Driving through Acadia National Park in Main felt like being home. The dramatic rocky cliffs, eagles flying above the crashing waves, and the cool coastal mist refreshed my spirit. I thought I could never beat those views until I saw the Fall colors of New Hampshire and the wild ponies of Chincoteague Island. Over the past several weeks, I’ve enjoyed exploring New England by Jeep with my little dog, Ozzie, riding shotgun. These are my favorite places in New England. The area known as New England includes Main, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
Acadia National Park
Acadia National park is called the crown jewel of the North Atlantic Coast for a good reason. It’s stunning! The park includes an abundance of unique habitats and is a recreational paradise. With over 3.5 million visits a year, it’s one of the top ten most-visited national parks in the United States and includes 158 miles of hiking trails and vast vista views of the Atlantic coastline. Boating, camping, hiking, bicycling, bird watching, beachcombing, and kayaking are favorite activities in the park.
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, was so lovely I stayed for several days. If the weather had cooperated, I would have stayed even longer. The quaint shops, decadent seafood, and expansive beaches lured me in, but it was the people that made me want to stay. The diversity is refreshing! Provincetown is quite liberal with lots of Pride flags flapping gallantly in the brisk coastal winds. There are dog bakeries, hippy-style shops, and an array of unique places you won’t find anywhere else. Even the signs were fascinating, such as warnings of turtle crossings and great white sharks!
Bushkill Falls
I could have easily spent an entire day at Bushkill Falls. It’s in Penninsula, so officially, it’s not part of New England, but I liked it so much I just had to include it in this list of top places to visit in New England because it’s close by. They call it the Niagra of Pennsylvania because of the sheer amount of water that tumbles 100 feet over the main falls. Altogether, there is a series of eight waterfalls. Some are more difficult to reach than others. You can view the top of the main falls without much trouble from the top. But to get to the bottom, or to view the other waterfalls, you have to climb down a series of stairwells. Ozzie joined me and was exhausted by the time we got back up to the top!
Chincoteague Island
I’ve been fortunate enough to see wild horses in two places on this trip, once in Teddy Roosevelt National Park and then again on Chincoteague Island in Virginia. Over the years. Chincoteague Island has transformed from a small fishing community to a world-class tourist destination. Their claim to fame is that there are no high rises, boardwalks, or traffic jams, and the book and movie “Misty of Chincoteague” were written, filmed, and produced on the island.
Lighthouses
There are lighthouses everywhere on the East Coast. In fact, there are 14 in Cape Cod alone! Some of them are now private, and some can only be reached by climbing over jetty rocks. Each lighthouse has its own personality and rich history. From the tall red and white striped one on Chincoteague Island to the short, squatty Three sisters that are tucked away on Caped Cod, they are each magnificent in their own way!
Leaf Peeping
The primary reason for my trip was to do some leaf-peeping at the peak time of the fall colors, and I was blessed to hit it just right! I used this interactive fall foliage map to estimate where to go and when. From the covered bridges in Vermont to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Skyline Drive in Virginia, I wore out my clicking finger and captured some photos of a lifetime! The changing colors ranged from deep reds in New York to brown, yellow, orange, and various shades of green.
If you ever get a chance to visit the greater New England area, I encourage you to put these spots on your must-see list. Take your time, and if you can, go after the busiest summer months. You’ll save money, deal with fewer crowds, and enjoy cooler weather.