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Petersham Ma/Flickr
What do drag queens, the Red Sox, and lobster rolls have in common? They’re all the pride of New England! Our favorite New England moments range from the outrageous to the outdoorsy. Stay long enough and you’ll be able to detect the subtle differences in the varying state-by-state accents. Stay long enough and pick one up yourself!

Jared Vincent/Wikimedia

Feeling like a kid again at Fenway Park, Boston

Whether you’re a lifelong fan of Boston's beloved Red Sox or you’ve never been to a baseball game before, the oldest park in the major leagues will likely capture your heart and linger in your memory. Cheer along with the Little Leaguer in the next seat who’s armed with a glove and ready to snag a pop-up, or take a tour of the place even if you can’t get tickets to a game.

Willem Van Bergen/Flickr

Basking in the breeze off Boston Harbor

On a sticky summer day, enjoy the feel of the wind in your hair as the ferry to the Charlestown Navy Yard zips across the harbor. In cooler weather, chill out at a waterfront park or plaza. The prevailing east wind freshens the downtown air on all but the hottest days; grab an iced coffee and enjoy a cooling interlude.

Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

Checking out the scene on Commercial Street in Provincetown, MA

Main streets don’t get much more colorful than Provincetown’s. You’ll find intriguing shops, art galleries, and all manner of restaurants. There are also buskers, musicians, mimes, drag queens, and tourists from all over the world. A gay and lesbian mecca, the town is a northern version of Florida’s Key West, colorful and cosmopolitan with a lot of heart and soul.

m01229/Flickr

Getting the scoop in Oak Bluffs, MA

For a lively day on Martha’s Vineyard, head to the harbor town of Oak Bluffs and stroll, with a Mad Martha’s ice-cream cone in hand. There’s plenty to do, from riding the historic Flying Horses Carousel to exploring the historic district of “gingerbread” cottages surrounding the wrought-iron tabernacle, where performances take place several evenings a week in summer. Oak Bluffs also has the Vineyard’s widest selection of restaurants and the liveliest nightlife.

Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism/Flickr

Exploring the gardens at Naumkeag, MA

The grounds of Joseph Choate’s turreted shingle-style summer home in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, are dreamy. With Monument Mountain as the dramatic backdrop, we move between the distinct garden spaces—the graceful blue steps by the white birch trees, the winding gravel paths in the Rose Garden, and the tranquil shade of the Oak Lawn—and pretend we’re Gilded Age grandees.

Kenneth C. Zirkel/Flickr

Waking up in Stonington Borough, CT

The best way to soak up the history-drenched atmosphere of Connecticut’s ridiculously charming Stonington Borough is with an early-morning walk along Water Street. Stroll past the antiques shops, white picket fences, and old sea captains’ homes up to the lighthouse, and take in the salty air. The silence of the streets is broken only by the sound of braying seagulls and distant bell buoys.

Heather Katsoulis/Flickr

Sipping sunset cocktails at the Atlantic Inn, RI

The best way to end a day spent biking or swimming on Block Island, Rhode Island, is to relax in an Adirondack chair at this elegant Victorian inn high on a hill and sip mojitos while watching the sun slip into the sea.

Wikimedia

Getting lost in the Northeast Kingdom, VT

The best way to experience Vermont's wild and wonderful Northeast Kingdom is to let yourself get a little bit lost. Cruise the dirt and gravel roads by car or by bike and see what you find, be it a sparkling lake, a moose, a farmstand, or a storybook village. Extra points for going in autumn, to add some color to the adventure.

Rahul Nair/Flickr

Soaring over the scenery in New Hampshire

Buckle yourself into the open cockpit and don a headset for a breathtaking scenic ride in a biplane over the Lakes Region. The lone craft rumbles to life, heads down the runway, and hovers up into the sky as if on strings. Tune out the whir of the prop and the rush of the wind, and behold the intermingling of the mosaic of foliage with the swirls of lake not so far below.

Ted Kerwin/Flickr

Chowing down at Red’s Eats, ME

When heading north up Route 1 toward midcoast Maine, traffic might briefly frustrate you in the charming village of Wiscasset. Fear not: Red’s Eats stands guard at the town bridge. If you think you can find a fatter lobster roll anywhere in Maine, I challenge you to do so.

Daderot/Wikimedia

Viewing Portland from the water, ME

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