"I bought this travel guide out of curiosity when I went back home to visit my parents. I grew up in N.H., went to school at UCONN, and spent a lot of time in Massachusetts - so I am familiar with the area. Sometimes, when you live in a place, however, you take your home for granted and don't see the sights in your back yard. Traveling 1500 miles back home, however, I felt like I needed to get my moneys worth (the sure sign of a native east coaster). This book led me to some incredible old towns and restaurants and shops that I had missed while living there.I highly recommend the book. It was great to have it on my laptop because after work, I was able plan the remainder of my day in a snap." -- Amazon reviewer. "I've been toting Elizabeth L. Dugger's new Adventure Guide to Massachusetts & Western Connecticut around for about a month now, ever since I received it. I had all the best intentions of being the first reviewer to publish my commentary on the travel guide, but with one project after another eating up my hours, I'm not sure that I can claim that honor. I have, however, really bulked up my biceps by lugging the Adventure Guide around! In a word, the book is "massive," and before I ever lifted the cover, I was perplexed as to how Dugger could possibly have found enough bungee jumping-, cliff diving-, and vine swinging-type adventures in the stately and somewhat subdued states of Massachusetts and Connecticut to fill 496 pages! When I opened to page 113 to find a section on "Antique Shopping on Cape Cod," I was surprised and delighted to realize that the range of adventures Dugger suggests includes those that pose great danger only to my credit card balance. In the book's introduction, Dugger explains that adventure travel "doesn't have to mean hanging from a cliff by your fingernails. " Her enormous catalog of exciting escapes includes family-friendly ideas, outdoor fun for people of all ages and abilities, out-of-the-ordinary sightseeing suggestions, and, of course, the full complement of hiking, biking, fishing, boating, and other recreational opportunities in central New England. "Adventure travel makes you feel alive, wakes you up to yourself as well as to your surroundings," Dugger explains. "Just being in open lands or along the coast, most of the time, can give you that get-away feeling. ...Adventure travel gets the blood flowing, the heart pumping." Also the author of the Adventure Guide to New Hampshire and the Adventure Guide to Vermont, Dugger quickly debunks the notion that Massachusetts is a tamer, less challenging playground than its mountainous northern neighbors. After a brief introductory section that includes a short history of Massachusetts, a map of and information on getting to the region, road rules, and safety information on such important topics as "avoiding bears," the book is broken up into six regional chapters: the Seacoast Region, Boston and Nearby Adventures, Central Massachusetts, the Pioneer Valley, the Berkshires, and the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut. Within each geographic section, adventures are organized in category groupings: On Foot, On Horseback, On Wheels, On Water, On Snow & Ice, and In the Air. Each chapter has information on Eco-Travel and where to Stay & Eat, as well.While the emphasis of this guide is decidedly on the outdoors and on planning a Massachusetts vacation that takes you to the lesser known attractions that the state offers, it is actually one of the most comprehensive and delightful guides to the region available. While many travel guides contain the obligatory paragraph on each historic attraction and sightseeing venue, the Adventure Guide to Massachusetts & Western Connecticut artfully leads the traveler to those awe-inspiring, stimulating, and unique excursions that are likely to make for a most memorable trip. Detailed maps, black and white photos, cute graphics, and sidebars on special events, kid-friendly and accessible spots, recommended reading, and mor

This newly updated guide to mountain biking in the eastern half of Massachusetts features 25 destinations for enthusiasts of all abilities. There are many places to ride in Massachusetts' extensive system of state parks and public and privately owned reservation lands, but finding the best of these off-road riding opportunities is another matter. Massachusetts-born Robert Morse has been exploring his state's byways and trails for years and has selected the very best non-paved rides for this book, now completely revised and updated. Cyclists may be surprised to find outstanding mountain biking right within the metropolitan Boston area, as well as rides ranging from coastal trails on Cape Cod to mountain summits in the Holyoke Range. Each tour description includes a map, detailed mile-by-mile directions, practical information, and points of interest along the way. Tours range from 2.5 to 21 miles in length, from beginner to advanced. This edition features three new tours--in the Blue Hills Reservation outside Boston, and in Leominster and Erving State Forests in central Massachusetts. A new overview chart provides detailed information on the rides at a glance. Three new rides are included in this edition.

There's no better way to see the real Maine than by bike...and no better way to bike it than with this third edition of Howard Stone's 25 Bicycle Tours in Maine--updated, expanded, and featuring all-new maps. Ranging from half-day jaunts to multiday adventures, these tours take you down nearly 2000 miles of Maine's back roads--through weathered lobster ports, past blueberry barrens and gracious Colonial homes, around remote islands and lakes, up (and down!) scenic hills. Stone concentrates on "the roads less traveled...the route to take if you truly want to learn what Maine is all about." (Bates College Alumni Newsletter). Included with each tour is total mileage; a detailed map; complete mile-by-mile directions; information on nearby bicycle shops, accommodations, and eateries; and the author's notes on the country you're biking through. Many tours include bonuses: side trips, detours, and alternate routes to tailor the ride to your taste.