Kim's New England Travel Blog

Ten years ago today, my New England Travel Web site went "live." My About.com colleague and fellow New Englander Arthur Levine recently suggested that's the equivalent of 70 years in traditional media! So much has changed since I uploaded my first article via a dial-up modem, but one thing's the same: I love sharing this region with you. Here are 10 of my favorite stories from the past 10 years:

• 1998: New England Oddities A to Z
• 1999: Maine Moose Safari
• 2001: The Bear Show at Clark's Trading Post
• 2002: Green Animals
• 2004: A Whale of a Tale
• 2004: New England's Sweetest Spa Treatment
• 2005: A Heavenly Place for Dogs and Their People
• 2006: Meet the Clydesdales Up Close
• 2006: Tour Maine's Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village
• 2007: The 10 Most Memorable Things To Do on the Massachusetts North Shore

Browse All Recent New England Travel Stories

Celebrate the fragrance and beauty of lilacs this weekend at your choice of two events in the Northeast: Lilac and Gardening Sunday at the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont, or the annual Lilac Festival in Rochester, New York.

More Spring Flower Festivals in New England

All About Lilacs, from About.com Landscaping Guide David Beaulieu

_{Lilac bush photo © 2006 Kim Knox Beckius.}

New additions this week to Kim's New England Deal Sheet:

• Get two racing rubber duckies that might win you prizes when you stay at New Hampshire's Inn at Ellis River during the Memorial Day Weekend Wildquack Festival;
• Stay five nights at the Zachariah Eddy House B&B near Plymouth, Massachusetts, this summer and enjoy a free lobster dinner for two; and
• Be among the first to play the newly renovated Nicklaus Design 18-hole golf course at Cape Cod's Ocean Edge Resort with a special unlimited play package available through June.

May is National Hamburger Month, a perfect time to visit the birthplace of the hamburger. Come along with me on a visit to Louis' Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut, and I'll tell you the story of how Louis Lassen made fast food history in 1900. If you decide to head to New Haven for a taste of history, be sure to read my advice, or you might do something silly... like ask for ketchup.

While You're In New Haven...
Explore the Center Church Crypt
Enjoy Vegetarian Fare at Claire's Corner Copia
Shop at Connecticut's Only IKEA Store

Making Hamburgers at Home?
Try this Hamburger Relish Recipe, submitted by Lorraine Mineweaser.

_{Louis' Lunch photo © 2005 Kim Knox Beckius.}

New England was at the forefront of the microbrew revolution, and now that specialty beers are making a comeback, there's no better place than the Northeast to celebrate craft brewing's resurgence this summer. The Brewers Association says America's craft beer makers sold 12 percent more beer in 2007. "Since 2004, dollar sales by craft brewers have increased 58 percent," said Paul Gatza, Director of the Brewers Association, in a release. "The strength of this correlates with the American trend of buying local products and a preference for more flavorful foods and beers," he added.

Find the right craft brew for you at one of these summer beer festivals in New England and neighboring New York State.

More for Beer Lovers:
Tour the Sam Adams Brewery in Boston
An Upstate NY Restaurant with 500 Beers on the Menu
Where to Drink Watermelon Ale
Cook with Beer: Patriot Pork Chops Recipe

_{Beer photo © Kim Knox Beckius.}

Fiddleheads are starting to appear at markets in New England. What is this New England spring delicacy? I'm glad you asked! I'll tell you all about fiddleheads. You may just find yourself inspired to try one of the 15 recipes in my collection of fiddleheads recipes from New England.

_{Fiddleheads photo © 2004 Kim Knox Beckius.}

New additions this week to Kim's New England Deal Sheet:

• Receive a free small iced coffee or tea with a sandwich or pizza purchase at New England Dunkin' Donuts shops the day after any Red Sox win;
• Introduce your kids to casting and fly tying at a free Family Fishing Festival in Maine on May 31; and
• Save 15 percent and get free shipping on the Go Boston Card, which offers admission to more than 70 attractions for one low price (hurry--offer ends Thursday).

There's so much new to see and do in New England during the summer of 2008. Whether you're more comfortable in a casino or in the kitchen, an admirer of art or military aircraft, fascinated by wrecked ships or inclined to board one that still floats, parents of thrill-seeking teens or empty nesters eager to treat yourselves to a luxurious escape, this is the year you need to visit New England.

Looking Back: What Was New in 2007
These attractions are still pretty new!

_{MGM Grand at Foxwoods photo © 2008 Kim Knox Beckius.}

Looking for a home away from home for a week or more at one of New England's scenic destinations? Vacation rentals are a popular alternative to other New England lodging options, particularly for summer vacationers who want to get away from it all. Find the perfect hideaway with my guide to vacation rentals in all six New England states, plus neighboring New York.

Think Ahead To Summer!

• New England Summer Festivals A-Z
• Get Your Tanglewood Tickets

_{Vacation cabin photo © 1999 Kim Knox Beckius.}

Above and Beyond is the name of the top-floor suite at the Abigail Stoneman Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, and it's also a fitting description for this two-bedroom hideaway, which features, among other things, a secret door cleverly disguised as a wall of books. Behind it is a secret room with a whirlpool tub for two!

If you want to spend summer days by the sea, my Newport Travel Guide can help you plan your trip. Just dreaming of Newport? Join me on a virtual stroll along Newport's famous Cliff Walk.

_{Photo of Above and Beyond's secret room © 2002 Kim Knox Beckius.}