New England Travel and Vacation Gazette and Other Wicked Good Content

Article and photo of York's Wild Kingdom Zoo and Fun Park, York Beach, Maine, by Eric H. Labor Day Weekend sure did arrive in a hurry this summer, didn't it? With the 2009 summer traveling by at seemingly the speed of light, we now reside at a transitional time of the season where school starts for many, the leaves are about to change, and the chance for snow is potentially closer to us in days than this past Memorial Day Weekend. It is still summer, however, and the days still feel that way with its bright sunshine and temperatures in the 70s. Summer activities in New England remain open in full glory over the Labor Day Weekend and, here, we have five travel recommendations we think you'll like: A. York's Wild Kingdom Zoo and Fun Park, York Beach, Maine - The surprisingly large zoo part of York's Wild Kingdom Zoo and Fun Park ranks amongst the best in New England, and the rides provide a more than acceptable mix of traditional amusements. The Zoo's lions, tiger...

Article and photos by Eric H. Video by Worcester Love. With summer vacation in the rear view mirror and a touch of fall in the air this morning, we can now turn our seasonal New England interests to great fall-time activities like apple picking. All over New England, commercial apple orchards report their "corp" businesses yielding an impressive supply of apples ready to pick from the trees. We recommend calling your chosen apple orchard before traveling there, however, because, as they say on the infomercials, "results may vary." We can tell you that the picturesque Brookfield Orchards in North Brookfield, Mass., already has Paula Red apples, similar to a MacIntosh and typically one for the first varieties to be ready for picking. Brookfield Orchards reports that regular Macintosh and Cortland apples should be ready for picking by Labor Day Weekend. Visiting Brookfield Orchards -- a fifth generation family-run business dating back to 1918 -- goes well beyond just...