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There's an expression in New England: New England's coastal location does somewhat modify continental temperature extremes; but storminess is enhanced by New England's relatively rough topography.
Northern New England winters can seem especially harsh -- if you plan to visit between December and mid-March, be prepared for freezing temperatures, wicked winds, and chills that take a couple of cups of coffee to dent. The best advice, though is to dress in layers that include an outer layer to block the wind, plus a sweater or jumper to be removed when exerting oneself.
- Rails-to-Trails: New England Rail-Trails Guide.
- New England.
- The Criminals of Lima and Their Worlds: The Prison Experience, 1850–1935.
Generally, the only areas of New England that are somewhat comfortable in the winter are the southern coastlines of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, which are warmed by nearby unfrozen salt water. For the visitor prepared for cold weather, northern New England's deep snows and crisp air can be exhilarating, and the three northernmost states boast much of the best skiing east of the Rockies.
In southern Vermont you will find off-season rates in many historic inns, but as noted local Robert Frost once so eloquently put it, "Nature's first Green is Gold.
New England summers can range from mild to uncomfortably humid. They provide a beach season of mid-June to mid-September; the truly swimmable ocean water is in the southern states of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, but coastal beach culture extends all the way up into Maine. Most warm weather tourist destinations have a season from mid-May to mid-October.
Areas right along the shoreline are often cooler and more temperate than inland areas. New England shines during autumn. New England foliage is world-renowned for displays that rival pyrotechnics for their intense colors, rapid appearance, and equally rapid disappearance. Peak season ranges from early September at the farthest north points of Maine to early November for Southern Connecticut.
Combine that with local festivals, hay rides, fresh-pressed apple cider, and fruit harvesting, and you have the recipe for a wonderful time. Though many tourists visit New England for its rural charm, no U. Boston , one of America's great urban centers and the de-facto capital of New England as well as the official capital of Massachusetts.
By its broadest definition, which stretches across four states and also comprises the metropolitan areas of the second- and third-largest cities in the region, Providence and Worcester , Greater Boston includes more than half of New England's population. But even beyond Boston's furthest reaches, New Englanders worship the city's pro sports teams though recent successes by the Red Sox and Patriots mean you'll find fans of either team all over the U.
As in upstate New York and along the Eastern Seaboard, many New England towns grew up around textile mills or other kinds of factories. Similarly, several formerly booming whaling ports like New Bedford, MA had to rebuild their economies, with varying success, when the industry collapsed. The history of New England's many commercial fisheries is brutally illustrative, with both happy and sad stories, of the necessity of sustainability.
English is, as with the rest of the U.
Bike New England – Cycling the American Northeast
Some areas with large Hispanic populations might have a majority speaking Spanish, but most have at least basic English skills and these are off the tourist path. In some areas, French-speakers are in the majority. Though the demographics are changing, it is still possible to find shops that cater to French speakers and churches that conduct Mass in French. In truth, though, not much is done to accommodate visitors who do not speak English. Along with Southerners, New Englanders have a reputation for a distinct flavor of English speech.
This is an overly broad generalization. The accents of Senators Kennedy and Kerry are rarely heard. The typical "pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd" Boston accent prevails in eastern Massachusetts , but is losing ground even there. There are some distinctive vocabulary words. Carbonated sweet drinks called "pop" in other parts of the United States and Canada are called "tonic" or "soda" in New England.
A relatively common New England traffic intersection not encountered much elsewhere in the United States would be called a "roundabout" in the United Kingdom , but is called a "rotary" in New England. When given directions on how to exit a "rotary" the driver would be instructed to "bang a right" in Boston. Large clams are called "quahaugs" in southern New England. In Maine an inland vacation home is called a "camp" while one on the coast is called a "cottage.
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Almost every airline—international and domestic—coordinates a daily aerial ballet to serve over 25 million passengers a year. Logan is going to be your best bet for finding the most affordable and direct route into the region. The next tier down offer scores of flights from around the country, and mix in a few international destinations as well. These two serve large amounts of revelers during the warmer months and offer more connections than you may expect.
These offer just a small handful of flights connecting to other regions of the United States. Finally, in the "rarely used airport" category, we have: These have at best only a connection or two a day to a single destination. If any of these six get you closer to your final destination, great. But expect to pay a premium, since the low traffic means you'll miss out on economies of scale.
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New England is served by several interstate highways. I enters from the New York City area and links five of the six states together. I and I both come in from the west out of Albany and southern New York, respectively. I connects Burlington, with Concord. I runs through New Hampshire, connecting St. Johnsbury, Vermont, with Boston. Greyhound also offers bus service to and from other areas of the country plus Montreal , as does Peter Pan. It is possible to visit New England without an automobile.
Doing so requires the visitor to study schedules very carefully, purchase tickets in advance when possible, limit visits to one or two destinations, and keep in mind that local public transportation operates infrequently, if at all, at night, on weekends, and during the middle of the day. The visitor may also sign up for a group tour by bus or cruise ship. Bus tours and cruise ships visit all the major tourist destinations, if only to drive by with expert commentary by tour guides.
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Group tours do have the advantage of eliminating all worries about destinations, lodging, and meals, although they have inflexible schedules, offer virtually no opportunity to meet local people, and perhaps too much acquaintance with one's fellow passengers. Travelers interested in an urban experience will find that Boston is one of the most walkable major cities in the U. You do have a few options for local flights while in New England, mostly connecting coastal islands or providing quick access to busy Boston.
The carrier Cape Air is the only real player in the region, although JetBlue often flies these routes as well. One of the smallest air carriers in the nation is New England Airlines. The Acela Express is a high-speed train that follows roughly the same route as the Northeast Corridor. Boston has two major train stations, South Station and North Station. Trains from South Station serve areas to the south and west of the city, and North Station trains serve areas north of the city.
The train to Portland is available only at North Station. There is no direct connection between the two stations. Those wishing to connect between the two stations must either take a taxi, or take two subway lines, or walk about 1. Information and train schedules are available from Amtrak's web site.
Remember, though, that commuter service is infrequent outside of weekday morning and evening rush hours. Greyhound has several routes in New England. The primary intercity bus service in southern New England is Peter Pan Bus though there are many others, particularly in southern New England, including Dattco in south east Massachusetts, Megabus, and several state and smaller regional public systems. New England has many offshore islands that are attractive destinations reachable only by boat.
Typically, these islands are compact enough that the visitor does not require a car to visit them. Relatively flat coastal terrain and light traffic makes it easy to get around them by walking or bicycling. Taking a car on the ferry is expensive and usually requires reservations long in advance.
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In any case, many ferries are for passengers and bicycles only. Travelers who wish to avoid the notorious summer traffic also have the option of taking a ferry to and from Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod. Diane rated it it was amazing Nov 23, Jim Cristini rated it liked it Nov 10, Arun Kristian Das rated it it was amazing Feb 02, Edwin Cahill rated it liked it Feb 08, Joe rated it really liked it Oct 23, Catherine rated it it was amazing Mar 15, Smith rated it really liked it Sep 19, Daphne rated it it was amazing Jun 10, Scott rated it it was amazing Oct 08, Amy Carroll rated it it was amazing Jan 09, Jeffrey rated it liked it Jun 07, Millie rated it really liked it Jul 12, Andy Potter rated it liked it Nov 15, Patricia Tate rated it it was ok Feb 18, Alyson therrien rated it really liked it Aug 16, Collin rated it it was ok Dec 14, Bill Meehan rated it it was amazing Nov 25, J added it Apr 14, Haberer added it Jun 14, Alex You added it Feb 07, Julie marked it as to-read Jul 14, Check out all our MappingMoments on Instagram.
One of the first trails on our mapping expeditions, the Winnipesaukee River Trail was also one of our favorites. Named after the river it follows over its 5-mile route, the trail passes near the upside-down covered bridge pictured , which is on the National Register of Historic Places!
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