Globe Corner Blogs

For better or worse, I’ve spent a good hunk of time touring the New England region in the past couple months. I’ve taken the train to coastal Connecticut, the commuter rail to the North Shore of Boston, the train to New York City, and I’ve driven to southern Vermont, northern New Jersey, and Hartford, Conn. For lack of more exotic travel dispatches, here is some advice on traveling not-so-far from home:

- Safety first! Even when going to a neighboring state, the usefulness of a good old fashioned paper map should not be overlooked. In the event that you’re lost without map or compass (see Dan’s earlier post), you will only have to reach into your glove compartment to get back on track. Additionally, as Murphy’s Law states, having a map on hand will ensure an easy and panic-free trip.

- Re-explore your hometown. Having grown up in scenic Marblehead, Mass, I have always been aware of the town’s historical significance, quaint architecture, and overall famed New Englandness. But, after a recent trip back home, I’ve found a whole new appreciation for landmarks that I’d grown up walking by, driving past, and in general, ignoring. These landmarks include Old Burial Hill, Fort Sewell and Crocker Park — all places I highly recommend experiencing in the summer months. Take a picnic and a camera because the harbor’s beautiful!

- My personal experience dictates that, given the choice, go to Vermont over New Jersey. If there’s an exception to this rule it would have to be going to Cape May, as confirmed by a previous post from Llalan. In New Jersey, I learned the definition of a “jersey-sweep” (which involves carelessly weaving in between lanes on the highway, passing cars on the left and right alike, and definitely avoiding the use of directional blinkers at all costs), and saw what has to be the birthplace of great American strip mall. In Vermont, however, I was reminded of why writer/environmentalist Bill McKibben names Vermont and the Adirondacks “America’s most hopeful landscape” in Wandering Home. (But please, decide for yourself.)

While I hope to get to some more distant locations soon, for now (before all the nor’easters come in the fall and winter) I’m quite happy to be at home in New England.

Read more: Boston, Eastern US, New England, Travel, Travel Advice, Travel Tips and Resources


Jess is a GCB alum and now contributes to the travel blog as often as she can. Jess attended Middlebury College so she loves the Green Mountain State. She also studied abroad in Paris for a semester and has traveled through much of western Europe and the UK. Her most recent travels include trips to Portland, OR, Los Angeles, CA and Spain (Madrid and Andalusia). She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

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