New England Travel and Vacation Gazette and Other Wicked Good Content

Vermont often gets the press for pretty town commons, but West Brookfield, Mass., could easily compete for the best New England village green if ever there was a contest. Surrounded by churches historic homes and a historic bandstand, the West Brookfield Town Common will bring you into the heart of New England. Sit on a bench, enjoy the historic fountain, marvel at the old trees and unwind! For more information on this beautiful little Central Massachusetts town, log onto the VisitingNewEngland West Brookfield page.

The Vermont Country Store in Wetston, Vt., is one of New England's most famous country stores. I took this close-up photo in an attempt to capture the welcoming, old-time feel to the storefront. Notice the front porch benches, the rocking chairs, the old wooden door, the windows with mullions, the American flag at the top left and the family business sign -- this is so New England!  It gets even better inside with more than 5,000 hard-to-find items, some that you thought you would never see again, like Chiclets, Uncle Wiggily board game, the original Gumby and Pokey bendable buddies, Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific Shampoo etc., For more on the Vermont Country Store and other country stores to love during your New England travel. please read our Best Country Stores in New England article.

Today is Pancake Day and thought we could celebrate in grand style by showcasing through the Pinterest social media platform some of the best pancake spots in the six-state region...   The Pancake House, South Yarmouth MA (Cape Cod) -- This is a family-friendly landmark and a often a staple of going out to breakfast when vacationing on Cape Cod. Go for the peanut butter cup pancakes here! Polly's Pancake House, Sugar Hill NH - Generally regarded as one of the best pancake houses in New England, Polly's has the science of making a perfect pancake down to a tee. Too bad they won't reopen for the season until March 16, 2013 -- would have been a natural for Pancake Day! Source: Uploaded by user via Melissa on Pinterest Parker's Maple Barn, Mason NH - Rustic atmosphere, phenomenal buckwheat, pumpkin and blueberry pancakes (see link to review below). Source: hiddenboston.com via Jenny on Pinterest If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...

If you want to get the scoop on what's going on in Boston, Mass., via social media, BostonTweet on Twitter is definitely a "Hub" of information on Boston events and news. Tom O'Keefe does a terrific job sending out information on what's going on in the Boston area. This "real-time"reporting might lead you to a discount meal, great bars, a concert or theater production, a weather update, where to go for brunch, new restaurant, official news from the City of Boston, etc. His Twitter page has become so popular that nearly 76,000 people are following him, at this writing. Excellent use of social media, Tom, at getting timely, informative and entertaining information out to us in a clear, concise manner!

New England has its share of upscale lodging, so we thought it would be a great idea to create a Pinterest Luxury New England Hotels  photo pin board of many of these luxury hotels.  We have included such famous landmarks, including the Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, N.H., Ritz Carlton in Boston, Mass., Wentworth by the Sea in New Castle, N.H. (pictured above), Topnotch in Stowe, Vt., and The Colony in Kennebunkport, Maine. You'll also find some luxury hotels that don't have the "big name," while still offering wonderful settings for those looking to splurge just a little. Each hotel photo leads to a page where you can make reservations. Not only do we see the beauty of these hotels through photos, but also the beauty of social media by categorizing this genre of hotels into one place with frequent updates. No need anymore to wait for those antiquated yearly travel guides and sifting through the book to find luxury hotels!

The grand union between social media and weddings is wonderfully presented through the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism's Massachusetts Weddings! Pinterest pin board. From a wedding on the Berkshire Scenic Railway to saying "I do" by a lighthouse (photo above), this social media page is full of fabulous ideas on where to get married in Massachusetts. Rather than relying on those overly familiar stuffy, staged and stale wedding photos marketed to the hilt by various agencies, this wedding photo page suggests so many fun, unique scenes on wedding locations in Massachusetts.  Nice job, Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism!

It's time to get more social in New England, and we're ready to break the ice. I noticed how many great social media travel and local business pages there are in New England, whether it be on Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or through bloggers (clearly, a form of social media). From state tourism agencies to the local country store, we plan on sharing what we feel are the very best examples of social media in the six-state region. Hopefully, this will help with your New England trip planning, as well as learning more about some phenomenal local businesses. I'll be blogging about social media in New England over the next few months, and, if it is well received, we'll consider switching full-time here to a New England travel social media blog. We will also keep you up to date on our own social media pages, including Google+ , Facebook , Twitter and Pinterest . Let's get things started by recognizing the New England Aquarium in Boston, Mass., as having on...