashleymanor.net Samuel Fitch House, Westford, MA This home contains a […]
Connecticut Mark Twain House & Museum. Although a son of Missouri, Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) made his home in Hartford’s beautiful West End. The 90-minute tour of his Louis Tiffany-designed house will introduce visitors to Twain as a loving father, a hapless businessman, and a consummate jokester (he named his cats Famine, Pestilence, Satan, […]
Connecticut Kent. The first dilemma when visiting Kent is whether to look up to the Berkshire Hills or down at the sparkling Housatonic River. Take in both views: Hike a stretch of the Appalachian Trail, which crosses Route 341 about a mile west of downtown. Kent has attracted throngs of artists, resulting in art shows […]
