Five Favorites for your Next Northeast Getaway
As much as we love exploring new places here in the Northeast, there’s always a handful of tried and true favorites that keep us coming back. Sometimes it’s the beauty, other times it’s the ease and familiarity, but most times it’s the memories we’ve made there that tug at us to return time and time again.
The following is a collection of places that feel like home to us, and never fail to deliver that warm and fuzzy feeling when they come into view. Take a peek at the list below, and pop over to say hi on Instagram and let us know your favorites!
Favorite Lighthouse
Nubble Light | York, Maine: Not only is this the prettiest lighthouse I’ve ever seen, it tops my list of favorite places in the world. I’ve visited at least once every year since I was born, gazing at the Nubble from atop my dad’s shoulders, or jumping from rock to rock holding my grandfather’s hand. At sunrise seven years ago, with the lighthouse to ourselves, Tom asked me to marry him here (coincidentally, he grew up vacationing here, too!). Needless to say, it’s a family favorite, but with a view like that, chances are it’ll be yours too.
If you go: swing into Fox’s Lobster House next door for the Lobster Mac + Cheese and a beer. It’s an arrival tradition for Tom and I on every trip to Maine!
Favorite Beach
Wells Beach | Wells, Maine: You could show me all the beaches along the coast of Maine, and the nostalgia of Wells Beach will always win. This is where we spent summers when I was a kid, building sand castles and searching for silver dollars in the tide pools. Afternoons were spent back at “camp” - a beach house rented by my grandparents that was too small and just right all at the same time. If I have my way, some day I’ll buy that little camp and fix it up. But until then, you can count on us spending a week somewhere along that beautiful mile of sandy beach every summer.
If you go: your first stop should be Congdon’s Doughnuts for a dozen (or two!) of their Honey Holes. Work them off by renting a kayak to explore the Wells Harbor marsh and estuary.
Favorite Lake
Lake George | New York: Affectionately known as the Queen of American Lakes, this beauty sits just 10 miles from our front door here in Glens Falls. Given our proximity, it’s no surprise we’ve spent plenty of time there over the years, but we’ve come to appreciate it more in recent years - particularly in the quiet of the early morning in our canoe. In the summer months when the lake is busy, we prefer to take in the view from above, hiking to a rocky perch atop Anthony’s Nose or The Pinnacle for a picnic.
If you go: take a ride on the steamboat Minne-ha-ha and enjoy a couple of cocktails while you pick out your favorite houses on the lake (keep an eye out for The Inn at Erlowest, the old stone mansion where we had our wedding reception!). Then head north to the classic charm of Bolton Landing and rest your head at The Sagamore, a historic hotel with a grand view.
Favorite Farm
Mountain View Farm | East Burke, Vermont: Four barns, a big yellow farmhouse, a stately old brick creamery, and a Farm Animal Sanctuary with the sweetest horses, goats, and cows you’ve ever met. If you’re an animal and barn lover like me, this property (it’s a bed and breakfast!) will be what your dreams are made of, and you’ll be longing to go back even before you’ve left.
If you go: call dibs on the tree swing for a prime view of the sun setting over the farm and mountains beyond. Be sure to make the 15 minute drive to the majestic Lake Willoughby in nearby Westmore, which is often compared to a Norwegian fjord.
Favorite Island
Chebeague Island | Maine: There is a framed poem hanging in the hallway of the Chebeague Island Inn that reads, “Once you have slept on an island, you’ll never quite be the same.” I couldn’t agree more, especially as it pertains to this island in particular. A 15 minute ferry ride brings you to a historic pastel yellow inn, perched on a hill overlooking Casco Bay. Waking up here, to an ocean breeze coming through the window and roosters crowing in the distance, is one of my favorite things. Also a favorite: the magical sunsets, best viewed from the rocking chairs on the porch with a cocktail in hand.
If you go: take a ride around the island on cruiser bikes, stopping in at the beaches and coves you come across along the way.
Briana Lyons is the owner of the upstate New York based creative studio, The Yellow Note. Her mission is to celebrate the everyday, and her photography and blog showcase the little things that make life sweet. She is inspired by a love for Americana and small town charm, and shares photos and stories of her travels, scenes from the home she shares with her husband Tom and their two labradors, as well as glimpses of life in their hometown of Glens Falls.
