Take the Scenic Route
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Our first stop was a surprise destination for me. Travis found a sweet bed and breakfast located in the heart of Lancaster County and planned for a two night stay at the Harvest Moon in New Market, PA. We spent a lovely Sunday walking through Lititz Springs Park and driving around the country side, hunting for covered bridges.If you find yourself wanting to visit Lancaster County, may we recommend the Harvest Moon to you? We loved it so much that we decided this was the perfect place to celebrate our fifth anniversary at. We talked about eventually traveling again to all the places we visited in New England, but after our second stay at the Harvest Moon, we thought maybe we should just visit there again and again...
Lancaster County on Flickr
Here are some snapshots of Lititz Springs Park and the Wilbur Chocolate Factory next door, as well as some scenic photographs of Lancaster County, to give you just a taste of the beauty of this area.
Travel to Lancaster County!
Lancaster County is off the beaten path. If you don't live nearby, the closest major airport is in Philly. But thankfully, Philly is easy to get to and the drive into Lancaster County is beautiful.
The Berkshires of Western Massachusetts
After spending two days in Lancaster County, our next stop was Lee, Massachusetts in the heart of the Berkshire Mountains. We stayed one night at the The Chambery Inn and spent our time in the Berkshires driving through little towns, window shopping and visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum. This was definitely the sort of place you could spend a whole week trying to discover all the little places there were to see! The Historic Berkshires
Here are a few snapshots from the Norman Rockwell Museum and grounds, as a few photographs of Stockbridge, Massachusetts (where Norman Rockwell lived and painted).
Visit the Berkshires!
The Berkshires are also off the beaten path. They are located about 2 1/2 hours from both NYC and Boston. If you don't live near the Berkshires, then here's how you can book your get-away!
Beautiful Vermont!
We traveled to Vermont for one main reason: to visit Ben & Jerry's in Waterbury. But our trip to Vermont didn't turn out so well. First, it was difficult to find a place to stay for the night. We ended up in a Super 8 Motel. Then, after we took the factory tour, we had our first married fight over the validity of the existence of the "Flavor Graveyard" and whether walking in the direction we were going constituted trespassing or not... pretty dumb, huh?We realized (by the time we drove through half of New Hampshire) that it was time for us to settle in somewhere cozy and rest for more than just one day.
Ben & Jerry's Flavor Graveyard
Everyone who has read this far, please know--my husband was right and I should have followed him to the back of the factory because there is indeed a flavor graveyard. Maybe someday we can go back and I can make it up to him with a big smooch.
Visit Vermont!
While we had a rough time in Vermont, I still thought it was a beautiful state to visit, especially in June. Everything was so green! And there are no billboards on the highways--just imagine that! The Ben and Jerry's factory is only a 30 minute drive from Burlington, VT. If you don't live nearby, here's how to get there.
Somewhere in New Hampshire
But aside from forgetting the name of the inn (and the town it was in), our stop in New Hampshire was so memorable. We had a delightful dinner in a cozy little restaurant and the next day, we spent a rainy afternoon in a little laundromat that was just up the street--just like we'd always lived there.
We also drove down to Portsmouth and enjoyed the day walking around in the drizzling rain. We ate lunch at Molly Malone's pub and I hope we can go back some day when Strawberry Banke is actually open! We had a lovely time and it was such a good decision to take a few days off the road.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Such a beautiful city! I'd love to visit here again and again. Look at all the pretty snapshots from Strawberry Banke and around town...
Visit Beautiful Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Finally... a city we visited that you can fly right in to! Book your flight and enjoy beautiful downtown Portsmouth today.
A Trip into Maine
It was our goal to drive all the way up to the Acadia National Park (which is south of Bangor) but we got a little sidetracked when we stopped to check out the charming little town that is Kennebunkport! Actually, it was the sign we saw when we first pulled in to town: "Jacuzzi Suites." We stopped and booked a room and then went out to see town and a nearby beach. There's so much to see in this area of Maine! And it's all so very beautiful. Kennebunkport and the Coast of Maine
Here are a few pictures of Kennebunkport, along with the Nubble lighthouse that we visited. The beaches in this area, like Goose Rocks pictured here, are very beautiful and just perfect for talking a stroll along.
Visit Kennebunkport!
Probably the best way to get to Kennebunkport is through Portsmouth, NH (only a 45 minute drive!). And while you're at it, you can spend a day walking around that beautiful city as well.
The Ride Home
As we made our way back down the coast, our trip was a little less eventful and less picturesque with a stop at a kinda scary B&B in Massachusetts (see my big scary smile?), a stop at a regular old Country Inns & Suites near my in-laws and a stop by the police for speeding in Virginia. I'll spare you the details and leave you with the more interesting (and beautiful) places you can visit.I hope you enjoyed this little lens on New England. I hope you feel inspired to visit some of these places as well. Just remember, don't try to see too much at one time... and don't be a stick in the mud if your traveling partner wants to set out on a search for an adventure (or a Flavor Graveyard).
New England Tour Guides on Amazon
The Guestbook
Have you been to New England? Are you itching to go now? Say hello!
dustytoes wrote...
Went to Strawberry Banke with the 4th grade on a field trip. It's a very interesing and historical place. Nice lens.
Posted October 30, 2008
gmarlett wrote...
Hi There,
Very nice lens, and I'm glad you made it to Maine on your trip! I've given you 5 stars and included you in my favorite lenses.
Greg
Posted May 30, 2008
Williamnihillart wrote...
Great lens, sounds like you had a decent trip. 5 Stars!
Posted January 04, 2008
by webseitler
I'm a wife and mother of two who loves digital scrapbooking, rubber stamping, homey goodness, blogging oh--and Jesus, too! I'm married to lensmaster T...
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