Stowe, Vermont, is known for action: skiing in winter and biking, hiking, fishing, and horseback riding in summer and fall. But for simple relaxation in a beautiful place, come here in early spring when the crowds melt away with the snow. When Stowe Mountain Lodge opens this April, this town of just 4,400 or so […]
When I returned home with my son — Henry, age 11 — from an outing at SkyVenture New Hampshire, my wife greeted us at the door. “Did they let you do the jump with the thunderstorms and all that rain?” she wondered. I looked at Patty closely: “You thought I was going to take Henry […]
At the junction of Routes 16 and 26 in Errol, Northern Waters Outfitters rents canoes. Grab one and put in north of town on Route 16 to find out why Umbagog was named a National Wildlife Refuge. A short paddle on the Androscoggin River brings you to a deserted island, where atop one dead pine […]
We’re big fans of the 22-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail, especially when you take it in bits and pieces. But to be frank, the actual ride, even after the route’s recent refurbishment, can be a real yawner for kids. It’s a former railroad line, straight with very little grade. We like the ups and downs […]
Most parents gauge the growth of their children by penciling their heights against the bedroom wall. My wife and I can tell the kids are getting on in years by what they accomplish at Acadia each summer. We start by setting up camp. Acadia’s more popular campground, Blackwoods, sits off the congested Park Loop, so […]
We make an annual pilgrimage to the Northeast Kingdom to bike the 100-plus-mile web known as the Kingdom Trails. We pedal across fertile green pastures, past immense red barns still standing from the early 1900s, and sweep up and down on soft forest trails dusted with pine needles, all within arm’s length of fragrant spruce […]
The Deerfield River surges in the Berkshire towns around Charlemont. Power company dam releases cause rapids to tumble down two stretches of the river: the exhilarating Class IV rapids of the Dryway and the mellower Class II and III rapids farther south, in the deep pools of Zoar Gap. But you don’t have to own […]
The opening of the Lake Champlain Bridge in 1929 inspired cheering crowds, marching bands, and grinning politicians. Everyone understood the potential that this long span brought with it: For the first time, the Adirondacks and the Green Mountains were connected, uniting the region and spurring tourism and development. Age has taken its toll on this […]
The verdant forests and rolling hills surrounding this old farmhouse were the inspiration for Robert Frost’s early career. The poems that would make up “A Boy’s Will” were written here between 1900 and 1911, and the landscape and people of northern New England traveled with Frost as he created the verse that would become “North […]
The intricate murals blanketing the walls and ceiling of St. Ann’s Church bring a taste of Renaissance Italy to Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Painted in the 1940s by famed church decorator Guido Nincheri, they brought the Bible to life for parishioners for decades. But as its flock moved on, the building went unused and was eventually […]
The UMass Amherst campus is a museum of American design, with 19th-century buildings juxtaposed with structures created by some of the most prominent modern architects. This treasure trove enjoys few protections, however, as the university administration has been reluctant to agree to a long-term preservation plan or to nominate its buildings for the National Register […]
The Grumman-St. John House has witnessed more than 265 years of Norwalk’s history and even survived the burning of the city by the British during the Revolution. It now faces a similar fate if the Norwalk Inn & Conference Center’s plan to expand its facilities is approved. Local preservationists and the state of Connecticut argue […]
