A Letter to Our Readers

The gifts that travel brings us aren’t bounded by any season, but when the air softens, the promise of summer and the days following nudge so easily into fall — well, traveling then just feels different, doesn’t it?

Remember, when you were a child, that almost inexpressible sense of escape on the last day of school? I’ve never replicated that burst of freedom and joy as an adult, except right before a summer vacation — when the days stretch ahead, full of plans, or no plans — just the feeling of going somewhere new, or returning to somewhere I love but haven’t seen in far too long.

That’s the feeling I hope you get from these pages. The wonder of New England travel is how compact this region is. All the places you see in this special travel issue are within a few hours’ drive of one another. New England gives travelers more variety, more choices, in less area than anywhere else in America. We’ve done our best to capture all the diversity these six states offer.

Inside, surround yourself with art and culture, take a stroll through our graceful small towns, discover a history tour you’ve never heard about but that will stay with you long after, explore more lakes and rivers than you can imagine, find the best beach, and venture north to see moose. This is the New England we know and invite you to share.

I also want to invite you to travel without leaving home: the no-gasoline way to discover what makes New England unique. Our award-winning Web site, YankeeMagazine.com, has long brought New England right to your desk — but now we take you deeper, to the passions and expertise of our bloggers. Below find Heather Atwell (skiing and the outdoors), Annie B. Copps (food), Justin Shatwell (music), Edgar Allen Beem (New England art), Polly Bannister (home), and my own shaggy self (the world of Yankee). And surely in the months ahead we’ll be adding more voices. Our blogs are really conversations with you about what we love. I think you’ll find us good guides and good companions. This is a trip we can take together.

As always, I want to know your favorite places in New England. Send me an e-mail at editor@YankeeMagazine.com, or write me at Editor, Yankee Magazine, 1121 Main Street, Dublin, NH 03444.