If necessity is the mother of invention, what gives birth to reinvention? Is it dire necessity? A quest for perfection? Or a deeply personal conviction? Whatever the case, scrapping something back to its beginnings and re-creating it is a monumental task. Don’t ask me how, at the age of 43, Wallace Nutting had the energy […]
mountains
I have written about my friend Maria Elena before—in a previous blog she graciously shared her recipe for seco, a traditional Peruvian stew made with lots of cilantro (a personal favorite). She has also been a patient knitting mentor for me—it is a wonder that as of the writing of this blog, she hasn’t pierced […]
Magazine
The Guide and the Allagash
Read more: Wooden and Canvas Canoes This Yankee Classic is from July/August 2001 Gil Gilpatrick lifts the last of the coolers into his varnished cedar canoe and shoves off from the banks of a rutted logging road, down Indian Stream. The stream emerges from a culvert behind him; ahead of him it curves and slips […]
New Hampshire
Top 20 New Hampshire Events
Call ahead to confirm dates, times, and admission prices. For hundreds of fairs, festivals, exhibits, shows, and other fun activities, go to: YankeeMagazine.com/events MAY 5: PORTSMOUTH, Writers on a New England Stage. Acclaimed Latin American novelist Isabel Allende joins this celebrated series at The Music Hall to discuss Island Beneath the Sea. 603-436-2400; themusichall.org MAY […]
1. Toting goodies in a handcrafted wooden bike basket (from $33) leaves your hands free to signal and steer. Peterboro Basket Company, Peterborough, NH. 603-924-3861; peterborobasket.com 2. The 070 ($79.99), New Balance’s first eco-friendly shoe, features recycled materials and reduced-waste design. New Balance, Boston, MA. 617-783-4000; newbalance.com 3. Cruise in style on a vintage–or vintage-looking–bicycle […]
Vermont
Vermont Best Restaurants 2010
Best Use of Local Flavors BELTED COW BISTRO, Essex Junction Try the two-bite “sliders,” made with local pork and served with spicy kimchee slaw and ginger- and-scallion relish. Another seasonal highlight: butternut-squash soup, enhanced with a whisper of maple syrup. 4 Park St. 802-316-3883; beltedcowvt.com Best Community-Owned Restaurant THE BEE’S KNEES, Morristown When this hippie-ish […]
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Best Lodging 2010
Best FarmStay INN AT VALLEY FARMS, Walpole The 18th-century house on this glorious 105-acre organic farm is elegantly comfortable. Angus cattle graze on the hillside and free-range chickens “contribute” to the candlelit breakfasts. Rooms: from $175, including full breakfast. 633 Wentworth Road. 877-327-2855, 603-756-2855; innatvalleyfarms.com Best Reason to Rise & Shine WILDERNESS INN, North Woodstock […]
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Best Restaurants 2010
Best Pancakes LITTLETON DINER, Littleton Pancakes are the signature dish, served all day at this gleaming yellow diner, a welcoming landmark since 1930. Choose from whole wheat, buckwheat, or buttermilk, made with flour that’s stone-ground down by the river. 145 Main St. 603-444-3994; littletondiner.com Best Deli With WiFi WENDLE’S DELICATESSEN, CAFE & THEN SOME, Franconia […]
Maine
Maine Local Secrets 2010
Best Cheese Selection THE CHEESE IRON, Scarborough Gorgeous presentation, rare varieties, a ripening room, and a knowledgeable staff add up to a treat for cheeseheads. Add wine and gourmet goodies, and you’ve got a first-class picnic. 200 Route 1. 207-883-4057; thecheeseiron.com Best Damn Swimming Hole BRISTOL DAM, Bristol Mills Mosey down the Pemaquid Peninsula to […]
Best Thin-Crust Pizza GRISSINI TRATTORIA, Kennebunk The crispy pies emerging from the wood-burning ovens here deliver big flavors without gobs of cheese. They’re delicate yet bold, familiar yet creative. The pancetta is topped with tomato sauce, smoked bacon, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, and goat cheese. 27 Western Ave. 207-967-2211; restaurantgrissini.com Best Vegetarian Dining GREEN […]
New England
Lake Umbagog
“Generally speaking, a howling wilderness does not howl,” Thoreau wrote. “It is the imagination of the traveler that does the howling.” Even sealed in a car, you’ll hear that howling as you approach the town of Errol in far northern New Hampshire, the gateway to Lake Umbagog. The region is even a long drive north […]
Vermont
Lake Willoughby
Lake Willoughby sits in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, its southern end wedged spectacularly between a pair of shaggy, slouchy mountains that flank the lake like bookends. Mountains have the merit of always adding grandeur to a landscape, and when mixed with a shimmering expanse of water, the whole scene can approach the sublime. The lake nearly […]