Enjoy New England Charm at These Award-Winning Inns
New England is a region steeped in Americana. Whether it’s simply enjoying the country villages where handmade quilts and antiques fill the shops, or taking in the majesty of a city such as Boston, where in a day you can learn more history by walking down the street than you might in a semester of American history, it is memorable to visit. The region, which includes six states, is both quaint and sophisticated and offers much for travelers to enjoy.
A trip to Boston, New England’s largest city, is a staple of any tour of the region. After exploring the historic sites of the city and surrounding area, you can head to Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard for a seaside experience. Perhaps you want to enjoy the scenery of rural New England. If so, drive along Route 7 through Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont and you’ll find plenty of fall foliage and quirky villages to enjoy. Another option include exploring the coastal towns of Maine, where you’ll find lighthouses dotted along the rugged shoreline.
Travel writer Karen Brown offers up some excellent itineraries in her guidebook about New England, as well as on her website, Karen Brown’s World of Travel. As for where to stay, Karen Brown’s readers have voted and chosen the following four lodgings as the region’s best.
For a romantic retreat, the Lodge at Moosehead Lake in Greenville, Maine, is sure to put the spark back into your relationship. Voted by Karen Brown readers as New England’s “Most Romantic” lodging, this inn affords excellent views of its namesake lake, as well as the distant mountains. You might even see moose splashing in the water. There are five rooms in the main lodge, each decorated with a different theme. There are also four suites in the carriage house. One spectacular example is the Allagash Suite, which includes a queen bed suspended from the ceiling by boom chains that date back to the logging days of the 19th century. The room also includes a bathtub surrounded by river rock and a private deck boasting lake views.
If you long for the Norman Rockwell experience, book a stay at Maple Leaf Inn in Barnard, Vermont. The picturesque white Victorian farmhouse, the recipient of the Karen Brown Readers Choice Award for New England’s “Warmest Welcome,” is surrounded by 16 wooded acres. The interior is decorated with hand-stenciled walls, handmade quilts and unique samplers created by the innkeeper. Antiques and king-size beds decorate the guest rooms, most of which also have a fireplace and whirlpool tub. Gourmet breakfasts are served by candlelight in the inn’s dining room.
For those on a budget, the Whaler’s Inn in Mystic, Conn., has been named by Karen Brown’s readers as New England’s “Greatest Value.” Accommodations at the inn are spread among five different buildings and range from standard rooms with two queen beds to spacious suites with fireplaces and views of the Mystic River. Continental breakfasts are served in the inn’s Hospitality Room, which also houses a center for business travelers.
After a stay at The Wauwinet, you’ll feel a bit like royalty, or at the very least a member of the Kennedy Family. Located seaside on Nantucket Island, the inn’s property rests against a nature preserve, so you are guaranteed privacy. There is so much to do here that you could spend a week at The Wauwinet and never venture into town. You can relax on the beach, take a cooking class, pamper yourself at the inn’s spa or take a sail on Nantucket Bay aboard the Wauwinet Lady. The guest rooms and cottages are stocked with the finest linens, fresh flowers, fluffy robes and luxury bath products. Each of the accommodations has been decorated individually in a romantic, luxurious style and some include a view of the bay. The inn’s combination of location, ambiance and amenities earned it the Karen Brown Readers’ Choice Award as best “Splendid Splurge” in New England.
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Tags: bed and breakfast, new england travel, romantic retreat
