Regions in Brief

Boston

Oliver Wendell Holmes dubbed Boston the "Hub of the solar system," and the label stuck. Today, "The Hub" is the region's largest and most vibrant city. This alluring metropolis of historic and modern buildings, world-class museums, and top-notch restaurants is an important stop for travelers on any trip to New England.

Cape Cod & the Islands

The ocean is writ large on Cape Cod, a low peninsula with miles of sandy beaches and grassy dunes that whisper in the wind. The carnival-like atmosphere of Provincetown is a draw, as are the genteel charms of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, two islands just offshore.

The Pioneer Valley

Extending through Massachusetts along the Connecticut River, the area takes its name from the early settlers who arrived here in the 17th century. Among the many picturesque towns is unspoiled Historic Deerfield.

The Berkshires

Massachusetts's rolling hills at the state's western edge are home to historic old estates, graceful villages, and an abundance of festivals and cultural events, including the Tanglewood Music Festival and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival.

The Litchfield Hills

The historic northwest corner of Connecticut has sleepy villages, hidden hiking trails, and a surfeit of New England charm -- all just a couple of hours from New York City.

The Connecticut Coast

The eastern coast is home to the historic towns of Mystic and New London, where you can get a glimpse of the shipbuilding trade at the Mystic Seaport museum and the Navy submarine base in nearby Groton.

Newport, Rhode Island Area

The lifestyles of the truly rich and famous are on parade in Newport, once home to the likes of the Astors and Vanderbilts. A tour of the oceanfront mansions never fails to astonish.

Green Mountains

Extending the length of Vermont from Massachusetts to Canada, this mostly gentle chain of forested hills and low mountains allows for great hiking, scenic back-road drives, fantastic inns, and superb bicycling.

Lake Champlain

Pastoral and scenic, the region of Vermont that forms half the lakeshore of Lake Champlain has idyllic drives and a sense of gracious openness -- along with a lot of dairy cows and great views of New York's Adirondacks.

Northeast Kingdom

This is Vermont at its most remote and lost-in-time best. The state's northeastern counties are rugged and hilly, still mostly timber country, but with some wonderfully improbable grace notes, such as the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum and Bread and Puppet Museum.

Coastal New Hampshire

Yes, New Hampshire has a coast -- 18 miles of -- with sand and surf, and the bonsai-perfect historic city of Portsmouth.

The Upper Valley

The Connecticut River Valley between Vermont and New Hampshire is a world unto itself, full of villages, rolling hills, covered bridges, and the New England classic, Hanover (NH), home to Dartmouth College.

Lakes Region

Lake Winnipesaukee (VT) is the crown jewel of the state's Lakes Region, but other lakes and ponds that are scattered about make up in charm what they lack in size. On Golden Pond was filmed here, but the region's fame predates the movie.

White Mountains

Since the mid-1800s, New Hampshire's White Mountains have drawn travelers to their rugged, windswept peaks and forests dotted with glacial boulders and clear, rushing streams. You can find New England's best backcountry hiking and camping here.

Western Maine Mountains

This oft-overlooked region -- which arcs from Bethel up to Maine's highest peak at Mount Katahdin -- is home to brawny hills, wide and fast rivers, and plenty of opportunity for outdoor activity.

Coastal Maine

Maine's rocky coast is the stuff of legend, art, and poetry. The southern coast has most of the state's beaches; to the north, the Downeast region has rocky headlands and Acadia National Park.

Maine's North Woods

With millions of acres of uninhabited terrain, the North Woods is almost entirely owned by timber companies, but there are undisturbed wildlands.