Only in New England

EVER SINCE MY SCHOOLBOY EXCHANGE YEAR IN NEW ENGLAND, I have been a fan of this region. British friends are used to me waxing lyrical about the huge variety of things to see and do, all year round – history and museums, natural beauty and family activities, restaurants, shopping and more. But the phrase I find myself using over and over is: “Only in New England”. That is because each of the six states offers experiences that are truly unique.

CONNECTICUT: THE WORLD’S LAST WOODEN WHALER

“The last time the Charles W Morgan had sailed was back in 1921,” Dan McFadden from Mystic Seaport tells me. “So, when we cast off in Long Island Sound after five years of restoration, there was a hushed silence. It was a spiritual moment.”

That was two years ago, as the wooden whaling ship set off on a grand tour of New England’s ports. Built in 1841, she is the last of her kind, not just in the USA but anywhere in the world. After that celebratory – and final – voyage, the Morgan returned to her day job, as the star attraction at Mystic Seaport, the popular maritime museum in south-east Connecticut that recreates the life and times of a port 160 years ago.

“When you go on board the Morgan today,” Dan explains, “the smells are still there – live oak, yellow fir and tar from the caulking.” But now, instead of hunting whales, she promotes conservation, the theme of the excellent new exhibit Voyaging in the Wake of the Whalers, which explores America’s historic and contemporary relationship with whales and whaling.

Mystic Seaport is open daily, late March to late November. The ideal place to stay is The Inn at Mystic, set on a hill with glorious harbour views and within walking distance of Mystic Seaport and Mystic’s historic downtown.

MAINE: SAILING ABOARD A WINDJAMMER

“Nowhere else in the world can you get the same experience under sail,” says Captain Noah Barnes. “It’s the combination of a historic vessel and the beautiful rocky Maine coastline.” He should know – his two-masted schooner, the Stephen Taber, is the oldest working boat in the USA.

“Back in 1871, she was one of thousands of windjammers, as we call them, carrying timber, stone and supplies up and down the coast.” Nowadays, she welcomes holidaymakers. With no engine and no cell phones, a few days on board are a holiday with a difference. But a windjammer is no theme park; the crew are not in costume and they are not pretending. Passengers can help raise the sails – or sip a beer and watch. A major thrill is going ashore on one of the 2,000 islands along the Maine Coast. “Nothing matches a real lobster bake on the beach,” explains Cap’n Noah. “We light a wood fire, boil up water, pile up lobsters, clams and corn, layered with seaweed and let it all steam gently.”

The Maine Windjammer Association is based in Rockport, Maine. The Stephen Taber is one of nine Maine tall ships. Stay at the comfy Grand Harbor Inn, which is right on Camden’s waterfront.

MASSACHUSETTS: THE FIRST THANKSGIVING

“As far as we can be sure, the Pilgrims had venison for what we think of as the first Thanksgiving Dinner back in 1621,” says Vicki Oman, one of the costumed Pilgrims who bring the past to life at Plimoth Plantation, near the town of Plymouth, an hour south of Boston. Her role is Bridgit Fuller, the original colonists’ deacon’s wife. As well as talking to visitors in the village during the daytime, she welcomes them to a series of specially-themed Harvest Dinners, held in the autumn.

As traditional dishes are served, she and other role players chat to the guests about life in early 17th-century Massachusetts. What everyone wants to know is – did the settlers sit down and break bread with Native Americans from the local tribe? “All we know is that the Pilgrims met 95 warriors on a fowling expedition and talked about the feast. The Native Americans turned up with five deer – and the feast lasted three days.” Nearly 400 years later, the idea of giving thanks for the harvest has evolved into the oh-so American holiday of Thanksgiving, celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday of November.

Stay in the new Mirbeau Inn & Spa at The Pinehills, a short drive from Plimoth Plantation. Built in the style of a French country estate, it offers plush bedrooms, a classy restaurant and a spa.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: THE WORLD’S FIRST COG RAILWAY

“On the first run of the day up the mountain, you smell history,” says Gareth Slattery. “I started as an engineer here and I still think that the smell of sulphur from the coal-fired boiler is romantic.” Today, Gareth is the general manager of the Mount Washington Cog Railway. When it started in 1868, it was the first in the world, using technology that was cutting edge. Now, modern bio-diesel locomotives have taken over, but by tradition, the 9am ascent up the tallest mountain in the Northeast is hauled by an old-fashioned steam engine.

“On the three-mile run, the fireman might shovel a ton of coal,” Gareth adds. While he works, passengers “ooh” and “aah” as views of the White Mountains open up. Once on the 6,288ft summit of Mount Washington, most head for the observatory and café. But Gareth suggests staying behind to chat to the engineers, who are continuing a tradition of nearly 150 years.

Mount Washington Cog Railway runs about every 30 minutes April-November. Stay at the grand Omni Mount Washington Resort, built in 1902, where you can play golf, relax in the spa and drink cocktails on the veranda.

RHODE ISLAND: THE MANSIONS OF NEWPORT

In the UK, stately homes are dotted around the country. What makes Newport so special is having a lot of grand mansions all in one place. At the end of the 19th century, the mega-rich of the USA summered here, sailing yachts and throwing spectacular parties. What they called ‘cottages’ are fabulous mansions, such as Marble House, built for the Vanderbilt family in 1892.

“The Grand Salon distils the essence of America’s Gilded Age in just one room. It is so over the top,” says Dr Laurie Ossman. She is the Director of Museum Affairs at the Preservation Society of Newport County, the organisation that looks after a dozen or so of these historic properties. Lined up along Bellevue Avenue, just minutes apart, they provide a through-the-keyhole view of how the other one per cent lived.

“For six weeks, from late July to early September, ladies of society would host dinners, dances and receptions. There were parties every night,” says Dr Ossman. One objective was to marry off daughters to visiting aristocrats, such as the Czar’s nephew or a British nobleman. Consuelo Vanderbilt, for example, ended up as the wife of the Duke of Marlborough.

Marble House is open year-round. The recently revamped Newport Marriott is right on the harbour and has great views from most rooms.

VERMONT: THE FALL FOLIAGE PHENOMENON

“We claim that Vermont has the world’s best foliage in the autumn – and that’s a credible claim,” says Michael Snyder, the state’s chief foliage forecaster. New England in the autumn (fall) is on a million bucket lists – flaming-red maples, sassafras and dogwood; orange mountain maple and hickory; scarlet blueberry barrens and woodbine. But the idea of leaf-peeping (admiring the autumn colours) is not new. Seventy years ago this year, writer Abner Coleman waxed lyrical in Vermont Living magazine: “To the color photographer, Vermont during the autumn months offers delights indescribable.”

His photos attracted people from around the country to the state; what had been off-season became peak season. According to Snyder, Vermont enjoys a combination of factors. “We are the most heavily-forested with hard woods; we have the greatest density of sugar and red maples,” he explains. But there are even more attractions – historic villages with white churches on the green; farms with red barns and green pasture; mountains, hilltops and river valleys swathed with colour; reflections in lakes and ponds. “This mosaic is unique to Vermont,” he adds.

For a memorable stay, the Trapp Family Lodge, founded by the real-life family who inspired The Sound of Music, is an ideal base for hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and canoeing.