New England is famous for its historic inns, luxurious resorts, and intimate bed and breakfasts. But now add in the varied and startling scenery of sandy beaches, rocky coastlines and the lakes and mountains, and you’ve the ultimate in choices for romantic getaways.

A common question I’m asked at my web site is of all the options where would I choose to visit and stay?

Would it be a sandy beach or a rocky coastline... or maybe a cabin on a lake, or half-way up a mountain slope... or would I want to be pampered at an exclusive resort?

Here are my top five destinations for romantic getaways in New England.

ACADIA REGION IN MAINE:

Travel further north than the shopping outlets and popular Boothbay Harbor region and you enter another Maine of dramatic coastline, beautiful villages and islands, and Acadia National Park – New England’s only national park. Here you can cycle safely on carriage roads with breathtaking views, walk or hike through silent northern forests or to mountain summits, or drive on scenic roads along a peninsula not often visited even in summer.

While the beauty of the park is rightly a major attraction slip away to Deer Isle on Penobscot Bay and take in the historic villages of Castine and Stonington, or travel north to the Schoodic Peninsular and tour along coastal Route 1 where fishing villages dot the inlets and secluded harbors all the way to the Canadian border. Places to stay that specialize in romantic getaways can be found in Bar Harbor just outside Acadia National Park’s boundary.

BERKSHIRE HILLS IN MASSACHUSETTS:

The rolling Berkshire Hills in western Massachusetts have long been popular with the rich and famous but more recently discovered by those seeking an alternative to the crowded beaches and hiking trails of more popular New England destinations. Nestled in valleys between mountain ranges, and along rivers and streams, are villages where during the day you can discover the outdoors far from busy tourist centers, and at night experience Shakespeare or a musical in any of the towns dotting the region. This is also one of my top recommended spots for fall foliage romantic getaways.

The Berkshires is also home to many of New England most exclusive restaurants and historic inns and resorts such as Blantyre and the Wheatleigh and they understand the words private and romantic getaways.

CAPE COD & ISLANDS IN MASSACHUSETS:

Drive a few extra miles from the tourist haven of Hyannis and the upper cape family vacation towns and you’ll enter what the locals call the quiet or lower cape. This is the Cape Cod National Seashore region with miles of uninterrupted sandy beaches and stunningly beautiful cliffs, dunes, and ocean.

You can take a walk through a salt marsh or visit historic sites and see for yourself the forces of nature erode and redistribute land in this geological wonder. Or you can just share a walk along a sandy lane to a kettle pond and forget about the commitments to keep at home. Recommended towns to stay include Chatham, Orleans and Eastham, all of which have inns and resorts that specialize in lodging and amenities for romantic getaways.

Just a few miles off Cape Cod is Martha’s Vineyard, famous for its beaches and Aquinnah cliff’s and lighthouse. The towns of Oak Bluffs and Edgartown harbor inns and bed and breakfasts off the main areas on quiet streets but still close to everything.

Nantucket is a longer ferry ride but offers a remoteness not found elsewhere. The Island boasts 10 public beaches within walking or bike distance from the town, and plenty of places to stop and catch time to together in one of the most romantic destinations in New England. Nantucket has a number of specialty inns and world-famous resorts for ensuring uninterrupted quiet time together.

NEWPORT RHODE ISLAND:

Famous for the America’s Cup and guarding Narraganset Bay, Newport is full of revolutionary history, grandiose mansions and some of the finest beaches in New England. Tour the 10-mile Ocean Drive for breathtaking ocean views; fly a kite together at Brenton State Park, and take the famous Cliff Walk for the views and refreshing ocean air. The harbor area though busy in summer has alleys and tables to take lunch or sip a drink alongside a berthed multi-million dollar yacht. Sunset cruises leave from the harbor and an evening dinner train from the Newport Gateway center.

Or if you want a more intimate evening then celebrate with a quiet dinner at one of renowned selected inns or hotels in the city. Newport offers a myriad of first-class accommodation offering special romantic getaway packages.      

WHITE MOUNTAINS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE:

One of the first areas of New England to be developed for summer tourism the White Mountains in New Hampshire once boasted a large choice of grand resorts. Today just a few of the resorts remain but the spectacular views and wide-open spaces are still a magnet for those seeking to discover places off-the-beaten path, and explore the peace and quiet of the northern woods. Spectacular scenic drives and mountain villages dot the valleys and invite a stop to admire a covered bridge or take a walk to a waterfall and a picnic lunch together.

The fall foliage in this area is considered some of the best viewing in New England and makes an ideal time for a romantic getaway to one of the inns in Jackson or Bartlett Village or any number of hideaways nestled in Mount Washington Valley.

For more destination ideas and lodging for Romantic Getaways in New England and to get a free trip planer package to download visit Cliff Calderwood’s New England Vacations Guide web site at http://www.New-England-Vacations-Guide.com

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