New England vacation rentals

Comprising six Northeastern states — Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island — New England’s biggest strength might be its compactness. Where else can you go apple picking, visit a world-class art museum, and kayak a lobster-filled bay all before dinner? But more than just a tightly clustered geographic region, New England is a beacon that illuminates both America’s past and its future. Emblems of its role in the founding of the Republic are everywhere, from the Plimoth Patuxet living history museum to Boston’s Freedom Trail, as are some of the most revered research centers and universities in the world.

When it comes to getting out into nature, New England packs a full crayon box of bounty, whether it’s leaf peeping on the Kancamagus Highway, skiing the gentle slopes of Vermont, or taking lazy afternoon walks along the sea-battered coast of Maine. And between each trail, beach, and lighthouse are approximately a million small Yankee towns, where you can pull over for a cup of hot chowder or a stack of pancakes smothered with local maple syrup before heading off to your next nearby adventure.

New England is famous for being a four-season region. Fall is one of the most beautiful times to visit the interior, when the spectacular foliage is in its full glory. You can see Vermont’s trees take on a bright mix of red, yellow, and orange hues at the Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival, where competitors build pumpkin-throwing contraptions to see which can launch the farthest. Winter gets very cold and alternates between sunny days and freezing snow days. You can find a winter festival in every New England state, each offering a local twist on holiday events like ice skating, ice sculpting, and freezing polar bear swims. New England is generally in defrost mode during spring. Tulips, daffodils, and hundreds of other colorful flowers are in bloom this time of year at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. And when warm summers finally arrive, the weeklong Boston Harborfest in July celebrates the city’s rich history, including reenactments from the American Revolution and Boston Chowderfest, the city’s clam chowder competition.

Acadia National Park

Whether blanketed in snow or covered in fall color, Maine’s Acadia National Park is one of the most visually stunning places to visit in all of New England. It is also the only national park in the region, and home to the highest peak on the East Coast. Panoramic views can be enjoyed from the top of the 1,500-foot Cadillac Mountain, including the rocky headlands jutting into the ocean, along with impressive displays of oak, maple, and beech trees that cover the park inland. For a sunrise or sunset you’ll never forget, take the four-mile-long Cadillac North Ridge Trail, accessible by car or on foot.

The Freedom Trail

Boston’s 2.5-mile, red-brick-lined Freedom Trail begins at Boston Common, the oldest public park in the United States, and passes 14 historic sites including the USS Constitution, one of the first commissioned naval ships in the country. Each stop along the trail helps tell the story of the United States’ beginnings from the American Revolution to its first steps after independence.

Lighthouses

Over the years, New England has seen great naval action along with a booming fishing industry, making it home to the highest concentration of lighthouses in the country. Of the more than 150 spread across the region, most can be visited free of charge. For a fruitful afternoon of lighthouse hopping, head to Cape Cod, where nearly two dozen can be seen in one fell swoop, including the photo-friendly Nauset Lighthouse.