BEST BALINESE IMPORTS Agabhumi: The Best of Bali, Westport Filled with beautiful, diverse jewelry, handbags, scarves, and sandals, all fashioned far away, but a good fit here. The prices will keep you coming back for seconds. 165 Post Road East. 203-557-0188; agabhumi.com BEST GARDEN & PICNIC PARK Wickham Park, Manchester Gardens inspired by England, Italy, […]
BEST IMPRESSIONIST SUNSETS Bee & Thistle Inn & Spa,Old Lyme All nine guestrooms in this Colonial mansion are as graceful as the works of the American Impressionists who once painted beside its backyard river. There’s also a convivial restaurant and a rare petanque court for French lawn bowling. Rates: from $170. 100 Lyme St. 800-622-4946, […]
BEST FREE WEEKEND FUN Market Square Summer Series, Bennington Dance to the music of live bands playing blues, folk, country, soft rock, and swing, Fridays from 5:30 to 7:30 and Saturday and Sunday afternoons, from July 22 through August 21 this year. Market Square. 802-442-5758; betterbennington.com BEST SMOKED MEAT Singleton’s Store, Proctorville Puzzled about what […]
BEST DAY PADDLE Batten Kill Canoe, Arlington Plan a two-hour or two-day paddle down the beautiful Batten Kill with the able assistance of the folks at Batten Kill Canoe, who are familiar with every nook and cranny of the river known as “the Valley of Vermont.” Photo Credit: Carl Tremblay Maps for every level of […]
BEST DIY CLAMBAKE Harwich Shellfish Permit, Harwich Port With 15 different areas, each on its own tide schedule, Harwich is tops for a do-it-yourself feast. The town offers a $15 one-day shellfish permit, plus good deals on season-long family permits. Digging is easy–the town annually reseeds its beds with 2 million baby clams. Harwich Harbor […]
EASTWARD BOUND Amherst Chinese Food, Amherst Long before the current farm-to-table rush, “AmChin” began serving delectable dishes (minus the MSG) with organic veggies from its own nearby farm. Entrées: from $9.95. Lunch specials (including soup or salad and a pot of tea): from $5.50. 62 Main St. 413-253-7835 B&B VALUE Upland Meadows Farm, Cummington Judi […]
BEST MOVIE HOUSE Beacon Cinema, Pittsfield The city’s Kinnell-Kresge building is classic 1918, but inside, a new six-screen, all-digital theater features the Met Opera “Live in HD” as well as art films, sports broadcasts, and first-run movies in surround sound. Hot hits may appear on all screens at once–in 3D. A vintage escalator accesses the […]
BEST MEAL WITH A VIEW Bascom Lodge, Mt. Greylock Reservation The 1930s lodge atop the state’s tallest mountain is a hot new sunset-dining destination. Chef John Dudek’s three-course menu, which changes nightly, might include herbed white-bean soup, grilled beef, or gorgonzola walnut gnocchi. Wine is served, and you can spend the night in either a […]
When Laurie Lufkin was little, her folks would buy subs from the local deli, the family would all pile into a boat with drinks, a big pot, and a bag of steamers, and they’d head downriver to the vast white dunes of Crane Beach. Her father owned the marina here, and her grandparents lived across […]
Kayaking, Climbing, Hiking, Mountain Biking in Northern New England—May through August The essential elements for a town to make it on my list include water and mountains. What I like to do during the warmer months of the year: hike, bike, swim, sail, kayak, run, and hammock. My favorite adventure towns have all of the […]
The March/April issue of Yankee Magazine features many of the more positive first signs of spring—maple festivals, swan boats, flower shows. But this time of year isn’t all bright yellow daffodils or rows of tulips in red, pink, and violet. In fact for those who suffer from SSAD—Shoulder Season Affective Disorder—it’s tough. Okay, so there […]
The varieties of flowering trees and bushes found in cities, public gardens, and cemeteries are chosen to provide color from early April through October. Landscape designers often pick species that show bright color before our native trees have woken up. While you’re waiting for the maples to flower, enjoy this landscaped diversity. Early species include […]
