New England '99 (Gold Guides) - Softcover

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Pleasures and Pastimes

Beaches
Long, wide beaches edge the New England coast from southern Maine to southern Connecticut: the most popular are on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and the shore areas north and south of Boston; on Maine's York County coast; Block Island Sound in Rhode Island; and the coastal region of New Hampshire. Many are maintained by state and local governments and have lifeguards on duty; they may have picnic facilities, rest rooms, changing facilities, and concession stands. Depending on the locale, you may need a parking sticker to use the lot. The waters are at their warmest in August, though they're cold even at the height of summer along much of the Maine coast. Inland, there are small lake beaches, most notably in New Hampshire and Vermont.

Biking
Cape Cod has miles of bike trails, some paralleling the National Seashore, most on level terrain. On either side of the Cape Cod Canal is an easy 7-mi straight trail with views of the canal traffic. Other favorite areas for bicycling are the Massachusetts Berkshires, the New Hampshire lakes region, and Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and Block Island can be thoroughly explored by bicycle. Biking in Maine is especially scenic in and around Kennebunkport, Camden, Deer Isle, and the Schoodic Peninsula. The carriage paths in Acadia National Park are ideal. Sunday River Ski Resort operates a mountain bike park during the summer months.

Boating
In most lakeside and coastal resorts, sailboats and powerboats can be rented at a local marina. Newport, Rhode Island, and Maine's Penobscot Bay are famous sailing areas. Lakes in New Hampshire and Vermont are splendid for all kinds of boating. The Connecticut River in the Pioneer Valley and the Housatonic River in the Berkshires are popular for canoeing. In Massachusetts, Gloucester and Newburyport are traditional fishing ports, and Essex is known for saltwater and freshwater canoeing.

Dining
Seafood is king throughout New England. Clams, quahogs, lobster, and scrod are prepared here in an infinite number of ways, some fancy and expensive, others simple and moderately priced. One of the best ways to enjoy seafood is in the rough -- off paper plates on a picnic table at a clam boil or clambake -- or at one of the many shacklike eating places along the coast, where you can smell the salt air. Among the quintessentially New England dishes served at inland resorts and inns are Indian pudding, clam chowder, fried clams, and cranberry anything. You can also find multicultural variations on themes, such as Portuguese chouriço (a spicy red sausage that transforms a clam boil into something heavenly) and the mincemeat pie made with pork in the tradition of the French Canadians who populate the northern regions.

Fishing
Anglers will find sport aplenty throughout the region -- surf-casting along the shore, deep-sea fishing in the Atlantic on party and charter boats, fishing for trout in rivers, and angling for bass, landlocked salmon, and other fish in freshwater lakes. Maine's Moosehead and Rangeley Lakes regions are draws for serious fisherfolk. Sporting goods stores and bait-and-tackle shops are reliable sources for licenses -- necessary in fresh waters -- and for leads to the nearest hot spots.

Hiking
Probably the most famous trails are the 255-mi Long Trail, which runs north--south through the center of Vermont, and the Maine-to-Georgia Appalachian Trail, which runs through New England on both private and public land. You'll find good hiking in many state parks throughout the region.

National and State Parks and Forests
National and state parks offer a broad range of visitor facilities, including campgrounds, picnic grounds, hiking trails, boating, and ranger programs. State forests are usually somewhat less developed. For more information on any of these, contact the state tourism offices or parks departments.

Shopping
Antiques, crafts, maple syrup and sugar, fresh produce, and clothing and housewares lure shoppers to New England's factory outlet stores, flea markets, shopping malls, bazaars, yard sales, country stores, and farmers' markets. Connecticut sales tax is 6%; Rhode Island, 7%; Massachusetts, 5% (except clothing purchases under $150, which are not taxed); Vermont, 5%; and Maine, 6%. New Hampshire has no sales tax.

Skiing
The softly rounded peaks of New England have been attracting skiers for a full century.