Massachusetts-

Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, Massachusetts located on Cape Ann has long been a favorite of the locals. With it’s beautiful sand dunes, this 1/2 mile beach provides a relaxing getaway from the Summer heat. I’ve spent many a Summer’s afternoon riding the waves here. And due to it’s rather large size, it’s able to handle even the largest crowds that a hot Summer afternoon can send it’s way. And to top it all off, dine on the famous lobster at one of the many Seafood restaurants that are nearby. The Causeway Restaurant is a local favorite, with huge portions for a great price. My favorite is the prosciutto wrapped scallops….mmmmmm!

Maine -

Ogunquit Beach located in on the southern coast of Maine is a must! The quaint Perkins Cove is a haven for artists, beachcombers and families. I’ve frequented this beach since I was a child, and it’s beauty never ceases to amaze me.  The waves crashing on the rocky cliffs, the constant seabreeze keeping temperatures in the pleasant 70’s, and the candy store located across the wooden drawbridge in Perkin’s Cove make this a memorable and charming New England village. Oh, by the way, since in your Maine please do try the lobster! It’s the best in the world!

Rhode Island -

Sachuset Beach in Middletown is fondly known by locals and visitors as Second Beach because of its position between First Beach (Easton’s Beach) in Newport and Third Beach in Middletown. This is my first memory of going to the beach, since I was 3 years old we’d come down here to visit my Aunt and Uncle, it was here that my brother came screaming out of the water with a crab attached to his toe. And since I was only 3, I found this quite amusing, of course he didn’t and let me have it. Second Beach is a 1 1/2 mile sweep of wide, crescent-shaped sand. Views of the ocean and nearby dunes of Third Beach are rivaled by the nearby Gothic belltower of St. George’s Preparatory School and fascinating depths of Purgatory Chasm, a unique geological formation. Located within walking distance of the beach is Norman Bird Sanctuary, a 450-acre refuge with seven miles of walking trails and wildlife habitats.

These beaches have provided me with a lifetime of memories, and if you decide to visit them I’m sure you’ll also have fond memories of them as well.

So, by now you are probably asking “what’s your suggestion Mr. Know It All”? And to this question I reply, come to New England! The weather is cold and snowy, perfect for snuggling with your loved one by a roaring fireplace with a nice bottle of wine. There are so many lovely Bed and Breakfasts and Inns throughout New England that you can choose from. If you choose New Hampshire, try the Inn at Ellis River, each room is unique unto itself, and they all have fireplaces! You can head out to the slopes and work up an appetite for love, or go for a romantic horse drawn sleigh ride through the snowy fields. And all the villages being buried in beautiful snow will immediately conjure up images of a Currier and Ives scene. Once your ready to come in from playing in the snow you can hop in the jacuzzi and enjoy a nice glass of champagne with your lover.

Another great spot is the Mt. Top Inn located in Vermont. Here you can enjoy downhill or cross country skiing, skating on the pond, or even try your hand at dog sledding! That’s right, you can ride the dog sleds as if you were racing in the IDITAROD. And there’s no shortage of fireplaces either. Or, you can come to Massachusetts and enjoy a stay in one of our many beautiful coastal villages, although I don’t recommend testing the water this time of year. But do try natures best aphrodisiac, raw oysters. Guaranteed to put you in the mood!

So rather than spending what should be a romantic time applying aloe to severe burns and swatting sand flies away, come to New England where the weather promotes getting in touch with your lover. Love is in the air in New England, love is snuggling under the quilts, love is not worrying about whether that decadent Valentine’s night dinner will make you look fat in your bikini or speedo. Love is in the air my friends, come to New England and you’ll leave with wonderful memories of your romantic stay here, and I guarantee you’ll return next year as well. Once you experience the beauty and splendor of Winter in New England, your soul will yearn to return here, to relive all of your most romantic escapades under the brilliant moonlit, snow covered hills and fields. The soul of New England is calling you to be with her during this most romantic of season’s. How can you say no?

As a child, my earliest memories are going with my family to the White Spot restaurant and ordering the fried clams. My siblings would make faces of disgust as I bit into the sweet belly of the clam, it’s juices splashing all over my face. They had no clue what they were missing out on. There was, and and still is, nothing better than a plate of fried Ipswich clams. Most folks around here like to dip their clams with tartar sauce, I myself prefer ketchup, which is considered sacrilege around these parts. But to each his own, that’s just the way I like my clams. There’s no right or wrong way to eat them, just as long as you enjoy them.

Another favorite shellfish of mine are the sea scallops from George’s Bank. This goldmine is located just off the New England coast, and is a shoal that was once part of the North American continent before it was submerged by rising sea levels. At one time, my favorite scallop was the bay scallop from Cape Cod, which is smaller and more flavorful than the sea scallop. But once I tried the larger, milder sea scallop I’ve never been able to go back to the bay variety. The best way to prepare the sea scallop is to drench them in butter and crumbled Ritz crackers, and then broil them for 10-15 minutes. I have no doubt that you’ll be hooked on this dish. The worst part about this dish is when you’ve finished it and all those plump, delicious scallops are gone. I guarantee that if you bake this dish it’ll become a staple in your diet.

But, if you’re not much of a cook don’t despair. There are many wonderful seafood restaurant’s throughout New England. Of course the most famous is probably Legal Seafood’s, with 34 locations up and down the East coast you’ll have no problem finding one. They make a pretty good Clam chowder, and excellent fried scallops. Wash it all down with a fine, award winning Sam Adam’s lager that they offer from Boston’s own Samuel Adams Brewery and you won’t be disappointed.

But if you don’t want to dine at the large chain restaurant’s, there are many small seafood restaurant’s and clam shacks throughout New England that serve food that is just as tasty. My favorites are Turner’s Seafood and Oyster Bar in Melrose, Massachusetts and Woodman’s in Essex, Massachusetts. Woodmans is a small unassuming structure that is more concerned about the quality of your food than whether you have a leather cushioned booth to eat in. They catch their lobster’s right out in their backyard, which is of course the Atlantic ocean. Their fried clams and scallops are an excellent choice, and they have some of the best clam chowder I’ve ever tasted. It’s located on the beautiful north shore known as Cape Ann. It’s definitely worth the drive, and your stomach will thank you. Turner’s Seafood is a quaint little restaurant that has a wonderful Oyster Bar separate from the dining room. All you need is a little pink ginger and a shot of hot sauce and that Oyster is ready to go down the hatch. Follow that up with a swig of Harpoon’s UFO (Unfiltered Offering) wheat beer and your good to go. They also have am out of this world fish and chips dish where the batter is made with Bass Ale. It’s the best fish and chips I’ve ever tasted, bar none! For the more adventurous, they have Japanese BBQ salmon, crunchy scallop taco’s with wasabi sauce, calamari and sushi……etc. And if you do go make sure to try the decadent fallen down chocolate cake with homemade whipped cream, you’ll thank me for suggesting it, but your waistline may not. They also have a fish market in the restaurant! What more can you ask for?

Other New England favorites are the Maine lobster, just boil it and dip in butter and your taste buds will be in heaven. Or, try the Atlantic salmon, which in my opinion are just as tasty as the Pacific salmon. Another specialty of New England are the yellow fin tuna caught right off the coasts of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, where the warm waters of the gulf stream flow northward. And you don’t want to miss out on the large quahog’s that Rhode Island has to offer.

Well, I could write on for days about all the wonderful seafood in New England, but rather than spend all your time reading this blog, get in your car, or on a plane, and come to New England to try it out for yourself. The seafood here is the ultimate comfort food, and there’s nothing better than gathering with your friends and tossing back some steamer’s (clams) and wobbly pops (beer) on a hot Summer afternoon, or even on a cold and snowy Winter night. Don’t procrastinate! Life is much too short! New England is having a seafood party and your all invited.

The mere fact that I’m writing about the Patriot’s going undefeated seems absurd to me! As a lifelong resident of Boston, I’ve spent the past 26 years of my life watching many dismal Patriot teams fall by the wayside. We were the laughing stock of the NFL, even when we went to the SuperBowl in 1985 nobody thought we had a chance to beat the Bears. And they were right, the Bears demolished us as we were laughed out of the stadium in New Orleans. From the locker room sexual harassment allegations during Victor Kiam’s reign as owner, to another painful SuperBowl loss in New Orlean’s against the Packer’s in ‘96, nothing ever seemed to go right for the Patriot’s.

All that changed one Fall afternoon in 2001, Drew Bledsoe was still the QB for the Patriot’s until he was hit so hard he almost died. In stepped Tom Brady to replace him, and the Patriot’s have never looked back since. Tom Brady led the Patriot’s to 3 SuperBowl victories, and has set his sights on number 4. To think that he has won 3 SuperBowl titles in 7 seasons is amazing. And when all is said and done for the 2007 season, if they don’t win number 4, the perfect season will mean nothing.

This weekend’s game is meaningful, it’s what every young athlete dreams of, the chance to be the hero. And it’s what every sports fan lives for, the chance to say that their team has done something that no other team has done, and quite likely that no other team will ever do again. So, as you’re sitting in front of the TV eating appetizers and drinking beers soak up all the glory of this moment. Because, as Robert Frost once wrote “nothing gold can stay”.

Note: As I write this blog it is snowing heavily with a foot of snow expected. What more can a skier ask for!

It was November 18th and I found myself driving over Boston’s beautiful Leonard Zakim Bridge headed towards the Ski & Snowboard Expo on the waterfront to check out the Ski packages being offered by the hotels and resorts of New England’s north country.

It’s been awhile since I hit the slopes, mainly due to a broken ankle that was not ski related(Let’s just say drinking and dancing don’t mix, especially if you don’t know how to dance in the first place). And, the last time I did hit the slopes it was an unsuccessful attempt at snowboarding, my backside was sore for days. But, after attending the ski expo my excitement level is through the roof, and I can’t wait to head up to the white mountains of New Hampshire.

The one thing that struck me as I was walking around the expo center was the strong showing of the Hispanic and Latino community. It’s great to see that skiing and snowboarding is gaining popularity amongst the minority communities. The one thing about being a New Englander, whether you were born here or moved here, you learn to adapt and take full advantage of the sporting opportunities that the extreme weather offers. From skiing in the Fall and Winter, to white water rafting  in the Spring and Summer. There’s always plenty to do.

While at the fair I had the chance to meet with representatives from many grand hotels in Northern New England, such as the Mt. Washington Resort, the Mountain View Grand Hotel, Loon Resort & others. And in Stowe, Vermont they are planning to build a resort complex at the base of Stowe Mountain called Spruce Peak.  All the hoteliers were very excited about the cold and snowy start to the season. And as of December 20th Vermont has already seen 10 feet of natural snowfall, and the snow guns have been firing away since early Novemeber. This has made for the best start to the ski season in over half a century!

Another great aspect of the Ski fair was the shopping. Winter coats, skis, snowboards, you name it. The deals were amazing! And to top it all off they had a Starbucks at the fair handing out free peppermint hot chocolate with whipped cream on top! I had a wonderful time and will definitely attend next year as well.

It was a cold night as I trudged my way past the thousands who were making the annual trek to Fanueil Hall to see the lighting of this massive 60 foot Pine tree with over 8,000 twinkling white lights. This was my first time that I made the pilgrimage to see the tree lighting, but it won’t be my last. The tree was scheduled to be illuminated by none other than the Mayor of Boston Thomas Menino at 5:15PM, but his honor was fashionably late, which caused the masses to become impatient as we started to lose feeling in our extremities. I was impressed to see that the crowds had swelled to the tens of thousands on this cold night as 5pm drew near. It didn’t matter that the temperature dropped into the 20’s, young and old alike all gathered to listen to musical entertainment provided by Four Men in Tuxes, JADA and The Bell’s of Boston’s own Merrimack Valley Ringers. The Merrimack Valley Ringers are a group of women who play Christmas carols with golden bells of varying sizes. They are amazing and should not be missed if you are visiting Quincy Market during the holidays as they’ll be making appearances there throughout the season.

I took this opportunity to stop off at Ned Devine’s, one of the many Tavern’s and Pub’s that line the cobblestone streets at Faneuil Hall’s Quincy Market. Ned Devine’s is one of my favorite Pub’s to frequent and has always been a hot spot on St Patrick’s Day. It has 2 levels, the lower level is a bar and the second level is a bar/restaurant and function room where The Joshua Tree, a local cover band that honor’s Ireland’s U2, played last St. Patrick’s Day. They are really quite good, and should not be missed if you have the chance to see them. I took refuge here from the cold and bellied my way up to the bar(s) to enjoy a couple (or four) pints of Guinness. It was here that I met an Army Soldier from Ohio who was on leave from his 2^nd tour of duty in Iraq, and was visiting Boston with his wife and son. They were very excited to be in Beantown, and were amazed by how friendly everyone was. They had heard about the New England chill, and I’m not referring to the weather, but rather a stereotype that has been giving to New Englanders for a supposed lack of friendliness. They said that everyone in Boston had been so helpful to them and just couldn’t understand how anyone could say that Bostonians weren’t friendly. I explained to them that Bostonians have always been a reserved, hardworking people and often burn the candle at both ends. We often don’t take the time to stop and smell the roses, or baked beans for that matter, and visitors sometime misconstrue this hurried way of life as rudeness. But I explained to them that they should not think this makes us any less friendly, just a little more curt as we often find it hard to make time for our loved ones let alone visitors. It was 6pm now and just as we finished up our latest round of Guinness a large roar came from the throngs outside and we knew this meant that the Mayor had finally arrived.

As we headed outside to see what the excitement was all about, there was Mayor Menino on the stage with Santa Claus and none other than the Boston Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster! Wally was holding up the 2007 World Series Trophy and dancing around the stage, just like he does at Fenway Park all Summer long, much to the crowds delight. And then the moment everyone had been waiting for, the countdown to the Christmas Tree lighting 5..4..3..2..1, and the Tree was ablaze in all it’s glory and the skies opened up as a blizzard of white confetti showered down on the thousands of delirious onlookers. It was really a sight to be seen as children and adults alike all reveled in this fake snowstorm and were rolling around on the ground picking the confetti up and throwing it into the air to relive the moment. As the crowds started to disperse I bid the visitors from Ohio adieu and wished them all the best for the 2007 Holiday season. The night was still young and I had some old college friends that I needed to catch up with in downtown Boston, but I’ll leave that for another time.

After a great night’s sleep at the Eagle Mountain House hotel (please see our hotel section for more information on this historic hotel), I awoke to a perfect New England fall day. The sky was bright blue, the air was crisp, and the sun was shining brightly across the mountains. I left the hotel and took a drive through town feeling the small-town charm as I drove past a small white church and through an authentic covered bridge. Less than an hour after leaving the hotel, I stopped for a bit of shopping at the Outlet center (my favorite store, L.L. Bean, was there!). Then I popped in to the Yankee Smokehouse, one of the best barbeque restaurants in the area, for a bit of lunch. I’d been there a few times before and honestly my memory of the place was a little off - it was even better than I remembered!

I arrived home full of wonderful memories, fresh air, and lots of barbeque. My next trip, a weekend in Vermont, is coming up soon, so be sure to check back often!

Over the coming months we hope this blog will help you become acquainted with all New England has to offer and inspire you to come & experience it yourself. Joining me in writing this blog is Mark Cole, myguideNewEngland sales guide. Both of us are born & raised in this region and feel it is an amazing destination. New England has something for everyone. Whether it is Christmas shopping in Boston, fall foliage in New Hampshire, skiing in Vermont or maybe a weekend trip to Martha’s Vineyard, myguideNewEngland can assist you in enjoying it all.

This blog will also aid in sharing with you our travels throughout the region as we inspect the products myguideNewEngland will be offering. Our goal is to bring to our Guests the best possible product with the most value and at the same time give you an experience of the destination you would not get anywhere else. So please check back for our next entry as we journey up to the White Mountain Region of New Hampshire.