New England Cabins and Cottages

Today Norm Goldman, Editor of sketchandtravel.com and bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as a guest, Bethany Ericson author of New England Cabins & Cottages. Bethany is an expert on the New England States. Welcome to Sketchandtravel.com and Bookpleasures.com Bethany and thanks for accepting our invitation to be interviewed. NORM: Please tell our readers something about yourself and your expertise pertaining to the New England States. Bethany: My pleasure, Norm. Thanks for the invitation. I grew up in New England, with family about the region, so I had travelled quite a bit of the area from early on. I lived near Thoreau's Walden Pond cabin, summered in a cabin in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, and have always been fond of exploring the rivers, ocean, mountains and woods in every season. However, while writing New England Cabins & Cottages I was constantly surprised and amazed by the beauty of the area I thought I knew so well, and I fell in love with it all over again. NORM: Where are the New England states? Bethany: New England is made up of the six most northeastern states in the United States: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. It is bordered by Canada, New York, and the Atlantic Ocean. NORM: Why would you consider a stay in a cabin or cottage in the New England states a good choice for a romantic getaway or honeymoon destination? Bethany: Well, the added privacy is obvious, but it's also easier to feel part of the natural area you are in when you are in a cabin or cottage than when you're in some anonymous hotel room. When your natural area could include crashing waves, blinking lighthouses, mountain top vistas, or the astounding fall foliage, this connection to your surroundings really adds to the exuberance of your visit. Imagine you are in a characterless hotel somewhere and the forecast is for pouring rain you may feel trapped or depressed. Imagine you are in a cabin, and you feel like you have a great excuse to stay under the blankets with your significant other! When I married this summer, I rented an old summer camp. My guests played in the lake, ate, danced in the main lodge, and stayed over in the cabins. Everyone had a deliriously childlike and cozy experience. Cabins and cottages allow for that nice combination of carefree enthusiasm, us-against-the-elements adventuring spirit, and romance somehow. (And it doesn't hurt that many of them have fireplaces, wood stoves, or hot tubs.) NORM: When is the best time to visit the New England states from the point of view of weather, costs, crowds, and the availability of flights from the USA, Canada and Europe and Australia, etc? Bethany: New England is extremely accessible its biggest airport is in Boston, Massachusetts, but there are also major airports in most of the states. Since the dollar is not at its best, it has made the US a less expensive trip for many visitors. My favorite season here is fall and not just for the bright colors of the trees. There is that magical snap in the crisp air that adds excitement to bundling up and lessens your inhibitions about feasting in a season of roasts and apple pies. While the masses flock to Vermont, the Massachusetts Berkshire Hills, and the White Mountains of New Hampshire to "leaf peep" as we say, try heading to Maine. Fall is one of the least crowded and most beautiful times to visit Acadia National Park, for instance. (And let's face it; you never were planning on swimming while on the Maine coast if you went during the summer anyway, brrr.) By the way, the seafood is great here year round, and some lobstermen in Maine do not even put their boats in the water until its cold out. NORM: If you had to choose 5 unequalled venues in the New England states for a romantic getaway, honeymoon or wedding destination, what would they be and why? Bethany: Tough question, Norm! There are so many. I'll name some off the top of my head.