New England Travel and Vacation Gazette and Other Wicked Good Content

Report by Eric H. Photo by  Sarah Musumeci, courtesy of MOTT, MassVacation    April not only means the beginning of warmer weather in New England, but also some famous events -- be sure not to miss the following two in Massachusetts: Boston Marathon, Mon., April 19, 2010   This famous 26-mile running event starts in Hopkinton, Mass., and ends in Boston! Lexington and Concord Patriot's Day Parades, April 17-18, 2010   What better place to see Patriot's Day parades than the birthplaces of the Revolutionary War in Lexington and Concord, Mass.? Be prepared to witness authentic reenactments and colorful "Colonial period groups marching the parade.

Article by Eric H.   Sometimes, the concept of a restaurant is far more important than what they serve. Such is the case with Mike's Mess Hall, a new restaurant in Medfield, Mass. While the soups and sandwiches are quite good at Mike's, the mission of this veteran-run "hidden restaurant," now open to the public, has far more meaning as profits support local vets and create scholarships for school-bound locals. Located in the back of the American Legion Hall on Peter Kristoff Way, Mike's Mess Hall features a rather large no- frills dining room with a long counter, and standalone tables, pool tables, a golf video game, and big screen televisions.  Veterans keep the conversation lively, talking about current events from Medfield to Washington, D.C.  The staff is courteous and the atmosphere quite welcoming as there seems to be an aura of gratitude to those customers who have gone out of their way to enjoy some very good food (including burgers, gilled chicken sand...

Article and photo (Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park, Maine) by Eric H . We are pleased to announce that the 2010 New England Travel Newsletter is available for your reading pleasure at http://www.visitingnewengland.com/New-England-Travel-Spring-2010-Newsletter.pdf  . Our first online newsletter includes spring-related articles on Kennebunkport, Maine, Boston, Mass., Ogunquit, Maine, an amazing castle in Connecticut, a few key spring events, colorful large photos of New England, and more. The New England Travel Newsletter will be published four times a year -- spring, winter, summer and fall. Please feel free to contribute by emailing your story ideas, tips and calendar of event items. We hope you enjoy the newsletter, and would appreciate any feedback you have so that we can help this publication grow with each season. Happy travels!

by Eric H. (photo of Kennebunkport, Maine in April by Eric H.) VisitingNewEngland.com will be publishing its first online New England travel newsletter within a few weeks. You can sign up for this free publication on most VisitingNewEngland.com pages in the right column  . Spring travel articles, tips, resources and photographs that you'll only find from VisitingNewEngland.com are just some of the features of the spring travel newsletter. We will publish several times a year, and hope to expand the content with each issue. With the spring issue almost ready to be released, we recommend signing up within the next five days. Thanks, and happy New England travels!

Cohasset Town Common, Cohasset, Mass. (photo by Eric H. Article and photos by Eric H.  I had a chance to tour more of the Cohasset and Scituate, Mass., area yesterday. Both South Shore towns (located about 25-30 miles south of Boston) offer some wonderful coastal views -- particularly along Jerusalem Way in Cohasset and quaint downtown districts with restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating as well as gifts shops, boutiques, galleries, and an overall nice "Main Street USA" feel. Cohasset's town common is surely one of the greatest village greens in New England with its pond and large expanse of land surrounded by historic buildings. If you have a chance, please sign up at our Facebook Fan Page to take a look at a video taken at Minot Point in Scituate of the ocean current.  The waves were really spectacular, as you will see! Below is a photo of the rush of the ocean yesterday: To give you a flavor of the two towns, here are some photos of Cohasset Village, ...

Article and photo by Eric H. Cohasset Harbor, located in the picturesque South Shore suburban Boston coastal town of Cohasset, Mass., offers a nice setting for a spring day. Whether it's fishing, walking, or just viewing the scenic protected harbor, the feeling is relaxed and purely quintessential coastal New England. The Atlantica Restaurant , specializing in seafood and water views, is located here, as well as the Cohasset Harbor Inn resort , making for a delightful, "hidden" New England getaway. Even though you feel like you're a million miles from the hectic urban, suburban life at Cohasset Harbor, Boston is only about a 35-minute drive! For additional info and another view of Cohasset Harbor, please check out our Cohasset Harbor travel photo essay at VisitingNewEngland.com.

Source: VisitMaine.com Walkers, runners, bicycles, ATVs, and horses will be able use in mid-May the first section of the multi-use Down East Sunrise Trail, a 10-ft. wide, 32-mile stretch of former railroad bed between Machias and its eastern terminus at Ayers Junction The trail offers multiple access parking lots and will eventually stretch for 85 miles to Ellsworth, Maine, making it the longest multi-use recreation trail in the state. For more information, log on to http://www.hcpcme.org/transportation/sunrise/

by Eric H. Just got word from the Mad Raven Pub and Restaurant in Waltham, Mass., that it will be opening a second restaurant called the Raven's Nest at the former Paddock Pub in downtown Walpole, Mass. The Raven's Nest could be open as early as late April 2010, and will feature a menu similar to the Mad Raven Pub and Restaurant. The Mad Raven specializes in delicious Irish-American cuisine, including Shepherds pie, fish n' chips and Irish chicken curry. The Mad Raven also offers more than 15 different drafts. The Mad Raven Pub and Restaurant is located at 841 Main St., Waltham, and the Raven's Nest will be located at 998 Main St. in Walpole.

by Eric H. Just for our "amusement," we have been checking out when local New England amusement parks will open for the season. Based on Internet research, here is what we found: Canobie Lake Park, Sale, N.H. opens for the season on Saturday, April 24, from 11- 6p.m. Those weekend (Saturday-Sunday) hours will remain intact through May 15-16. Daily hours begin in June, although with varying operating times depending upon the day. For specifics, please visit the Canobie Lake Web Site . Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury, Conn., opens for the weekend, also, on April 24, but from 12-6 p.m. Those hours continue into the May 23-23 weekend, with additional hours being added starting on Fri., May 28. For specifics, please visit the Quassy Amusement Park Web Site . Six Flags New England in Springfield, Mass., opens for the season on April 10. Check out the Six Flags calendar for specific hours of operation. York's Wild Kingdom Zoo and Amusement Park in York Beach, Mai...

by Eric H. VisitingNewEngland.com gives a hearty welcome to Ginjo, a new restaurant in Walpole, Mass., with hibachi (including great, "fiery" shows being put on by the chefs), sushi bar, dining rooms, a lounge, take-out and delivery services. The restaurant features a comfortable but beautifully sleek, spacious look, thus belying its plain strip mall location just outside downtown Walpole on Route 1A. Formerly the Blue Orchid Chinese restaurant, the prideful ownership of that restaurant remains intact (and with the original Blue Orchid still in operation in neighboring Westwood, Mass.). Our first visit included sampling a delicious buckwheat Soba noodles with beef, shrimp and assorted vegetables. Judging from this introductory, incredibly fresh dish, we look forward to visiting this new Japanese restaurant again and again. More reports on Ginjo to come! Ginjo Restaurant 889 Main Street Walpole, MA 02081 Tel. 508-660-2888

Article by Eric H. We're back! Call it an upgrade to 50,000 watts of new online content centering on New England travel and vacation ideas. So, what's been going on the the VisitingNewEngland.com newsroom? Well, we're currently featuring a photo essay of Cohasset, Mass. , one of New England's most beautiful coastal towns. With a pleasing harbor and a quaint village setting, it's hard to believe that peaceful Cohasset is a suburb of Boston. Due to popular demand, we also added a "Vacations Package" element to VisitingNewEngland.com. Here, the potential to save money is enormous by combining hotel, air and car rental bookings into one package. The Vacations Packages is powered by Orbitz, one of the true leaders in the travel industry. For horse lovers, we think you'll enjoy our article on a Lakeville, Mass., farm that showcases several Clydesdale horses . The horses are stunning up close, surely different than what you see in those beer commerc...