8 Trustees of Reservations Sites Not To Be Overlooked, Including Naumkeag, Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Naumkeag in the BerkshiresFormerly owned by the Choate Family of New York before it was bequeathed to The Trustees of Reservations in 1958, Naumkeag is a 44-room Berkshires “Cottage” from the Gilded Age, filled with arts, antiques, and collections around from around the world. But it’s the outdoor gardens that truly inspire, a masterpiece of 30 years of collaborative work by former owner, Mabel Choate, and her dear friend, Fletcher Steele, one of America’s first modern landscape architects. Described by the Library of American Landscape History as a “playground for the imagination,” The Trustees have just completed a 3-year, $3 million garden and landscape restoration project designed to rejuvenate the gardens and bring them back to Choate and Steele’s original vision. The transformation includes the renovation of Fletcher Steele’s iconic Blue Steps, one of the most photographed features in 20th-century American landscape design.

This entry is excerpted from my latest book, New England in a Nutshell. The book/ebook is slated to published on July 2nd and you can pre-order now at Amazon or at the independent bookstore, Northshire, located in Manchester Center, Vermont and Saratoga, New York. The ebook includes all hyperlinks to listings. The paperback includes front and back cover illustrations from Manhattan-based artist, Sarah Schechter, and a small sampling of photos from Lisa, who accompanied me on many of my assignments, resulting in published work for the Boston Globe.

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6 Favorite Lodgings for Family Get-Togethers, Including Basin Harbor, Vergennes, Vermont

Basin Harbor Resort in VermontThe kids are stand-up paddleboarding near the middle of the lake. My wife is sea kayaking with her siblings and their spouses closer to the shoreline. Steady wind blowing through my hair, I’m at the tiller of an 18-foot sailboat accompanied by Granny Franny and her longtime beau, Saul. To celebrate a special birthday for Fran, my wife’s extended family decided to book a week at the classic family retreat on the shores of Lake Champlain, Basin Harbor. One glance at the lake from the Adirondack chairs perched on a bluff just outside the main dining room and you understand the allure. On the opposite shores are the steep rock cliffs called the Palisades and beyond that, the spine of New York’s Adirondack Mountains. The Vermont side is not too shabby either, a bucolic blend of dairy farms, horse pastures, and their own requisite peaks, the Green Mountains. Come summer, this region is a warm embrace of emerald green fields and blue waters.

The beauty of this type of resort is that everyone, including the kids, has their independence. If Fran and my son Jake want to play a game of tennis, off they go. If Lisa’s brother, Jeff, wants to throw a Frisbee with his son, Micah, after a competitive game of shuffleboard, go for it. We see each other at breakfast, sporadically throughout the day and then meet up for dinner. Yet, most afternoons, we find each other at the small beach, swimming over to the dock, and lounging on chaise lounge chairs with a pint of Vermont’s Switchback Ale in one hand, book in the other. I can’t resist the chance to bike every day. Any avid road biker will tell you that Addison Valley, Vermont, where Basin Harbor Club is located, is easily one of the top five biking destinations in North America. The backcountry roads have very little car traffic, great uphill climbs and downhill runs, and around every bend is another dairy farm, massive red barn, white church steeple, and glorious vistas of mountains and lake.

This entry is excerpted from my latest book, New England in a Nutshell. The book/ebook is slated to published on July 2nd and you can pre-order now at Amazon or at the independent bookstore, Northshire, located in Manchester Center, Vermont and Saratoga, New York. The ebook includes all hyperlinks to listings. The paperback includes front and back cover illustrations from Manhattan-based artist, Sarah Schechter, and a small sampling of photos from Lisa, who accompanied me on many of my assignments, resulting in published work for the Boston Globe.

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3 Favorite AMC Huts, Including Lakes of the Clouds, White Mountains, New Hampshire

Hiking Mt. WashingtonConditions need to be ideal to walk the historic Crawford Path through the Presidential Range. Once you venture beyond Mizpah Springs Hut to Mount Pierce, you’re above treeline on a ridge walk, entirely exposed to the weather since there’s really nowhere to hide. In decent weather, you’ll be treated to the views of the bald knob atop Mount Eisenhower while walking in a lunar-like landscape. Bordered by velvety green sedge and moss, you’ll find alpine wildflowers in bloom like bog laurel, white bunchberry, and purple fireweed. Then you spot the Lakes of the Clouds hut and its lofty perch atop a 5200-foot ridge with stunning vistas of Mount Washington Hotel below and the Cog Railroad ambling slowly up to the Mount Washington summit. Spend the twilight hours looking at the glorious view and then peering at the twinkling stars above (no light pollution here). The next morning, after a filling breakfast, climb on the hardscrabble rock the last 1.4 miles to the summit of Mount Washington, New England’s tallest peak.

This entry is excerpted from my latest book, New England in a Nutshell. The book/ebook is slated to published on July 2nd and you can pre-order now at Amazon. The ebook includes all hyperlinks to listings. The paperback includes front and back cover illustrations from Manhattan-based artist, Sarah Schechter, and a small sampling of photos from Lisa, who accompanied me on many of my assignments, resulting in published work for the Boston Globe.

6 Favorite Lobster/Clam Shacks, Including Arnold’s Lobster and Clam Bar, Eastham, Massachusetts

Arnold's Lobster, Cape CodGrab a tray at almost any hour from late morning to closing time at Arnold’s and more than likely you’ll be standing in a line, waiting for lobster rolls and a mound of tender onion rings to bring to nearby Coast Guard Beach, or for a fried clams or lobster dinner devoured at the outdoor picnic tables under the pines. The owner, Nick Nickerson, equates his success with the unyielding desire to find the tastiest seafood around, and if he has to pay extra to the local fishermen, so be it. Scallops that have been collected by fishermen in Cape Cod Bay arrive by 10 am. He prefers to get his clams for steamers at the Town Cove on the Eastham/Orleans border. Clams for frying can come as far away as Rhode Island, but Nickerson prefers the ones that come from sand beds instead of mud flats, stating that the latter tastes like, well, mud. For lobster, he prefers the hard shelled version found on the back shore of the Cape, off Coast Guard and Nauset Beaches. Work off your meal by playing a round of miniature golf next door.

This entry is excerpted from my latest book, New England in a Nutshell. The book/ebook is slated to published on July 2nd and you can pre-order now at Amazon. The ebook includes all hyperlinks to listings. The paperback includes front and back cover illustrations from Manhattan-based artist, Sarah Schechter, and a small sampling of photos from Lisa, who accompanied me on many of my assignments, resulting in published work for the Boston Globe.

Excerpts from My Upcoming Book, New England in a Nutshell

These entries are excerpted from my latest book, New England in a Nutshell. The book/ebook is slated to published on July 2nd and you can pre-order now at Amazon. The ebook includes all hyperlinks to listings. The paperback includes front and back cover illustrations from Manhattan-based artist, Sarah Schechter, and a small sampling of photos from Lisa, who accompanied me on many of my assignments, resulting in published work for the Boston Globe.

 

Popham Beach, MaineLife’s a Beach, My Top 12 Picks, Including Popham Beach, Phippsburg, Maine

At the end of one of those fingers of land that dangles off the Maine coast into the Atlantic, Popham is hopelessly exposed to all the elements. There’s nothing manicured about this rare spit of sand sandwiched between the rocky shores. Pieces of driftwood lie on the beach, backed by dwarf pines and uprooted trees. Come at low tide and the grooved sand leads to a tiny island where seagulls have picked over unfortunate crabs and mussels that lay exposed on the kelp. When the water rolls in, kids swim in the warm (yes, warm) waters of the tidal pool as parents take long beach walks, watching three-masted schooners and lobstermen cruise past the pine-studded islands and lighthouses. Let the cool breeze blow through your hair and breathe in the salty air. This is the raw, genuine Maine coast you have yearned for.

 

Hiking Mount Pisgah, Vermont10 Classic New England Hikes, Including Mount Pisgah, West Burke, Vermont

Arriving at Lake Willoughby from the south, the dark blue waters come into view, dwarfed by faces of rock that stand directly across from each other—Mount Hor and Mount Pisgah. Here, cliffs plummet precipitously over 1,000 feet to the glacial waters below. The scenery becomes even more enchanting as you snake your way to the 2,751-foot summit of Pisgah. The trail starts easily on switchbacks. Halfway up, take a slight detour to the left to stand atop Pulpit Rock. This small, semi-circular ledge juts out of Mount Pisgah like a box seat at a Broadway play. The arduous trail proceeds upward in a spiral fashion. On a clear day, you should be able to spot the spine of the Green Mountains and that distinctive peak seen across much of Vermont, Camel’s Hump. Who needs to visit nearby St. Johnsbury’s Athenaeum and view Albert Bierstadt’s famous painting, Domes of Yosemite, when you can see such natural beauty come to life less than an hour north?

3 hours. Moderate. From West Burke, take State Route 5A North for 6 miles to a parking area on the left-hand side, just south of Lake Willoughby. The South Trail begins across the highway.

 

6 Hidden Art Historical Gems, Including Weir Farm National Historic Site, Wilton, Connecticut

When New York City collector Erwin Davis became obsessed with a painting owned by artist Julian Alden Weir, he gave him an offer that was hard to refuse. In exchange for the painting and ten dollars, Davis would transfer over the deed to a 153-acre farm less than an hour outside of New York in the Connecticut countryside. Weir arrived in the summer of 1882, immediately became enamored with the sylvan setting, and painted the first of hundreds of works he and his friends would create over the next 40 years. To this day, the property remains a rural retreat that continues to inspire artists and is now the only site in the National Park System dedicated to American painting. Walk inside the Visitor Center to see a short film on the life J. Alden Weir, considered one of the fathers of American Impressionism. That’s not to say he wasn’t disgusted with this style of painting when he first encountered it in Paris, calling an exhibition showcasing the works of Monet, Manet, and Degas “worse than the Chamber of Horrors.” Yet, soon enough, Weir was utilizing the loose brushstrokes and plein air painting that would become the trademarks of Impressionism.

View the wonderful photographs of Weir with John Singer Sargent and Childe Hassam, two of the celebrated artists that enjoyed visiting Weir at his country home, and see the lone original work in the building, The Truants (1895). Then immerse yourself in the same natural setting that inspired Weir. Trails lead to a pond, barns, old stone walls, a sunken garden, and his house and studio. Better yet, bring a sketchbook.

 

bike Rhode Island7 Best Bike Rides, Including Tiverton Four Corners to Little Compton, Rhode Island 

South of Route 195 and the gritty mill towns of Fall River and New Bedford lies countryside so fertile you’ll feel like you’re in Vermont. Stretching from Dartmouth, Massachusetts, to Little Compton, Rhode Island, the area is known as the Heritage Farm Coast. It has the sunniest and most temperate climate in New England and thus the longest growing season. Dairy farms, corn fields, even vineyards, border the Sakonnet River as it washes into the Atlantic.

For a good 20-mile loop, take Route 77 south from Tiverton Four Corners to Sakonnet Point and return on backcountry roads past the village green of Little Compton. Tiverton Four Corners is a rural village that dates from the 17th century and is now home to artisans like jeweler Tiffany Peay (3851 Main Road), who uses brightly colored gems to create bracelets and necklaces with contemporary flair. Or energize with an ice cream cone at the legendary Gray’s (16 East Road), which serves my favorite black raspberry in New England. The stretch of road heading south from Tiverton Four Corners is a beaut, with views of rolled hay leading to the shores of the wide Sakonnet River. When you finally reach Little Compton, you’ve earned those Johnnycakes (fried cornmeal) at The Common’s Lunch. But first, get a feel for the history of this quintessential New England village by walking across the street to the white steeple, village green, and cemetery. Stubs stick out of the ground and if you peer closely, you’ll notice that the first settlers are buried here, with dates of death registered as far back as 1711.

 

 

7 Best Bike Rides, Including Little Compton, Rhode Island

bike Rhode IslandSouth of Route 195 and the gritty mill towns of Fall River and New Bedford lies countryside so fertile you’ll feel like you’re in Vermont. Stretching from Dartmouth, Massachusetts, to Little Compton, Rhode Island, the area is known as the Heritage Farm Coast. It has the sunniest and most temperate climate in New England and thus the longest growing season. Dairy farms, corn fields, even vineyards, border the Sakonnet River as it washes into the Atlantic.

For a good 20-mile loop, take Route 77 south from Tiverton Four Corners to Sakonnet Point and return on backcountry roads past the village green of Little Compton. Tiverton Four Corners is a rural village that dates from the 17th century and is now home to artisans like jeweler Tiffany Peay (3851 Main Road), who uses brightly colored gems to create bracelets and necklaces with contemporary flair. Or energize with an ice cream cone at the legendary Gray’s (16 East Road), which serves my favorite black raspberry in New England. The stretch of road heading south from Tiverton Four Corners is a beaut, with views of rolled hay leading to the shores of the wide Sakonnet River. When you finally reach Little Compton, you’ve earned those Johnnycakes (fried cornmeal) at The Common’s Lunch. But first, get a feel for the history of this quintessential New England village by walking across the street to the white steeple, village green, and cemetery. Stubs stick out of the ground and if you peer closely, you’ll notice that the first settlers are buried here, with dates of death registered as far back as 1711.

This entry is excerpted from my latest book, New England in a Nutshell. The book/ebook is slated to published on July 2nd and you can pre-order now at Amazon. The ebook includes all hyperlinks to listings. The paperback includes front and back cover illustrations from Manhattan-based artist, Sarah Schechter, and a small sampling of photos from Lisa, who accompanied me on many of my assignments, resulting in published work for the Boston Globe.

6 Hidden Art Historical Gems, Including Weir Farm National Historic Site, Wilton, Connecticut

Weir Farm, ConnecticutWhen New York City collector Erwin Davis became obsessed with a painting owned by artist Julian Alden Weir, he gave him an offer that was hard to refuse. In exchange for the painting and ten dollars, Davis would transfer over the deed to a 153-acre farm less than an hour outside of New York in the Connecticut countryside. Weir arrived in the summer of 1882, immediately became enamored with the sylvan setting, and painted the first of hundreds of works he and his friends would create over the next 40 years. To this day, the property remains a rural retreat that continues to inspire artists and is now the only site in the National Park System dedicated to American painting. Walk inside the Visitor Center to see a short film on the life J. Alden Weir, considered one of the fathers of American Impressionism. That’s not to say he wasn’t disgusted with this style of painting when he first encountered it in Paris, calling an exhibition showcasing the works of Monet, Manet, and Degas “worse than the Chamber of Horrors.” Yet, soon enough, Weir was utilizing the loose brushstrokes and plein air painting that would become the trademarks of Impressionism.

View the wonderful photographs of Weir with John Singer Sargent and Childe Hassam, two of the celebrated artists that enjoyed visiting Weir at his country home, and see the lone original work in the building, The Truants (1895). Then immerse yourself in the same natural setting that inspired Weir. Trails lead to a pond, barns, old stone walls, a sunken garden, and his house and studio. Better yet, bring a sketchbook.

This entry is excerpted from my latest book, New England in a Nutshell. The book/ebook is slated to published on July 2nd and you can pre-order now at Amazon. The ebook includes all hyperlinks to listings. The paperback includes front and back cover illustrations from Manhattan-based artist, Sarah Schechter, and a small sampling of photos from Lisa, who accompanied me on many of my assignments, resulting in published work for the Boston Globe.

10 Classic New England Hikes, Including Mount Pisgah, West Burke, Vermont

Hiking Mount Pisgah, VermontArriving at Lake Willoughby from the south, the dark blue waters come into view, dwarfed by faces of rock that stand directly across from each other—Mount Hor and Mount Pisgah. Here, cliffs plummet precipitously over 1,000 feet to the glacial waters below. The scenery becomes even more enchanting as you snake your way to the 2,751-foot summit of Pisgah. The trail starts easily on switchbacks. Halfway up, take a slight detour to the left to stand atop Pulpit Rock. This small, semi-circular ledge juts out of Mount Pisgah like a box seat at a Broadway play. The arduous trail proceeds upward in a spiral fashion. On a clear day, you should be able to spot the spine of the Green Mountains and that distinctive peak seen across much of Vermont, Camel’s Hump. Who needs to visit nearby St. Johnsbury’s Athenaeum and view Albert Bierstadt’s famous painting, Domes of Yosemite, when you can see such natural beauty come to life less than an hour north?

3 hours. Moderate. From West Burke, take State Route 5A North for 6 miles to a parking area on the left-hand side, just south of Lake Willoughby. The South Trail begins across the highway.

This entry is excerpted from my latest book, New England in a Nutshell. The book/ebook is slated to published on July 2nd and you can pre-order now at Amazon. The ebook includes all hyperlinks to listings. The paperback includes front and back cover illustrations from Manhattan-based artist, Sarah Schechter, and a small sampling of photos from Lisa, who accompanied me on many of my assignments, resulting in published work for the Boston Globe.

Life’s a Beach, My Top 12 Picks, Including Popham Beach, Phippsburg

Popham Beach, Maine At the end of one of those fingers of land that dangles off the Maine coast into the Atlantic, Popham is hopelessly exposed to all the elements. There’s nothing manicured about this rare spit of sand sandwiched between the rocky shores. Pieces of driftwood lie on the beach, backed by dwarf pines and uprooted trees. Come at low tide and the grooved sand leads to a tiny island where seagulls have picked over unfortunate crabs and mussels that lay exposed on the kelp. When the water rolls in, kids swim in the warm (yes, warm) waters of the tidal pool as parents take long beach walks, watching three-masted schooners and lobstermen cruise past the pine-studded islands and lighthouses. Let the cool breeze blow through your hair and breathe in the salty air. This is the raw, genuine Maine coast you have yearned for.

This entry is excerpted from my latest book, New England in a Nutshell. The book/ebook is slated to published on July 2nd and you can pre-order now at Amazon. The ebook includes all hyperlinks to listings. The paperback includes front and back cover illustrations from Manhattan-based artist, Sarah Schechter, and a small sampling of photos from Lisa Leavitt, who accompanied me on many of my assignments, resulting in published work for the Boston Globe.

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New England in a Nutshell to Be Published July 2nd

New England TravelWith the forced downturn in travel and a public yearning for more regional exploration, I took advantage of this unintended sabbatical to author a new book, New England in a Nutshell. I did a deep dive into the more than 700 articles I wrote for The Boston Globe, Yankee, Boston Magazine, Outside, Men’s Journal, and numerous other publications during the past quarter century and distilled those stories down to a readable round-up format. The more than 50 categories and 300 entries includes 10 Classic New England Hikes, 8 Summer Drives That Will Keep You Smiling, 6 Hidden Art Historical Gems, Top 12 Country Inns to Get Pampered, 6 Favorite Lobster/Clam Shacks, and a whole lot more. Only the finest entries made the cut! For example, I’ve visited over 1,000 inns in New England and only selected my top twelve. It’s ideally suited for exploring the region this summer when most people want to stay close to home.

The book/ebook is slated to published on July 2nd and you can pre-order the book/ebook now at Amazon. The ebook includes all hyperlinks to listings. The paperback includes front and back cover illustrations from Manhattan-based artist, Sarah Schechter, and a small sampling of photos from Lisa, who accompanied me on many of my assignments, resulting in published work for the Boston Globe.

Half the proceeds from sales of the book will be spent on gift cards to support the many businesses I’ve highlighted. They’re all in dire straits right now due to the pandemic and could use the much-needed financial support. All readers have to do is send me an email at steve@activetravels.com and say they purchased an ebook or book and I’ll put them into the many raffles for free giveaways. Depending on the number of books sold, this could translate into dinner for two at the restaurant that supposedly invented the fried clam, Woodman’s, biking to 5 lighthouses on the outskirts of Portland with SummerFeet Cycling, or a weekend getaway at one of my recommended B&Bs, the Saltair Inn in Bar Harbor.

Thank you for your support and if you could help spread the word, I’d greatly appreciate it! For the next 3 weeks on my blog, I will present to you 12 of my favorite selections in the book. So please stay tuned!