New England's Top Animal Adventures

Have you ever hugged a beluga whale, patted her on the tongue and tickled the roof of her mouth? I have. Really. You're probably wondering: "Kim, how on Earth did you wind up in a tank with a beluga whale and, more importantly, how can I do this, too?" I'll tell you, and share great photos from my beluga adventure.

Ever wondered what a lobsterman's day is like? Want to learn all about Maine's delicious and mysterious crustaceans? Are you dying to know how to tell a male from a female lobster? Then come along on this photo tour, or book your own spot aboard the Captain Jack Lobster Boat Adventure out of Rockland, Maine.

The Budweiser Clydesdales are the beverage industry's most recognizable mascots, and you can meet these famous horses by visiting the Clydesdale Hamlet at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Merrimack, New Hampshire.

Back in 1998, my About.com colleague, Debby Fowles, and I went on what is still one of my most memorable New England adventures--a Maine Moose Safari with Maine-ly Photos. If you've always wanted to see moose in the wild, I highly recommend this tour.

Not every animal makes an ideal hiking buddy... but one New England farm is home to four-legged trekking companions who are bright, agile, low-key and as eager to hit the trail as you are. Better yet, they'll carry all of your stuff.

If you own a dog or have ever loved a dog, put Stephen Huneck's Dog Chapel in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, at the top of your list of places to visit in New England. Take your dog along if you can. Whether or not you make your pup sit in a pew, his prayers will be answered when he discovers the nature trails, swimming ponds and other delights of the 400 scenic acres that surround the chapel on Dog Mountain.

They don't call the stretch of Route 3 that runs from Pittsburg, New Hampshire, to the Canadian border "Moose Alley" for nothing. If you're visiting New England and you want to see moose, this scenic road is one of the most reliable options.

Where can you see camels in western Massachusetts? At Tregellys Fiber Farm in Hawley. This "hidden" working farm and its exotic animal residents, weaving studios, dye studio and retail shop featuring yarns, raw fiber for handspinners, sweater knitting kits and finished handwovens is well worth a turn off the Mohawk Trail or even a special trip.

Roger Williams Park Zoo's 40 acres are home to a diverse collection of nearly 1,000 animals representing more than 150 species. A "menagerie" was first introduced at the park in 1872, just one year after the property was bequeathed to the City of Providence by Betsy Williams in memory of her great-great-grandfather and Rhode Island founder, Roger Williams.