Weekend in New England

For our big summer vacation this year, we are spending a week and a half driving throughout the New England region, and have just completed the first few days of our grand tour. And what a weekend it has been!

While Scott and I have not visited New England before, we had heard glowing descriptions about the place from people whose judgment we trust, not to mention from any travel guide ever written, and so our expectations going into this trip were very high. With a weekend in New England now under our belts (or tires, more accurately), I'm thrilled to say that those expectations have not only been met, but completely exceeded. We have thoroughly enjoyed the places and things we've seen so far, and cannot wait to experience more of the New England states.

Our journey began on Friday, when we drove six hours to Buffalo, New York. Buffalo was not only a convenient stopping point half way to Vermont from Ohio but, even better, the home of college friends of mine, with whom we had a great visit that evening over drinks and dinner. Saturday morning, we hopped back on the road and drove across New York state, arriving that afternoon in southern Vermont.


Our first night in New England was spent in Bennington, a wonderful small Vermont town with lots to see and do. We toured the area that evening and the following morning, and quickly fell in love with the sense of history about the place, the picture perfect clapboard-sided homes on the hilly, tree-lined streets, as well as all the cool little shops and restaurants around town. Most of all, we totally dug the custom painted fiberglass moose figures found here and there, all over Bennington.

Sunday morning, we spent an hour strolling through a delightful old cemetery, where we came across the grave of the poet Robert Frost. While "delightful" may be an atypical word to use in the description of a burial ground, the place was so pretty and tranquil and charming that the term just fits.

Upon leaving Bennington, we headed north to the Green Mountain region of Vermont, occasionally detouring off the beaten path in order to check out the covered bridges and antique shops along the way.

Of course, we had to pop in at a roadside stand to buy maple syrup, and we oohed and ahhed at the sight of every diner, bakery, candy store and pie shop we drove by. Once in the mountains, we cruised leisurely along, taking in the views and stopping to take advantage of some fun photo oppotunities that the Killington area presented.



We fortified ourselves that afternoon with delicious sandwiches and an awesome pale ale at the Long Trail Brewery and Pub, enjoying our late lunch all the more because it was eaten in the beautiful Vermont weather, on the brewery's outdoor deck that overlooked a cool mountain stream.



Our last stop in Vermont was at Sugarbush Farm, a small, family-run enterprise tucked way up off a curvy road on a picturesque hillside that was dotted with happily grazing cows. (Okay, while we didn't actually stop to inquire of the cows as to their mood, they sure looked content to us.) At Sugarbush Farm, we sampled several of the cheeses made on the premises, toured their fantastic gift shop and left with an armload of excellent Vermont cheddars to bring home.

Early evening on Sunday found us crossing into New Hampshire, where the natural scenery was just as lovely as that in Vermont.

We drove into the White Mountains, and spent last night in Lincoln at a great little roadside motel. The kind of motel that is basic but comfortable, cheap but immaculately clean, and which unfortunately seems to be a very rare breed of lodging in this day and age (except, as it turns out, in New England).

This morning dawned clear, sunny and warm, and we took full advantage of the great weather with an early hike at Franconia Notch State Park. We loved the wooded trail, which came complete with waterfalls and spectacular views.



From there, we drove a large loop through the rest of the White Mountain region, continuing to marvel at the scenery and then stopping for another quick hike in early afternoon.

By late afternoon, New Hampshire was in our rearview mirror, and we drove a couple of hours to Brunswick, Maine, where we will stay tonight. After checking into our hotel, the weather was still so incredibly beautiful that we mixed cocktails, broke out our camp chairs, and held an impromptu happy hour in the parking lot, next to the hotel courtyard. (And, happily, the super friendly Marriott employees did not seem to mind in the least, or find it at all unusual, that we were tailgating on the premises.)

We followed our party in the parking lot with an early dinner at a little Mexican joint down the street. Yes, Mexican, even though we are in Maine and should probably be feasting on lobster or some other form of seafood. But it is simply not within our power to resist a funky TexMex dive, particularly when the place comes with black and white checkered floors, has furniture and walls splashed with bright Caribbean colors, and serves food that is cheap and delicious.





We can't wait to explore the coast of Maine tomorrow, where we will definitely take advantage of the local seafood, before driving on to Boston for two days. After our Boston visit, we'll head south to Rhode Island, and then west from there through Connecticut and beyond.

It's been an incredible trip so far, and I have a strong hunch that the rest of our vacation will be just as wonderful. New England definitely deserves its reputation as a fabulous destination.