Scenic Drives New England Books
If you enjoy taking scenic drives in New England and exploring the backroads and discovering delightful surprises along the way, then there’s a couple of scenic drives in New England books that you’ve just got to have. These resources offer a great collection of scenic drives and neither of them will "break the bank."  A Pictorial Discovery Guide Text: Kim Knox Beckius Photography: William H. Johnson Kim Knox Beckius, a well-known New England travel writer, has teamed up with New Hampshire photographer, William Johnson, to create a pictorial guide to 30 scenic drives throughout the region. You get five scenic drives each from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Rhode Island offers up another four, and Maine weighs in with a larger six. The drives cover the best of New England, from mountains to the ocean, and from the lakes to the beaches. And a whole bunch more. Kim doesn’t spend a lot of time on directions. They tend to be brief and on the side of the pages - enough to get you around but not much more. Kim focuses her travel writing skills on making sure you experience in words the sights, sounds, and smells of each region. The beautifully produced photography greatly enhances this experience. While I love this book if you’re looking for one crammed with detailed directions and a step-by-step tour of attractions this isn’t it. This is a book to keep near you throughout the long winter... to browse whenever you want to remember a drive already taken... or one waiting for you in the spring.
In 320 pages and 28 scenic drives Stewart Green leaves no stone (or should I say rock) unturned in describing each drive. With this book, you’ll not only get directions from one town to another along the route but everything that’s in-between, and a fair dose of area history and stories. Stewart takes his role seriously in being your guide, and not just a “tour driver” regurgitating memorized facts. I’m very familiar with many of the drives he describes and confess to discovering places and information even new to me. This isn’t a book to read cover to cover in one sitting. It’s too dense, and the drives are much too varied as well. My suggestion is to have an idea where you’ll visit and then read those scenic drives related to those areas. It’ll provide insights and planning material for your trip as well. The smaller format of the book begs for it to be taken on each trip with you. Many of the pages in my copy quickly became “dog-eared” and full of sticky notes. I was a little disappointed with many of the pictures in my paperback edition. I found myself staring at photos of non-descript riverbeds with rocks. I’m sure in full color and glossy format they looked great, but in black and white on non-glossy paper many looked flat and over-indulgent. But I didn’t purchase the book for the photography. If you’re looking for a scenic drive book with all the directions and details to make sure you don’t miss a thing along the way then look no further than this book. I personally feel it makes a great compliment to the “Backroads of New England” book, even if a few of the drives are repeated.
Yours for great scenic drive viewing in New England,
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