New England Travel and Vacation Gazette and Other Wicked Good Content

Angle Pond, Sandown, N.H. Where did the summer go? It seems like Memorial Day Weekend was a few weeks ago, or so it seems. While we, in New England, are fortunate enough to have summer followed by the great fall season with all its colors, community harvest events and a crisp, cool feel in the air, there's something discomforting, for some of us, knowing that it could be snowing in less than two months. So, how was your New England summer? What kinds of travel things did you do that you'll remember with fondness for a long time? Did you vacation by the ocean, the mountains, eat at a great restaurant, stay at a classic inn, visit a special attraction, or attend a memorable event? The Weekly New England Travel and Vacation Gazette welcomes your input!

Article and photo by Eric H. Nantasket Beach in Hull, Mass., is best associated with the former Paragon Park. All those amusements provided many years of joy for locals and vacationers, and memories of an endearing summer of eternal youth. Paragon Park has been gone since 1984 with some remnants still in place like a carousel, an arcade and souvenir shops, but what truly remains is the innate beauty of Nantasket Beach. After all that time being associated with Paragon Park never really allowed us to focus on just the beach. And what a great stretch of beach it is, possibly one of the best outside out of Cape Cod.  For just a nominal parking fee, the couple of miles of beach here is simply one of the places to be to relax during the waning days of summer vacation here in New England.

Downtown Falmouth (photo by Eric ) Falmouth, Mass., epitomizes the dual personality of Cape Cod, combining the quaint beach side "outskirts of town" neighborhoods with the highly developed commercial downtown. It's really the best of both worlds. You can have the quintessential Cape Cod beach vacation of a destination like, say, Old Silver Beach in North Falmouth while having so many locally-owned and operated retail, dining and lodging options in the town's center. We'd like to know what you like most about Falmouth -- and what aspects you could do without.  We're particularly interested in your feedback on beaches, attractions, restaurants, inns and places to walk. Please feel free to comment below! A coastal scene from North Falmouth (photo by Eric H.)

We truly enjoyed the Brockton Rox doubleheader last night at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton, Mass. The stadium is like a miniature Fenway Park -- intimate and full of passionate baseball fans with Boston accents. There's not a bad seat in the house, the concession stands are well-organized and serve all the basics (hot dogs, popcorn, burgers, etc.) and the restrooms are kept clean. The price to watch these well-played Canadian- American Association of Professional Ball minor league games is impressive, too: $5.00 for grandstand seats, $7.50 for reserved seating, $9.50 for box and $15.00 for a "superbox."  After the game, there was a great fireworks display -- what a nice way to end the evening! We also heard a PA announcement that Bill Lee, the 1970s era Boston Red Sox pitcher with quite a colorful personality (and with some real pitching talent, too!) will  join the club as the team’s starting pitcher for the game on Sunday, Sept. 5 at 1:05 p.m. against the Worces...

We recently received word from our New England travel neighbors at VisitMaine.com that the Maine Department of Conservation will begin its 52nd season of fall foliage reporting on Sept. 15. 2010. Maine Forest Service and state park rangers report, in detail, the color changes and leaf drop rates in Maine's seven tracking zones in at least six weekly reports. Each report and an updated foliage map are posted on Maine's official season website www.Mainefoliage.com . You can sign up on the site homepage to receive the weekly reports by e-mail, and fans and followers of the Maine Office of Tourism's Facebook and Twitter (@visitmaine) pages can also get the updates. We, at The Weekly New England travel and Vacation Blog, highly recommend considering Maine as a New England fall foliage destination. While New Hampshire and Vermont rightfully receive a lot of press for their amazing fall foliage, Maine is also a worthy contender. From the beautiful idyllic inland destinations l...

Nantasket Beach in Hull Mass., is a great place to spend an affordable day (photo by Eric H.) We recently started The Thrifty New England Traveler blog   at http://www.visitingnewengland.com  to help people travel more and spend less in New England. With a rough economy,  most people interested in New England travel are looking for free and inexpensive things to do, as well as bargains on dining, shopping and lodging.  As lifelong New Englanders interested in low-cost New England travel -- and with neighbors, family and friends also giving suggestions along the way -- we thought this would be a great time to start such a blog. Some of our most recent posts include an affordable place to watch a baseball game, swim at a lake, visit an educational and entertaining small children's museum, and spend a day at the coast.  As always, we are looking for your ideas on inexpensive New England travel and vacation ideas, so always feel free to cont...