Mayflower II in Plymouth, Mass., a Great Summer Vacation Landing Point

Article and photo by Eric H.


Here it is the first day of summer in New England and, for many, the beginning of school summer vacation!


This summer, The Weekly New England Travel and Vacation Gazette will be featuring many well-known and hidden New England vacation attractions and destinations to help with your New England summer trip planning. We'll feature extended vacation ideas, as well as day trip and "stay cation" ideas. Always feel free to write the Weekly New England Travel and Vacation Gazette on your favorite things to do during the New England summer  vacation and we'll consider it for publication.


Today, we start things off by traveling to the Mayflower II in Plymouth, Mass.,  a true-to-life replica of the ship that landed the Pilgrims in America. Plymouth has many fantastic travel attractions -- mostly centering on the Pilgrims -- and the Mayflower II serves as a great start of an entertaining and educational day in the Plymouth area. Included on this tour are authentic sights and sounds of Pilgrim history and culture by visiting the various parts of the ship, and hearing the "story" from costumed tour guides. Located at lively Plymouth Harbor and just across from the legendary Plymouth Rock in the pleasing 11-acre Pilgrim Memorial State Park, the Mayflower II is indeed a great New England travel attraction to start off your summer vacation.


Mayflower II
State Pier, Plymouth, MA
Tel. (508) 746-1622


Related Plymouth, Mass., and summer articles and resources: 
Visiting Downtown Plymouth
The Boston-Plymouth Newsletter 
Woods Seafood at Plymouth Harbor 
John Alden Gift Shop, Plymouth Harbor
Where to Stay in Plymouth
30 Fun Things to Do in the Good Old New England Summer Time 

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Blueberry Picking Season is Here in the Boston Area, New England!

Article and photo by Eric H.

(Norfolk, MA) - Local blueberry picking seemingly became fruitful overnight with an abundance of the nutrient-dense, disease-fighting little fruit ready to pick at farms in the Boston, Mass., area.

Jane and Paul's Farm, on aptly-named Fruit St. in Norfolk, Mass., was, yesterday, our blueberry picking destination of choice. Filling three lbs. of blueberries into a blue bucket came with great ease at this southwest suburban Boston location, given the myriad rows of fully-ripe blueberries. Other farms in the area -- including The Big Apple in neighboring Wrentham -- report good blueberry picking, also. The same holds true for much of New England, although if in Maine, call your local farm to find out if they have been affected by a local fungus that has impeded the blueberries' growth at a handful of farms.

All in all, however, now, and in the next few weeks, is the time to pick blueberries in New England. Not only is bluberry picking a fun activity, but the fruit also is incredibly healthy -- extremely high in antioxidants and reported by some health experts to support the heart, healthy vision, memory, and possibly fight some forms of cancer, according to the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in Athens, Ga.

Happy blueberry picking!

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How to Visit More Than New England 40 New England Travel Attractions in One Day

Article by Eric H., Photo of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Courtesy of MOTT

If you're planning on visiting New England, we recommend you check out the 40-plus travel and vacation attractions listed in the VisitingNewEngland.com "Best New England Family Vacation Attractions" article. Far from a faceless, generic, "we'll -pay-you-to-write-something-good-about-us" online informerical, we've combined personal reviews with word-of-mouth feedback from our neighbors and friends from all over New England. The article will be significantly updated from this point on, but, for now, you'll just have to do with what we feel are some of New England's best attractions for the family during the winter, spring, summer and fall!

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New England Town of the Day: Marion, MA

Article and Photo by Eric H.

Marion, MA, doesn't receive a lot of press, but it certainly manages to pull us into its quintessentially coastal New England presence.

This sleepy, little town of approximately 5,000 people in southeastern Massachusetts combines the neatly manicured look of Tabor Academy (a private school serving grades 9-12) with refreshing seacoast living. Many residents own older Colonial homes with white picket fences and American flags proudly on display, while enjoying local swimming and other recreational activities at scenic Sippican Harbor. Marion, by the way, shares the Buzzards Bay coastline that extends to nearby Cape Cod.

Marion is refreshingly laid-back. There's not much going on in town, although the Marion Country Store still thrives, and there's a network of beautiful tree-lined streets leading from the downtown.

Visiting Marion is like taking a trip back in time. It's not considered a vacation destination, but rather a residential community that we encourage you to visit as, perhaps, part of a day trip. Thankfully, the town planners have kept this hidden gem pretty much intact for us to enjoy as a true slice of coastal New England.

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New England Town of the Day: Meredith, NH

Article and Photo by Eric H.

The true testimony to a vacation destination is whether it would also make a great town to live. How many vacation destinations fit that bill, given so many travel spots have been ruined by phony, slick makeovers and overdevelopment that deplete the authenticity of a community?

Meredith, located on beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee at the foothills of the White Mountains, is a real community with its unspoiled scenic lake views, a nice old-fashioned downtown with several local shops and restaurants, a pleasant mix of well-kept new and old homes, places to walk by the lake, and an overall peaceful sense of place. Besides the established downtown section is the historic Mills Falls Marketplace, an early linen mill which was properly restored (translated: not tacky or pretentious!) to feature 19 unique specialty shops, galleries and restaurants -- and the charming The Inn at Mills Falls hotel. There's also the Annalee Outlet Store, at 50 Reservoir Rd., that should please those who love this line of dolls!

Meredith combines that classic New England small-town feel with lots of things to do, including swimming at Waukewan Town Beach, boating via access at Waukewan St., walking at the Waukewan Highland (three miles leading to a pond), and area winter skiing (Gunstock Mountain with 49 trails and eight lifts in nearby Gilford, NH), ice skating, snowshoeing, ice fishing, ice sailing, snowmobiling, sledding, and cross country skiing. Merdith's location is also ideal, close enough to all the attractions in the White Mountains. In addition, the nearby towns of Bristol, Center Harbor, Holderness, Moultonborough, Sandwich and Wolfeboro, are filled with small-town New England charm and countless lake views -- certainly worth a day trip diversion from Meredith. If you like a honky-tonk summer destination, Weirs Beach is close by and features amusement arcades and a public beach.

Charming inns (including) and several restaurants add more personality to this already wonderful community. Our favorite restaurant here is Hart's Turkey Farm, in business since 1954 -- an old-school, landmark dining spot for delicious turkey dinners.

Meredith just feels right, whether it's for a day trip, extended vacation or for those interested in moving to a beautiful New England small town. This special community certainly comes to mind when recommending to travelers a quintessential New England place to stay. There's plenty to do here, although I could just sit by the tranquil lake dock all day, do nothing, and be happy!

Visit the Meredith Chamber of Commerce Web Site for more information on Meredith.

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Warming Up to a New England Winter Vacation

Article and Photo (of Downtown Walpole, MA) by Eric H.

Now that fall foliage has pretty much ended in New England, the carousel of New England seasons will soon give way to winter with its blanket of white snow gracing our character-filled cities, towns and villages, as well as downhill skiing, cross country skiing, and cold weather events and attractions to warm your heart. We have just started a New England Winter Vacation Guide at VisitingNewEngland.com that offers many ideas for those in search of a New England vacation. Much of it centers on skiing and ski lodging at this point, but there's also a good amount of information on two New England winter vacation destinations that go well beyond their reputations for fine skiing: the Mt. Washington, NH, area and Stowe, VT. You'll also find some great Maine events, as well as links to Christmas shopping in New England and why it's good to visit New England in the winter. Enjoy, and drop us a line to let us know your favorite New England winter travel destinations!

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Capturing the New England Flavor: Wolfeboro Station, NH

Article and photo by Eric H.

Wolfeboro, NH, is truly a special vacation or day trip treat, with several nice downtown stores and restaurants, and the amazing views of the eastern shores of Lake Winnipesaukee and the mountains framing this idyllic, little town. With all the great lake and mountain views, however, I keep coming back to the Wolfeboro Station building as this town's greatest representation of New England's character. Sort of like a Victorian-looking train station building, Wolfeboro Station now houses the Wolfeboro Chamber of Commerce. What a nice place for them to work, and for us to view as tourists always looking for the "true New England." Next time you're in Wolfeboro, make sure to stop by this personality-filled building and receive some tourist information and tips from the Chamber at 32 Central St., just a block off Main St.

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