Any time of year is a great time to visit New England but there are some places that have special springtime appeal. Here are some of my favorite springtime destinations in New England.
Skiing Vermont
Skiing is still alive and well in many areas of Vermont well into the spring. Especially at the higher elevations, the snow can last as late as May. Before heading to any of the ski slopes be sure to check to see which ones are still open.
National Seashore
The National Seashore is a joy in the spring, the air is fresh with the scent of the ocean and the crowds who flock to the cape during the summer have yet to arrive. The weather in late May and early June is already getting warm and there are great restaurants, antique stores and lighthouses to visit besides for just a quiet walk on the beach.
The mansions
Spring is the ideal time to head to Newport, Rhode Island. Again the crowds of summer haven’t arrived yet and the mansion gardens are in full bloom. You can visit one mansion such as Rough Point or get a ticket that allows you into several of the mansions owned by The Preservation Society of Newport Just walking along Bellevue Avenue is a great springtime pastime.
Route 1
Route 1 in Maine is a special place to visit in the spring. There are places to shop and eat and antique stores abound. A stop off in Portland can involve the Portland Art Museum or just poke around in the Old Port shopping area. Wear a bib, eat a lobster and have wild blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Spring in Maine is a wonderful time.
Restored villages
New England is awash in history and these four historic villages are fun to visit in the spring and honestly, just about any time of year.
Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts is a living history museum where the date is the 1620 and the residents are the original Pilgrims who came from England to found the colony along with the Wampanoag Indians.
Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts is also a recreated farming village, it covers the period from1790-1840. The residents go about their regular daily lives and the visitors get to observe and interact.
Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth, New Hampshire takes the visitor through over 200 years of history, all in one place. These homes were rescued and preserved to serve as a history museum.
Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut takes you back to an earlier time when whaling was an occupation that was common in New England. There are ships and buildings to visit and there are adventures that can take place on the water.
Spring is a lovely time of year to visit New England. Every state has its own attractions. Choose one or choose them all but why not head to the northeast this spring?
The DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Manchester, NH used to the Radisson. It is a convention hotel and my friend Kathy visited to attend the 2019 NERGC. We had a two queen bedded room on the fourth floor. The hotel is recently renovated and the room was quite lovely. One thing we did notice that we didn't enjoy was that the hotel is directly in the flight path to Manchester Airport. Also, it was excessively windy when we were there and it literally whistled through our heating unit. Good thing we are both good sleepers.
The staff at the hotel are wonderful. From Brendan at check-in and check-out to Sophia who cleaned our room and left us a wonderful thank you note for her tip, it was all so friendly. We ate twice at The Current, the lobby restaurant and not only was the service flawless, but the food was also really good.
Our beds were comfortable, the internet connection was strong and easy to access, we had a Keurig coffee maker and a fridge in the room. We would have enjoyed a microwave as well but there is one in the lobby that guests can use 24/7.
The bathroom was a good size and the shower had plenty of pressure. We were given two very nice sized bath towels but 3 or 4 would have been better. And who can fault a hotel that gives you a warm chocolate cookie not only at check-in but at check-out and just about anytime in between that you ask for one!!
Parking is underneath the hotel and cost us $12 a night. The room rate was $169 a night which was a bit steep but it really is a nice place with a great location for walking to lots of restaurants in downtown Manchester.
I highly recommend Downtown Doubletree Hotel if you are going to be in the Manchester NH area.
