Where to go in New England

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Things to do in New England this fall

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Places to stay in New England

Inns, resorts and small hotels, listed by the people who run them.

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  • Salem, MA

    Salem Waterfront Hotel

    Witches, pirates and a heated pool: Of course your kids will love this vacation!

    Salem is a great place for families to explore, and the Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites is the perfect base from which to launch your adventures. Breath-taking views, fun attractions and history are just steps away from the Pickering Wharf hotel, which has a heated indoor pool, marina, pub and patio serving three meals a day and a fitness center. Kids will love all the attractions in town that feature witches and pirates, and adults will admire the Peabody Essex Museum and the House of the Seven Gables. A heritage trail and kids tour will show you all the historical highlights. Stroll the shops on Pickering Wharf or walk out to Derby Wharf Lighthouse. Take the ferry to Boston or a coastal cruise. Ask about the Family Vacation Package.

    225 Derby Street 978-740-8788
  • Cape Neddick, ME

    Cliff House

    Resort’s spa overlooks the sea, providing guests a tranquil oceanfront sanctuary

    Your time at the Cliff House’s The Spa at Cliff House begins in the luminous sanctuary, surrounded by views of the cliff and the infinite horizon. Then your rejuvenating journey begins, through a circuit of saunas, steam rooms and treatment spaces. You might opt for a honey massage; a scalp, hand and foot ritual; a marine mud detox massage; or reinvigorating facial, perhaps with seacoast rose aromatherapy. The spa also offers manicures and pedicures, hydrating eye lifts and spaces to make your own body scrub or body oil. The wellness center has state-of-the-art cardio and strength equipment, yoga and other classes, all with ocean views. The luxury resort also features an indoor and outdoor salt-water pool and indoor and outdoor hot tubs.

    Cliff House has been voted one of the Top 20 Resorts in New England in the 2025 Condé Nast Readers’ Choice Awards.

    591 Shore Road 207-361-1000
  • Sunderland, VT

    Hill Farm

    Stay Where Scenic Views, Outdoor Fun, and Farm-to-Table Dining Come Together.

    Hill Farm's 70 acres in Sunderland offer distinct lodging, like The River House, giving families and groups room to spread out without ever getting in a car. Free time on the property might mean a trail walk, feeding the alpacas a snack, a swim in the seasonal pool, or a fly-fishing lesson with an Orvis-endorsed guide, with cross-country skiing and snowshoeing once snow falls. When the group wants to venture out, Manchester's shops and museums are nearby. Evenings bring everyone back together for a farm-to-table meal at The Restaurant at Hill Farm. A boutique hotel built for celebrations and gatherings.

    458 Hill Farm Road 802-375-2269

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Eat and drink in New England

Diners, breweries, farm stands and dinner out, listed by the people who run them.

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  • Laconia, NH

    Naswa Resort

    Brilliantly crafted cuisine, creative cocktails will draw you to this restaurant with lake views

    Enjoy exceptional Lake Winnipesaukee dining at The NASWA Resort, where fresh seafood, lake views, and family friendly menus come together. The Blue Bistro is our signature waterfront restaurant, serving breakfast and dinner with options ranging from perfectly cooked Angus steaks and seafood specialties to creative vegetarian dishes and a full kids’ menu. Start your morning with guest favorites like the Big Wake, Egg McMakris, or Caribbean French Toast. For casual lakeside lunch or dinner, visit the NazBar & Grill—our beachfront bar known for tropical cocktails, lobster rolls, burgers, and unbeatable sunset views. Finish your day with classic New England entrées and homemade desserts. Whether you’re looking for romantic waterfront dining or a relaxed beach bar, The NASWA offers one of the best dining experiences on Lake Winnipesaukee.

    1086 Weirs Boulevard 603-366-4341
  • Jackson Village, NH

    The Wentworth

    Creative menu, comfortable surroundings hallmarks of this popular restaurant and tavern

    It all starts with the food at the 1869 Room, The Wentworth’s popular restaurant. With its Certified Local designation from the New Hampshire Farm-to-Restaurant Connection, the restaurant, with its inviting fireplace and crystal chandeliers, relies heavily on locally sourced produce, meats, cheeses and other products for its ever-changing menu catering to all tastes. Start with Mama’s Meatballs or a delicious burrata, then move to a slow-braised short rib of beef or a black bean and chickpea stew. Finish with homemade ice cream or an apple gateau or a dessert cocktail like a peanut butter cup martini. (The restaurant also offers wonderful breakfasts.) After dinner, adjourn to the Alpine tavern, a convivial bar and lounge with a light-bites menu, creative cocktails and, in season, local live music on the deck. - Book your table On-Line today!

    1 Carter Notch Road 603-383-9700
  • Bar Harbor, ME

    Bluenose Inn

    Great breakfasts, stellar service and amazing views of the bay: a recipe for memorable dining

    See why Yankee Magazine called the Looking Glass Restaurant at the Bluenose Inn the "Best Restaurant with a View." Overlooking Frenchman Bay, the restaurant offers a relaxed setting for breakfast, with both an indoor dining area and seasonal outdoor deck. The menu features a selection of Maine favorites, including Maine blueberry pancakes, French toast, egg sandwiches, omelets, freshly baked scones, and muffins. For a true taste of Maine, try the blueberry pancakes or indulge in a lobster-inspired breakfast specialty.

    Pair your meal with fresh coffee or juice, or make it a little more leisurely with a breakfast cocktail. In the evening, continue your time at the Bluenose Great Room and piano lounge, where you can enjoy a glass of wine or cocktail while listening to live piano music.

    90 Eden Street 207-288-2665

Events in New England

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About New England

Welcome to Visit New England!

Home of gorgeous beaches and mountains,
Colonial history, foods and family fun

What can you expect from a visit to the New England states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut? For starters, everyone’s seen images of the region’s natural beauty: the craggy coastline of Maine, the blazing fall foliage of Vermont, the mountain peaks of New Hampshire. Moving toward the middle and southern states: the dune grasses and beaches of Cape Cod and heroes of the American Revolution in Massachusetts, the Colonial streets and Newport, RI mansions of Rhode Island, and the classic town greens and steepled churches of Connecticut.

Click Here to View a Map of New England

Beaches of New England

Everyone who loves New England and water fun has a favorite beach. Among the most well-known are the sandy sweeps and bending dune grasses of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. At the opposite end of image and mood (but without sand), are the swimming holes of the old Vermont marble quarries and the tumbling waters of rock strewn mountain streams. Those images only touch of the variety of salt-water and fresh-water swimming places in New England.

Take a Rest

Even the most energetic vacationers need to kick back at the end of the day. Lodgings across New England serve every taste. How would you like to drift into sleep to the lapping of ocean waves from a beach or oceanside resort? Awaken to the hoot of loons in a mountain resort? Sip a leisurely cup of coffee at a boutique hotel or bed-and-breakfast inn in a historic neighborhood in charming Portland ME, Burlington VT, Boston MA, Portsmouth NH, Providence RI, or New Haven CT? Family friendly and pet-friendly lodgings welcome kids and dogs, too.

Romance & Luxury

Start your romantic getaway plans with a walk along a windy beach dune or a sunset cruise on a mountain lake. Move on to a candlelit dinner in a 300-year-old converted stagecoach inn. Romance can go with dazzle, too, like at high-rise luxury hotels in places like Portland ME, Boston MA, and Providence RI, some with rooftop restaurants or pools. In winter, farmers offer horse-drawn carriage rides (or even snowmobile or dog sled rides for the hearty). Romantic dining, from a café in some city’s Little Italy to a restaurant alongside a sweet village green, is everywhere.

Got Kids?

Children’s fun is everywhere. Would your children love to ski or snowboard? Poke through granite caves alongside a churning ravine? Ride river rapids or take a zip line dive down a mountain? Play and swim at a sandy ocean beach or a mountain lake? Take a cruise off the Maine coast on a classic windjammer? Maybe visit the olden times at a living history museum like Old Sturbridge Village or Mystic Seaport? Indoors, children’s museums and science museums are found almost everywhere, two of the best aquariums anywhere are in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Dining

New England’s traditional foods range from Maine lobsters and blueberries to Boston baked beans and Vermont cheese and maple syrup. In this region book-ended by the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island Sound, and Vermont’s Lake Champlain, nearly every eatery serves a fine platter of seafood. Do you love friendly, down-home diners? New England has them.

Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

People have their favorite New England seasons, but it can be hard to choose the single best. The sugar maples of the New England mountains burst into brilliant color in fall, with Columbus Day as the usual epicenter of the show. All through the season, smart travelers plan a self-guided foliage drive. Winter brings snow sports of all kinds to the mountain regions, where the ski areas rank up with the best ski spots across the nation. Summer is a time for beaches – from the sandy stretches of Cape Cod to the fresh waters of tree-lined inland lakes and swimming holes.

Cruising: Small Vessels, Big Scenery

New England is loved for its waterways, most famously for its waterfront along the Atlantic Ocean, but also the historic Lake Champlain, the mountain-ringed lakes of New Hampshire, the fly-fishing and rafting resource of the Housatonic River, and the many beautiful bays. Maine’s famous windjammers offer cruises, as do boat pilots on Lake Winnipesaukee. Many cruises offer specialty events like sunset views or wine tasting, or a chance to watch lobstermen pull in their catch. Essex, Connecticut, offers a combined land-and-water adventure on am antique train followed by a river paddleboat.

Museums and Shopping

She loves museums; he loves to shop. Let’s start with Boston, MA’s fabulous arts, history, and science museums. Two favorites are the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for art and a medieval courtyard and the USS Constitution Museum, with “Old Ironsides” docked nearby. Shopping is grand at Newbury Street and the famous Faneuil Hall Marketplace. It’s not fair, though, to focus on a single city. Art and history and science museums are plentiful and fascinating in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

Colonial and Revolutionary History

You can find stories of the creation of America almost everywhere, along with tales of the region’s seafaring history. Boston, MA has the Freedom Trail among stores, churches and houses where the Revolution of 1776 was planned. The Industrial Revolution was founded at Slater Mill in Rhode Island, when a Brit smuggled plans for a water-powered mill out of England. Living history museums include Plimoth Patuxet. The Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, ME, is one of several that tell the histories of Native peoples.

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