Gardens

Seaside Garden Plants

Bunny O’Callahan’s years of gardening on the New England coast have taught her which plants love a seaside setting. Here’s a selection of her recommendations: WOODY PLANTS Hydrangea macrophylla and Buddleia (butterfly bush) are easy, deciduous shrubs that bloom from July onward. The hydrangeas feature large “popcorn ball” or flat-topped “lacecap” flowers in vivid blue […]

New England

Five Favorite New England Inns

Finest Summer “Cottage” Inn at Shelburne Farms 1611 Harbor Road Shelburne, VT 802-985-8498 (inn) 802-985-8686 (farm) shelburnefarms.org As I drive directly into the setting sun, the entry posts appear as two shimmering blurs. My vision clears, but the illusion of passing through the pearly gates persists. “Welcome to Shelburne Farms,” the gatekeeper says, advising that […]

Magazine

Temple Town Band, Music Makers, Temple, New Hampshire

We start arriving at dusk, setting out lawn chairs and blankets in front of the bandstand. We may hear the Temple Town Band perform in any number of small New England towns, but we’ve come here because their music is one summer sound that binds the generations. The first Temple Town Band was founded in […]

Massachusetts

Concord, MA: History, Museums, Places to Stay

When the red-coated ranks of British regulars tramped westward from Boston on the fateful morning of April 19, 1775, little did they know that they were about to catapult the sleepy village of Concord, Massachusetts into the history books. The British captured the rebels’ stores of ammunition and flour and dumped the lot into the […]

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Foliage Driving Tour

I REALIZE THAT some travelers think of Rhode Island as a tangle of highway blocking easy access to somewhere else. I say give them a map and bid them Godspeed. I know this small and unruly state, and I can tell you for a fact that it affords more opportunities for easy enjoyment than any […]

Connecticut

Connecticut Foliage Driving Tour

THERE’S A PERFECTLY good reason why Nathan (“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country”) Hale came from northeastern Connecticut. Settled a generation after the rest of New England’s colonizing along the coastline and the Connecticut River Valley, this area became home to many ex-Massachusetts families looking for more […]

History

Anyone Ever See a Sailing Ship on Fire?

Welcome to the June 2008 edition of “Jud’s New England Journal,” the rather curious monthly musings of Judson Hale, editor-in-chief of Yankee Magazine published since 1935 in Dublin, New Hampshire. Anyone Ever See a Sailing Ship on Fire? We love taking the Point Judith Ferry (Galilee, Rhode Island) out to Block Island, and so do […]

Food

Bread is Up, Lobster is Down

A few weeks ago I was honored to be a judge at Mass NARAL’s annual “Chocolate Madness” event, which raises funds to support women’s reproductive rights. I know better than to use this blog for directed political agendas, so I’ll leave you with the knowledge I’ve been in support of this event for more than […]

Connecticut

California Comes to New Britain, Connecticut

New Britain Museum of American Art is an easily overlooked jewel in the crown of New England culture. I confess I had never been to New Britain, Connecticut, let alone to the New Britain Museum of American Art before stopping by last week on my way to a soccer tournament. New Britain on a Sunday […]

Travel

Budget Travel and Dining Tips You Can Use Right Now

There are some things you can do to save money on your travel and food expenses and still see New England. In fact, New England could be the perfect destination. Listen to Yankee editor Mel Allen’s frugal tips for spending time, not gas money, in New England. See food editor Annie B. Copps on NECN’s […]

New England

First Hike of the Season

It’s mind boggling to me that Mount Monadnock is the second most hiked mountain in the world and the most hiked mountain in North America because the world is such a big place and the mountain is just minutes from where I live. The worst part about those facts, in my opinion, is that an […]

New England

Class V Whitewater Rafting on the Dead

I’ve made the trek to The Forks, Maine, twice to whitewater raft on the Dead River. The Dead has the longest stretch of whitewater in New England, and it is also dam controlled so, depending on how much water is released the rapids, can go up to Class V (7,000+ cfs), which means there is […]

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