Festivals, train rides and rambles around New England all offer opportunities for enjoying the region’s autumn color, and the September October issue of Yankee Magazine lists many suggestions for activities and destinations. Yankee’s recommendations for fall foliage trains include the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad in Maine; Hoosac Valley train rides operated by the Berkshire […]

Adding antique garden ornaments to the landscape blends horticulture with history. One-of-a-kind pieces will personalize your property, and over time may grow into something richly rewarding — financially as well as artistically. “Really outstanding good old pieces such as a swan bench, unusual large decorative urn or piece of sculpture will continue to go up […]

We took our three boys to the recent Great State of Maine Air Show at Brunswick Executive Airport, and I noticed a few things. Many things change; some things don’t We took our older boys to an air show in Pensacola, Florida, when they were 3- and 5-years-old. Back then, a day at the air […]

GASPE, Quebec Whether you take a clockwise or counter-clockwise route, and whether it’s by motorcycle or bicycle, a two-wheeled tour of a loop around Quebec’s Gaspe peninsula is certain to please. The sea is just to your side or in view for much of the route. Mountain vistas appear at turn after turn. The villages […]

Books have more uses than might be obvious. Sure, you can press flowers in a heavy one and set out the pretty ones as decoration. You can read the darn things. But have you tried turning a book into three-dimensional sculpture? The process can be quite simple; the result a beautiful conversational piece. There are […]

MOSCOW Pint by frothy pint, a hoppy revolution is brewing in Russia. This new generation of craft brewers began sprouting in the vodka capital of the world as foreign beers became too expensive and beer fans sought alternatives to mass-produced lagers. From juicy IPAs to velvety stouts and lip-smacking sours, beers served at breweries that […]

Last week I had two rare opportunities: I was able to go on a road trip with just my husband and our two older boys, and I was able to see my husband afraid of something. All the stars had aligned so that our youngest son was away for 48 hours and his older brothers, […]

STURBRIDGE, Mass. Perhaps it was the intrigue of a straw bed or the chance to finally shoot a gun, but when asked to spend a night living like a farmer in the 19th century, I jumped at the opportunity. I like to think I’m always up for adventure — I’ve taken overnight trains across India […]

After you’ve spent any time in the military, you figure out that the Department of Defense, as with all bureaucracies, has tentacles with a far reach. “Tentacles”: that’s my word for when I think I’m taking care of business, and then the military shows me otherwise. It’s like Seinfeld’s “Newman” of my life. “No, it’s […]

EL CERRITO, Calif. In some ways, Rainbow Day Camp is very ordinary. Kids arrive with a packed lunch, make friendship bracelets, play basketball, sing songs and get silly. But it is also unique, from the moment campers arrive each morning. At check-in each day, campers make a nametag with their pronoun of choice. Some opt […]