Suggestions for Summer Adventures!
Hey there, summer adventurers!
Ready to dive into a season of epic fun across New England? Our summer bucket list is your treasure map to both cherished classics and hidden gems. From whale watching to exploring a desert in Maine, to a drive down America’s spookiest road in Connecticut, and snapping a selfie with Vermont's sky-high filing cabinet, our list has the perfect mix of the usual, and the unexpected.
Massachusetts
Oh sure there’s Cape Cod, and beaches, and fried clams, but...there’s so much more!
Visit the quirky and colorful Museum of Bad Art, Dorchester. The good news is, this museum is located inside the Dorchester Brewing Company, so you can enjoy a cold one after the tour.
Who needs Stonehenge. We have Ponyhenge, Lincoln. Where rocking horses go when they are put out to pasture...
Walk through history on the Freedom Trail in Boston and take selfies with historic landmarks. Bite into history, or some tasty grub, when you get to the North End, and while you’re walking on Salem Street, look for the utensils stuck in the sidewalk.
New Hampshire
When we say the view is worth it...believe us.
Be ready for a bit of a white-knuckle ride, but the views from the Cog Railway on Mt. Washington are breathtaking. (Yes, worth it.)
Wind, water, weather and time has created Lost River Gorge & Boulder Caves, North Woodstock. In a word – spectacular.
Have you ever seen a moose in-person? (Don't get close!) Here’s a North Country moose watching guide with the "where and when" to spot a moose. If you’re really into celebrating moose, there’s a Moose Festival in Colebrook, New Hampshire. The Summer 2025 date will be announced soon, but in the meantime there plenty of great ideas for exploring the North Country from event sponsor Go North.
Apparently America’s Stonehenge, is located in Salem, NH. We’re sure it’s no Ponyhenge, but a cool place to visit and ponder its mysterious origins. (Where are our Outlander fans?)
Rhode Island
The smallest state packs a lot of punch.
If you’re looking for some quirky shopping, beautiful gardens, bamboo forests, and animals including emus, guinea hens, and fancy chickens, put the Fantastic Umbrella Factory, Charlestown on your list. Sorry, no dogs allowed, what with the fancy chickens.
Vermont
Sweet dreams are made of cheese (and ice cream.)
Summer and Ice Cream are the perfect couple. And so are Ben and Jerry. Tour the Ben & Jerry's Factory in Waterbury and sample every flavor.
And be sure to visit the Ben and Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard. (We’re still a little sad about losing Wavy Gravy, RIP.)
A trip to Killington should be on your summer bucket list. And when you go, give the Beast Mountain Coaster a whirl. It’s a 4,800-foot-long roller coaster with twists and turns and corkscrews – oh my!
Vermont and cheese go together like – Ben and Jerry. And, praise cheeses for the existence of the Vermont Cheese Trail. (Thank you, Vermont Cheese Council, we’re practically weeping.) Not all locations are open to the public, so do your homework.
Burlington is a worthy destination for any summer road trip, not just because it is the home of The World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet, a towering sculpture made of filing cabinets stacked one on top of the other.
Maine
We know, we know, more coastline than California. But...a desert?
Bigfoot you say? The International Cryptozoology Museum, Portland, is a museum dedicated to the study of hidden or unknown animals, featuring exhibits on Bigfoot, lake monsters, and cryptids. Sign us up!
Hear us out. What if you were to eat your weight in lobster rolls this summer? The Maine Lobster Festival would be the place to start. Butter or mayo, and do not tell your doctor.
Knock out two breathtaking wildlife experiences in one with a whale and puffin-watching cruise off the coast.
Or, visit Maine’s most iconic lighthouses on a Maine Lighthouse Cruise!
Desert of Maine in Freeport is a natural curiosity with 20-acres of barren glacial sand. Way cooler than you're thinking...
Connecticut
It's official again, Connecticut is home to the #1 pizza in America...
First the Vermont Cheese Trail, and now the Connecticut Pizza Trail! Word is, New Haven has it’s own style. Road trip!
The number one attraction in Connecticut is the beautiful waterfront of Mystic. There’s the seaport museum, the aquarium, historic downtown, and probably pizza!
While you're there, visit The Cloak and Wand Store in Mystic. It stocks cloaks, wands, brooms (the riding kind,) potions, and all things magical.
Saw Mill City Road, Shelton, is said to be one of the spookiest roads in America. We’ll take the locals word for it – they call it Dracula Drive. And don’t get us started on the lore of the melon heads.
Pack your shovels and metal detectors, and head to Charles Island, Milford. Allegedly home to Captain Kidd’s lost treasure, (and a curse or two.) You might just find a pirate’s buried treasure.
