Across New England, tourists and residents alike have access to almost any type of vacation they want, whether it’s a beach trip around the coast, camping in the mountains up north, or spending time exploring a city: New England is the perfect vacation spot for anytime of the year. Even in the freezing cold, there are plenty of fun activities to do in all of the six states. 

Waterville Valley, New Hampshire is popular for its stunning mountains and terrain. “I go hiking for the duration of the summer and there are mountains everywhere; plus it’s stunning,” said Victoria Harris ‘20. According to TripAdvisor, the number one activity to do is to go skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. Waterville is surrounded by five of the 4,000 foot tall White Mountains with dozens of trails leading to cliffs, waterfalls, rockslides and amazing views. For anyone who loves being in a secluded area surrounded by the great outdoors, Northern New Hampshire is the way to go. Waterville Valley has a population of 243 as of 2017, and, for people like Harris, a nature vacation up north is perfect: “It’s more peaceful and you aren’t in as populated areas.” 

For someone who doesn’t care for the woods, going to the beach is just as easy as New England is made up of 473 miles of coast line. Cape Cod, Massachusetts is a premiere beach destination, especially during the warmer seasons. Roughly six million people visit the Cape each year and four million of those people go to the Cape Cod National Seashore. “My favorite type [of vacation] is the beach,” said John Duval ‘21, “I enjoy the tidal pools, cool water and body surfing. Just the nice time together [with friends].” The National Seashore is 40 miles of clean sandy beaches, marshes, ponds, lighthouses and cultural landscapes. In the Cape, there’s always a variety of different tours to take, whether it’s biking with a group along the beach, kayaking or going on a nature walk in one of the parks. 

New England has it all, and Boston, Massachusetts is definitely a place to go anytime of the year for a visit to the city. Boston is filled with all sorts of historic landmarks that you can learn about on Boston’s very own Duck Tour, a tour around the city in a Word War II styled amphibious landing vehicle that travels on land and water. On the tour, the sight-seers visit all of the city’s most historical landmarks such as the Old State House, where the Declaration of Independence was first read to the Boston residents. Faneuil Hall Marketplace also is a great place to visit with its trees decorated with soft lights that compliment the snow in the winter and twinkle like the stars in the summer. 

Another part of history that is worth the trip is Paul Revere’s house, where tourists can go inside and see the intact house from 1680. Paul Revere is an important part of history that many Bostonians know, but for someone who has never been to New England, it’s an opportunity to learn about this patriot and his part in the Revolution. “City vacations can be stressful because there’s always a lot going on and there’s a sense of schedule. But unlike other cities like New York, Boston holds a great deal of history which makes it cool to go see,” said Nathan Maloney ‘21.

New England is filled with activities unique to each state. There’s always a little bit of everything in each vacation, whether someone likes to go walking in the woods, enjoy the city or take a trip to the ocean. One thing for sure is that no matter what part of New England you stand in, you can always count on a beautiful sunset as it settles on the horizon.