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FALL ABOUT NEW ENGLAND
By Carol O'Hara
Early October is an elegant time of year in New England. The weather is often mild, the summer visitors have returned home, and the splendor of that season's leaves - now in hues of red, orange, and amber - add awesome ambiance to the atmosphere.
But New England is more than music to the eye, for its six states - which stretch from Connecticut and Rhode Island to the Canadian border - are also a collage of history, people, and places - destined to be ingrained forever within your hearts once you visit.
To begin your stay, you might want to tool around historic Newport, Rhode Island, called "America's first resort." Here, the rich and famous held court at the turn of the 20th century, and you'll find mansions for touring - like Marblehouse, summer home of the William K. Vanderbilts, of steamship and railway fortune, and Rosecliff, built by Nevada silver heiress, Theresa Fair Oelrichs.
Don't tarry too long, though, for Connecticut, where the historic ship, "Nautilus," and the Submarine Force Museum await in Groton - and Foxwood's, the world's largest resort casino, rises just two miles from North Stonington. Spend leisurely time in Boston, the seat of our democracy. At the harbor, take in the USS Constitution - "Old Ironsides." Launched in this city in l797, it's the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world.
Let your thoughts wander to America's past as you meander the Freedom Trail. Listen to your footsteps on the timeworn plank floor in Fanueil Hall, site of rousing debates at the time of the Revolution. Visit the Old North Church, circa 1723, and still holding Sunday services. Step into the home of silversmith Paul Revere. Built in 1680, it's the oldest building in downtown Boston, and from it Revere galloped into the midnight on his famous ride to warn the Patriots of British troop movements as America's battle for independence was about to begin. Then, when you're ready for a respite from city life, Plymouth and the charm of Cape Cod welcome you. Linger in Plymouth long enough to visit Plymouth Rock and the Plimouth Plantation, a living history museum of life in Plymouth in 1627, just before the colonists began to move away from this first settlement.
Cape Cod lies a short distance beyond Plymouth. This region, rising from land created during the last great ice age, is unique unto itself and filled with salt marshes, ponds, and magical beaches, from which views of ocean sunrises and sunsets are unmatched.
For a walk into life as it was at the turn of the century, visit Onset Village, nestled into the Upper Cape on the Cape Cod Canal. Here, grassy tree-filled knolls abound, and residents still sip lemonade on the front porches of Victorian-era homes that overlook miles of wave-washed white sand beaches. Here, too, friendly people at Kenny's Salt Water Taffy Stand, established in 1895, wait to serve you taffy or one of their famous hot dogs.
Later, head for the Lower Cape and Provincetown - at the hook - and site of the first landing of the Pilgrims. Walk the pier, meander in and out of art shops, and dine on scallops - the best you'll find - at Lobster Pot before crossing the street to Lewis Brothers for ice cream. Beware, however - you'll have to wait your turn in line, even this time of year. In between Onset Village and Provincetown are a medley of villages to occupy your time. One ties into another, and it's easy to experience several in a day.
Want a hand-crafted braided rug? You'll find it along Route 28 at Cape Cod Braided Rug Company in Harwich Port, a village first settled by Native Americans more than ten thousand years ago. Care to while away an afternoon souvenir shopping? You can at the Christmas Tree Shop in Falmouth, also along Route 28. This establishment is an amazing collection of goods from far and near, including lovely small stained glass pieces created by Cape artisans - just right for tucking into your luggage as gifts.
Don't overlook Orleans, where the Old Jailhouse Tavern on West Road serves a fine lobster salad roll. The stone walls of the tavern room were once part of the home of the Revolution era town Constable, who used his spare bedroom on Saturday nights to house "those who would flaunt the law." For on that night of the week there was no transportation to move those souls to a more secure environment.
During your sojourn to the Cape, you may be lucky enough to find a resting spot at Ashley Manor in Barnstable on Olde King's Highway (Route 6A). This circa 1699 bed and breakfast inn, named "most romantic B&B/Country Inn" by Arrington's Bed & Breakfast Journal, an on-line publication based in Midland, Texas, blends the grace and dignity of a bygone era with hospitality that offers cozy accommodations and morning repasts to linger over. House specialties like cranberry pie and peach-blueberry crisp beg you to partake of seconds.
Only a hop, skip, and jump from Barnstable is Hyannis, whose "main street by the sea" is a joy to traverse. Along its path you'll find an old time carousel, locally owned arts and crafts establishments, and coffee houses with goodies too good to pass up. In Hyannis, as in Harwich Port, you'll also find the ferry to unforgettable Martha's Vineyard and the cobblestone streets of Nantucket, where hours seem as mere moments in time. Regardless of where you are on the Cape, the ever-present ocean calls to you to replenish your soul beside it. Walk barefoot in the sand. Listen to the seagulls - feed them from loaves of bread if you like - then stay to see day become darkness.
And when you say goodbye to Massachusetts, you might trek to Vermont. You'll most likely find a covered bridge to cross, and you can visit Manchester, where magnificent Hildene rests. Robert Todd Lincoln - the only son of Abraham Lincoln to live to adulthood - built this 24-room Georgian Revival mansion for his family. Now it's yours to tour. Or, you might want to enjoy the hometown flavor of Brattleboro, along the Connecticut River, where Rudyard Kipling once lived, and where you can shop for Vermont Cheddar and maple syrup in its co-op market.
Later, wend your way toward the New Hampshire seacoast, literally the locale of the state's beginning. Dilly-dally in Market Square in Portsmouth and in the town of Hampton Beach, as well, where the vast Atlantic seems to stretch forever.
You might want to extend your visit into Canada via scenic Portland, Maine, where the time-tried Scotia Prince can ferry you overnight to the village of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Depending upon your mood, you may either remain on the boat for the return trip, or spend time in Nova Scotia before again partaking of the ferry's
atmosphere, complete with staterooms, Broadway entertainment, fine dining that includes Maine lobster, and yes - a casino.
Wherever you go and whatever you choose to do in New England, you'll find time evaporates. For in this small region of America, you'll discover that the spirit of yesterday glows as brightly as the autumn leaves of the present. And though you must leave, you'll do so vowing to return again at this same time of year, when history, quiet, and the brilliance of the great outdoors call.
SIDEBAR INFORMATION
For Reservations:
Ashley Manor: www.ashleymanor.net
Scotia Prince: www.scotiaprince.com
For excellent discounts around New England, purchase books from Entertainment Publications: 800-374-4464
For ease when traveling to New England by air, purchase the "EasyTravelAir Security Pouch which holds ID, cell phone, credit cards and more, offering a hands-free approach to airport security: www.easytravelair.com
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