There's so much new to see and do in New England during the summer of 2010. Whether you're more comfortable sleeping in a grand hotel or camping under the stars with 14,999 other music fans, a devotee of baseball or beer, a sweet tooth or a thrill seeker, a Civil War buff or a golfer who enjoys the views as much as the game, this is the year you need to visit New England. Here is your guide to 13 new things to see and do in the region this summer.
Also See: What Was New in 2009, 2008 and 2007
When the once grand
Ocean House--which began welcoming well-to-do vacationers to the shores of Watch Hill, Rhode Island, in 1868--shuttered in 2003, it was deemed beyond salvation. Seven years later, thanks to the spectacular efforts of a determined group of investors led by mutual fund guru and long-time Watch Hill vacationer Charles M. Royce, the Ocean House will greet guests once again beginning May 17, 2010. The $140 million restoration and rebuild of this Victorian-era gem recaptures the elegance of a bygone era, and those fortunate to reserve one of the 49 luxurious guest rooms will enjoy dramatic Atlantic views. The hotel also offers fine dining and a spa.
© 2010 Kim Knox BeckiusNew England's newest brewery opened April 17, 2010 at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont. Come along on a photo tour of the
Trapp Lodge Brewery, and I'll tell you why the von Trapps--of
Sound of Music fame--decided to get into the beer business and let you in on what makes the lagers Brew Master Allen Van Anda is brewing so distinctive. By mid-summer 2010, a full beer garden will be up and running behind the brewery overlooking the stunning mountain vistas that inspired the von Trapps to make Stowe their new home.
Photo by Lynne, courtesy of Boston Chocolate Tours.Founded in November 2009,
Boston Chocolate Tours now offers four walking tours that showcase the city's top sweet spots. These small group outings in the Back Bay, South End, Beacon Hill and Harvard Square neighborhoods of Boston include visits to artisan chocolatiers, restaurants, ice cream shops and other unexpected places, and each tour features plenty of opportunities to sample decadent treats. David "Sweet Tooth" Goldstein, the company's Founder, Ringleader and Chief Taster, tells me: "I love the South End tour. The neighborhood is fun and interesting, and the stops are unique and more mom and pop-type shops." Plus, he says, South End tour participants get to visit the two best stops on all of the company's tours:
Aroa and
ChocoLee.
Photo of Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks by Rick Diamond/Getty Images.The inaugural Nateva Music & Camping Festival will be held July 2-4, 2010, at Maine's Oxford Fairgrounds. Limited to 15,000 attendees, this intimate festival will feature world-class performers including Furthur (featuring the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir and Phil Lesh), The Flaming Lips, moe. and the Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, plus New England artists like Passion Pit and Rustic Overtones. "When we conceived Nateva, we had the Northeast music fan in mind and set out to create a festival that appeals to that market," said promoter Frank Chandler in a release. Weekend passes may be purchased online. Children under 10 are free with a paying adult, and children's entertainment and a quieter family camping area will be available.
Mr. Six photo © 2009 Kim Knox BeckiusThis summer, little swimmers will get a splashy spot all their own at the Hurricane Harbor Water Park at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts. The 16,000-square-foot, all-new Mr. Six's Splash Island opens May 28, 2010 and features a 30,000-gallon shaded wave pool designed specifically for little ones and a 150-foot interactive lazy river with dumping coconuts, rain curtains and squirting water.
Photo courtesy of Hotel Commonwealth.Boston's Hotel Commonwealth unveiled its Baseball Suite on April 4, 2010: Opening Day at Fenway Park. This summer, be among the first to treat your favorite baseball fan to an unforgettable night surrounded by memorabilia in this posh, two-room suite furnished with Oriental rugs, a leather steamer trunk, custom-designed leather wingback chairs, antique brass floor lamps, a 50-inch plasma TV and more than 40 classic baseball films on DVD. Highlights of the art and collectibles on display include vintage trading cards featuring Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky and Jackie Robinson and a 1967 Boston Red Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals World Series program. The nightly rate is based on Hank Aaron's career home run record: $755.
Mountain Coaster conceptual image courtesy of Attitash.Attitash Resort in Bartlett, New Hampshire, already entices summer visitors with its Alpine Slide, Aquaboggan, EuroBungy Trampoline, sky ride, climbing wall and other exhilarating family attractions. In mid-summer 2010, the ski area plans to debut a new year-round, all-weather attraction that will really thrill visitors. The
Mountain Coaster's two-person sleds will carry riders 1,430 feet up the mountain, then dip, dive and careen 2,880 feet through forested terrain. Imagine the views!
Photo courtesy of Shining Rock Golf Club.Shining Rock Golf Club opened in April of 2010 in Northbridge, Massachusetts, and the early buzz is that by the end of the summer season, it may capture several "best new course" honors. Designed to take advantage of dramatic Blackstone Valley views, Shining Rock features an elevation change of 255 feet from the highest to lowest point on the course. The par 72 course measures 6,735 yards from the championship tees, and each hole offers three to five tee boxes. Located 50 minutes west of Boston, the semi-private club offers non-member rates, and reservations may be made as much 30 days in advance.
Photo of Villa NAN GRA courtesy of Wimco.Wimco is known for private villa rentals in destinations from the Caribbean to Italy's Amalfi Coast. In 2010, for the first time in its 25-year history, the Newport, Rhode Island-based company adds a New England destination to its offerings:
Nantucket. The Nantucket villas range from one- or two-bedroom villas for couples to five- or six-bedroom villas for families. Wimco's concierge team can arrange almost anything including private chef dinners, catered parties, reservations at the island's exclusive restaurants, in-villa spa treatments, private surfing lessons or horseback riding excursions and more. Guests who reserve a seven-night Nantucket villa stay through Wimco this year will be entered to win a free week in a villa on St Barts.
Photo from Cancer Garden of Hope display at Boston Flower Show © 2010 Kim Knox BeckiusLocated on Boston City Hall Plaza overlooking Congress Street, the
Cancer Garden of Hope will be officially unveiled at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 19, 2010. A collaborative effort of the Conquer Cancer Coalition of MA and the City of Boston, the garden's engraved brick walkway and granite planters filled with blooms will honor and inspire those whose lives have been touched by cancer. Donors who purchase
flowers ($10) or personalized
bricks ($100) will support not only the garden's creation and maintenance but the work of area non-profit cancer organizations.
