Hi all,
I’m Joyce Anne and I write about New England and capture it in photos.
Join me and my extended family in our travels and musings about this little corner of America that’s big on beauty, traditions and history.
Recent Posts
The Noble Turkey
Thanksgiving has its roots in our eternal gratitude for the food which our fertile planet provides for us. From the earliest world cultures to the
The Season for Arts & Crafts
While we’ve all been enjoying the gorgeous fall colors this year, there has been an army of crafters that have been busy, busy, busy getting
America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration
Last year I made my way downtown, through throngs of people, and took a spot on Cole’s hill across from the grandstand, to await with
My Musings Archive
Exploring New England
New England. Land of the Pilgrims, the spark of the American Revolution, rocky soil and Yankee ingenuity. New Englanders are tough in many ways, intellectual and liberal, private and frugal, suspicious of newcomers. Many who visit find its inhabitants cold. And it’s true that we are slow to warm to new people and tend toward stubbornness. But there is great generosity in our hearts, as well. We value family and friends (who tend to stick close by), hard work, and have a ‘live and let live’ philosophy. And we’re nothing if not adaptable. That what comes of living in an unforgiving land where half the year is spent in winter.
The beauty of the place is incomparable – sandy beaches and rocky shores, lakes and mountains, colonial era towns that are so quaint they hurt, fall colors that will make you weep, and winter wonderlands that call you out from your cozy home. There is history everywhere you turn, legends and ghost stories, born from the pens of some of literature’s greatest writers. And you can hardly throw a rock without hitting a college.
New England is my birth place, my home, and my muse. Discover (or re-discover) it with me.
We have a complicated relationship with Connecticut. With its proximity to New York and its abundance of Yankees fans, well, enough said. At the very least, it provides a physical buffer between New England and that, um, city that doesn’t sleep. So we’ll honor its importance to the region. But come on, it’s really much more than that, and once you get away from the southwest corner, it’s quintessential New England, and nobody can take that away. From the Litchfield hills that easily rival the Berkshires, to the long southern coastline that boasts venerable old towns like Essex and Mystic, interspersed with bustling coastal cities, and the Connecticut River Valley, with Hartford so much pretty countryside, Connecticut really holds its own
Explore Connecticut Regions
Mystic Country
MysticCountry Mystic Country spans the Connecticut coastline from the Pawcatuck River on the border with Rhode Island, to Old Lyme on the mouth of the
Hartford & River Valley
GreaterHartford &ConnecticutRiver Valley The Greater Hartford & River Valley manages to eke out the smallest amount of coastline of the Connecticut regions other than the
Greater New Haven
GreaterNewHaven Did someone say “higher education”? How about Yale University, Quinnipiac University, Albertus Magnus College, the University of New Haven, Southern Connecticut State University and
Litchfield Hills
LitchfieldHills The Litchfield Hills region is the only landlocked region in Connecticut and makes no hesitation in embracing the inland beauty of New England. With
Fairfield County
Fairfield Let’s face it. While New Haven can hold its own, and the Litchfield hills drift away from the metropolis that is New York City,
Coastline, lakes, mountains and wilderness. Lobster, blueberries and potatoes. Whales and moose. Puffins and Loons. Vacationland is its tagline, and no wonder. It’s beauty fills you with awe and its recreation is boundless.
With sandy beaches in the south, and a rocky shoreline beyond where coastal hikes reveal heart and surf pounding views at every turn, with the scent of balsam filling the air, and lobster shacks to keep you full of that delectable crustacean, and schooner excursions that make you feel like you never want to come back.
Inland, you’ll find lakes and mountains where the breeze whispers through the ubiquitous pines, as you splash or fish in pristine waters of its 6,000 lakes and ponds and 30,000 miles of rivers and streams, or hike 4,000 ft peaks for heady vistas.
Portland is its top city destination, with the unfair advantage of being on the coast and an easy day trip from Boston, but don’t discount Bangor and Augusta.
Maine is vast and beautiful.
Explore Maine Regions
Maine Beaches
MaineBeaches The Maine Beaches region is very familiar to Bostonians – its furthest point is only an hour and a half drive from Boston. Beloved
Portland & Casco Bay
Portland &Casco Bay Portland is the largest city in Maine, though keep in mind that this is a relative benchmark, having a population of under
Midcoast Maine
MaineMidcoast Midcoast Maine is what most people think about when you mention the state – ragged and rugged coasts with crashing surf, lobster and lighthouses.
Acadia & Downeast
Acadia &Downeast Many people are confused by the term “downeast”, referring to the most eastern and, yes, northernmost coast of Maine. Shouldn’t it be “upeast”?
Maine Lakes & Mountains
MaineLakes &Mountains The Maine Lakes & Mountains region is an undeservedly poor cousin to the Maine coastline regions, and seems to get far less press
Kennebec & Moose River Valley
Kennebec& MooseRiver Valley The Kennebec & Moose River valley region is Maine-made for outdoor enthusiasts. With its two famous rivers and rugged mountain terrain, the
The Maine Highlands
TheMaineHighlands Full of superlatives, The Maine Highlands boasts the state’s highest peak (Katahdin), its largest lake (Moosehead) and its longest river (Penobscot). Come for the
Aroostook County
AroostookCounty Aroostook County, whose name is from a Mi’kmaq word meaning “Beautiful River” is the northernmost region in Maine, sharing a border with Quebec and
Boston, Cape Cod, the Berkshires and lots of great places in between. With sandy beaches galore, thanks to Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, not to mention Cape Ann and all the coastal towns along Massachusetts coasts, there’s no end to summer fun. The western Berkshires, with its rolling hills and Tanglewood for summer concerts is a happy alternative, where fall also comes alive along with the rest of the state. And Boston? Well Boston. Full of everything you could want in a city and more – history, colleges, arts and music, cobblestone and brick neighborhoods, and some of the best hospitals in the world. And it’s walkable, small enough to not be overwhelming.
Explore Massachusetts Regions
Greater Boston
GreaterBoston Boston, the hub of New England, or Hub of the Universe according to Oliver Wendell Holmes, or more colloquially Beantown, the city and its
Cape Cod & the Islands
Cape Cod &The Islands Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket. They are the places of summer lore, filled with natural coastal beauty and the famous cedar-shingled
South of Boston
South ofBoston Sandwiched between the tourism meccas of Boston and Cape Cod, the “South of Boston” region encompasses two shorelines (“South Shore” and “South Coast”),
North of Boston
North ofBoston The North of Boston region consists of three distinct areas – the North Shore, Merrimack Valley, and the northern suburbs and exurbs of
Central Mass
CentralMass Central Massachusetts, locally referred to as “Central Mass”, is often overlooked as eyes turn to the eastern shores or to the western Berkshires. But
Western Mass
WesternMass Western Massachusetts, locally known as “Western Mass” includes two primary areas – the Berkshires and the Connecticut River Valley. The Berkshires are the quiet
Live free or die. Nobody’s yet figured out if it’s a motto to live by or a threat. No matter. New Hampshire is rugged and independent. Its White Mountains boast the highest peaks in New England and its lake district is the place of dreams. The southern end of the state boasts three of its cities all lined up in a row along Route 3, from Nashua (a favorite NH residence for Boston workers) to Manchester to the state capital Concord, before that venerable route ambles on up to the lakes and mountains, or drops you off at Route 89 to head to the western Lake Sunapee region. If you love hiking, this state can’t beat. Love the seacoast? Well, NH might have the least amount of coastline of all the New England (except landlocked Vermont), but it has made the most of it, with the port city of Portsmouth and Salisbury and Hampton beaches (not to be confused with “The Hamptons” of Long Island, NY). Love college towns? Right next to Portsmouth is Durham, home to the University of New Hampshire. Keene, in the Monadnock region in southwestern NH, is home to Keene State College and Antioch University New England. And of course, don’t forget Hanover, home of ivy league Dartmouth College. There’s something for everyone in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire Regions
Great North Woods
GreatNorthWoods The Great North Woods, also known simply as the North Country, is more wild than its southern region counterparts, but not quite as remote
White Mountains
WhiteMountains The White Mountains are a star attraction in New England, the most rugged mountains in New England (they don’t call New Hampshire the Granite
Lakes Region
LakesRegion Nestled against the southeastern edge of the White Mountains in New Hampshire is the Lakes Region, with its star, the beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee. Covering
Dartmouth-Sunapee
Dartmouth-Sunapee The Dartmouth-Sunapee Region, part of the White Mountains and Appalachians mountain range, is unsurprisingly known for its two notable, if unrelated, points of interest:
Monadnock
Monadnock Among the lesser mountain peaks of southwestern New Hampshire stands Mount Monadnock at 3,165 feet, surrounded by picturesque towns, including the college town of
Merrimack Valley
MerrimackValley The Merrimack river begins at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows south through Concord, Manchester and Nashua,
Seacoast
Seacoast New Hampshire might have the smallest seacoast in New England (other than Vermont, which has none), but it makes the most of what it
And then there’s tiny Rhode Island, where the longest distance between two points on the mainland is an hour’s drive. Not being an island at all, the state’s name is often given a raised eyebrow. But the origin is from Aquidneck Island (RI’s largest island), which was originally called Rhode’s Island, and later the whole of the state was called Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, which is far too long a name for so small a state. It was not long before “and Providence Plantations” was dropped. So now you know.
Despite being such a small state, it rightly touts itself as the Ocean State, with 400 miles of coastline, thanks largely to Narragansett Bay, which effectively cleaves the state in two. And what a lot this state packs into such a small space. Providence, sitting at the head of the Bay, is the home of Ivy League Brown University, Providence College, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and others. With all those colleges, you can be sure to have your fill of arts and culture, not to mention some of the best food – including the outstanding Italian fare in Federal Hill. But Rhode Island doesn’t stop with Providence. Newport, famous for its gilded age mansions, is further down in the Bay, and is a beautiful old seaport town even apart from the mansions. Speaking of port towns, it’s got those too, and of course, with all that coastline, plenty of beaches. and Block Island, a worthy alternative to the more famous nearby island of Martha’s Vineyard.
Explore Rhode Island Regions
Providence & Points West
Providence & PointsWest Providence does not get enough credit. While the Pilgrims (Separatists) landed in Plymouth in the quest to abandon the Church of England,
Newport
Newport Newport County includes Aquidneck, Conanicut and Prudence Islands, along with the easternmost portion of the state on the mainland. The towns include Jamestown, occupying
Bristol
Bristol Bristol (the county) is the smallest region in our New England by Heart repertoire, separated from Massachusetts’ Bristol County in 1746 after a longstanding
Kent
Kent Kent County in Rhode Island sits in the middle of the state, stretching from the western border until it encounters Narragansett Bay. Warwick, the
South County
SouthCounty Say South County and you might get asked which beach is your favorite. Because South County is all about the beaches. With its east
Last, but hardly least, Vermont. Our own socialist neck of the woods, renowned for its pastoral beauty, the Green Mountains, little villages with their simple white steepled churches, and cows. Lots of cows. Veront was its own independent country for fourteen years before joining the union as the 14th state. It’s the second least populous state (Wyoming claiming the #1 spot). Vermont’s largest city is Burlington, and even that is not so big, at only with a population under 45,000. A few other smaller “cities” are dotted around, like artsy Brattleboro (well, really, Vermont as a whole is pretty artsy), Barre, Rutland and Bennington. And of course, little Montpelier, the state’s capital, with a population less than 7,500. If you love skiing, Vermont is the ski capital of New England. And for summer fun, you can’t beat America’s “sixth great lake”, Lake Champlain.
Explore Vermont Regions
East Mountains
East Mountains Farms are everywhere in this region, many welcoming visitors with stores and educational programs. Holding the crown is Billings Farm & Museum in
Southern Vermont
SouthernVermont There’s so much in Southern Vermont that it’s hard to know where to begin. From the busy little towns on the Connecticut River to
The Valley
The Valley Along the southern stretches of Lake Champlain is a long, wide plain of rich farmland that stretches south to Orwell before plunging back
Central Mountains
CentralMountains The Central Mountains region is the heart of the Green Mountains and sports Vermont’s highest peaks with Mount Mansfield to the north and Killington
Greater Burlington
GreaterBurlington Burlington is Vermont’s most populous city, though with a population of less than 40,000 and surrounded by farmland and Lake Champlain, it’s a far
Greater Montpelier
GreaterMontpelier Montpelier, Vermont’s capital, is artsy, walkable, friendly and, well, surprisingly small. It’s the least populous state capital in America, barely cracking 8,000 residents. Nestled
Northwest & Lake Champlain
Northwest& LakeChamplain Vermont may be the only state in New England without an ocean coastline, but it more than makes up for it with Lake