Excerpt from “This New England: Mount Desert Island, Maine,” Yankee Magazine, August 1981. When Samuel De Champlain named Mount Desert Island, he did so because he was so struck by the barren, deserted summits of the stretch of mountains that give the island its soft, rounded profile. Though the mountains’ summits remain deserted, the island […]
mountains
2,710 summer camps in New England 2,481,000 children who attend New England summer camps $7 million cost to build Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s summer cottage (a.k.a. The Breakers) in Newport, RI, in 1893-95Get Our FREE Yankee Best New England Vacations Guide! Email(Required) Subscribe 31.7 height in feet of Ed Jarrett’s world-record sand castle, constructed in South […]
Living
Adirondack Chairs
On Bruce Ware’s porch above the shores of Lake Champlain, I lower myself into a deep wooden chair and lean back. “The way you’ll know a real one is the height of the chair off the ground, and where your knees come up to,” Ware tells me. “In some, where the angle is wrong, they’ll […]
Magazine
Drive-to-the-Top Mountains
There are times when being there beats getting there by a long shot. We want our foliage vistas, and we want them now — so, onward and upward, in our cars. Herewith, a rundown of nine New England mountain summits attainable by auto road. Some are among the region’s loftiest and most majestic mountains; others […]
Vermont
Vermont Attractions 2009
ATTRACTIONS Best Recreation Path: LAMOILLE VALLEY RAIL TRAIL Stretching 92 miles from St. Johnsbury to Swanton along an old railbed, this gentle trail traverses a wide variety of landscapes, often following the scenic river. Surfaces vary; cyclists should use mountain bikes. 802-644-5750; lvrt.org Best Jam Session: VERMONT JAZZ CENTER, Brattleboro Jazz improv in Vermont? This […]
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Attractions 2009
ATTRACTIONS Best Historic Walking Tour: PORTSMOUTH HARBOR TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS TOUR, Portsmouth Delve into the city’s rich past on this hour-long walking tour of Colonial residences and historic landmarks, and hear the stories of early townspeople (merchants, politicians, and laborers) who helped build it into a four-star destination. Call for seasonal schedule. Reservations recommended. Greater Portsmouth […]
Maine
Maine Lodging 2009
LODGING Best Place for Pampering:MORNING GLORY INN, York Say hello to your new best friends in York, Bill and Bonnie Alstrom, innkeepers at the Morning Glory Inn. They’ll open their home to you, cook your breakfast, advise on sightseeing and activities, and keep the garden blooming, all for your comfort and pleasure. This small inn […]
Vermont
Vermont Lodging 2009
LODGING Best Country Place: RABBIT HILL INN, Lower Waterford A Greek Revival gem overlooking the White Mountains, Rabbit Hill defines romance. Most have fireplaces, and many feature double whirlpools and/or canopy beds. The inn also offers a farm-to-table menu in an elegant dining room. Rates: from $199, including afternoon tea and full breakfast. Three-course table […]
Living
Painting Lake Champlain
This May, an extraordinary traveling art exhibit will begin its six-month celebration of Lake Champlain, the lake that Samuel de Champlain first explored 400 years ago. The exhibit–39 pieces of art, most of them paintings–was created by contemporary artists living and working in Vermont. I had the good fortune of seeing the collection come together […]
He was lionized as the first man to reach the North Pole on April 6, 1909, then later accused of “the biggest lie of the 20th century.” Still today, Robert E. Peary remains an enigmatic hero. This Yankee Classic was originally published in April, 1989. At high tide Eagle Island is 17 acres of rocks and trees […]
Vermont
Lake Champlain, VT, Weekend
Summer sojourners looking to enjoy Lake Champlain often head for Milton, Vermont’s Sandbar State Park, with its broad beach, safe shallow waters, and convenient location, just a few miles up Route 7 from Burlington. But the more curious among them often wonder just what lies at the other end of that long causeway that swings […]
I once read in a guidebook: “Of all the natural regions of the United States, New England is the smallest, the most compact and convenient to get around in, the most homogeneous… ” For four decades now, I’ve lived and worked in New England, the land from which America evolved. There are few nooks and […]