Top Five Travel from YankeeMagazine.com

The Best 5 Ice Cream Stands

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Favorite New England Farm Stands

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Minor League Stadiums

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Below, you'll find our comprehensive list of the New England region's minor-league ballparks, where you can save money and see some of the best up close.

Pawtucket Red Sox, McCoy Stadium, Triple A

The Pawtucket Red Sox have long been considered one of the most successful minor-league teams in the country. Perhaps no other minor-league team in New England has captured the hearts of fans like the PawSox. This is where the Boston team really begins. Nomar, Roger Clemens, Jim Rice ... they all remember their early days at McCoy Stadium. One of the most striking features of this ballpark is seeing the murals of the famous players during their time in Pawtucket. The longest game in baseball history was played here April 18, 1981, against the young Cal Ripkin Jr. and his Rochester Red Wings. It was a 33-inning marathon.

One Columbus Ave., Pawtucket, RI; 401-724-7300.

New Britain Rock Cats, New Britain Stadium, Double A

Over 250,000 fans stream through the gates to watch this one-time Red Sox (now Minnesota Twins) affiliate play in seven-year-old New Britain Stadium, one of the minor leagues' most elegant -- it's sometimes called a "mini-Camden Yards." One of 12 teams in the Eastern League, the club pays attention to detail: Their Web site practically lets you take in a game without leaving home. A picnic area and a kids' zone with interactive baseball events make this a park families love.

John Karbonic Dr., New Britain, CT; 860-224-8383.

New Haven Ravens, Historic Yale Field, Double A

Feel the history in this grand ballpark, built in 1927 and modeled after Yankee Stadium. Over the years Yale Field fans have seen Ted Williams, Jimmy Foxx, Yogi Berra, Derek Jeter -- even former President George Bush, who played here as a Yale undergrad -- take the field. The Ravens, in their first season as a Toronto Blue Jays affiliate, are being touted as one of the strongest teams in the league. A $3 million facelift in 1993-94 spruced everything up, but this summer Ravens fans will experience an old-time baseball "theme park."

252 Derby Ave., West Haven, CT; 203-782-1666.

Portland Sea Dogs, Hadlock Field, Double A

There's no better way to top a day in Maine's lovely bayside city than with a night rooting for the Red Sox's newest Double A team at an intimate brick ballpark. Last season, the nearly 400,000 fans (one of the highest AA fan totals in the country) watched in awe as Sea Dog pitcher Josh Beckett, touted as the next Nolan Ryan, dominated opposing batters with his 97-mile-per-hour fastball, en route to being named Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year. Plus, kids will love the Sea Dog mascot.

271 Park Ave., Portland, ME; 800-936-3647.

Lowell Spinners, Edward A. LeLacheur Park, Single A

A jewel of a park in a city on the comeback trail. When you join the throng advancing to the open gates, you get the feeling that this is how a city keeps a small-town flavor. For a family outing, it beats a movie at the mall any day.

Aiken St., Lowell, MA; 978-459-2255.

Vermont Expos, Centennial Field, Single A

Just an hour and a half south of Montreal, this Montreal Expos affiliate plays in the short-season New York-Penn League in one of America's oldest ballparks. Mom, Dad, and two kids can enjoy Vermont's only professional baseball for just $10. Burlington and Lake Champlain are worth a visit anytime; taking in an Expos game and seeing the kids laugh at Champ, the ebullient mascot, make a weekend even more memorable.

Colchester Ave., Burlington, VT; 802-655-4200.

Bridgeport Bluefish, The Ball Park at Harbor Yard, Independent

The Bluefish compete in the Atlantic League, with a state-of-the-art $19 million stadium giving a big-league feel to the hometown game. A perennial power, the team and its stadium are an integral part of Bridgeport's revitalization.

500 Main St., Bridgeport, CT; 877-462-5837, 203-345-4800.

Nashua Pride, Holman Stadium, Independent

A new $4 million facelift lets the Nashua Pride keep pace with the best minor-league baseball venues in the Northeast. With the fiery former Boston Red Sox skipper Butch Hobson at the helm, there's a big-league flavor to each and every game. Baseball history was made at Holman Stadium in 1946 when Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella integrated professional baseball here.

67 Amherst St., Nashua, NH; 603-883-2255.

Camping under New England's Stars

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Boston Minuteman Campground, Littleton, Massachusetts

Even attention-span-challenged teenagers admit to having a good time camping close by the historic sites of Lexington and Concord -- plus, the campground is big enough that they can avoid the embarrassment of being seen with their folks. Route 2A is a busy road, but the campsites are wooded and spacious, the grounds are clean, and the services excellent. On weekends, especially, the schedule is packed with organized sports and games for all ages. Campers can plug in and tune out with video games, the free video library, and Internet access, or test their aim at a nearby mini-golf emporium. Did I mention the heated swimming pool?

264 Ayer Rd. (Rte. 2A). 978-772-0042.

Lake St. Catherine State Park, Poultney, Vermont

The perfect recipe for a family vacation includes a few simple ingredients: a clean lake, sunny weather, and all-day access to ice cream. Three-mile-long Lake St. Catherine, with just 50 sites set near the water, a sandy swim beach, a snack bar, rental rowboats, and a launch for your own vessel, fills the bill. It's a popular spot, so reserve early. Kids like fishing for bass and running wild on the campground's Big Trees Nature Trail, while grown-ups may prefer to steal away to nearby Manchester for an afternoon of outlet shopping or touring Hildene, Robert Todd Lincoln's summer home. The whole crew should pile into the car for the climb up Equinox Mountain Drive for expansive views of southern Vermont.

3034 Rte. 30S. 802-287-9158.

Lake Waramaug State Park, New Preston, Connecticut

These inexpensive campsites have views as pretty as those from the shoreline hotels (The Birches Inn and The Boulders) across the way. Launch your own or rent a canoe or kayak to explore the lake. Bring bikes and walking shoes, too, for the eight-mile loop around Waramaug's perimeter. Treat the clan to a gourmet dinner at either inn or at Doc's Trattoria & Pizzeria, an Italian eatery overlooking the lake (off Route 45, New Preston; 860-868-9415). Or grill your dinner over coals. Rainy days are an excuse to check out New Preston's cool stores offering books, imported goods, and classy gifts.

30 Lake Waramaug Rd. 860-868-0220.

Lost River Valley Campground, North Woodstock, New Hampshire

Sleep here and you're a stone's throw from all the attractions of the White Mountains: swimming, hiking, biking, the Flume, the Cog Railway, theaters, golf. But with two rivers (Lost River and Walker Brook; be sure to bring every family member his or her own inner tube) and thousands of acres of national forest just outside your tent flap, plan a few days to stay put. Whether you pitch a tent or park an RV here, you'll be happy campers, but call early and reserve a brook-front site for the best views.

951 Lost River Rd. 603-745-8321.

Macedonia Brook State Park, Kent, Connecticut

If your brood wants its MTV, this spot is not for you. But if The Swiss Family Robinson graces your bedside table, look no further. What Macedonia Brook lacks in amenities, it makes up for with the wonders of nature: the Appalachian Trail passes right by the campground as it cuts across the northwestern corner of Connecticut. Some campsites are set along the campground's brook. Views of the Catskill and Taconic Mountains are a vigorous hike away; the Blue Trail summits Cobble Mountain and other nearby peaks. Bring binoculars, a bird identification guide, plenty of bug repellent, and extra moleskin. Best leave the 35-foot-long land yacht at home and opt for a pop-up trailer or tent.

159 Macedonia Brook Rd. 860-927-3238.

October Mountain State Forest, Lee, Massachusetts

Sprawling across more than 16,000 acres and encompassing mountains, lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, October Mountain State Forest is the largest state-owned tract of land in the Bay State. Make it your playground for all sorts of woodland adventures (the extensive trail system is popular with ATV users and mountain bikers) or use it as a launching pad for cultural forays into the Berkshire hot spots of Lenox and Stockbridge, home to Tanglewood and the Norman Rockwell Museum. Set up camp on shady, grassy plots across the street from the Housatonic River -- and know there will be a hot shower waiting for you in the morning.

Woodland Rd. 413-243-1778.

Paine's Campground, South Wellfleet, Massachusetts

To show your family a Cape Cod without traffic jams and body piercings, muscle through the gridlock all the way out to South Wellfleet and stay at Paine's Campground. For more than 45 years, the Paine family has been offering guests the best of both worlds: tidy wooded sites within spitting distance of both freshwater kettle ponds and the salty beaches of the Cape Cod National Seashore. The Paines know a thing or two about campers, so they've sectioned off their plots into distinct demographic areas: family campers, quiet couples, and young couples and singles. A few ultra-private hike-in sites are available for those who ask nicely.

180 Old County Rd. 508-349-3007.

Salty Acres Campground, Kennebunkport, Maine

This very large (225 sites), full-service campground takes full advantage of one of southern Maine's prettiest stretches of coastline. Families use this mostly as base camp for forays to nearby Goose Rocks Beach, a three-mile swath of white sand with a shallow grade and lack of surf that make it perfect for the sand-pail set. Its tidal pools keep budding naturalists entertained for hours.

277 Mills Rd. (Rte. 9). 207-967-2483.

Whispering Pines Campground, East Orland, Maine

Fifty campsites hug the shoreline of Toddy Pond, a wild and undeveloped 10-mile-long lake only 30 miles from Acadia National Park. Explore Toddy by canoe (free of charge to campers) or stay cool on the campground's swimming beach. The gradual, sandy grade makes it safe for children to swim and wallow. This is Thoreau's unspoiled Maine woods, but, thankfully, it's retrofitted with flush toilets, fireplaces, and horseshoe courts. If your family tires of wildlife (keep your eyes peeled for moose, loons, and deer), venture to nearby Bar Harbor for shopping, sightseeing, and a saltwater fix.

Rte. 1. 207-469-3443.

Historic New England Trees

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Foresters estimate that, give or take a few million, New England has over 26 billion trees. With so many, it is easy to miss the trees for the forest. What follows are just some of New England's most notable trees. Like the New England forest itself, they are a mixture -- some are distinctive for the role they have played in history, or their sheer jaw-dropping size, or their breathtaking loveliness. Or because of the hand that planted them.

The Family Tree

The Pinchot sycamore is the largest tree in Connecticut: Ninety-three feet high, with an average branch spread of 138 feet, its trunk measures 25 feet, 8 inches in circumference. Families often link hands to circle the tree.

Where: Cross the steel bridge over the Farmington River on Connecticut Route 185 south of Simsbury Center. The tree stands in a small park.

The Survivor

Well-known to Dartmouth College students, the Parkhurst elm is loved for its tenacity as well as its beauty. It's a majestic tree, 94 feet tall, whose leaves turn yellow-gold in autumn. This elm survived the Hurricane of 1938, then Dutch elm disease. Twenty years ago, some of its roots were severed during a road project, but the elm continues to thrive.

Where: On North Main Street in Hanover, New Hampshire, in front of Parkhurst Hall.

New England's Largest Turkey

With a trunk almost 17 feet in circumference, this is a magnificent specimen of the turkey oak (Quercus cerris), 64 feet high, New England's largest. Native to Europe, it has wavy-edged leaves and large acorns with bristly cups. Some say it's called a turkey oak because its leaves look like the fanned-out tail of a tom turkey.

Where: Bushnell Park, Hartford, Connecticut.

The Trees the Settlers Saw

Gifford Woods, a small, under-ten-acre stand of old-growth forest in a Vermont state park, gives visitors a glimpse of how the New England forest looked to the first settlers. Some trees rise more than 100 feet from the forest floor. Most of the sugar maples date from Revolutionary times, and there is also a 400-year-old hemlock. A state park and campground allows visitors to sleep within sight of these trees.

Where: Gifford Woods State Park, Sherburne, Vermont, 1/2 mile north of Route 4 on Route 100.

The Tree of Independence

This very large and beautiful horse chestnut was planted by one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, William Whipple, upon his return from Philadelphia in 1776.

Where: On the lawn of the Moffatt-Ladd House on Market Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

"The Forest Primeval"

Along the Elwell Trail at Paradise Point Nature Center is a stand of giant hemlocks that began their lives in the 17th century, well before Longfellow wrote of "the murmuring pines and the hemlocks" in "Evangeline."

Where: Paradise Point Nature Center, North Shore Road, East Hebron, New Hampshire. 603-744-3516.

The Endicott Pear

The oldest living fruit tree in the United States has blossomed and borne fruit for more than 300 years. In 1964 vandals cut off its branches, but the tree was saved by grafting.

Where: On Endicott Street, behind the Sylvania Plant in Danvers, Massachusetts. Take exit 24 off Route 128.

"Tree at my window, window tree ..."

From 1900 to 1909 Robert Frost lived on a farm in Derry, New Hampshire. He once wrote, "I might say the core of all my writing was probably the first five years I had there." His children may have played by this magnificent maple near the barn.

Where: Frost Farm, 2 miles south of Derry Circle on Route 28. 603-432-3091.

The Sculptor's Honey Locust

This tree stands in front of the house where famed sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens lived. It was planted by Saint-Gaudens in 1886 and is the largest honey locust in New Hampshire.

Where: Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, Cornish. Take I-89 to exit 20, drive south on Route 12A. 603-675-2175.

The Castine Elms

Considered one of the finest stands of elms in New England, over 300 of these great trees grace the village of Castine, Maine. Townspeople have labored long and hard to help their trees withstand Dutch elm disease, and these elms are among Castine's treasures.

Where: Especially notable along Main Street.

Restaurants in Portland, Maine

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Portland's culinary reputation continues to grow nationwide. Several of the following restaurants have received prestigious awards for their excellent and delicious meals. Travel to Portland, even if only to dine at their incredible restaurants and you will not be disappointed.

Sam Hayward, Fore Street

The plates that come from Sam's kitchen carry strong Mediterranean influences, but the ingredients and simplicity are undeniably coastal Maine. Fore Street's signature dish, for example -- mussels with garlic and almonds -- gives a nod to French and Spanish cuisine, but the orange nuggets of cold-water mussels coaxed from their blue-black shells are all about the briny seas around Coombs Island in Gurnet Strait, where they're harvested by hand.

Fore Street's many-windowed dining room is rustic and minimally decorated, but like the food, it's a well-thought-out operation: comfortable and natural with exposed brick, rich wooden tables, and an open kitchen centered around a wood-burning oven that reaches 800° and a grill that glows from the live flames beneath its grates.

Among the cooks here there's a precisely choreographed hustle -- one that comes from experience, yet, centered around that fiery gleam, somehow evokes a primal dance. It's all part and parcel of dining at Fore Street.

Fore Street

Entrees: from $19 288 Fore St. 207-775-2717

Rob Evans, Hugo's

Rob Evans is having a good time. After years of cooking gigs that had him bouncing back and forth between Maine and Hawaii, Rob has developed a style and a philosophy that he calls "new American." He uses his French, Italian, and Japanese cooking skills on "foods within the region that work together, while being creative and fun about it. I think about the ingredients, then build from there."

Rob loves New England's changing seasons, but at this time of year he's more than happy to be cooking with fresh, wild greens, which he gets from forager Rick Tibbetts. "The stuff he finds in the wild is more organic than organic," Rob says. "He constantly surprises me with beautiful local ingredients."

Beyond what Rob calls his "responsibility to support the local guys," using indigenous foods is important to him "because it's all part of being in the place you are. If people travel to Portland, I want them to have a Portland experience -- not to try to re-create something from the Napa Valley or Paris or Miami. This is Maine."

Hugo's

Entrees: from $16 (bar menu); $68 fixed price 88 Middle St. 207-774-8538

Lee Skawinski, Cinque Terre & Vignola

Chef Lee Skawinski and his partner, Dan Kary, are so committed to local foods that they farm most of the produce on their menus themselves. "We support as many local guys as we can, from rabbits to chickens to lamb, because we can, and because it's a better product," Lee explains. "Part of being a cook in our restaurants is to come to the farm and pick. It makes the connection to what we cook more profound." This time of year, Lee says, "I'm like a kid at Christmas, waiting for asparagus and peas. They have a vibrancy that can't be replicated or easily described."

Lee puts the food, not his ego, at the center of the plate. During the off season, he travels to Europe to underscore "the importance of quality ingredients, taste wine, and pick up a few ideas." At Cinque Terre the menu offerings are refined Italian classics; at Vignola, dishes hail from the great Mediterranean wine countries of Italy, Spain, and France.

Cinque Terre

Entrees: from $9 36 Wharf St. 207-347-6154

Vignola

Entrees: from $10 10 Dana St. 207-772-1330

Steve Corry, 555

"We [the kitchen staff] poke around at the farmers' markets and snag what inspires us, what looks good; then we bring it back to the kitchen," says Steve Corry, chef and co-owner (with his wife, Michelle) of 555. "We talk the menu through, and everyone has an opinion. Some are more vocal than others, but the cooks are all passionate and intense. Sometimes it goes through a few renditions before we're all satisfied. Then it makes it to the menu."

Steve and Michelle both spent time in California before settling back among their East Coast roots. That time in Napa codified their respect for local ingredients and their love of fine wines -- both of which are front and center on Steve's menus.

Before opening the doors, Steve was clear about his cooking style and what his operation would be, "but mostly I wanted to make sure that this would be a place for people who live here in Portland -- not just for out-of-towners. We love seeing new faces for certain, but we're also open seven nights a week, no matter the weather."

555

Entrees: from $14.95 555 Congress St. 207-761-0555

Krista Kern, Bresca

Most of Krista Kern's prior experience was in desserts, but this woman is a force to be reckoned with, from appetizer to pasta to salad to entree. Her flavors are bold, but not overwhelming. And her mark is on every dish that leaves Bresca's teeny kitchen doors. "It's like I'm hosting a small dinner party every night," she says. "I don't want to be a big operator right now. I just want to take care of this little space and the people who come here."

Early in Krista's career, she was the sole baker in the kitchen of a large fine-dining establishment, where she produced more than 5,000 pieces of bread and pastry a day, on her own. "I went to New York to get formal training and more experience," she explains. She spent the 1990s cooking and baking her way through New York, France, and Las Vegas, coming home to Maine to do her own thing. With five tables and 20 seats, "it makes sense for me to go to the farmers' markets and local grocers to buy. I could never meet the minimum orders of the large companies, and that's fine -- I'd rather have a relationship with a local producer than an 800 number."

Bresca

Entrees: from $19 111 Middle St. 207-772-1004

Ski Resorts in Summer

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Looking for scenery, endless activities, few crowds, and family fun? New England's ski resorts may be the best summer and autumn destinations around. And the best bargains. Here is a sampling of ski resorts that have transformed into summer destinations. Remember to look on your favorite ski resort's web site for summer and fall packages.

Smugglers' Notch, Smugglers' Notch, Vermont

Smugglers' Notch Resort has long defined how a winter playground transforms itself in summer. In the summer of 1976, when Montreal hosted the Olympics, the adults who owned ski condos at Smugglers' wanted to go to the events, only two hours distant. The resort staff said they could watch over the owners' children. They hiked, played games, went swimming. The kids loved it. Their parents loved it. A kids program was born and became the envy of resorts everywhere, both in winter and summer.

Smugglers' in summer is a shirt-tail out, sneakered style village. Joggers and walkers and bike riders criss-cross the meandering paths. You hear the shouts of children and grownups as they plummet down waterslides into blue pools. On any given week there may be from 200-400 children in organized camps, divided by ages.

If you are a child Smugglers' looks like this: You step out of your condo shortly before 10 a.m. You roam freely because walkways and grassy lawns connect wherever you need to go -- a neighborhood where all paths lead to other kids. Depending on your age you hook up with either Adventure Rangers (ages 6-10), The Notch Squad (11-14), or Mountain Explorers. (15-17). If you're a little tyke, your parents bring you to Discovery Dynamos (3-5). And if you're still getting your legs under you you'll go to the spanking new "Treasures" for ages six weeks to two years. You explore the resort, swim, hike, play games, and hang out with new pals, all the while you are parent free.

And if you just don't want to join a group (Smugglers' week long packages make it hard to resist joining up) then you can light out on your own Huck Finn style to see what strikes your fancy within some 1000 acres: hiking, swimming pools, driving ranges, tennis, mountain boarding, or simply just hanging out and watching all the other children and teens. You make friends. If you're in camp it ends at 4, but more likely than not, you make plans to hook up in a few hours at the waterslides, or at one of the centers devoted to kids and teens.

If you are a grownup Smugglers' looks like this: You drive four miles through the steep and winding Smugglers' Notch pass and drop into lovely Stowe. You bike the Stowe Bike Path, one of the biking jewels of New England, that hugs the West Branch River for five miles. Or have lunch along the bike trail, perhaps sitting on an outdoor patio.

Or maybe you climb Mount Mansfield watching Vermont's valleys spreading below. Or you play golf. Or you head into Burlington and stroll along Lake Champlain, or browse the shops in the pedestrian mall. You have all day. And when you come back to Smugglers' you'll find your kids, their faces flushed with news of their day. Maybe you'll take a short family trek to Rum Runners' Hideaway to see the sun setting. As twilight settles in you'll smell dozens of barbecues grilling steaks and burgers. Kids again spill onto their private campus playground. You hear their laughter rising into the sky.

Smugglers' Notch Resort, 4323 Vermont Route 108 South. Smugglers' Notch, VT 05464-9537.800-451-8752.

Waterville Valley Resort, Waterville Valley, New Hampshire

This may be the most beautifully situated summer-ski resort of them all. The little town of Waterville Valley waits 15 miles north of Plymouth at the end of an 11-mile road that skirts the Mad River. The resort lies burrowed deep in the White Mountain National Forest. Rising above the valley are four 4000-foot mountains. At the hub of the resort lies Town Square, with its shops, restaurants, athletic center, ice skating rink, and shuttle busses picking vacationers up and taking them home. This is a place where town ordinances say businesses must mute their lighting at night so the star light can pierce the night.

So much scenery begs to be used. Begin with hiking. More than 100 mils of marked trails wind deep into the forest and along the flanks of mountains. Want more adrenaline? Mountain bikers can choose from 60 miles of marked trails. Some trails follow the cross-country ski network, or old logging roads; others plummet from mountain peaks (you put the bike on chair lifts to get up) down thrilling single tracks. Do your teens want to bring their skateboards or BMX bikes? The Waterville Valley Super Park near Town Square has what they look for: 10-foot high, 24 foot wide halfpipe, a vert ramp, and pyramids, banked ramps, handrails -- all the stuff that makes parents look away and make teens say "yeah!" Want to play tennis? Waterville Valley has evolved into one of New England's tennis meccas. The red clay courts number 18, and its adult and junior clinics draw vacationers who come just to improve their game.

Need more physical exertion? Corcoran Pond, named for former Olympic skier Tom Corcoran who developed the resort, gives you canoeing, kayaking, paddleboats or just a long, lazy swim. And when all those muscles say "pamper me" then the saunas, whirlpools, steam rooms and massage therapists in the Town Square Athletic Center await.

Waterville Valley Resort, 1 Ski Area Road, P.O.Box 540, Waterville Valley, NH 03215 . 800-468-2553.

Sugarloaf/USA, Carrabasett Valley, Maine

You drive north on Route 16 from Kingfield and you come around a curve and then you want to stop. Rising in front is Sugarloaf, Maine's second highest mountain, and it seems to loom right into your windshield. Locals call this" Ohmygosh Corner" for its ability to make drivers stop in astonishment at the view. Maine's western mountains have always been one of New England's secret spots. Its rugged isolation keeps the casual vacationer further south, but for decades fly fishermen, canoeists and hikers sought out the rivers and lakes of the region.

Sugarloaf offers a self-contained mountain village with a hotel, hundreds of condos, restaurants, shops, 50 miles of marked mountain biking trails, hiking and even moose watching (this is prime moose country), but its greatest lure for summer travelers is its 18 hole golf course. Robert Trent Jones, Jr., son of the fabled golf course architect, completed Sugarloaf's course in 1986, and from its opening day it has consistently been ranked among the three or four elite New England public courses. Golfers come to this mountainous, challenging course knowing they will lose countless balls into the Carrabassett River or into the dense woods. No matter. It's like losing your heart to a beautifully beguiling woman. Playing this course is like being in the center of a work of art. You appreciate the work. The first seven holes on the back nine that play along the river have been dubbed "The String of Pearls." The "Loaf's" golf school packages are increasingly popular as golfers of all ages and abilities come to test themselves, hoping that the Pearls' secrets will magically be revealed.

Sugarloaf/USA. RR1, Box 5000, Carrabassett Valley, Maine 04947. 800-The-LOAF.

Killington Resort, Killington, Vermont:

Killington has always helped transform Vermont. It was from Killington Peak in 1763 that the Reverend Samuel Peters broke a bottle on its rocks and declared the land below "Verde-Mont." (Green Mountain) Some of the state's first true summer tourists came here to the original Summit House where they embarked on nature treks to the surrounding summits. When the ski area opened in 1958 it grew to become what it is known as today: the "Beast of the East." This "beast" spreads across seven mountains, with 200 trails, 31 lifts and over 80 miles of skiing terrain. It's as though several New England ski resorts got tucked into this single resort. The access road with its five miles of inns and hotels , restaurants, shops and clubs bustles with adrenalin charged energy. Young energy.

Family time rules the summer here. Over at Killington's sister mountain, Pico, you'll see parents hugging their children as they swoop down the twin alpine slides, twisting and banking their way downward to the valley floor. At Killington's "Adventure Center "a waterslide, skateboard park, and a mountain bike center provide a home base for families to disperse while staying together. At the base of Killington, the Killington Golf Course rivals Sugarloaf's for sheer mountain beauty. When you play this 18 hole course you don't know whether to hit the ball or just pause and look around. Perhaps take photos. With 20 golf courses within an hour of the resort, you can spend a week playing a different course each day. Many do just that.

The K 1 Express Gondola rises from Killington's base to Killington Peak. Both the Gondola and the summit chair have been equipped to carry mountain bikes. From the summit the biker has what seems like an entire mountain universe to explore. Before heading off to what I some of the prime black bear habitat in Vermont have a bite in the Peak Restaurant where the sun streams through and from the windows you can see brightly helmeted mountain bikers beginning their descent.

The access road is still quiet in summer. A waitress at The Gristmill who is accustomed to overflowing crowds in winter called it "a ghost town." Not quite, but in summer and fall when nearby destinations like Woodstock and Grafton fill up there is almost always room at the inn -- and room at the top of Killington Peak.

Killington Resort, 4703 Killington Road, Killington, VT. 05751. 800-621-MTNS.

Sunday River Ski Resort, Newry, Maine

When you come to Sunday River, in the western mountains of Maine you get a bonus -- the sweet town of Bethel only six miles away. Bethel is one of those towns that drew summer "rusticators" in the 1800s, who came for the healthy benefits of mountain air, then all but faded from public view until the resurgence of a obscure ski mountain called Sunday River. Under the prodding of ski mogul Les Otten, Sunday River expanded across eight mountains with 128 trails until it rivaled even Killington for skier visits.

Sunday River in 1990 became the first New England mountain to welcome mountain bikers on its chairlifts, and adventure bikers throughout the east flocked to its slopes where over 60 miles of trails waited their daring. Some riders ride from the top 10-15 times a day, until they stop exhausted and as exhilarated as if they had skied double black diamonds all day.

This summer they can relax on Sunday River's own Robert Trent Jones, Jr. 18 hole course. Designed to take advantage of its Jordan Bowl setting with the Mahousac Range as a backdrop, Jones compared his latest creation to courses in the west. The two resorts, Sugarloaf and Sunday River, have competed for skiers for years, now it is obvious they will both tout the prettiest and most challenging golf course in the state. Golfers will love coming here because in the heart of Bethel is the venerable Bethel Inn and Country Club's own famed 18 hole course.

But if you never swing a club, nor wish to fly down a mountain on a bike, Sunday River can still entice with its setting. A short drive away is Evans Notch, a mountain pass cut by the Wiuld and Cold Rivers that offers spectacular views around every bend. On the return you may stop at the Artists' Covered Bridge in Newry, beneath where locals have bathed in the cool Sunday River for generations, long before the rest of discovered how refreshing ski country beneath blue skies and summer sun.

Sunday River Ski Resort, P.O.Box 450, Bethel, Maine 04217. 207-824-3000.

Readers' Favorite New England Escapes

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100

We asked Yankee readers and web visitors to tell us where in New England they would go if they could escape for a week.

Among the destinations:

Ogunquit, Maine
Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Bath, Maine
Madison, Connecticut
White Mountains, New Hampshire

Here's what they have to say about their favorite New England getaway. Take a moment to add your own.

New England's 10 Best Beaches

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Thu, 29 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Urban Adventures: New England's Cities

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Wed, 21 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100