Of all the months, May has the heaviest lift when it comes to transforming the New England landscape. More color emerges each day on the path from barren to blossoming, and it’s a treat to anticipate buds bursting into leaves, seemingly overnight. 

Nothing excites me more in May, though, than the release of Yankee‘s annual Travel Guide to New England. This year’s May/June issue is a keeper, filled with more travel ideas than you could possibly pack into one summer, even if you start this month. If you haven’t already made plans for Mother’s Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, and the rest of May, I’ve got plenty of ideas.

Weekend of May 3-4, 2025

Kentucky Derby Doings in New England

We may be far from Churchill Downs, but on Saturday, May 3, there are plenty of places to celebrate the 151st Kentucky Derby here in New England including:

~ The Vanderbilt in Newport Rhode Island, which is hosting “Day at the Races” activations including a live bluegrass band, lawn games, a Kentucky Derby headpiece contest, a race lottery, cash bar, and food stations (book online).
~ Mohegan Sun FanDuel Sportsbook in Connecticut, where the race will be shown on a 140-foot video wall, the largest in the Northeast, and there’ll be prizes for best dressed and best Derby hat (reservations required: book online).
~ Revere Hotel in Boston, where a Derby on the Rooftop Watch Party in the Lantern Lounge features Woodford Reserve mint juleps, live Derby coverage on the big screen, and a hat contest with a fabulous grand prize: an overnight stay (purchase party tickets online).

Weekend of May 10-11, 2025

Mother’s Day Weekend in New England

Celebrate your mom or her finest creation… you! I can’t think of a more fitting place than The Beatrice in Providence, Rhode Island: The whole hotel’s a tribute to developer Joseph R. Paolino Jr.’s late mom, Beatrice Temkin, a lifelong Rhode Island resident, community leader, and philanthropist. Book a Mother’s Day weekend stay (call 401-443-2960), and all moms receive complimentary welcome gifts including Seacoast Sweets chocolates, BeeKind bath amenities, and a signature bellini cocktail. Make reservations, too, at Bellini Providence, the hotel’s Italian restaurant.

If Mom taught you frugality is a virtue, take her to one of these New England attractions where moms are admitted free on Mother’s Day:

~ Charmingfare Farm, Candia, NH
~ Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, ME
~ Connecticut Science Center, Hartford, CT
~ Franklin Park Zoo / Stone Zoo, Boston / Stoneham, MA

Weekend of May 17-18, 2025

ArtWeek Berkshires | various western Massachusetts locations

The 11-day ArtWeek Berkshires celebration is in full swing starting this weekend: There are more than 100 events planned between May 16 and 26. Visit galleries and artists’ studios, attend a demo or performance, and even try your hand at something new.

Trade Secrets | Lakeville, CT

It’s the garden event to beat all New England garden events! Trade Secrets famously attracts celebrities like Martha Stewart, and you’ll understand why as you shop for rare plants and garden antiques on Sunday, May 18, at Lime Rock Park. Tours of private and public gardens in western Connecticut and eastern New York on Saturday, May 17, are also a highlight. Purchase tickets online in advance for this popular weekend’s events.

Brimfield Outdoor Antiques Show | Brimfield, MA

Join the treasure hunters at the first Brimfield Outdoor Antiques Show of 2025, which runs May 13-18. This enormous gathering of sellers and seekers has been a tradition since 1959.

Weekend of May 24-26, 2025

It’s Memorial Day weekend, and in addition to remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, New England greets the unofficial arrival of summer with too many events to count.

Spring Open Studio Weekend | Vermont statewide

It’s Spring Open Studio Weekend in Vermont: a fun excuse for a road trip. There are 15 local tour loops to choose from on May 24 and 25, each showcasing members of the Vermont Crafts Council and their handcrafted works.

Wildquack Duck Race & Music Festival | Jackson, NH

On Sunday, May 25, the annual Wildquack Duck Race & Music Festival in Jackson, New Hampshire, is a solid day of free fun. Plus, if you buy a duck, you might waddle away with a fabulous prize.

Robin Hood’s Medieval Faire | Harwinton, CT

Make merry at Robin Hood’s Medieval Faire in Harwinton, Connecticut, where the fun is “joust” getting started during this opening weekend. Festivities continue Saturdays and Sundays through June 22, and cosplay is, of course, encouraged.

May’s Best Travel Deals

~ It’s Gonna Be MAY! Great Wolf Lodge has teamed up with *NSYNC’s Joey Fatone and Lance Bass for a special promotion in honor of the 25th anniversary of the band’s iconic song, It’s Gonna Be Me. On May 1 only, families can save up to 51% off stays at Great Wolf Lodge properties (there are two here in New England) by using promo code BEMAY when they book online for stays during the annual Summer Camp-In celebration, May 24 through August 25.

Yankee Out & About in May

Join me at Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires May 1-4 for Besties Weekend. As I learned during last year’s Besties Weekend, Wellness is Better Together. I’m looking forward to meeting new friends and teaching a workshop, The Lost Art of Letter Writing, on Friday afternoon.

What are you excited to do this May in New England? Let us know in the comments below!

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Looking for the best things to do in Connecticut this summer? Whether you’re in the mood for cultural deep dives, coastal bites, or cool mountain escapes, this curated list of 10 can’t-miss experiences has you covered. From following a Christmas movie trail in July to catching drive-in double features, splashing around at a brand-new water park, or dining with skyline views in Hartford, these are the most memorable ways to explore the Nutmeg State—whatever your summer style.

10 Best Things to Do in Connecticut This Summer

1. Find Christmas in July – Follow Connecticut’s new holiday movie trail through real-life storybook towns.

More than 20 holiday movies have been filmed in Connecticut, and you don’t have to wait for actual flurries to fly (the directors don’t!) to open your heart to a bit of magic. Follow a stretch of the new Connecticut Christmas Movie Trail (ctvisit.com/articles/christmas-movies-in-connecticut), and you’ll encounter screen-worthy towns, cozy eateries, attractive inns like Wethersfield’s Silas W. Robbins House (silaswrobbins.com), and maybe that old flame you’ve never erased from your brain. You never know.

2. Delight in the Museum – Explore 200 years of history (and coffee!) at Hartford’s reimagined cultural hub.

The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History looks as much to the future as the past in its “Then, Now, Next: 200 Years and Counting” exhibition, opening May 22 in the midst of a yearlong bicentennial celebration for this Hartford institution. There’s a jolt of energy that’s fueling museum programming, expansion plans, and events that you’ll sense even before you wander through the multisensory exhibition “Coffee: A Connecticut Story,” also on view through early 2026.

3. Catch a Drive-In Double – Watch movies under the stars at the retro-cool Mansfield Drive-In.

The Mansfield Drive-In turned 70 last year, and with nightly double features on three outdoor screens, it’s as robust as ever. Affordable ticket prices make it easy to splurge on fresh-popped corn, fried dough, and slushies. Your quiet canine is welcome to join you for an under-the-stars night of entertainment. If you’d like to make a weekend of it, the dog-friendly Daniel Rust House is eight minutes away in Coventry.

4. Make a Splash at Great Wolf – Dive into Connecticut’s newest indoor water park in Mashantucket.

Rain or shine, it’s a water-play day at Great Wolf Lodge. This new indoor water-park resort in Mashantucket will welcome its first families on April 25, so get there while grand-opening deals are available and the hoopla is at a high. Kids will love the nonstop entertainment and log-lodge-style rooms, while their parents find the 21-and-up North Hot Springs inviting. Word is there’ll be a waterslide here unique in the Great Wolf universe.

5. Take It to the Top – Dine above the skyline at Jeff Lizotte’s hot new Hartford restaurant, The Foundry.

One of Connecticut’s premier chefs is back on top of the world, and you can be among the first to savor what Jeff Lizotte is cooking up in his window-walled space atop the Hartford Steam Boiler building. At The Foundry, expect an always-changing, seasonally inspired menu of dishes that exist only here at this moment in time. All signs indicate this will be summer’s toughest reservation to score, so plan accordingly.

6. Chill Out in Norfolk – Escape the heat with hikes, concerts, and cool mountain air.

Norfolk is known as the “icebox of Connecticut,” and naturally cooler temperatures make this an ideal escape for hiking at Dennis Hill State Park and Haystack Mountain State Park, as well as for spreading out a blanket on the green for free Friday-night concerts. Stay at the comfortably regal Manor House Inn and you might bump into acclaimed musicians who are here to play in Yale School of Music’s enduring Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.

7. Eat to the Beat in Madison – Pair beachfront dining with free Thursday-night concerts.

Toes in the sand, drink in hand—be sure to allow time for a private-beach stroll before your reservation at The Wharf Restaurant at Madison Beach Hotel. Who knew some of the highest-caliber free summer concerts are in Madison on Thursday nights? You do now, so reserve a table on the porch and listen in as you devour grilled swordfish or a hot lobster roll. Lighter bites are available for purchase on the lawn on show nights if you’d rather bring your own chairs. Our Weekends with Yankee crew met up at The Wharf with Connecticut-based vegan chef Chrissy Tracey for Season 9 (check your local PBS listings).

8. Shuck and Sip Along the Trail – Slurp your way through the new Connecticut Oyster Trail.

Thanks to the 2024 debut of the Connecticut Oyster Trail, you now have a handy map to the Nutmeg State’s bevy of bivalve farms and the restaurants that serve their salty-sweet harvest. Only have time for one stop? Make it Fair Haven Oyster Co., overlooking the lovely Quinnipiac River, where you can trust that chef Emily Mingrone is serving the best raw-bar selections, along with clever cocktails and savory plates including what Gwyneth Paltrow has hailed as “one of the best cheeseburgers of my life.”

9. Get Cooking Again – Learn from the pros at the revived Silo Cooking School in New Milford.

Dormant for years since the days when it attracted celebrity-chef teachers like Martha Stewart and Jacques Pépin, The Silo Cooking School in New Milford is making a comeback. Register for a public class or book a private session for your group, and experience the inspiring environs of Hunt Hill Farm as it aims to become Connecticut’s culinary epicenter once again.

10. See the Sun Rise – Catch WNBA action as the Connecticut Sun light up Mohegan Sun Arena.

Just when you’re missing March Madness, the Connecticut Sun season is heating up at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville. From mid-May through mid-September, every WNBA star will make an appearance in this arena, but do consider cheering for the home team—the only pro-level squad in Connecticut.

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Whether you’re craving coastal views, culture, or culinary surprises, Rhode Island delivers in a big way this summer. From sipping bubbly at Castle Hill Inn to watching world-class polo matches in Newport and diving into the food scene at Providence’s new Track 15, these can’t-miss experiences prove that the Ocean State is small but seriously mighty. Explore our top picks for the best things to do in Rhode Island this summer—including beach strolls, pinball palaces, and a sunset toast or two.

10 Best Things to Do in Rhode Island This Summer

1. Drink in a Sunset at Castle Hill Inn – Raise a glass to golden hour from Newport’s most iconic lawn.

If there’s a more glorious slope of lawn in New England than the one at Newport’s Castle Hill Inn, it’s probably not open to everyone—but Castle Hill’s is. Claim an Adirondack chair (first come, first served), and order bubbly or a glass of crisp white wine. You have everything you need to chef’s kiss the sun goodnight.

2. Have a Sand Blast in Charlestown – Atlantis Rising returns with epic art—and a new summer vibe.

South County’s fun-for-all Atlantis Rising International Sand Sculpture Competition returns after a one-year hiatus, and it’s relocating to a new venue and moving up from October to May. Yay! Head to Ninigret Park in Charlestown May 30–June 1 to marvel at massive, intricately carved sand creations. Live music, food, photo ops, and locally made goods add to the festive energy—and keep an eye out for the two ginormous troll sculptures tucked into the 227-acre park last year by Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo.

3. Eat Your Way Through Track 15 in Providence – Union Station’s next act? A sizzling new food hall.

Providence’s new Track 15 food hall transforms historic Union Station into an exciting dining hub with indoor-outdoor seating for you and about 400 friends you haven’t met yet. Savor diverse fare from seven all-star vendors: Dolores (Mexican); Dune Brothers (seafood); Giusto PVD (Italian); Little Chaska (Indian); Mother Pizzeria (pizza); There, There (burgers); and Tolia (Turkish).

4. Get in the Game at the Tennis Hall of Fame – Newport’s hallowed tennis grounds debut a bold new look.

Newport has deep tennis roots, and that’s just one aspect of the game that will be getting extra love when the International Tennis Hall of Fame reopens in May following a multimillion-dollar transformation. Be among the first fans to engage with an augmented-reality sculpture in the Celebration Gallery, which toasts the sport across generations. The new Hall of Famers’ Gallery features a cast racquet representing each legendary inductee. Even the Roger Federer hologram is serving up some new surprises.

5. Obsess Over Every Bite at Pizza Marvin – One of New England’s best pizzas is right here in Providence.

Chef Robert Andreozzi of Providence’s Pizza Marvin made a Caprese with bluefin tuna, tomato gelée, stracciatella, and pepperoni vinaigrette for the annual A Taste of New England event that was unreal. A year later, I still think about it—obsessively. No surprise: This year Andreozzi has been named a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best Chef–Northeast for the second time. If you’re a pizza-loving foodie, you know what you must do.

6. Wing It to Blithewold’s Bamboo Bird Exhibit – Bristol’s giant sculptures fly away soon—don’t miss your shot.

Big Beautiful Bamboo Birds … you don’t have to be able to say it 10 times fast to appreciate how remarkable these six towering bird sculptures by artists The Myth Makers are. They landed last summer at Blithewold in Bristol, and they’re flying away after August 11 this year, so wing your way to this multifaceted waterfront estate, where the largest giant sequoia on the East Coast will also make you look remarkably small in photos.

7. Step Right Up for Newport Polo – International matches, dapper tailgates, and divot stomping await.

“Stomping divots” isn’t the name of a punk band—it’s an amusing thing you’ll get to do when you attend a Newport Polo match. You’re encouraged to bring your own picnic food and wine, and at $25 for lawn seats (children 15 and under are admitted free), you can’t beat the value for the upscale vibes. Each match has a theme: It’s an excuse to dress your summer-chic best to cheer on the ponies and players. Yet for all the frivolity, the June–September schedule features serious international competition. USA’s rematch with Scotland on June 21 is bound to be a highlight of this biggest-ever season. Expect bagpipes.

8. Play All Day at Electromagnetic Pinball Museum – $10 unlocks unlimited retro fun in Pawtucket.

Unlimited pinball, Skee-Ball, and arcade games … no quarters, no tokens. That’s what $10 buys at Pawtucket’s Electromagnetic Pinball Museum and Restoration, where you can play your way through time and space as you wander a collection of 100-plus games that date from the ’40s to today. Curious about their history? Or how they work? The team here will indulge your desire to geek out. If your eyes are glued to the flippers of a rare game, though, they get that, too.

9. Twirl Your Fork at Ida’s in Middletown – 5,000 pounds of fresh pasta can’t be wrong.

Federal Hill in Providence is known for its Italian eateries, but over in Middletown, the Puerini family quietly made and served more than 5,000 pounds of fresh pasta last year at their unassuming little Ida’s Restaurant. That’s the weight of a smallish adult elephant! If you’re in the Newport area, try this local favorite for espresso martinis, mac and cheese with homemade cavatelli, and lasagna stacked so high it leans like that tower in Pisa.

10. Reach the Beach in Little Compton – Stone House Inn leads you to the edge of the Ocean State.

With 16 cool suites, Stone House Inn in Little Compton feels like such a secret hideaway. Especially when you wander across the back lawn, turn left, and follow the road and the siren call of waves crashing against rock outcroppings. In minutes, you’ll be at Rhode Island’s very edge, sharing the brown-sugar sands of Tappens Beach with precious few souls.

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Looking for the best things to do in New Hampshire this summer? Whether you’re up for a mineral dig on a mountaintop, craving gourmet ice cream in the White Mountains, or hoping to paddle your way to an oyster farm, this curated list is packed with unforgettable summer adventures. From dog-friendly resorts and music under the stars to food truck feasts and tranquil yoga by the sea, it’s your ultimate guide to soaking up the season in the Granite State.

10 Best Things to Do in New Hampshire This Summer

1. Cold Comfort with Super Secret Ice Cream – Scratch-made flavors and waffle cones worthy of a James Beard nod.

Our love for Super Secret Ice Cream is no secret: We visited this farm-to-homemade-waffle-cone destination in Bethlehem during Season 8 of Weekends with Yankee. And we’re not surprised Kristina Zontini’s creative creamery is a semifinalist for a “culinary Oscar”—a James Beard Award for Outstanding Bakery—especially since she herself was a semifinalist last year in the Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker category. You be the judge when you dig into tiny-batch flavors like blueberry basil and rhubarb almond crunch, all scratch-made with organic sugar and Hatchland Farm milk and cream.

2. Dogs Deserve Vacations Too – Mountain View Grand’s luxe new pet program is next-level.

Whitefield’s Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa has catapulted into a new category of dog-friendliness with its Mountain Paws program. In addition to creature comforts like homemade treats, plush pet beds, and food and water bowls, furry guests receive a Tractive GPS & Health Tracker, allowing them to romp freely through the resort’s 1,700 acres.

3. Kayak to the Pearls – Paddle out for oysters and eco-insights on Little Bay.

You’ll never forget the thrill of kayaking out to a floating farmhouse and slurping oysters fresh from the tidal waters of Little Bay. Two-hour outings with PK Paddle Tours, in collaboration with Hidden Coast Shellfish, blend wildlife observation and ecological insights with one-of-a-kind gastronomic indulgence. Public tours depart June through mid-October from Durham; private excursions can be booked year-round.

4. Opera Under the Stars – Experience Opera North’s Summerfest at Blow-Me-Down Farm.

If it’s been a while since you were spellbound, you owe yourself tickets to a performance at Blow-Me-Down Farm in Cornish, the summer home of Opera North. Picnic in this mountain-view setting before ducking under the weatherproof tent, where all ages are mesmerized by the pageantry and vocal gymnastics of opera reimagined for a new era. Summerfest runs June 27–July 27 and features stagings of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, an operatic retelling of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince, and the musical Man of La Mancha, as relevant today as when it debuted 60 years ago.

5. Dig Deep at Ruggles Mine – Harvest your own gems atop a mountain with panoramic views.

The Beatles sang about diamonds in the heavens. If you’re a rock hound, you can harvest your own amethyst, feldspar, quartz, garnet, and uraninite at “The Mine in the Sky.” Ruggles Mine, atop Isinglass Mountain in Grafton, reopened last summer after sitting dormant since 2016. First tapped for minerals in 1803 and operated as a tourist attraction starting in the early 1960s, it’s still a place of wonder, where $30 buys you a “license” to collect up to a five-gallon bucket of rocks. Plus, there’s tent and self-contained RV camping for just $10 a person per night.

6. Find Your Ridge-Top Retreat – Escape to a quiet, adults-only farm inn with big mountain vibes.

An unpaved country lane leads to a dream of an inn that’s less than two hours from Boston but far, far away from the city’s pace. In New Durham, Top of the Ridge Farm sits high and remote enough to have a White Mountains view, and getting there in a heartbeat means you’ll be relaxing in a red Adirondack chair, noshing on the inn’s signature charcuterie board, and sipping your favorite beverage before you know it. Although the building has 18th- and 19th-century origins, your private chamber is bright and contemporary. And it’s one of only four, so you’ll feel like this adults-only haven is all yours.

7. Eat, Drink, and Hang at Tideline Public House – Craft beer, food trucks, firepits, and more in downtown Durham.

When Scott Letourneau and his wife, Karen, returned to New England after more than two decades in Oregon, they found themselves missing the year-round craft beer and food truck scene. So in 2023, they transformed the site of Durham’s old town hall into Tideline Public House, a family-friendly indoor-outdoor hangout with 16 beers on tap and as many as seven food vendors dishing up bites for all tastes. There’s more: an on-site mercantile, two overnight rooms, and firepits to chase away after-dark chills.

8. Flow with the Tide – Free morning yoga classes right on the beach in Hampton.

Salinated breezes and the ocean’s rolling rhythms can take you deeper into your yoga practice. So join Hampton Beach Yoga & Mindfulness near the Seashell Stage in Hampton Beach for free yoga classes at 7 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 17–September 4. You’ll need to preregister online using the provided code, and there’s a limit of two free classes per person per month.

9. Savor the Best of NH in One Night – Celebrate top local eats and sips at New Hampshire Magazine’s annual party.

Our Yankee Publishing siblings at New Hampshire Magazine throw an annual Best of New Hampshire celebration spotlighting their own honorees, and this year’s fete at Flag Hill Distillery & Winery in Lee is your chance to sip and savor your way around the state, all in one place. Secure your tickets for June 26, then dress your garden-party best for an evening of music and good cheer.

10. Concerts Worth Booking Early – Music, dogs, and good vibes in the Meadow at The Word Barn.

The tickets go fast for outdoor summer concerts in the Meadow at The Word Barn in Exeter. These top-notch shows have the intimacy of a backyard bash, and even your dog is invited (if your dog likes New Orleans jazz, say, or gritty folk-rock). Book the on-site Airbnb, and you’re guaranteed admission even if the evening’s show is sold out. The music jumps inside the renovated 17th-century barn if storm clouds threaten.

See More: 2025 New Hampshire Travel Guide | Hotels, Dining & Attractions

What tops your list of the best things to do in New Hampshire this summer? Let us know!

The post 10 Best Things to Do in New Hampshire This Summer 2025 appeared first on New England.

Looking for the best things to do in Maine this summer? Whether you’re craving coastal adventures, unforgettable meals, or quiet moments with nature, this curated list of 10 can’t-miss experiences has you covered. From rowing lessons with a Registered Maine Guide to sipping wine on an oyster cruise, cheering on Portland’s new soccer team, or sleeping aboard a luxury houseboat, these are the season’s most memorable ways to explore the Pine Tree State—no matter your travel style.

10 Best Things to Do in Maine This Summer

1. Row, Row, Row Her Boat – Learn to row with a Registered Maine Guide and connect with the water in a whole new way.

Nicolle Littrell’s Belfast-based business, DoryWoman Rowing, is all about introducing the sport to folks who’ve never imagined taking the oars. As we learned when catching up with this Registered Maine Guide for Weekends with Yankee Season 9 (check your local PBS listings), Littrell’s little wooden dory is a safe space to experience the exhilaration of setting out into a briny world filled with life. Her warm personality ensures that you’ll feel comfortable from the first stroke.

2. Get Your Kicks in Portland – Cheer on Maine’s first pro soccer team, the Hearts of Pine, all summer long.

It’s taken five-plus years to achieve the goal of having a professional soccer team in Maine, and now fans are gaga for the Portland-based Hearts of Pine. Their inaugural USL League One season features matches all summer and into October, so get yourself to Fitzpatrick Stadium. And get your hands on some merch, too—the team’s logo is as beautiful as their name suggests.

3. Sip and Slurp on the Damariscotta River – Cruise, taste oysters, and sip wine with views of Maine’s shellfish capital.

An oyster-and-wine-tasting excursion with Damariscotta River Cruises is an indulgent two hours of scenery and gastronomy. Damariscotta is Maine’s oyster capital, and on this cruise you’ll motor past several of the farms that cultivate the 10 different oysters you’ll sample, all expertly paired with wines by an onboard sommelier. If you arrive back at the dock a bit tipsy, walk down Main Street to The Shuck Station, where you can linger over dinner and another dozen oysters straight out of the nutrient-rich river.

4. Sleep on Water in Kennebunk – Drift into luxury aboard the White Barn Inn’s dreamy new floating guesthouse.

You haven’t been rocked to sleep like this since you were a baby. The latest collaboration between Kennebunk’s esteemed White Barn Inn and interior designer Jenny Wolf has a sweet name: Cora. It’s an ultra-luxurious houseboat with a rooftop deck, afloat on the Kennebunk River but tethered to the property’s private dock. So you’re not going anywhere … except into a deep, tranquil dream state.

5. Line Up for Maine’s Sweetest Bites – From viral croissant buns to Polish donuts, these bakeries are worth the wait.

Operating out of what was their Camden home’s garage, Chelsea Kravitz and Chris Dawson have made The Place a wait-in-line destination. The New York Times writer Melissa Clark helped, naming this tiny bakery one of the best in the nation. Here’s a tip: Stalk their Instagram and preorder by noon on Thursday for the weekend ahead. Their croissant cinnamon buns are a must. Wondering where Maine’s next bakery sensation might be hiding? Our eyes are on Mount Vernon’s lakeside Scapes Cafe and its filled Polish donuts (available weekends only).

6. Crack Into a Whole-Lobster Dinner – Go big (and buttery) at Nunan’s Lobster Hut, a 72-year-old Kennebunkport legend.

When a mere lobster roll won’t do, devour a whole-lobster dinner at Nunan’s Lobster Hut in Kennebunkport. Even locals can’t resist the draw of fresh-caught “bugs,” boiled, pre-cracked to make feasting easy, and served with sweet butter. It’s a formula that’s kept this family-owned business busy for 72 years.

See More: How to Cook Lobster | Tips from Bertha Nunan

7. Explore the Wilds with a Maine Guide – Book outdoor adventures with experts who know Maine’s rugged terrain best.

The wilds of Maine are best explored with a Registered Maine Guide. The state is unique in its training and certification of outdoor experts who make pursuits like moose viewing, fishing, kayaking, and whitewater rafting both successful and safe. Even in the most remote parts of the state, you’ll find Registered Maine Guides who know the ins and outs of the terrain, and their knowledge guarantees that you’ll come away from your adventure with new confidence and skills.

8. Picnic at a Historic Horse Sanctuary – Enjoy lunch and equine companionship at the MSSPA in Windham.

The MSSPA has been saving neglected and abused horses for more than 150 years. Their farm home in Windham is a picturesque picnic spot, with umbrella tables available to those who reserve visits with these lovingly tended equines: Time slots are available at no charge (although donations are appreciated) Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Order takeout from Yolked Farm to Table, 15 minutes north of the farm, for an elevated alfresco lunch.

9. Feel the Force with the Symphony – Hear Star Wars like never before with live accompaniment by the Portland Symphony.

As the Portland Symphony Orchestra wraps up its 100th-anniversary season, it’s tuning up for powerful performances of Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert (May 3 and 4) featuring a screening of the film that introduced us to Luke, Leia, Han, and Obi-Wan and the live accompaniment of John Williams’s beloved score. The centennial celebration continues through the final rousing note of Dvořák’s New World Symphony on June 17.

10. Stay Somewhere That Gives Back – At Inn by the Sea, your stay plants trees and supports eco-initiatives.

From restoring habitat for endangered New England cottontails to serving responsibly harvested seafood, Cape Elizabeth’s Inn by the Sea takes sustainability seriously. Having long been recognized as an eco-leader, the beachside property deepens its commitment this year by planting a tree for every reservation. Your vacation memories will live on as a fire-ravaged forest in Colorado is reborn.

See More: 2025 Maine Travel Guide | Hotels, Dining & Attractions

What tops your list of the best things to do in Maine this summer? Let us know!

The post 10 Best Things to Do in Maine This Summer 2025 appeared first on New England.

Looking for the best things to do in Massachusetts this summer? From slurping oysters on the bay to celebrating Revolutionary history with an epic reenactment, these 10 unforgettable experiences showcase the creativity, culinary innovation, natural beauty, and cultural depth that make Massachusetts a must-visit summer destination. Whether you’re up for van life, jazz on the Cape, or contemporary art in the Berkshires, there’s something here to inspire every kind of traveler.

10 Best Things to Do in Massachusetts This Summer

1. Get Out of Your Shell in Duxbury – Wi-Fi, oysters, and lobster dip—your new favorite workday trio.

If your job allows you to work from anywhere, why wouldn’t you choose an outdoor table at The Raw Bar at Island Creek Oyster Farm in Duxbury? The Wi-Fi is reliable. Serene bay views and hyperlocal oyster selections will help clear your head. And there’s no task that can’t be made more palatable with a side of cheesy baked lobster dip.

2. Supper by the Sea at Wequassett – Celebrate 100 years of Cape Cod elegance with family-style seaside feasts.

Turning 100 is a big deal, so Supper on the Bay gatherings will have extra sparkle this year at Harwich’s Wequassett Resort and Golf Club. On Thursday evenings in August, you can claim a seat at a long seaside table and dine in family-style lavishness on the freshest sea fare and produce that Cape Cod has to offer.

3. Raise a Baton to Keith Lockhart – Tanglewood toasts a Boston Pops legend with star-studded flair.

They called him “The Kid” when Keith Lockhart took the baton of the Boston Pops at the age of 35. More than 2,200 concerts later, his dynamic tenure as the face and grace of America’s Orchestra will be toasted August 22 at Tanglewood in Lenox with a 30th anniversary celebration featuring Bernadette Peters, Ben Folds, Lynn Ahrens, and other special guests.

4. Curl Up at An Unlikely Story – Books, beer, and community at Jeff Kinney’s charming indie bookstore.

If you recognize the name Jeff Kinney, you probably know a tween who’s devoured his Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series. But did you know Kinney and his wife, Julie, have owned a destination bookstore in Plainville for 10 years? While Kinney admits An Unlikely Story isn’t exactly making him rich, he’s undeterred in his drive to revitalize everything that surrounds his downtown shop, once a general store. Pitch in by attending one of the many author talks held in the Second Story event space, or by curling up in the café with a matcha latte and a mystery or a beer and a biography.

5. Power Up at Mass MoCA – Jeffrey Gibson’s show electrifies with queer, Indigenous energy.

Enormous garments suspended from tipi poles. Glass dance floors pulsing with kaleidoscopic light. Films. Soundtracks. Insights. The Jeffrey Gibson exhibit Power Full Because We’re Different has swept into massive Building 5 at North Adams’s Mass MoCA with an energy that electrifies the daunting space. Gibson, who last year became the first solo Indigenous artist to represent the U.S. at the Venice Biennale, is known for multifaceted installations like this, celebrating queer and Indigenous communities and giving voice and visibility to two-spirit gender expression.

6. Hit the Road with Walden Campervans – Embrace van life and explore New England off-grid in style.

“Van life” appeals to all ages, and Acton-based Walden Campervans offers fully outfitted vehicles—some even dog-friendly—that make it easy to try this way of vacationing. Owners Mike and Susie Patrick go the extra mile, creating complimentary customized itineraries that showcase New England’s most exceptional off-the-grid destinations. Mike joined Weekends with Yankee cohost Richard Wiese for a campervan adventure in Maine this season that might just inspire your own road trip (check your local PBS listings).

7. Dine Fresh at Cantina 229 – Farm-to-table magic and hyperseasonal menus in the Berkshires.

Like an unexpected mirage on a Berkshires back road, Cantina is a glowy little restaurant that enchants from the get-go. Reopened last fall in New Marlborough by new owners Peter Chapin and Maddie Austin, it takes farm-to-table to the next level: Most menu ingredients are grown or raised on Mill River Farm, which is run by Chapin and his mother, Jan Johnson. Sip a cocktail infused with fresh-picked herbs while you peruse the week’s hyperseasonal selections, and you’ll immediately feel part of a foodie community.

8. Make It an Artful Escape to New Salem – Realist masterpieces in a historic home turned museum.

Not even two years ago, ardent collectors Vincent and Laura Barletta transformed their beloved-for-generations family home into America’s first museum devoted exclusively to contemporary realist art. It hasn’t taken long for their New Salem Museum & Academy of Fine Art to attract lovers of the genre to the tiny town of New Salem. You’ll be mesmerized each time you visit and discover the walls of this 19th-century home sporting works by living masters and the icons—like John Singer Sargent and Andrew Wyeth—on whose shoulders they stand. Stop by New Salem General Store to pick up made-to-order sandwiches to enjoy on the patio.

9. Experience the Battle of Bunker Hill Reenactment – Revolutionary history comes alive in Gloucester’s immersive celebration.

The 250th-anniversary Reenactment of the Battle of Bunker Hill won’t be held in Boston, although the Bunker Hill Monument Association plans a June 17 commemoration at the obelisk that marks the battle’s actual location on Breed’s Hill. To accommodate spectators and several hundred reenactors, Gloucester’s Stage Fort Park will step in to play the battleground during two days of immersive events, June 21 and 22. You won’t just see the fighting unfold—you’ll learn how civilians of all classes, allegiances, genders, and races perceived, participated in, and were affected by the Revolutionary era.

10. Wander Through Outdoor Art – Sculptures, gardens, and meditative trails in the Berkshires.

It’s like meditation in motion, strolling among sculptural works beautifully sited in the great outdoors. In the Berkshires, you could spend a whole weekend encountering art in the wild. TurnPark Art Space in West Stockbridge has 16 acres of former quarry lands to explore year-round. In Lenox, The Mount installs a new array of contemporary juried works across 50 acres, open free to the public May 24–October 19. And sculptor Andrew DeVries gives visitors free range to frolic with the dancers and jesters along the Sculpture Trail at his gallery in Middlefield, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday, May 16–October 19 (donations accepted).

See More: 2025 Massachusetts Travel Guide | Hotels, Dining & Attractions

What tops your list of the best things to do in Massachusetts this summer? Let us know!

The post 10 Best Things to Do in Massachusetts This Summer 2025 appeared first on New England.

Searching for the best things to do in Vermont this summer? From rodeo thrills and sailing on Lake Champlain to farm concerts, golden retriever cuddles, and indulgent mac and cheese, these 10 curated experiences showcase the quirky charm, rugged beauty, and artisanal spirit of the Green Mountain State. Whether you’re into jazz, off-roading, cheese-making, or barefoot dancing, Vermont has a little magic waiting around every bend this season.

10 Best Things to Do in Vermont This Summer

1. Round ’Em Up at Pond Hill Ranch – Saturday-night rodeos bring big sky views and authentic cowboy energy.

Don your Western wear and bring the whole family to the largest working ranch east of the Mississippi. Saturday-night pro rodeos are held for 10 weeks each summer at Castleton’s Pond Hill Ranch. The bleacher seats’ sunset views of the Adirondacks are worth the price of admission, and it’s a kick to witness authentic bull riding, steer wrestling, and calf roping—all conducted humanely as dictated by the rodeo circuit’s governing body.

2. Go Off-Road with Land Rover – Book a wild ride through Vermont terrain with Equinox’s Land Rover Experience.

Take the wheel of one of the sturdiest, most capable vehicles ever made, and find a thrilling sense of freedom and confidence. Manchester’s The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa is where you’ll find the Land Rover Experience Driving Center, but you don’t need to be a guest to book an off-road experience that will have you navigating steep hills, dramatic side tilts, water, rocks, and whatever sloppy weather Mother Nature may dream up.

3. Find the Magic at The Sparkle Barn – Whimsy, wonder, and one unforgettable shop in Wallingford.

When life hands you lemons, The Sparkle Barn will help you find the zest. You’ll encounter eight dragons and a magic garden before you even venture inside this quirktastic Wallingford gift shop. Unimaginable finds await, but this is more than a destination for retail therapy. Head upstairs to the Bloom Room and discover artist and owner Stacy Harshman’s free gift to anyone who craves comfort and inspiration—a realm so saturated with whimsy, it startles awake the child within.

4. Get in the Groove at the Stowe Jazz Festival – A free, women-led celebration of music under the Vermont sky.

The Stowe Jazz Festival has gotten big, and that means a new venue, the Stowe Events Field, for this 100-percent-free three days of live performances. Be there July 18–20 as the festival bends notes in another way this year, bringing only women-led bands to the main stage.

5. Spend a Day with the von Trapps – Music, beer, and mountain views at a legendary family resort.

If you’re Stowe-bound, make the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort a part of your travel plans. Whether you stay for a few nights, attend a Music in the Meadow or Oklahoma! in Concert performance, or grab a fresh-brewed lager at the Bierhall, you’ll find more than a few of your favorite things on tap as the resort—founded and still owned by the von Trapp family of The Sound of Music fame—celebrates 75 years.

6. Set Sail with Whistling Man Schooner Co. – Lake Champlain cruises that take you back in time (and into total relaxation).

Untether from land and go where the moody winds of Lake Champlain move you on a Whistling Man Schooner Company sailing cruise out of Burlington. Whether you’re aboard the Friend Ship or the Wild Rose, both replicas of early 20th-century lobstering sloops, this throwback mode of travel keeps you remarkably in the present. BYO beverages and finger foods, and keep your eyes peeled for Champ, the local lake monster.

7. Dance Into Sunset at Earth Sky Time – Pizza, live music, and community vibes on a working farm.

At Manchester’s Earth Sky Time, the spirit of Woodstock meets Vermont rurality in the Concerts on the Farm, held Sunday evenings from Memorial Day through Indigenous People’s Day. Admission is discounted for students and farmers. Healthy salads, wood-fired pizzas, beer, and wine are for sale. Dancing barefoot isn’t mandatory—but why wouldn’t you?

8. Meet the Goldens at Golden Dog Farm – The feel-good photo op of the summer (plus maple, honey, and cider).

You’ll never forget your playdate with at least 10 golden retrievers—the photo ops alone are priceless. There’s more to Jeffersonville’s Golden Dog Farm, though, as we discovered while visiting this family-owned organic producer of maple, honey, cider, and sheer happiness in Weekends with Yankee Season 9 (check your local PBS listings). The Golden Retriever Experience can be booked on select dates year-round, and gifting this heartwarming adventure is as easy as tossing a tennis ball.

9. Find a New Favorite Hobby in Woodstock – The Woodstock Inn’s Passion Pursuits help you reconnect—with fly rods, falcons, and more.

Do you have a favorite pastime you’ve neglected? Or one you’d like to try for the sake of relaxation, exhilaration, or social connection? The Woodstock Inn & Resort has introduced a new Passion Pursuits program, designed to start you on your way during your vacay. The inn’s “Passionistas” offer guidance in everything from fly-fishing and pickleball to gardening and antiquing. You can even learn to fly a hawk with the founder of New England Falconry, Chris Davis.

10. Indulge in Vermont’s Cheesiest Experiences – From famous mac and cheese to hands-on cheesemaking, dairy dreams await.

Vermont is a cheese lover’s dream. In Brattleboro, the Vermont Country Deli sold 81,000 pounds—more than 40 tons!—of its ridiculously delicious cast-iron-baked mac and cheese last year. Ready to do more than snack? Reserve a hands-on cheesemaking class or “Cheesemaker for a Day” experience at Hartland’s Fat Sheep Farm & Cabins, where staying overnight means waking to the bleat of lambs and the glint of sun dancing off mountains. Save the date, too, for this year’s Vermont Cheesemakers Festival at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne: August 10.

What tops your list of the best things to do in Vermont this summer? Let us know!

The post 10 Best Things to Do in Vermont This Summer 2025 appeared first on New England.

Spring might officially arrive in March, but April is when the itch to road trip around New England really flares up. It’s also the month when our national PBS television show Weekends with Yankee begins its ninth broadcast season on public television stations nationwide. This year’s first episode takes you to Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, where this month’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the opening battles of the American Revolution is expected to draw unprecedented crowds.

If you’re looking for inspiration to get you on the move, here are our weekend-by-weekend tips on where we’d go in April 2025 if we were you.

Weekend of April 5-6, 2025

Newport Night Run | Newport, RI

If you’ve been feeling cooped up on chilly nights, head to Newport, Rhode Island, on Saturday, April 5, for an after-hours 5K. Grenon’s Newport Night Run under the stars is a fundraiser for the Newport Public Education Foundation, and you’ll be glowing by the time you finish walking or runniing the course, even if you’re not wearing a complimentary glow stick around your neck.

The Elephant’s Trunk | New Milford, CT

The largest weekly flea market in New England, the Elephant’s Trunk Country Flea Market in New Milford, Connecticut, anticipates an April 6 kickoff to its 2025 season of deal- and vintage-hunting Sundays. Pro Tip: Drive your biggest vehicle because you’re going to find more here than you bargained for (I once went home with a table made from an entire tree trunk). Serious shoppers pay a premium to begin browsing as early as 5:30 a.m., but you don’t have to be an early bird to be wowed by the array of goods offered by upwards of 400 vendors.

Weekend of April 12-13, 2025

A Titanic Weekend | Salem, MA

Party like it’s 1912 as the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts, hosts a trio of events celebrating the pre-iceberg merriment and excess aboard the RMS Titanic. You can book a Grand Voyage package or purchase tickets for individual events including the Titanic Masquerade Ball on Saturday, April 12.

Easter on the Green | North Conway, NH

Free activities await young families from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, at Settlers Green in North Conway, New Hampshire, so get a hop and a jump on the holiday during Easter on the Green. There’ll be free coffee for grownups during Easter Bunny Meet & Greets; local artist Brandie Markgren will lead a drop-in craft activity; and there’s an Easter basket full of goodies waiting for every child who completes the Easter Treasure Trail.

Monster Jam 2025 | Foxborough, MA

For the 11th year, Gillette Stadium embraces mud season by welcoming daredevil drivers and their 12,000-pound trucks back to Foxborough. Get your Monster Jam tickets for Saturday, April 12, and make a day of visiting Patriot Place and attractions like the Patriots Hall of Fame and the Gillette Stadium Lighthouse.

Brick Fest Live | Hartford, CT

Is setting a Guinness World Record on your bucket list? Want to meet LEGO Masters from the popular TV show? Then you need to be at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford this weekend, where Brick Fest Live runs both days, April 12 and 13. Of course, this is for kids, too—not just AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO). The glow-in-the-dark building area sounds wicked cool, but helping to set a world record by clicking bricks into a massive floor mosaic might be the most memorable thing you do this month.

Weekend of April 19-21, 2025

Patriots’ Day is Monday, April 21, so if you live in Maine or Massachusetts, you likely have a three-day holiday weekend. And if you don’t, why aren’t you lobbying your state representatives?

Massachusetts 250 | Lexington, Concord, and Arlington, MA

The 250th anniversary of “the shot heard round the world” and the outbreak of the American Revolution will be marked with myriad reenactments and events in Lexington, Concord, and Arlington, Massachusetts, throughout the weekend. This year’s anticipated crowds mean you’ll benefit from advance planning, such as reviewing public transportation and shuttle bus options. Keep in mind, too, that many programs and exhibitions will continue during the year ahead, such as the Concord Museum’s Whose Revolution exhibition, which runs through September 1.

>>> More Ways to Experience Revolutionary History in the Just North of Boston Region

Boston Marathon | Boston, MA

Head to the Boston Marathon Fan Fest this weekend. It runs Thursday, April 18, through Sunday, April 20, ahead of Monday’s 129th Boston Marathon. Yankee is proud to partner with the BAA to produce the Boston Marathon Official Program.

Kingdom Maple Festival | St. Johnsbury, VT

The iconic flavor of maple is celebrated in the sweetest ways possible at the annual Kingdom Maple Festival in the Maple Center of the World (aka St. Johnsbury, Vermont). Be there on Saturday, April 19, for pancake breakfast (of course), a Sweet Street Fair, and a maple history tour at 1 p.m. There’ll be “maple menu takeovers” at local restaurants all weekend long.

Weekend of April 26-27, 2025

Nantucket Daffodil Festival | Nantucket, MA

Daffodils are fêted on Nantucket like nowhere else in New England the last weekend in April. Nantucket Daffodil Festival celebrations are guaranteed to be sunny, no matter the weather, so make plans early to be there for four days of events including traditions like the Antique Car Parade & Tailgate Picnic, the Daffodil Hat Pageant, and the Dog Parade.

Vermont Maple Festival | St. Albans, VT

Nothing eclipses Vermont maple! So head to St. Albans April 25-27 for the 58th annual Vermont Maple Festival, and enjoy sugarhouse tours, pancake breakfasts, a Sappy Art Show, a parade, carnival rides, the annual Sap Run 8.5-mile race, and more syrupy goodness.

New England Folk Festival | Marlborough, MA

The 81st annual New England Folk Festival in Marlborough, Massachusetts, is a celebration of traditional dance, music, food, and crafts from diverse cultures. With close to 1,000 performers, you’ll be entertained every moment. More than 50 artisans and vendors will sell their wares at the Festival Marketplace. Look for more opportunities than ever to get on your feet or make something with your own hands.

Newburyport Literary Festival | Newburyport, MA

Celebrating its 20th year in 2025, the Newburyport Literary Festival runs April 25-27, but the big day is Saturday, when there are free author readings and other events all day, all over town. If you’re an aspiring writer, check out Sunday’s roster of workshops. Make an immersive weekend of it by reserving tickets for Friday’s Supper with the Authors—they’re just $25.

Fine Art & Flowers | Hartford, CT

America’s oldest continuously operating public art museum, Hartford’s Wadsworth Atheneum, shows off floral artistry in two and three dimensions during the 42nd annual Fine Art & Flowers exhibition. You’ll see magnificent fresh arrangements by floral designers alongside the art masterpieces that inspired them. Make a weekend of it by checking out the budding culinary scene in West Hartford.

April’s Best Travel Deals

~ This is not a prank! For 24 hours only on April 1 (April Fools’ Day), take 20% off a 2025 stay at one of Kennebunkport Resort Collection’s Maine hotels.

~ Seamark Seafood & Cocktails at Encore Boston Harbor is celebrating its first birthday this month, but the gifts are for you! Prove you were born in April, and you’ll receive a complimentary Seamark Sundae, plus the restaurant will donate $10 in your name to support cancer research in Boston. Everyone can get lucky April 6-13 during the Golden Oyster Promotion, where one lucky oyster served each night will reveal a surprise golden ticket underneath. Guests who order a dozen oysters and find golden tickets will win $100 Seamark gift cards. 

Yankee Out & About

Boston Bestie Bus to Canyon Ranch | Lenox, MA

Make your reservations this month to join Yankee aboard the Boston Bestie Bus to Canyon Ranch, New England’s premier wellness destination in the Berkshires, for an unforgettable escape May 1-4, 2025. You and your bestie will bond over healthy meals, fun indulgences, wellness activities, spa experiences, outdoor adventures, and exclusive surprises. If your BFF’s not available, come solo, and I’ll be your backup bestie as we take a deep breath and remember how important it is to care for ourselves. Book Now, or call 866-494-9279 for details.

What are you excited to do this April in New England? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Things to Do in New England in April 2025 appeared first on New England.

There was a time when I drove through the gates of a 434-acre Hudson River estate each weekday, down an allée of black locusts that heralded the arboretum’s grand specimens. In any moment of work stress, I could step outside my office into the finest example of Andrew Jackson Downing’s landscape ideals. Those vistas, formal grounds, and woodland paths were a cure-all.

Ever since, I’ve sought out historic gardens here in New England with power beyond their plantings. These blooming worlds with old “bones” were conceived to amuse and surprise, as open-air art and a backdrop for socializing. My favorites are waiting for you, a tonic in these less leisurely times.

Gardens at Eolia | A Garden with Grassroots Support

“No red plants,” Mary Harkness instructed Beatrix Farrand, a famed early 20th-century landscape designer, emphasizing her distaste for scarlet flowers at her Goshen Point estate. Farrand shaped the Gardens at Eolia in Waterford, Connecticut’s Harkness Memorial State Park from 1919 until 1929, then returned annually to refresh them for almost two decades more. Only a handful of Farrand’s more than 200 American gardens survive, and this series of seaside installations, including an alpine rock garden, nearly vanished, too. It was saved by the Friends of Harkness, founded in 1991 to lobby for ambitious restoration.

Today, garden volunteers help with tasks ranging from pruning apple trees in March to winterizing roses in November. On any Wednesday, Friends members can show up at 9 a.m. and join this crew, learning as they help sustain Farrand’s legacy. All while breathing in the almondy scent of the East Garden’s famous heliotropes, enlivened by Long Island Sound’s salt spray.

With the state park’s Gatsby-era mansion and languid lawns, you may be more inclined to dream away your time here. Bring a blanket, and stop at Ivy’s Simply Homemade in Waterford for the makings of a perfect picnic supper. Evenings are when the west-facing Italian Garden, flowering in sunset shades of bright yellow, deep purple, and dusky orange—without a speck of red—takes on a glow that attracts portrait photographers. friendsofharkness.org/harkness-gardens

Best Time to Go: Shop for heirloom heliotrope and other annuals and perennials at a massive annual plant sale, held the Saturday after Mother’s Day.

Gardening Tip: “Fertilize roses in the spring with all-organic Rose-tone,” suggests Friends of Harkness horticulture chairman Randy Fahey, who nurtures 90-plus rose plants. “It’s really good stuff.” A half cup suffices, but you’ll want to use a full cup for a really showy rose.

Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden | A Late Bloomer

In Seal Harbor on Maine’s Mount Desert Island, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden defies occasionally harsh coastal conditions with its explosive color clusters and contrasting foliage. In 1926, John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife, Abby, challenged Beatrix Farrand to marry their passion for Asian statuary with an English-style cutting garden. Through letters, sketches, and photographs, the two women’s collaboration took imaginative turns, blending East and West and incorporating architectural features that frame scenes, like gilded wood ’round an Impressionist painting.

The public has been invited into this living museum on a routine basis only since 2018, when the Land & Garden Preserve took ownership of the property at the bequest of the Rockefellers’ son, David. Reservations are required to wander through outdoor “rooms” cherished by the Rockefellers. And the season here is brief: just nine weeks. Mid-July visitors see delphiniums like New Millennium Series ‘Pagan Purples.’ These born performers tower over annuals and perennials. Then come the Lilium hybrids with their overwhelming fragrance. Then dahlias and gladiolas. By the last few open dates in September, fall-blooming perennials are in their yellow-and-orange glory.

All this comes with vistas of the mountains of Acadia National Park as you wander surrounded by centuries-old statues. You can stay for hours if you’d like, listening to the meditative music of water features and the splish-splash of frogs … walking the Spirit Path, with its watchful Korean funerary figures carved from granite … even venturing into the evergreen woods between the walled garden and a terrace that is all that remains of Eyrie mansion, pine needles cushioning and quieting your every step. gardenpreserve.org/abby-aldrich-rockefeller-garden

Best Time to Go: The Rockefellers retreated to their summer home in early August, and the garden has historically been considered to be at its dreamiest then, when lilies start to bloom.

Gardening Tip: “Before I worked here, I never used tree branches as plant support,” says Cassie Banning, director of farm and gardens. As the Rockefellers’ gardeners did, her team artfully cuts gray birch branches and installs them around plants to keep them from leaning or breaking as flowers grow heavy and summer storms sweep through. These natural props are quickly camouflaged as snapdragons, phlox, and other stunners grow sturdily to three or even four feet tall.

Edith Wharton’s The Mount | The Real Dirt

While Edith Wharton was penning her scandalous breakout novel, The House of Mirth, she was also creating a home and gardens that she proclaimed her greatest achievement and a source of comfort through times of loss. At The Mount in Lenox, Massachusetts, you’ll come to understand a woman who left us with not just stories but also a nonfiction prescription for designing spaces—including outdoor realms—that satisfy our need for structure yet honor the unpredictable beauty in nature’s gifts.

The Mount allowed Wharton to put into practice the anti-Victorian style she and architect Ogden Codman Jr. espoused in her first book, 1897’s The Decoration of Houses. Stand on the terrace (or have lunch at the Terrace Café), surveying the French-style flower garden and Italianate sunken garden, and you’ll notice that symmetry is among their dictates. In the Berkshires, spring arrives on its own timeline, but when the house opens mid-May, there will be tulips and the earliest annuals, as well as swaths of periwinkle-colored vinca, running as wild as the streams that give the grounds their musical score. Come late May, and on view through fall, a new selection of large-scale sculptures will accent the maple-lined entry drive, which Wharton’s niece, Beatrix Farrand, laid out.

Daily garden tours at 1 p.m. are reserved for ticket holders, but the nonprofit behind this multifaceted destination began offering free grounds admission during the pandemic; you can return whenever your spirit needs a boost. Wharton’s cherished gardens had grown over completely by the time a six-year restoration of mansion and grounds began in 1999, so pause, too, to appreciate how much effort went into ensuring her legacy has life beyond what’s nestled between book covers. edithwharton.org

Best Time to Go: Wharton wrote a garden should have “a charm independent of the seasons,” but to be especially wowed, come in late June or early July, when the Italian Garden’s climbing hydrangeas have flowered, and the ‘Bridal Veil’ astilbe, planted along the outside of the parterre, blooms in dancing clouds of ethereal frothy-white.

Gardening Tip: “You don’t really need a lot of flowers,” says Anne Schuyler, director of visitor services and interpretation. Only four or five plants, including the vines, give Wharton’s Italian Garden its dramatic atmosphere, beloved by brides. And don’t overlook posies that purists might consider weeds. Wharton mentions Michaelmas daisies among her likes, so although they grow naturally all through the woodlands, “our gardener has them in the formal flower garden, and they look great.”

Sakonnet Garden | Paradise Made Personal

Private Sakonnet Garden in achingly scenic Little Compton, Rhode Island, is the sort of secret place you never forget once you’ve found it. To be considered historic, a landmark must be 50 years old, according to Google. Which means this remarkable destination—the product of John Gwynne and Mikel Folcarelli’s decades of passion, labor, perseverance, and experimentation—just squeaks in. Gwynne, a landscape architect and pioneer in naturalistic habitats who headed exhibit design for the Bronx Zoo, has nurtured the lot adjacent to his family’s summer home since 1974. He soon gained an accomplice, equally fascinated by and eager to tinker with plants, although Folcarelli’s background was in fashion retail.

To say the two have merged a Japanese stroll garden with a mini English estate garden oversimplifies. What started as a collection of plants in a deep thicket has become New England’s own Wonderland, and you are Alice. Once greeted, you’re off on an odyssey of shadow and light, through more than a dozen garden “rooms,” many named for their dominant tint: silver, yellow, pink. Folcarelli prefers to hand you a map when you leave, so embrace the sensation of feeling untethered in a world of eclectic specimen plants: even magnolias, camellias, and palms that push the limit of what can survive here. Rarest of all is a white Mertensia discovered by a plant hunter in the Pennsylvania woods—rare because Mertensia are all blue.

“Covid gave us a pause to think about how we wanted to share the garden,” Folcarelli says. In 2021, they began offering self-guided tours Thursday through Saturday from the first weekend in May through the first weekend in October, by online reservation. They’re compiling 50 years of observations and meticulous notes into what will be a glorious book of imagery and stories. And they continue to learn from the astonishing things outside their door.

“I think of it as a new garden,” Gwynne tells me, and while the prospect of a book delights him, he’s even more jazzed about ‘Felix Jury,’ a new young magnolia from New Zealand that, when mature, “will be a big hot-pink fantastic thing.” sakonnetgarden.net

Best Time to Go: Rhododendrons bloom from the second week in May through the second week in June. Gwynne always brought armloads of cuttings home from gatherings of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Rhododendron Society. What you’ll see now are the hardiest, least fussy, and quite simply most amazing rhodies.

Gardening Tip: If you’re at the beginning stage of garden installation, “start with the trees,” Folcarelli advises. They take longest to grow, and “you can always move them around.”

The Old Garden at The Fells | His and Hers

On sweeping acreage that slopes gracefully toward Lake Sunapee, Clarence and Alice Appleton Hay saw their garden dreams flourish. They’d inherited The Fells in Newbury, New Hampshire, in 1905 from Clarence’s father, John Hay, Abraham Lincoln’s private secretary, who later served as secretary of state under William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. Alice wanted formal gardens, so once Clarence completed a landscape architecture course at Harvard, they set to work filling a high-walled, sunlit space with bright perennials. Now known as the Old Garden, it’s become shadier—more hospitable to ferns, hostas, lungwort, wild ginger, and Lenten roses—as surrounding woodlands have marched toward the walls.

Formality continued to win out: They added the Rose Terrace and the Perennial Border. But starting in 1929, Clarence spent 10 years indulging his own desire to introduce rare alpine plants from his travels into a large-stone-cobbled hillside facing south toward the lake. In the Rock Garden, with its lily pool ringed with irises and azaleas, the heartiest of these specimens survive. Clarence knew he was experimenting and wouldn’t be shocked to learn only about one-third of the original rockscape remains visible.

Now the nonprofit that manages The Fells is determined to restore and reinterpret the Rock Garden. The property needs all the human and financial capital it can muster. Your admission fee can help secure this notable garden’s future; your time and curiosity are even more valuable. thefells.org

Best Time to Go: The grounds are open year-round, and even before buds appear, new greenery magically begins to erase brown soil and gray branches. Along a woodland trail, fairy houses built last summer need sprucing up—the perfect job for nature-loving kids.

Gardening Tip: “Wood ash is the best-kept garden secret if you live in the Northeast,” says landscape director Holly Dunbar. While rhododendrons and hydrangeas thrive in New England’s naturally acidic soil, most ornamental plants do better when the pH is neutral. “Wood ash works similarly to garden lime and can raise the pH level,” she explains. “I recommend mixing clean ash from untreated wood into your beds in the fall.”

The Formal Garden at Hildene | A Mystery Lover’s Garden

From the aerial vantage point of Mary Harlan Lincoln’s sitting room, you can see how strikingly the formal garden at Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home resembles stained glass. Privet hedge that took root nearly 120 years ago forms shapes like soldered lead; flowers are the rich-hued glass. These days, the privet is sheared weekly to maintain its integrity.

Beginning in 1975, following the death of Mary Harlan and Robert Todd Lincoln’s granddaughter, Peggy Beckwith (Abraham Lincoln’s great-granddaughter and Hildene’s final resident), the property spent several years in limbo. In the 1980s, overgrown privet was tamed, beds and pathways were restored, and then … a plan for the formal garden was discovered. Jessie Harlan Lincoln likely designed this area between mansion and mountains, but curiously missing from the drawing is the signature privet. The only photographs are black and white. Without documentation, those who tend the garden today are free to think sustainably and playfully, while still coloring within vintage lines.

To appreciate all that’s growing here, wander behind the coach house turned Welcome Center to the cutting and kitchen gardens. There’s a butterfly garden, too, planted to attract native species. Volunteers also tend Hildene’s Giving Garden, which supplies the local food bank. There are trails through wild meadows and a floating boardwalk through the wetlands. A visit to still-working Hildene Farm is included with your admission.

Music from the original 1,000-pipe player organ beckons you toward the Georgian Revival mansion built in 1905 by Honest Abe’s only child to see adulthood. Before heading inside, stand within brick lines on the front lawn that illustrate the size of the cabin where the president was born. This contemporary landscape addition is a history lesson in a heartbeat, highlighting the contrast between Robert Todd Lincoln’s fortune and his father’s humble origins. hildene.org

Best Time to Go: It’s hard to top the first few weeks in June, when 100 peonies’ 1,000 blossoms make a pale-and-hot-pink splash. Among the peonies are two unique cultivars, recognized by the American Peony Society and named ‘Jessie Lincoln’ and ‘Hildene.’

Gardening Tip: If you’re a peony “parent,” try the Hildene Star staking method. Horticulturist and greenhouse manager Andrea Luchini explains that this technique requires five sturdy stakes and jute twine—or a kit from the Museum Store. Create a star pattern connecting the stakes, placed equidistant around the plant, then continue wrapping the twine around the outside of the stakes to make a full circle. Can’t picture it? Luchini and colleague Eric Rose demonstrate on Hildene’s YouTube channel. 

The post Estates of Grace: New England Gardens Steeped in History appeared first on New England.

We were first-timers at Canyon Ranch last spring, my daughter and me—satisfying so much more than our curiosity about the Berkshires’ original wellness escape. I was freshly finished with cancer treatment; she’d just graduated from college. We were redefining our relationship. Celebrating our bond. And we’d found the most nurturing environment in which to strengthen mind, body, and connection.

Wellness is personal, sure. And from the moment we signed into the Canyon Ranch app on our phones, we were eagerly anticipating journeys all our own. The breadth of offerings elevates the resort to a league all its own.

Who knew? Guests drive through the gracious estate gates with intentions to do so much more than spa. Yes, spa is a verb here: treatments are immersive, providers are expert, the menu is extensive. But each hour of a Canyon Ranch day is unlike an hour anywhere else. It’s loaded with options for learning, stretching, self-examining, and encountering the calmest, best version of yourself. And when you share the experience with a partner, best friend, or loved one, it’s like turning every hour into two because robust relationships are essential to wellbeing. And self-care is selfless when you’re focused on being around for each other for a very long time.

Before and during a stay, guests receive thoughtful personal guidance. It’s clutch for navigating options that range from nutrition counseling to couples coaching, from sound healing to DEXA body composition scan and analysis, from tarot-card readings to hypnotherapy.

Zentangle and mocktail-making workshops were fun to indulge in together. We went our separate ways for workouts, healthy snack breaks, and facial and acupuncture massage services. We reconvened for abundant, all-you-can-savor meals, playfully competing to see how much goodness we could pile on salad-bar plates. Pairing entrees like grilled shrimp and Moroccan beef tagine with fruity, bubbly spritzers. We applauded a Broadway-caliber live performance. Tried our luck at DJ-pumped Bingo. Melted at yoga class. Lamented we couldn’t fit in pickleball lessons or a kayaking adventure.

As I descended the stairs of the Bellefontaine Mansion after my last session of the weekend, I couldn’t wait to see my girl. I wanted to hear all she’d learned on a tour of this Gilded-Age stunner turned sanctuary. Plus, I was bursting to share the optimism and clarity I felt after a one-on-one Longevity Mindset experience. Being at “The Ranch” together doubled the benefits for both of us—what better gift could I give her than practical strategies for long-term mental, emotional, and physical resiliency? And the reassurance I’m committed to implementing them myself.

Join Yankee Aboard the Bestie Bus from Boston to Canyon Ranch! 

This spring, make time for wellness together with a best friend, loved one, or partner. We’ll leave Boston on May 1, 2025, and return May 4: refreshed and ready to live our best New England lives. Visit canyonranch.com/bestie for package details.

The post Wellness Is Better Together appeared first on New England.

Sponsored by Visit Central Florida

There’s your luggage, already on the carousel. There’s your rental car, right outside the door. Lakeland Linder International has just two gates, so when you land at Central Florida’s airport—a competitively priced direct flight of about three hours from New Haven or Manchester-Boston thanks to new Avelo routes—you won’t waste precious vacation time getting on your way.

On your way to Tampa or Orlando, perhaps. Both are about an hour’s drive. But that would be soooo predictable. And you and your beloveds deserve a trip that’s uniquely unforgettable and as easy-breezy as jetting to this land of citrus and sunshine and Old Florida allure. Which of these worlds will you explore together on your first visit … and on your next?

A Garden of Musical Enchantment

By March, it’s full-on springtime at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, as thousands of azaleas and camellias erupt in magenta-and-white bloom blasts. On this perpetually colorful hilltop, wildscapes converge with cultivated landscapes in what is considered one of Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.’s supreme achievements. Kids have their own garden, Hammock Hollow, for digging and climbing and learning through play.

Longtime Ladies’ Home Journal editor and world-peace advocate Edward Bok (an interesting guy; you’ll want to read his autobiography) left us this soul-soothing sanctuary, but that’s not all. Built of pink marble and the seashell rock coquina, and ornately embellished by some of the best artisans alive in 1929, the Singing Tower soars 205 feet above it all. It looks like a castle, but it’s actually an instrument: one of the most impressive carillons in the world. The reverberation of 62 tons of five-octave bells will stop you in your tracks, then pull you toward the tower’s reflecting pool for the listen of your life.

An Architectural Wonderland

A walking tour of Florida Southern College in Lakeland isn’t just for prospective students. The campus is home to the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright–designed buildings in the world. Usonian House, designed in 1939 but built in 2013, is a model of the famed architect’s vision for minimalist living. A dozen other midcentury buildings, which still appear futuristic, are very much in use. You’ll be shaded by Wright’s mile-plus-long Esplanade as you hear about his organic inspiration and the unique construction methods he employed. Danforth Chapel, with its Wright-designed stained glass, is a photogenic highlight. You might be accompanied on your walk by one of 36 campus cats, although only two, Dexter and Gilbert, are super friendly.

A Genuine Dude Ranch

They’re not herding cats at Westgate River Ranch, an authentic, Western-themed resort that’s the largest of its kind east of the Mississippi. So pack your faded jeans and cowboy boots (you can buy a wide-brimmed hat at the general store), and fill your days with horseback and mechanical-bull rides, archery, fishing, hearty meals, and a few thrills you won’t find in Montana like loud-and-fast and totally exhilarating airboat tours. Gator sightings are routine. You don’t have to stay or “glamp” here to attend Saturday-night rodeos with their intoxicating blend of wild action and Americana pageantry you can only experience when bull riders and barrel racers give it their all.

A LEGO Lover’s Dream (with a Dash of Peppa)

Discover several worlds wrapped up in one at LEGOLAND Florida Resort in Winter Haven. Leave it to LEGO to engineer an attraction that’s sized just right and keeps everyone—little kids to grandfolks—smiling. For wee ones, the world’s first Peppa Pig Theme Park is the perfect introduction to amusement rides, shows, character photo ops, and simple pleasures like tricycling around a track. LEGOLAND offers 50 more rides and experiences like MINILAND USA with its detailed cityscapes, plus a water park for warm days. You’ll marvel at life-size (and larger!) creations. Sit behind the wheel of a red-brick LEGO Ferrari, then build and test your own race car. 

Save time for a nostalgic stroll through the botanical wonders of Cypress Gardens, Florida’s original tourist attraction, or see them from the water with local guide Rue Denton’s The Living Water Boat Cruises. Two hotels with LEGO activities galore, including in-room treasure hunts and exclusive workshops, are a few blocks from all the fun.

Swan City

Don’t overlook downtown Lakeland when you crave an elevated escape. The largest city in a county that’s a bit bigger than Rhode Island is nicknamed for its myriad swans, all descended from a mated pair gifted by Queen Elizabeth II. The century-old Terrace Hotel is the grande dame here, and it’s steps from shopping, events in Munn Park, Revival’s sophisticated cocktails, and a superb brunch at Nineteen61 (the pastelitos will spoil you for any other guava pastries). The stress-free airport’s less than 20 minutes away, so linger and squeeze every drop of juice out of your time away.

Begin planning your Central Florida vacation at visitcentralflorida.com.

The post Unlock New Worlds appeared first on New England.

Well, hello December! The last month of the year marches in right on the tail of the Thanksgiving turkey this year, and that means there’s a time crunch to pack in all of the merriment New England offers during the holiday season. Turkeys use their tails to steer and to brake, so let’s take a cue and vow to slow down and follow our hearts to some of the events and attractions we can only enjoy this time of year.

It might sound like I’ve been hitting the eggnog a bit early. No, but I’ll admit that’s tempting. I’ve already spotted Arethusa Farm’s 2024 collectible glass bottles of their sinfully rich nog in local markets. December in New England may not bring snow as reliably as it did in the past (although ski areas are making snow, and Maine’s Aroostook County usually has a fluffy coat on the ground by the end of the month), but it does bring all of the seasonal flavors, flickering fires, holiday light displays, and cozy vibes that make dark days bright.

Give yourself the gift of an advent calendar’s worth of joyful outings in December, and leave all of the cleaning, baking, shopping, wrapping, and card-sending to … elves? Your friends here at Yankee can help you with everything from cookie recipes to New England gift ideas, so you can get out and celebrate at some of the 10 events I’m most excited about this month. But, first…

New This Month in New England

Connecticut has launched the nation’s first Christmas Movie Trail, featuring locations statewide where 22 Hallmark Channel, Netflix, and Lifetime holiday heartwarmers have been filmed. I was at the Silas W. Robbins House in Wethersfield—shooting location for Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane—for the launch of this fun new way to explore the state, and if you’re looking for an inn that is decorated to the hilt for the holidays, this is it. Download the map, dress in your cutest holiday sweater, and you might even make your own love connection in Connecticut this December. I believe!

And in the category of things that make you go hmmm… New Hampshire’s Tamworth Distilling has introduced House of Tamworth Spruce & Goose, a whiskey flavored with real roasted goose, spruce-tree tips, and plums. Need a reason beyond wild curiosity to buy a bottle? The distillery has pledged to plant one new native white spruce sapling for every bottle sold to help replenish New Hampshire’s lowland spruce fir forests.

10 Fun December Events in New England

Country Roads Holiday Tour | Daily through December 8, 2024 | Worcester County, MA

Be prepared to be charmed by the 18 independently owned shops and farms that unite each holiday season for this shopping odyssey. There are 19 incredible prizes including a grand-prize bundle of gift certificates worth $900. The only requirement to enter? You must have your Country Roads Holiday Tour stamp card stamped at all 18 stops.

Sparkling Lights at The Breakers | Select dates through December 29, 2024 | Newport, RI

You may have seen the Newport Mansion decorated for Christmas, but have you been to Sparkling Lights at The Breakers? For the fifth year, set out on a seaside walk illuminated by hundreds of thousands of colorful lights. There’s holiday music to fill you with good cheer as you stroll through a new 60-foot tunnel of lights that evokes water fountains. Warming fire pits await on the back terrace, and your ticket includes mansion admission.

Winter Wonderland at Southwick’s Zoo | Thursday-Sunday through December 29 | Mendon, MA

The first breathtaking glimpse of this family attraction dressed in more than 4 million lights never gets old. Winter Wonderland traditions include singing along with animatronic penguins and meeting the head elf himself at Santa’s Barn. There’s a thrilling nightly variety show, too, and you can warm up by a fire pit at Kringle Café with a hot toddy in one hand and a gingerbread cookie in the other.

Sea Festival of Trees | December 1, 5, 6, 7, and 8 | Salisbury, MA

Blue Ocean Event Center becomes an indoor wonderland for this 12th annual holiday event. They had me at toy-testing station! But the Sea Festival of Trees also features indoor ice skating, character visits, and sparkling trees. It’s all to raise funds for the non-profit Salisbury Beach Partnership and the Salisbury Beach Carousel and Pavilion, now open year round. A ride on one of the 47 handcrafted horses, camels, and giraffes that go-round the restored 1909 Looff-Mangels carousel is, of course, the best reason to go.

Herb House-Lowering Watch Party | December 3, 2024 | Sabbathday Lake, ME

OK, architecture and history fans. How many chances will you have in your life to see a 200-year-old, Shaker-built structure lowered onto a new concrete foundation? I can answer that: One. Be there at 8:30 a.m. for Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village’s Herb House-Lowering Watch Party, a spectacle five years in the making. Bring your own chairs and warm blankets. Hot coffee and light refreshments will be available. Stabilization of this historic structure paves the way for the creation of a new culinary arts classroom and incubator kitchen, a traditional arts classroom, and a community gathering room. The Shakers’ ongoing herb business will also be operated from the building once again.

Christmas Spectacular | December 7, 2024 | South Paris, ME

Young’s Greenhouse invites families to its first Christmas Spectacular featuring light displays, photos with Santa, shopping, gingerbread house and cookie decorating for kids, and pop-up workshops for grownups (a small fee applies). Most activities, except caroling, take place inside the nursery’s warm, cozy greenhouses. You’ll also be able to pick out a Christmas tree or other fresh balsam decoration.

12 Chefs of Christmas Dining Series | December 8, 15, and 22 | Cambridge, MA

A cavalcade of top culinary talent is coming to Geppetto this December. Reserve a seat for one of three special dinners, each featuring four chefs. Or book all three for the complete 12 Chefs of Christmas experience. You’re in for multi-course menus featuring star chefs’ signature flavors and festive holiday interpretations.

Wassail Weekend | December 13-15, 2024 | Woodstock, VT

The town of Woodstock provides a Currier & Ives perfect backdrop for this 40th annual Wassail Weekend featuring horse-drawn wagon or sleigh rides, story times, performances, and Victorian Christmas traditions. Don’t miss the iconic parade, which steps off Saturday, December 14, at 2 p.m.

Inn to Inn Cookie Tour | December 14-15, 2024 | White Mountains Region, NH

Was there ever a quest as scrumptious as this? Set out to visit the eight beautifully decorated Country Inns of the White Mountains, sampling their specialty treats and collecting recipes along the way. Booking an Inn to Inn Cookie Tour lodging package at one of the participating properties guarantees you two tickets. A limited number of single tickets will be sold beginning December 2.

First Night Boston 2025 | December 31, 2024 | Boston, MA

A free night of performances and activities to welcome in the new year? Add in two spectacular fireworks displays, and it’s a no-brainer to be in Boston as we say how ya doin’ to 2025. The city held the first arts-fueled celebration of this kind in the country back in 1976, and First Night Boston remains a wonderful tradition that has inspired other similar New Year’s Eve celebrations. Here in New England, you can also attend First Night events in Hartford, Portsmouth, Chatham, Northampton, and St. Johnsbury.

December’s Best Travel Deals in New England

Kennebunkport Resort Collection Holiday Cyber Sale | Kennebunkport, ME

Book online by December 4, and you’ll save 40% off your next stay at one of Kennebunkport Resort Collection‘s nine fine hotel properties in Maine. Missed this deal? Keep an eye out for their annual gift card sale on December 9 and 10.

The Ivy League Field Trip at Hanover Inn | Hanover, NH

The Hanover Inn looks out at Dartmouth, one of New England’s most prestigious colleges, and when you stay any night Sunday through Thursday, your room key now opens the door to student discounts at a number of participating museums, performance venues, and on-campus lectures and events. Plan your Ivy League Field Trip, and keep your brain from hibernating this winter.

Yankee Out & About in December

As you’re traveling or even just running errands this month, tune into the Explain Boston to Me podcast and hear our senior food editor and Weekends with Yankee host Amy Traverso talk about the history of Boston’s iconic baked beans and why their prominence is in jeopardy.

If you’re a dog lover, join me for the annual Canine Christmas Doggie Slumber Party at The Wilburton in Manchester, Vermont, the weekend of December 6-8. It’ll be a reunion with the three “elves” who decorate this historic mansion each year. I shared these womens’ touching story and all of the madcap fun of dogs in PJs and the annual holiday tractor parade in this Yankee feature: The Merriest Inn of All.

The post December in New England: Best Events, Deals, and Reasons to Visit appeared first on New England.