Dear Yankee | May/June 2026

Thank you for choosing the Lewis R. French in the Editors’ Picks: Maine Solo-Travel Escape category. I have sailed every year on this wonderful vessel (apart from the COVID year, when the season was cancelled). Although I have sailed on other schooners in Maine, the Lewis R. French is my favorite. I have lost track of the number of times I have sailed on this vessel, but I am now on the third captain/owner, so over 25 years. There are so many good things to say … Sailing solo or with friends or partners is a great experience. Two important facts I would like to add are that she is the oldest windjammer in the fleet and is a National Historic Monument. Long may she sail the waters of Penobscot Bay.

Christine Budd, Hollis, New Hampshire

I am a lifelong Yankee reader. I have sometimes been teased that I await my Yankee magazine in the mail like a schoolgirl anticipating the arrival of the next edition of Teen Beat in the ’70s. I wear that badge proudly. In a world that moves far too fast for my liking, Yankee has always felt like coming home, unwavering and anchored in what matters most.

While the temptation for some may be to dive in cover to cover, I prefer to savor each edition, starting with the editorial and researching each new discovery along the way. Even the advertisements in the back give me a sense of comfort, knowing there are still people creating things by hand for an audience of fellow New England admirers.

Linda Farinha, Preston, Connecticut

I have been receiving your magazine for over 10 years. I so look forward to it in my mailbox every other month. I love to travel locally and do day trips with my friends, and I get a lot of ideas from your magazine. It has just the places that we enjoy. However, I do so miss the Edie Clark stories and Ben Hewitt. They spoke about everyday things that people can relate to. Some would make me laugh and some would make me cry.

I also miss the monthly calendar of upcoming things to do in New England. That has not been in the magazine for a few years now and I wish you would bring it back. It promoted businesses, concerts, fairs, festivals, etc., that I never knew existed in places that I so looked forward going to. I try to put them in my calendar, but the dates change or the venue is not happening the next year.

Christine Tarascio, Columbia, Connecticut

Do you agree or disagree with our readers? What do you enjoy most about our annual Travel Guide to New England, or what would you like to see change? Send your comments to: editors@yankeepub.com. Please include where you live (town, state). Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

Yankee Editors

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