Top 10 New Things to See and Do in New England This Summer

A Guide to New England's Newest Attractions and Events for Summer 2009

If you've ever dreamed of floating and tumbling in midair but don't relish the sensation of falling or the risk inherent in jumping from a plane, then head to SkyVenture, a new, state-of-the-art vertical wind tunnel in Nashua, New Hampshire. This indoor skydiving simulator allows visitors to experience body flight without a parachute: It's even safe for kids ages 3 and up. My six-year-old daughter, pictured in flight at left, absolutely loved our SkyVenture experience. I'll take you inside the vertical wind tunnel in this video.

Located in bucolic Bolton, Massachusetts, The International is one of New England's most challenging and historic golf destinations. Here's the rub: This former ITT corporate retreat turned members-only club has always been the exclusive purview of an elite few. That is, until this year, when The International has quietly opened its two spectacular 18-hole courses--including the longest course in the world--to guests who stay at its 50-room Lodge & Spa. One-night Stay & Play packages including golf, cart and breakfast are $300 single or $400 for two, double occupancy. It's a small price to pay for a truly legendary golf experience. Also new: the only high-tech TaylorMade Performance Lab in the Northeast, open to the public by appointment.

Play ball with your brainwaves, step in front of the camera and deliver your weather forecast, produce a laser light show, compose your own cell phone ringtone and more at the new Connecticut Science Center, which opens on the Hartford, Connecticut, riverfront at 1 p.m. on June 12, 2009.

Infinity Hall--Connecticut's newest and oldest entertainment venue--opened its bright green, red and gold doors in October of 2008, and it hasn't taken long for music lovers to discover this stunningly renovated, acoustically superb, 300-seat theater, which has an incredible line-up of performances scheduled for its first summer season in 2009. Concert-goers are flocking from as far as Maine to this intimate music hall in Norfolk, a sleepy outpost in the western Connecticut hills, where the space is so intimate, it's like seeing a show in your living room.

Along Newport, Rhode Island's famed Cliff Walk, The Breakers is the most exquisite and eye-popping mansion of all. This summer, visitors to the 70-room Italian Renaissance-style villa built in 1895 for Cornelius Vanderbilt II can experience The Breakers in an entirely new and engaging way. Upon entering the mansion, guests now receive an easy-to-use audio player and headphones, allowing them to customize their Breakers experience, whether they wish to breeze through on a standard tour or delve more deeply into everything from architectural details to the lives of the mansion's owners and their servants. Recorded insights and dramatizations, which represent 10 years of new research, bring the Gilded Age to life in vivid detail.

Actually, a few Elvises. The first ever New England Elvis Festival is sure to put a smile on your face this Labor Day weekend. Head to Manchester, New Hampshire, September 4-6, 2009 for a weekend of competition between Elvis impersonators, a memorabilia sale, dinners with Elvis and more.

Rock Hall is a private Colebrook, Connecticut, mansion turned elegant four-room inn, which opened to the public in early 2009. This summer, be among the first to discover its secluded location, Jazz Age vibe and wonderful common areas including a movie theater, billiard room, library, great hall, tennis courts, 75-foot heated swimming pool and game room outfitted with everything from a ping-pong table to Wii Fit. I stayed at this intriguing 1912 mansion designed by architect Addison Mizner of Palm Beach fame in April, and I was thoroughly charmed by its setting and decor, as well as by its gracious, knowledgeable and creative owners, who will even pick you up at the bus or train station if you're traveling without a car.

Blueberry facials, seashell massages... the oceanview spa at the Cliff House in Ogunquit, Maine, has introduced many innovative treatments for people since it opened in 2002. This summer, the Cliff House extends the therapeutic benefits of a spa getaway to its canine customers. Book one of the resort's eight pet-friendly rooms, outfitted with a water dish, dog bed and locally made, all-natural dog treats, and you can also reserve a private, in-room dog massage session for your pooch. Two 25-minute treatment options are available: a Customized Massage ($50) targeting muscles or a soothing Aromatherapy Massage ($60) for stressed out dogs.

Deerfield Valley Canopy Tours, the latest adventure offering from Zoar Outdoor, opens June 1, 2009 in Charlemont, Massachusetts, and participants ages 10 and up are in for a memorable, three-hour experience as they zip through the treetops with an experienced guide. Built by Boston-based Project Adventure, the zip line course employs modern safety features and is the first of its kind in southern New England. Enjoy majestic Berkshires views as you soar between platforms and traverse sky bridges hung high in the forest canopy.

When Boston Harbor welcomes the world's tall ship fleet, it is truly a spectacle to behold. Sail Boston, an event which has not been held since 2000, is scheduled to bring 50 majestic tall ships to the historic city July 8-12, 2009, and although the Sail Boston '09 sponsoring organization and the city have been wrangling a bit over costs, it appears that it's full sail ahead for this colorful event, which promises to bring 50 ships from 20 countries to New England's shores this summer.