Last month, we wondered why Henry Wadsworth Longfellow omitted the name of Paul Revere’s horse in his famous poem that begins, “Listen my children and you shall hear / Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.” After all, every horse has a name. Well, now it turns out that’s not the only reason New Englanders […]
Yankee
It has been said that art is the signature of a civilization. Like all signatures, it is unique and personal and binding. When a civilization vanishes, it is art that leaves an indelible imprint to tell the story of a people’s existence and their eventual demise. Such is the story of Tomah Joseph, a Passamaquoddy […]
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A Bicycle Built for You
A bike is a bike, right? Not so for Seven Cycles. Each bicycle — mountain or road — is made to order using titanium, carbon fiber, and steel in Watertown, Massachusetts. Take one out for a spin and you’ll understand why over the past 10 years Seven Cycles has become the largest custom builder in […]
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Graduation Day | Mary’s Farm
The older I get, the more I crave good, strong help. In this quest, I’ve encountered some frustrations. I once hired a young man to help in the garden, and after an hour or so, I looked out the window and saw him sprawled on the ground. Thinking he had hurt himself or passed out, […]
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A Letter to Our Readers
This special travel guide issue is a conversation between Yankee and you, our readers. We are talking about places we love in a unique corner of the world: New England. We all know that surge of excitement when we discover a new place and, whether by foot or bike or car, we set out and […]
$71,000 amount generated by traffic tickets last year in Brighton, Vermont (pop. 1,200). Can you say “speed trap”? 4,180 cows now enrolled in Vermont’s “Cow Power” program, producing enough methane to power 1,229 Vermont homes 250 works of art in the permanent collection of the Museum of Bad Art (MOBA), located in Dedham, MA 216 […]
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Tee Off
Did you know that most pro golfers wear shoes made in Brockton, Massachusetts? FootJoy-brand golf shoes are the number one choice on the PGA and LPGA tours. Tee off in your own pair, complete with flourishes such as full calfskin leather uppers, leather linings and outsole, waterproofing, and a membrane that helps regulate your foot […]
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A Beautiful Blade
A paddle is a canoeist’s best friend; a good one delivers a powerful stroke with ease. This native white ash paddle ($48.50) is remarkable not only for its innate lightness, strength, and flexibility (all qualities essential in a good paddle), but also because paddle smith Ricky Kiem makes it from a single piece of wood […]
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Retro Ride
Mike LaVecchia and a few friends love to hang out at Long Sands Beach in York Beach, Maine. Sometimes they’re out there to surf for fun; sometimes they’re there to “work,” testing the boards they design and build. The wooden boards are inspired by those from the ’60s and ’70s and are made of native […]
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Magical Wand
For fly-fishing enthusiasts, the coveted tool is a bamboo fly rod. David Kenney, of Middlesex, Vermont, originally started building bamboo fly rods as a side business to his full-time furniture making. Now he exclusively makes these beautiful split-canes, “building a bit of a story into each rod.” Note his attention to details, such as gold-plated […]
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New England’s Finest: Outdoor Gear
This summer’s adventures will be more fun when you pack these items for fishing, surfing, golfing, cycling, and paddling. Get moving!
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‘Best Cook’ Began in Maine
The first story I published in Yankee was about a potato farmer’s wife from Aroostook County, Maine. Her name was Avis Dudley. The year was 1977, and Avis Dudley’s homestead had become a local landmark in northern Maine. During the fall potato harvest, her husband’s hired hands would crowd into Avis’s dining room and be […]