New England Travel Guide
The ultimate guide to the best things to do and see in New England
There’s something special about New England. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but driving through New England in fall when the leaves change to dramatic shades of yellow, orange and red is quite special. Before moving to Berlin, I lived in Boston, so this part of the United States has a special place in my heart. Start here with my basic New England travel tips, or jump down below to read my latest New England travel blogs.
Popular New England Travel Blogs
• The Twenty-Something’s Guide to Boston’s Best Restaurants
• Bright colors and loud noises: The Honk Festival 2012
• Untamed Americas: Hammonasset State Park
• A day at Old Silver Beach on Cape Cod
When to Visit
If you’re after the fall colours, clearly the best time to visit New England is in September and October. Summer is also a great time to get out into nature and experience the great outdoors that New England is famous for, especially if you want to spend time by the water at some of the region’s most beautiful beaches on Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket. Coming in the winter, there’ll still be plenty to do in (of course) Boston but also the other larger towns in the region such as Burlington VT, Worcester MA, Providence RI, Hartford CT and New Haven CT.
Things To Do
Mount Washington Cog Railway, NH – If you like trains and being out in nature, this is perfect for you. The oldest mountain-climbing cog railway in the world will take you up to the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire, affording you spectacular views of the surrounding landscape.
Yale University Art Gallery, CT – This expansive and free art museum in New Haven has an impressive collection of art from the 1500s to modern day. You can just as easily pop in here for an hour or spend a whole day exploring the treasures on display.
MIT Museum, MA – With plenty of hands on exhibitions, this iconic museum is perfect for rainy afternoons in Cambridge. Here, you can experiement with and learn about many different things, ranging from chemistry to fine art. There are also often special exhibitions on the intersection between art and technology that are worth checking out.
New England Tours
Touring around New England can be a very rewarding experience. With so much in such a relatively small area – beautiful beaches, quaint old towns, accessible nature and metropolitan cities – you don’t have to go far to see a lot in this region of the United States.
LGBT – Gay New England Travel Guide
Unsurprisingly, most of New England’s gay life is concentrated in Boston, which has a dozen gay bars and clubs, a couple of saunas and a few alternative queer venues. Outside of the big city, there is less going on, but there are a few places worth checking out:
168 York Street Café – A quirky little café and bar in an old brownstone building in the Yale campus, this place is the oldest gay bar in Connecticut and currently the only gay owned business in New Haven. It’s a cute, convivial place, where you can grab a coffee, beer or even a meal with friend or make some new ones. Their Sunday brunch is a big deal, so get there early to find a seat.
The Stable – In downtown Providence, Rhode Island, this fun gay bar is a nice mix of locals and visitors and serves some excellent cocktails at reasonable prices. They often have guest DJs and fierce drag performances!
MB Lounge – The oldest gay owned and run bar in Worcester, Massachusetts has friendly staff, regular karaoke evenings (every Wednesday) and sometimes hosts live music events or film screenings.
More gay travel resources here.
New England Hotel Deals
In New England, you can really find every kind of accommodation imaginable. There are charming rustic cottages in Vermont, Lighthouses along the Massachusetts coast and boutique hotels in Boston. I’ve found using Booking.com, Agoda or Hotels Combined can be useful for finding last-minute deals.
Booking.com
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