Maine

These are the most unexpected places to visit in New England, according to Afar

Follow an oyster trail, go leaf peeping, or stay at the country's first net-zero hotel.

A room at Tourists in North Adams. Tourists

By Kristi Palma

August 7, 2024

1 minute to read

Need ideas for your next New England trip?

Maine has one of the best glamping resorts in America, according to Vogue

Afar, a print and digital publication focused on experiential travel, recently released a list of 52 unexpected places to go in the U.S., one for every U.S. state plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, and its New England picks include an oyster trail and the country’s first net-zero hotel.

Travelers can celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) in the Berkshires, and while there stay at wellness retreat Miraval Berkshires or at Tourists, “a roadside motel turned hip, ecofriendly lodge,” wrote the publication.

Oyster lovers can follow the Maine Oyster Trail, where travelers discover raw bars, mobile “shuck trucks,” and some of Maine’s 150 oyster farms, wrote Afar. It even includes breweries serving oyster-infused stouts and ales.

Oysters are collected in a crate in Brunswick, Maine.

Fall foliage season looms ahead and the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire is worth driving for great leaf peeping, as it connects 34.5 miles of “picturesque ponds, hiking trails, waterfalls, and scenic overlooks in the White Mountain National Forest,” wrote Afar.

Hungry travelers should eat at Sly Fox Den in Charlestown, where James Beard Award winning chef Sherry Pocknett is serving up dishes such as smoked scallops and venison sandwiches on fry bread, wrote the publication. Afterward, folks can check out the Fantastic Umbrella Factory for gardens and shopping.

Vermont’s Stowe is “one of America’s most charming European-inspired ski towns,” wrote Afar, and folks can sleep at the Trapp Family Lodge, which is still owned and operated by descendants of the von Trapp family of “The Sound of Music” fame.

In Connecticut, travelers can stay at the country’s first net-zero hotel, Hotel Marcel, part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton. The hotel, which opened in 2022, has solar canopies, triple-glazed windows, EV charging stations, and more, wrote Afar.

Check out the entire list of of 52 unexpected places to go in the U.S.

Kristi Palma

Travel writer

Kristi Palma is the travel writer for Boston.com, focusing on the six New England states. She covers airlines, hotels, and things to do across Boston and New England. She is the author of the award-winning Scenic Six, a weekly travel newsletter.