New England Travel Guide

The history of New England is the history of America. Its the Pilgrims who came ashore at Plymouth Rock and the minutemen who fought for American independence. Its the ponderings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and the protests of Harriet Beecher Stowe. Its hundreds of years of poets and philosophers, of progressive thinkers who dared to dream and dared to do. It is generations of immigrants who have shaped New England into the dynamic region that it is today.

New England is big on outdoor adventure. The region undulates with the rolling hills and rocky peaks of the ancient Appalachian Mountains, from the beautiful birch-covered Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, to the lush Green Mountains in Vermont and the towering White Mountains that stretch across New Hampshire and Maine.

Nearly 5000 miles of coastline means that New Englanders are into water sports: opportunities for fishing, swimming, surfing, sailing and sunbathing are unlimited. So pack your sunglasses and your sunblock and settle in for some quality time on the open ocean.

New England is at the cutting edge of culture. The region is home to two exciting, experimental contemporary art museums, as well as traditional art museums. Indie bands rock out in Boston, Portland and Burlington. The world-renowned Boston Symphony Orchestra takes its show on the road in summer, delighting audiences in the Berkshires. Meanwhile, there are blues jams in Maine, folk festivals in Newport and Lowell and classical music in Rockport. Concert series, film festivals and theater productions mean the cultural calendar is jam-packed.

New England is delicious. Just check out the calendar of events celebrating local delicacies, such as Maine lobsters, Wellfleet oysters and Vermont beer. Blessed with a burgeoning locavore movement and a wealth of international culinary influences, New England cuisine fuses the best of both worlds. A pile of pancakes drenched in maple syrup; fresh farm produce and sharp cheddar cheese; fish and shellfish straight from the sea; exotic dishes with influences of Portugal, Italy or Asia: this is just a sampling of the epicurean delights that travelers will find in New England.