New England is located in the far northeastern part of the United States. A beautiful region in which nature plays a leading role. From the dramatic rocky coast in Acadia National Park to the sandy beaches of Cape Cod and its great coast with picturesque fishing villages: as a nature lover you will be amazed during your New England holiday. The absolute highlight of every autumn is the Indian Summer, which dips the trees in brilliant red, orange and yellow colours. Experience the beauty of this special area.
According to fun-wiki, New England includes the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. A destination that is really ideal for making a tour of New England by rental car. The distances are – certainly by American standards – relatively short, but the variety is particularly great. From Boston you can drive in all directions in an hour and a half, view our city trip Boston for this . The coastline of Maine, the mountains of New Hampshire or the stately mansions of Rhode Island. Get in and choose!
9 Places of Interest in New England
If you drive along the Connecticut coast during your New England holiday, you will find more than 400 kilometers of sandy beaches and traditional and cozy fishing villages such as New Haven, Mystic and New London. New Haven is also home to Yale University, one of the most highly regarded universities in the world. Walk around the campus and experience the special atmosphere together with the international students.
The capital Hartford originated from a Dutch trading post of fur traders, called Huys de Hoop. It eventually grew to become the “insurance capital of America.” Like Hartford, the Connecticut River also flows through lovely Essex, considered by many to be America’s “perfect little town”. With old white buildings on Main Street and the Connecticut River Museum as absolute gems, definitely worth a stop during your New England holiday.
1. Culinary enjoyment
Especially in the atmospheric fishing villages, you can enjoy the catch of the day and other culinary specialties every day. You also do that in Maine, where the Maine Lobster is very popular with tourists and locals. In Portland you can stroll along the boardwalk and enjoy lunch or dinner with a view of Casco Bay.
2. Beautiful nature in Maine
Maine is New England’s largest state with few people living there. Especially the vast forests in the interior are sometimes rough and inhospitable. You will find more life on the coast. Capital Augusta – a former English trading post on the Kennebec River – focuses on preserving and celebrating the state’s history. For example, in the magnificent Maine State House or at Old Fort Western, the oldest surviving wooden fort in the United States.
Along the coast you drive on Highway 95 through towns like York, Kennebunk to Bar Harbor, the gateway to Acadia National Park. With more than three million visitors, it is one of the ten most visited national parks in the USA. Enjoy nature on the water during your New England holiday and spot orcas, pick your own fruit in the beautiful forests and hike through the mountains. It should be clear: nature rules in Maine!
3. Vacation New England rich in history
In Massachusetts, it’s history that rings the bell. Everywhere you go you will find reminders of the America of the past and even of the origin of the country. With Boston as a central base, you can literally and figuratively go in any direction! But don’t set off until you first discover this city, because this is where the American Revolution started. Take a walk along all the highlights of Boston via the four-kilometer Freedom Trail. Easy to walk through the red line that indicates the route. In the old streets you will find many trendy boutiques and cafes where bands perform every night.
In Cambridge – which is connected to Boston – you can taste the student atmosphere of Harvard University. Together with Yale, the best-known and most appealing universities on the east coast of America. In Plymouth you walk straight into the time of the Pilgrim Fathers. They docked in 1620 with their ship the Mayflower and founded Plymouth Colony.
4. Fragile nature
Cape Cod National Seashore is a protected area to preserve the fragile ecosystem of dunes, salt marshes and forests. You can experience the beautiful landscape of this peninsula via numerous cycling and hiking trails. Prefer to travel by car? Highway 6 also runs through the area, so that is also possible. Halfway through the area is Marconi Station, where Guglielmo Marconi established the first transatlantic wireless connection between President Theodore Roosevelt and England’s King Edward VII in 1903.
Beneath the peninsula are some beautiful islands worth visiting, such as Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island. This is also evident from the popularity of the islands with celebrities. For example, the Obamas and Clintons regularly visit Martha’s Vineyard, because of the pleasant climate and undoubtedly also because of the great beaches!
5. Living Shaker style
A unique experience during your New England vacation is a glimpse into life in a closed religious community. At the Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield you get that chance. A large group of Shakers lived there until 1960. The town consists of eighteen historic buildings that are characteristic of the Shaker style. Take a tour and learn about the special community, where values such as equality, peace and simplicity were held in high esteem.
In Salem, learn all about the witch burnings that put this town northeast of Boston on the map. In Springfield, the Basketball Hall of Fame can be found about the gymnastics teacher James Naismith who invented basketball in this town. And the Springfield Armory now houses a museum about the rich weapons industry this town once had.
6. Versatile interior
East of Springfield, Stockbridge is home to the Norman Rockwell Museum. An absolute must for illustration lovers. In the museum you can learn all about the life and work of this illustrator, who was known for his politically engaged illustrations. On the way to Stockbridge you pass The Berkshires, a highland that belongs to the Appalachians.
Deerfield and Sturbridge, in the middle of Massachusetts, both offer a nice picture of the ‘original New England’. Deerfield is an authentic colonial-era town dating back to 1669, when the first pioneers settled there. Old Sturbridge Village is an artificial village, established in 1935, although it consists of authentic elements collected from all over New England. As a kind of open-air museum to give an idea of life in the pioneering days.
7. Shop till you drop
Portsmouth is a port city in eastern New Hampshire on the Piscataqua River. Best known for its beautiful harbors and historic sites. And do you like shopping? Then Portsmouth is your place because here you can shop tax-free! Prefer nature? Then the White Mountains offer you plenty of space and opportunity. This mountain range covers no less than a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and is part of the Appalachians. Mount Washington is the highest peak at 1917 meters.
8. Small but nice, The Ocean State
Rhode Island may be the smallest of all the US states in size, but that doesn’t mean The Ocean State has little to offer. On the contrary! With cities such as Newport, Pawtucket and the capital Providence, the state has a wealth of opportunities and attractions. Enjoy water sports and the colonial atmosphere in Newport, the history of Providence and the culinary highlights in Pawtucket. For example, visit one of the many breweries in this town. Cheers!
West of New Hampshire lies Vermont where the capital Burlington on the banks of Lake Champlain is a relaxed city where you will feel right at home. The presence of the University of Vermont and its students make the city vibrant and welcoming. An ideal place to enjoy!
If you need some rest after this, Manchester is the place to be. Located in the Green Mountains, you can fully relax and recover here in peace. A little walking, shopping or enjoying nature: it’s possible in Manchester. Also in the Green Mountains is Rutland. With Pico Mountain as one of the highlights. Literally and figuratively, because this top is an ideal ski area for families.
9. Must see during your New England vacation
Last but not least, we don’t want to deprive you of one of Vermont’s absolute gems: Waterbury. A nice town with one big and special attraction and that is a cemetery. Not just any cemetery, but Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Cemetery. That is where the many flavors that these famous ice cream makers once produced, but no longer have in their range, rest. Nice to look at all those faded flavors while enjoying one or more flavors that are still being made. Enjoy.
Whatever you want from your New England holiday, this region offers so much variety that you will be amazed and delighted from day one!
