Several reader questions follow a similar theme:
- Dear Muffy, I recently found your blog and have enjoyed it quite a bit. My daughter just moved to a small town in Westchester County, NY. We'll be visiting her over the next few years and want to tie our visits into exploring that part of the world. We've driven up the coast of Maine to Bar Harbor and recently visited Newport, RI and Cape Cod. My son-in-law's family is from Marblehead, Massachusetts and spending a few days there was wonderful - but we don't know much about anything else in New England. We try to avoid tourists in season. I was wondering if you have any suggestions about places to visit...places that might be a bit off the beaten path. Or places thundering herds of tourists haven't discovered and ruined with tacky shops filled with things made in China. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
- Muffy, I just recently discovered your blog. I'm excited to say that my wife and I have decided to vacation in New England. This will be our first trip to New England. What would your recommendations be on places to go and things to see? We were planning on trying to stay in a centralized location in order to see as much as we can during our trip. Any suggestions from a native would be appreciated. Thank you for your time on this matter.
- My family and I are looking at relocating to New England this summer; my husband is originally from New Hampshire and has always wanted to move “back home.” Could you please recommend some quaint preppy towns in southern ME, NH or MA to look at? Is there any place that stands out to you as….reasonable, an excellent deal for your money, yet retain charm and class? Thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide.
Any effort here is necessarily incomplete, certainly overwhelming, and thereby (in as much as it is covered in this blog) at best done cumulatively. Further, one could reasonably construct an ontology around places to visit for a few days, places to summer, and places to live. (Even this is muddied by the fact that when we travel, if at all possible we stay with friends or family, rather than hotels, inns, or resorts.)
Hopefully, some of the past posts, including Favorite Clothing Shops and Great Places to Eat Afterwards, and the post label of Muffy’s Atlas begin to populate this topic.
Given that, and with some overlaps of past posts, here are some places to start:
Maine
Camden and Bar Harbor have plenty of places to stay but are thick with tourists in season. We stay with friends in Southwest Harbor and on Isleboro Island instead. Blue Hill is a lovely, and quieter, destination with The Blue Hill Inn.
It is more difficult to find an out-of-the-way place in Southern Maine. There is the well known White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine. Prouts Neck is a lovely old summer colony but you do have the Black Point Inn.
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| Portland, Maine: My favorite New England City. |
Mid-coast has Boothbay Harbor, but again, filled with many tourists. Nearby Damariscotta, Round Pond and Christmas Cove are preferable for summering and year-round living. And south of Bath, the Falmouth, Cumberland and Yarmouth area is ideal for year-round living as well, with access to both the Jetport and the Downeaster.
And well hidden on Georgetown Island is the Grey Havens Inn.
New Hampshire
The coastline here is small so one can go inland to Lake Winnipesaukee and the beautiful town of Wolfeboro, and then south to the Peterborough and Dublin area. And the New London, Hanover areas to the north and west are also lovely, to live as well as to visit.
Portsmouth is a vibrant small city with a good deal of texture.
Massachusetts
When I think of nice places to live in Massachusetts, Marblehead, Marion and Hingham come immediately to mind, as do the Boston suburbs of Wellesley, Concord and the like.
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| The City of Boston |
And while it is difficult to find an unattractive spot on the Cape it can also be somewhat difficult to ge around, there are so many people in season. The same can be said for Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. My husband’s parents have had a summer house on the Vineyard for many decades, but the hassle has made our visits less frequent.
Rhode Island
There is the obvious Newport, but clogged with tourists. I like visiting friends in Watch Hill and Little Compton. Both are better for summering and year-round living.
Connecticut
Old Lyme has the lovely Bee and Thistle Inn and Essex across the Connecticut River has The Griswold Inn. Fenwick in Old Saybrook is one of the most genteel spots, but it is a private summer colony.
Stonington is great for visiting, but nearby Noank might be better for living.
Guilford is desirable for year-round living.
Stony Creek is a highly textured fishing enclave, but you really need to know someone there. The well known Thimble Islands are packed with summer residents in season.
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| I look for places that are low-key, dog-friendly, and with natural beauty. (Our Golden Retriever, Bristol, at Pemaquid Point, 1992.) |
This just scratches the surface. I will add entries on interesting places in posts to come.
21 comments:
Thanks for this post. I am planning a trip to Maine around Labor Day. I've been several times before and wanted to go somewhere different. Now I know to stay away from Camden. I love the Portland Harbor Hotel. They have an excellent staff, plus it is a great location. I think it is a couple of blocks from the Portland Regency.
Great post, very much enjoyed:)
I am from Southeastern Connecticut, so I can speak about where to visit and live from that experience.
Visit:
Watch Hill, RI -- it is busy in the summer, but much more authentic and much less "touristy" than Newport and the like. Beautiful old homes, amazing bluffs, great beaches. Wonderful drive on Rt. 1A to get there, too. Stay at the new Ocean House. If you have millions and millions (and millions), buy a house here (you can be neighbors with the Kellogs!).
Mystic -- I am from here, so I'm biased. But if you have kids, there's really no better place to take them that has things to do (the aquarium, the Seaport, downtown), and has some great restaurants. Can definitely be touristy in season, though.
Fisher's Island, NY -- about a mile or so off the coast of Mystic; ferry leaves from New London. Possibly the least well-known of the true old money summer destinations. Quiet, gorgeous. A wonderful place to spend a day biking, and much easier to get to than Block Island. Two world-class golf courses, though I don't think they're open to the public. A true escape.
Live:
Stonington Borough -- If you want a walkable town with beautiful historic architecture on the water, it doesn't get better than this (in my opinion). Restaurants, two yacht clubs, a bank, churches, a deli, shopping, all steps away. You truly never have to leave. It has been built up lately, and there are many dreaded New Yorkers, but it retains much of its appeal. It's pricey, but there are deals to be had.
North Stonington -- If you like the country. Stone walls everywhere, handsome homes, vineyards, horses, etc. I would never live away from the water, but if I did, it would be here.
Noank Village -- Getting very expensive, and also overrun with New Yorkers, but like the Borough is very walkable -- churches, tennis courts, a grocery store, a deli, Abbots, Costellos, all within a few feet. There are some amazing views, and many great historic homes (a friend lives in one that happens to have been site of Amelia Earheart's wedding reception).
A few places worth noting for the first time visitor to New England:
New Haven, CT: Yale Center for British Art and Yale University Art Gallery
http://ycba.yale.edu/index.asp
http://artgallery.yale.edu/
South Hadley, MA: Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/artmuseum/
Williamstown, MA: Sterling and Francine Clark Art Museum
http://www.clarkart.edu/
A nice place to stay in Western Mass is the Lord Jeffery Inn in Amherst MA.. The Inn has been closed for the last year for renovations, however it is slated to reopen in the Summer of 2011. The Inn is owned by Amherst College. http://www3.amherst.edu/~lordjeffinn/
In New Hampshire:
Portsmouth is lovely to visit in the summer and unlike the Cape, I have never found it too crowded. New Hampshire’s antique alley on Route 4 is always a fun day trip; I’m always amazed at what I find there and always tote some something home.
http://www.nhantiquealley.com/
In Exeter, NH he Colophon Book Shop is my favorite Antiquarian Bookstore in the U.S. http://www.colophonbooks.com/
Also the same row of shops by the Colophon Book store (which is a stone’s throw from Phillips Exeter Academy) are some wonderful second hand shops for men; I am amazed what I have found there. Lastly, walking the campus at Philips Exeter is lovely and the school has a decent prep school book store.
If you must go the Cape in the summer, go mid week in avoid the hordes and take in a Cape Summer League game - Cape Cod Baseball League; considered by many to be baseball in its purest form. (http://www.capecodbaseball.org/).
Also, the Cape in mid-September when the kids are back in school; it’s wonderful time to visit, it’s largely empty and almost everything is still open.
Lastly, Nantucket. I could write a book, but I won’t. I’ll simply say, go, you’ll be glad you did.
Love Love Love The Grey Havens Inn. Was there back in '94 I believe....This was back when the Eberhardts actually still lived there....he was a fabulous cook...had one of my best meals ever....some kind of pasta basil dish with beer bread. I've always remembered it....She's from Dallas. Met their kids... I bet they are all grown up now....
: )
Great idea for a column!
If you aren't careful it is easy to try to take in too much and really miss out on some interesting places, that you drove through at 20 mph. Like trying to get a drink of water out of an open fire hydrant.
For example, Pete mentions Williamstown Mass. Here's a thought. Google Tanglewood in Stockbridge Mass. Stay there, and take in Boston Symphony, jazz, or whatever you like. See the Norman Rockwell museum, also there. Two good hotels there.
Easy drive to Wiliamstown a few miles north. The Clark museum that Pete mentions is there. The Clark family put this fabulous museum there, because they felt that this location was more likely to survive a Russian nuclear attack, as compared with than any other location in the US, when the cold war was with us.
An incredible museum! No affiliation with Williams College. While in town, do Williams campus, and College art museum.
10 miles to the east, see the Mass Museum of Modern Art.
Only one example of drilling down, really seeing what the majesty of the region has to offer.
If one exists, try a guided tour. Historical Society usually has one at modest cost. Most tourists visit a locale, buy a sweat shirt, and think they have seen the town. A good tour takes 2 hours, tops. Most tourists waste this much wandering through stores, and eating ice cream.
Tourists usually miss 90% of what they see. Pete mentions Nantucket. Superb tour there by volunteers that most tourists don't take. Buying a pair of "Reds" at Murray's, and having a lobster dinner, isn't seeing the real Nantucket, or understanding it's rich historical heritage.
Edit, please. Tanglewood is in Lennox, Mass.
Thanks!
Although I have returned to spending my summer vacations on Nantucket in recent years, we rent a house on a bluff overlooking the sea in a sparsely settled area, and old rarely go into town, as it is over-run with people at all times. For an old-time summer experience, not so crowded with tourists, try renting a house on Block Island. It reminds me of what Nantucket was like when I was a boy.
Wharf Rat....your comment reminded me of our last trip to Bar Harbor in 2009. Our first trip had been 12 years ago and we didn't realize it had become such a popular destination for cruise ships. We spent the majority of the week staring at and listening to music and loudspeaker announcements from the ships which were moored right outside our hotel room.
We were quite amused by all the tourists who would leave the ship, go directly to the Rite Aid in town and stand in line to buy medicine, hats, t-shirts and mugs. Apparently that's all the majority of them would do for the afternoon they had in Bar Harbor.
It's relatively depressing that "traveling" these days has been reduced to buying a sweatshirt (usually made in Pakistan) which has "Newport" or "Cape Cod" written on it.
Reggie, you remind us of a real jewel. Block Island is beautiful, hard to get to, noting for tourists to do, see, or buy. Ergo, the perfect getaway.
BTW, I agree with you on what Nantucket has become. Without a secluded spot like you have, it would be like taking a vacation in Disney World.
Anonymous..... You nailed it perfectly! How in the world did we end up like this? A person is bound to go to Heaven after taking a 3 week trip on a cruise ship. You will already have been to hell.
I am really a big fan of Niantic, CT. A great town on the water, and with the greatest bookstore in all of New England: The Book Barn. Please spread the word!
@Tammy B - It is indeed only a couple of blocks from the Regency and highly rated. Thanks for the tip!
@thepreppytimes - Thanks for stopping by!
@Anonymous - This is wonderful, inside information! I used to go the old Ocean House when I would stay with friends in Watch Hill. It always seemed like it was on the verge of collapsing!
@Pete - This is great - so many specifics! The best part for me about writing a blog is responses like these.
@TP&G - I love it too! We started going there for dinner about thirty years ago when the Hardcastles owned it. (Yellitt Hardcastle is still in the area.) It was so wonderfully old-fashioned, and I remember the drink set-up in the big living room where you would mix your own.
@Wharf Rat - Wonderful details! Are you saying there is nothing worth nuking in the purple valley?
Great Nantucket tips.
@Reggie - You make a knowing point about Block Island. I used to go birding there in my youth.
@Anonymous - What a grim and visceral description! It is however, how I always think of Bar Harbor.
@Shawn - Thanks for the recommendation. It looks great.
Wow Muffy, after reading your post and all the great comments, I must admit that all bases have been covered. My only suggested add-on is:
The Keepers House on Isle au Haut. I have found that is a great place to head when Dark Harbor gets overrun :)
The Mayflower in Washington, CT is charming. The area is rural and beautiful. Music Mountain offers wonderful concerts.
The Wentworth on New Castle Island, NH is now owned by Marriott. However, Marriott did save the grand inn from the wrecking ball. The view from the grounds of the inn alone are worth the stay.
The Wequassett in Chatham, MA on the Cape is a lovely oasis in the middle of the crowds and summer tourists.
When you say that "Portsmouth is a vibrant small city with a good deal of texture",what do you mean by "texture"?
@Bumby - And you know all about Dark Harbor! Isle au Haut is so obscure, although I am sure somewhat less so now that Linda Greenlaw is so widely read. My husband spent many a night in his youth sleeping on the beaches of Isle au Haut and picking blueberries during various salt water canoe trips. Gordon Bok's Isle au Haut Lullaby is an old Chewonki favorite.
@Anonymous - These are all lovely suggestions. Thank you.
@Tammy B - It has antiquity, authenticity, and creativity in a low-key way. (Although I am somewhat biased as, and I know I shouldn't go here but I can't help myself, an 11th great-grandfather Capt. Walter Neal was Governor at Portsmouth in 1630.)
@Muffy-I must confess with shame, I have never read any of her books. She does seem to be quite a delightful person.
At first glance, one would never expect her to have so much fire and grit.
I do like the isle for the solitude, even in high season.
The best part of Cape Cod is Rt 6A. It's like Nantucket without Kathy Lee Gifford and the Ralph Lauren store.
Please don't tell anyone, though!
@WharfRat, thanks for the tidbit re why the Clark is where it is. I never knew that.
Someone mentioned the art museum at Mount Holyoke. There is also a small hote/conference center on campus: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/willits/ It would be easy to stay there and do day trips. Also, if you are a golfer, you can't do better than The Orchards, which is a championship course: http://athletics.mtholyoke.edu/facilities/orchards
A friend who works for the PGA refers to this course as a gem.
No offense to the person asking for advice, but you ARE a tourist. And as such you should see the "tourist" places as well as the more "authentic" ones. You already know that there will be tackiness involved but take it in stride. Just because I know that there will be overpriced hot dogs is not a reason to pass on a RED SOX game if I am in Boston and can aquire tickets. BTW, I am a Florida resident and take my visitors to a mix of "tourist" and "old Florida" places. So I know of what I speak.
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