New England Travel and Vacation Gazette and Other Wicked Good Content

Article and Photo (of Lord's Department Store, Medfield, MA) by Eric H. I recently started a thread on City-Data.com asking readers "What Massachusetts Town Reminds You Most of Small-Town America?" As we see elements of New England become supersized with big box stores, faceless strip malls -- and preservation taking a back seat -- we can thank certain communities for maintaining their small-town, local flavor. A small town feeling might include, for example, a 1940s/50s looks with tree-lined streets, old-fashioned values and a historic downtown area with, maybe, a diner, hardware store, ice cream shop, and an overall traditional, family-oriented feel. In another words, the town might have a "Leave it to Beaver" look. What would be your idea of an idyllic, traditional small town in Massachusetts? I'll start the discussion here with Medfield. Its downtown features a department store with luncheonette (Lords), a historic old-fashioned library and Town Hall...

Our good friends from the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing sent us yesterday a list of some really great sounding events in February 2009. One event that stands out, from our perspective, is the Island Pond Winter Carnival, Feb 6-8, in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Events include a snow sculpture competition, ice skating, bon fire, children's' fishing derby, a snowshoe excursion up Bluff Mountain, sled racing and more. For specific times and locations for this special weekend, visit . For a comprehensive listing of events, log onto www.VermontVacation.com .

VisitingNewEngland.com recently added a Metro Boston Hotel Guide For Business Travelers . In the guide, we offer many business traveler-friendly hotels at the lowest available rate. Knowing that corporate, non-profit and governmental employees frequently do business in Boston and the highly developed suburban Boston industrial and corporate parks, we have created links to myriad towns and cities in this region. So while you'll find a great list of hotels in Boston, you'll also find lodging by the technology belts in Waltham and Burlington-Woburn, as well as in towns and cities like Attleboro, Braintree, Franklin, the Hanscom Air Force Base area, Taunton and Worcester. We have also created a list of extended stay hotels in the Boston area. Extended stay hotels often provide a kitchen area and a host of other convenient amenities, that create the proverbial "home away from home!" If you know of someone traveling to Boston on business, we'd appreciate you spreadi...

Article and Photo by Eric H. Coming back from our favorite destination of Cooperstown, NY, is always difficult. It's hard to leave the picture-perfect, tree-lined Main Street filled with shops, restaurants and grand, old historic homes and inns. The nine-mile long Otsego Lake, the rolling hills and all the other splendid surrounding rural scenery is breathtaking. Of course, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, The Farmers' Museum and Fenimore Art Museum are wonderful cultural resources, so rare to find in such a rural community of this size. In the past, we always stopped on the way back home in West Springfield, MA, for a bite to eat, but then, much to our dismay, we found that the Ivanhoe restaurant closed its doors. Not that the typical urban/suburban offerings of West Springfield could ever replace Cooperstown, but eating at this friendly restaurant with delicious food always provided a pleasant, end-of-the-vacation tradition. Last month on our way back from ...

This is a thank-you letter to Curt Schilling. Curt, although I do not personally know you, I want to thank you for everything you've done while spending time in the Boston, Mass., area. While some people focus on your strong opinions, I choose to center on your humanity, your mission to help others in need, your support of our brave men and women Soldiers, to fully potentiate your baseball skills with 100 percent effort, and your daily presence as a lifelong student of baseball, history and, most importantly, life in general. Unlike many people who feel that you can stop learning once graduating school, it seems like you have become smarter and wiser every day. We can hear it in your wise and passionate perspectives on just about anything from world politics to the politics in baseball -- and the articulation to effectively communicate the given subject matter (including some informative and entertaining entries on your blog, 38 Pitches . Unlike some pampered, prima donna athl...

Article by Eric H. Basil restaurant, in Medfield, MA, meets all the requirements of those looking for an affordable upscale quality restaurant, a hidden New England dining gem, and a conversation vehicle where you can show off your vast knowledge of restaurants no one else knows about. Located in a modest Medfield neighborhood just behind the town center, Basil, at first inspection, looks like, perhaps just another home in the neighborhood until you look in the windows and realize (1) either this is a very big family sitting down to dinner or (2) perhaps this is a catering hall. Although Basil does catering, the reality is that this is a top-notch restaurant with chef and owner Thomas McGue turning out some really great Italian and American dishes from the innovative to the familiar during lunch and especially dinner. Whether it's the the fresh salads (they make an incredible Caesar) and homemade soups (ditto on the New England clam chowder), handmade pasta (butternut squash ravio...