Hidden Gems ➼

When traveling to new destinations, people often seek out the most famous and popular attractions—places they have read about, places where they will enjoy the company of many other newcomers following in the footsteps of generations of visitors. Each state in New England can claim these kinds of famous attractions, from world-renowned art museums to the historic villages and lighthouses that have been immortalized in postcards. But there is a special delight reserved for visitors to New England who seek out the roads less traveled. They will discover the treasures beloved by local residents, the hidden places that await anyone who takes the time to explore what so many others pass by. The small, rural art museum with a trove of Impressionist masterpieces. An old trolley bridge reborn as a lovely garden walk across a river. Family farms where ice cream is made by hand, using milk and cream from the cows grazing in pastures nearby. Often, the sweetest travel memories come from such unexpected moments and hours filled with wonder. They will stay with you, these gifts of hidden but muchloved New England gems.

RHODE ISLAND: Just a half-hour drive from Newport brings flower lovers to Blithewold, a former coastal estate now open to the public as a house museum and arboretum. With springtime comes the added bonus of seeing Blithewold’s 50,000-plus daffodils in bloom.

(See “Secret Gardens, p. 50)

Finding Unexpected Photo Ops

PAUL NGUYEN Massachusetts native, professional photographer, and owner of the photo tour and workshop company BlueHour Photo Ventures (bluehourboston.com)

“Some of the best shots that we’ve made on photo tours have come in places like Truro and Provincetown, Massachusetts, out on the dunes of the Outer Cape. It’s the part of Massachusetts that doesn’t look like any other part of Massachusetts—or New England, really. There’s a magic light out there.

“When I ran photo tours in Acadia National Park, I’d always take people to the Schoodic Peninsula, which is not on Mount Desert Island at all. It’s a part of Acadia that’s still wild, and you can see the raw energy of the ocean waves, just crashing against the granite cliffs.

“New Englanders go crazy for flowers, probably because they bloom for such a short time here. You definitely have to be ready for when it happens. Lupines are my favorite flower, and while most people go up to Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, if you know when to look for them, you can find lupines in many places, even just driving up the coast of Maine.

“One of my favorite little green spaces in the heart of Boston is North Point Park, on the Cambridge side of the Charles River. You can get great photos of the Zakim Bridge there, and enjoy the flowers and weeping willows and little canals. It’s a real treasure.

“Photographing autumn in Vermont is a tough one, since Instagram tends to spoon-feed people a lot of famous Vermont locations that they think they need to see. My advice? Think of an autumn theme you want to explore—like covered bridges or farms or waterfalls— and actually get a map, maybe a local map from a visitors center, and start driving. See what you can find! For me, the most valuable thing about photography is the idea of discovering something for yourself.”

Hidden Gems