If I had won the $590 million Powerball drawing and could buy any New England property, it would be Castle in the Clouds. Luckily, when the Castle Springs water bottling company put this New Hampshire estate on the block in 2001, the Lakes Region Conservation Trust did hit the jackpot: Thousands of donors contributed to ensure this wondrous landmark would remain forever preserved and open to the public. Join me on a castle photo tour, then plan your own visit.

Also in Moultonborough... The Oldest Store in the USA... Perhaps!

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_{Castle in the Clouds photo © 2009 Kim Knox Beckius.}

When my New England Travel site went "live" 15 years ago today, I had a hunch the Internet was going to be something. Since the days when a dial-up modem and floppy disk camera were state-of-the-art, one thing has never changed: I love sharing this region with you.

Here are 10 of my favorite stories from 15 memorable years online:

• 1998: New England Oddities A to Z
• 2001: Do the Dunes!
• 2002: Hike with Llamas in Central Massachusetts
• 2003: A Walk Around Walden Pond
• 2004: A Whale of a Tale
• 2007: A Maine Lobster Boat Adventure
• 2010: Hay Bale Art in Killington, Vermont
• 2011: Chebeague Island Inn: A Place to Hit the Reset Button
• 2012: World's Largest Pumpkin is Grown in New England
• 2012: 10 Things You Didn't Know You Can Do in New England

Browse All Recent New England Travel Stories

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_{Yes, that's me in 1998 on my first big work adventure: a Maine moose safari.}

New additions this week to Kim's New England Deal Sheet:

• New Hampshire's Inn at Ellis River offers a Memorial Day escape including two racing rubber duckies that might win you prizes at the Wildquack Duck River Festival;
• Boston's Museum of Fine Arts opens its doors free during Memorial Day Weekend; and
• The Paradise City Arts Festival runs Memorial Day Weekend in Northampton, Massachusetts, and you can save $2 off admission by printing an online coupon.

All Current New England Travel Deals

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_{Lotus Necklace by Somerville, Massachusetts, jewelry artist Chihiro Makio. Media photo courtesy of the Paradise City Arts Festival.}

Don't send Mom flowers this Mother's Day. Take her to a fabulous flower festival! Rochester, New York's 10-day annual Lilac Festival gets underway Friday; the Albany Tulip Festival runs Saturday, May 11, through Mother's Day on Sunday, May 12; and the annual Spring Fest at Vermont's Shelburne Museum is Sunday, May 12. More New England Spring Flower Festivals

Does Your Mother Prefer Chocolate? Prepare a sweet treat for Mom on Mother's Day with this recipe for Chocolate Fondue from Stonehurst Manor in North Conway, New Hampshire.

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