New England Travel and Vacation Gazette and Other Wicked Good Content

Woodman's Seafood Restaurant in Essex, Mass., is a household name in New England, and with good reason: its founder Lawrence "Chubby" Woodman invented the fried clam here more than 100 years ago. Today, Woodman's is a thriving  local and tourist favorite that also specializes in lobster, lobster rolls, New England clam chowder and other seafood, but it is the fried clam that impresses me most. Yes, New England offers many great seafood shacks for fried clams, but for some reason Woodman's seems a notch above the elite destinations. They just know what they are doing, and the heaping portions further help the matter. I think Zagat sums Woodman's up best:  "A cult classic—right up there with baseball and apple pie, this Essex icon is an enduring American cult favorite." Forbes FYI also acknowledged Woodman's as having "the best seafood in America." I'm quite sure both media outlets factored in the fried clam when speaking so hig...

My Grandmother Had That...Antiques  in Wrentham, Mass., is one of those "hidden gem" antique stores that is jam-packed with antiques, collectibles and other items from the past. Located in a charming, two-story old red barn at 446 South St. (Route 1A), My Grandmother Had That...Antiques certainly lives up to its name. You'll find furniture, lamps, desks, chairs, plant holders, fine China sets and just about everything your grandma had, and also didn't have -- like a web address, Facebook fan page or any hint on the Internet that this place exists! Unless you're a Wrentham native, one familiar with the antiques industry, have driven by the red barn on South St., or somebody that just reads maps of Wrentham all day, My Grandmother Had That...Antiques is as hard to find as the rarest antique. You won't even find the name, "My Grandmother Had That," on the building, just a sign that states "Antiques." The My Grandmother Had That name is on ...

Northeast Harbor, Maine, never has received much press as a premier Maine vacation destination. That is nearby Bar Harbor's job when vacationing in Acadia National Park, Maine.\ Bar Harbor is really fine as it has an interesting downtown with loads of shops, restaurants and lodging options -- as well as proximity to all Acadia National Park attractions -- but people like us prefer the quieter side at Northeast Harbor. It's a classic, quaint Maine village at its best with cars parked downtown but with very few people walking the downtown. It's peaceful, has some nice galleries, boutiques, a small market, variety store, hardware store and not much else. A few minute's walk from the downtown is a beautiful harbor, and the Docksider, a seafood shack with a small dining room offering some of the best and most affordable lobster dinners you'll find in Acadia National Park. The beauty about Northeast Harbor is that its splendidness compares to the famed scenic attra...

Commander's Mansion, Watertown (photo credit: Commander's Mansion web site I remember quite well the commander's quarters, now called the Commander's Mansion that today specializes in weddings, special events and meetings, in Watertown, Mass. The late Col. Donald Kenny, my boss in the late 1980s, lived at this grand installation home while commanding the U.S. Army Materials Technology Lab -- otherwise known as the Watertown Arsenal. After his retirement in 1989, the living quarters became increasingly unoccupied, leaving it open for public and private tours, upon request. Framed by the Charles River, a grape arbor, tennis courts,  landscaped open space and gardens, and a stately historic brick office building, I, as a civilian employee, always loved giving tours here as the bracketed style mansion with hip roof, Victoria veranda, marble fireplaces and one-of-a-kind moldings created this wonderful, old world charm, and plenty of fascinating architectural nooks a...

People flock to watch the salt water taffy making at the Goldenrod. Inside, it's even more crowded! (photo by Eric) Ever have one of those days when you're day dreaming about summer vacation and a certain memory comes to mind? Today, I woke up with summer thoughts of the Goldenrod in downtown York Beach, Maine -- the salt water taffy making on the premises, the New England clam chowder, the soda fountain with yummy homemade ice cream and Short Sands Beach right across the street. We never visit York Beach Maine with The Goldenrod as the top thing to do, but it certainly serves as an integral part of this fun beach town that is synonymous with summer vacations in New England. I can hardly wait until York Beach is in full swing and the Goldenrod bringing smiles to virtually everyone that  goes here! Making the salt water taffy (photo by Eric) And right across the street is Short Sands Beach! (photo by Eric)