New England Travel and Vacation Gazette and Other Wicked Good Content

Let's face it, budget-friendly dining along Plymouth Harbor in Plymouth MA is hard to find -- even at some of the much heralded seafood shacks. A good cheap eats option is Pebbles, an outdoor seasonal shack with picnic-style seating located right across the street from Plymouth Harbor and very close to famous attractions like Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II  and the Pilgrim Hall Museum. This unpretentious roadside restaurant hits the spot with surprisingly good lobster rolls, fried seafood, New England clam chowder, burgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers and ice cream. The portions are generally substantial and the service very quick.  It's really a nice spot to watch the pulse of Plymouth with its many tourists from around the world and scenic water views while taking in that nice coastal summer breeze! Pebbles isn't going to win any culinary awards but for us folks looking for good value and food, this is a good dining choice. Pebbles is located at 76 Water St., P...

Richie's Slush, Everett MA (photo by Eric) Richie's Slush in Everett, Mass., announced in mid-May that it would close it storefront after nearly 60 years in business, but  thankfully had a change of heart to reopen the legendary Italian ice landmark. The Sunday message on the  Richie's Slush web site said,"(Due) to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, Richie's Store on the Parkway will not be opening this season. We apologize for this and hope you will purchase Richie's Italian Ice Products from one of our many other fine locations and retailers ." The new message , posted today, reads, "Because of hard work and an overwhelming support from our customers, Richie's Original Store on the Parkway in Everett will RE-OPEN this Friday May 15th! We would like to thank all of you for being such valued and loyal customers of our business for the past 50 years. We have always appreciated and enjoyed serving you and also want to thank yo...

Swan Boats of Boston (photo by Eric) The good news about taking a Boston, Mass., vacation is that there's no shortage of wonderful travel attractions. The bad news:  there's no way you'll be able to see all of them during your stay, given the city's seemingly infinite rich historical and modern offerings. While the following list is by no means exhaustive, these low and moderate cost attractions represent the best of Boston travel: Boston Duck Tours  - This educational and entertaining excursion allows you to discover  Boston and its incredible history on a World War II style landing craft on the streets of Boston -- and then into the Charles River for great views of Boston and Cambridge. New England Aquarium  This world class museum seems to get better every year and features the Giant Ocean Tank spanning four floors and featuring more than 1, 000 animals. including Myrtle, a 550 lb green sea turtle. Fenway Park Tour Knowledgeable and often humorous guid...

Brown's Ice Cream Stand in York Beach, Maine,  is on the real estate market for 1.7 million (photo by Eric) It breaks my heart to see beloved local New England businesses like the Hilltop Steak House, Christo's, Aunt Aleda's Bakery and Country Kitchen, Brown's Ice Cream and Benjamin's restaurant go out of business. The other day when driving through Saugus, Mass., I saw contractors starting the process of tearing down the Hilltop Steak House to make way for a new shopping plaza. How creative. Hard to believe that America's largest steak house with the two hour waits and the charming plastic cows out front is gone forever. I hear the giant cactus sign will remain, but that's kind of like having a car without the engine. Christo's, with its Greek salads, famous salad dressing, baked lamb, bar-style pizzas, and the large four color coded rooms (who can forget the Gold Room with that huge golden floor-to-ceiling fountain?), attained legendary status...

Faneuil Hall, Boston, Mass. (photo by Eric) Finding a good Boston, Mass., vacation video is about as difficult as navigating its narrow, one-way streets, but we have found an excellent one created by Expedia . In Boston language, it's "wicked good!" A narrator with a classic Boston accent provides the foundation for a comprehensive video that informs and entertains on history, culture, attractions and sports. Although only five minutes long, this Boston vacation travel guide video seems to cover the most vital basics that, we think, will he, help you greatly with your Boston trip planning. Kudos to Expedia for producing this excellent Boston video! Related resources: Boston hotels North End of Boston food destinations Boston vacation and travel ideas Swan Boats of Boston Visiting Faneuil Hall

The New England winter can be so brutal but the scenes that come out of it can be so soothing and scenic.  Case in point: the Norwood, Mass., town common surrounded by the United Church of Norwood (left) and Saint Catherine of Siena Parish (right). Norwood center -- about 15 miles southwest of Boston -- looks nice any time of the year, but seems to look best in the winter. The blanket of snow surely adds that extra scenic depth to most New England scenes! Related articles:  A beautiful traditional New England winter scene Meredith NH in the winter How to save money on ski lift tickets in New England

Lake Massapoag in Sharon, Mass., might be best known as a summer spot with its swimming beach, and boating and fishing opportunities, but the winter scenery has its own equally special personality. I recently did a double take when recently driving past Lake Massapoag around 4:15 p.m., as the combination of unique-looking clouds and the way the last glimpses of sun played off the ice was nothing short of spectacular. Don't make a long-distance special trip to see the sunsets here, but if you are in the area and the potential for good color in the sky seems possible, then Lake Massapoag is surely worth a visit. Lake Massapoag is located along Massapoag Ave. in Sharon, Mass. Other points of interest in the Sharon area: Borderland State Park, Easton Old Country Store and Emporium, Mansfield Historic North Easton Hall at Patriot Place, Foxboro Bird Park, Walpole