*Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community (New Gloucester): The last of the active Shaker communities in the nation, this was the only one that voted to accept new converts rather than die out. The 1,900-acre farm about 45 minutes outside of Portland has a number of exceptional buildings, including some from the 18th century. Visitors can view examples of Shaker craftsmanship and buy herbs to bring home. 

*Mount Desert Island & Bar Harbor (Mount Desert Island): In the mid-1800s, America launched a love affair with nature and never looked back. See where it started, here amid surf-wracked rocks, where some of the nation’s most affluent families erected vacation “cottages” with bedrooms by the dozen. The area still offers lessons on how to design with nature as accomplice rather than adversary. 



*Portsmouth (New Hampshire): This salty coastal city (pictured above) also happens to possess some of the most impressive historic homes in all New England. Start at Strawbery Banke, a 10-acre compound of 42 historic buildings, then visit some of the other grand homes in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.