Maybe it’s because of the collision of mountain and ocean environments, or the fact that weather systems trundle in here from the south Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, the western United States, and Arctic Canada. Whatever the reason, the region I call home always surprises me with its almost infinite variety of ecosystems, attractions, landscapes, and cultures. And it has souvenirs to match.
New England’s six states (Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine) are tiny powerhouses in terms of tourist attractions: skiing in the Green Mountains of Vermont and the White Mountains of New Hampshire, seaside activities on Cape Cod and along the coast, summer musical and arts festivals in the Berkshires (just two to three hours from New York), hiking the New England Appalachian Trail, the northcountry forests of northern Maine, the bucolic farmlands of the southern Vermont and western Massachusetts, and foliage everywhere in the autumn.
So it goes with souvenirs: What I appreciate about my home region are the varied opportunities to stop and browse in villages, on farms, at resorts, and at little roadside shops and artist galleries.
In Your Bucket Because…
- This is one of the best places in America to pick up antiques dating to the 1700s — and occasionally, even earlier.
- The driving is as interesting as the shopping, with plenty of opportunities for leaf peeping or whiling away the day in quaint villages.
- While “New England hospitality” doesn’t roll off the tongue quite as easily as “Southern hospitality,” the shopping is uncrowded and unpressured.
- Good for: Well, everyone: With activities from skiing to surfing, and souvenirs as varied as the weather, you’re bound to find something you can’t live without.
Vermont Maple Syrup, Cape Cod Cranberries, and More
Maple Syrup. Is there anything that says “New England” as clearly as maple syrup? Go to one of the farms where it’s made, and ask about the grades of maple syrup: It turns out that the “finest grade” is actually the least flavorful, because historically, “fine” maple syrup could be used as a sugar substitute, for which a strong maple flavor is undesirable. Not so on your pancakes: Try grade B. Other maple products include maple pepper mixes, maple candy, and maple taffy.
Clam Chowder. New England clam chowder — the milky kind — is famous worldwide. A mix isn’t quite the real thing, but the mixes you find in gift stores and gourmet food stores might remind you of your trip. Small gift recipe books are also available.
Berries. Blueberries (in Maine) and cranberries (Cape Cod) are the region’s biggest berry crops. True, berries don’t make a lasting souvenir (although you can fill a Nalgene water bottle with them for short car trips, if you can keep them in a cooler). You can, however, find plenty of recipe books, preserves, jams, jellies, and other berry products (Blueberry tea, anyone?). Farm stands and farmer’s markets are a good place to look for both fresh fruits and locally-made preserves but in berry season you won’t have to search too hard: You’ll see stands along all the main arteries.
Micro-Brew Beer. Sam Adams isn’t the only New England beer. Microbreweries are scattered throughout the region. Check out the variety of brews made at the Barrington Brewery in Great Barrington, Massachusetts (restaurant on site). Or try some Long Trail Ale, which is served at the Inn at Long Trail, a cozy New England ski and hiking inn near Killington, Vermont.
Shopping for New England Arts and Crafts
New England has its big (and biggish) cities: Boston, Providence, Hartford, Springfield, and a few others. And its densely populated suburban areas, particularly in southern Connecticut and around Boston (spreading into New Hampshire) can keep up with anywhere in terms of suburban sprawl. But much of the region is rural, comprising forests, farmlands, and seaside towns. Historic occupations have been farming, fishing, mining, lumbering, hunting, and, of course, trading in towns.
More recently, the “creative class” has moved into many rural New England towns en masse, forming a vibrant community of artisans, artists, photographers, musicians, and actors, especially in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts; southern Vermont; Cape Cod, Massachusetts; and coastal Maine.
Famed brands of regional products such as Bennington Pottery and Yankee Candles are available throughout New England. There’s also plenty of kitchy “kountry” memorabilia with cute rural sayings. But you’ll also find quirkier artisan products in most small towns — it’s not hard to find higher-quality unique crafts, often made with local materials, such as jewelry made from washed ashore sea-glass in Cape Cod or picture frames decorated with twigs and pine cones in mountain towns, or pottery, like the pieces made by Grenadier Pottery in Monterey, Massachusetts (in the photo at the top) imprinted with local leaves.
And there’s also the work of local photographers and painters, which start at $20 or $30 for a photo print and cab run $500 and up for oil paintings. Also check out crafters’ fares. At the annual Berkshires Crafts Fair at SkiButternut in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, you can buy everything from artisinal maple syrup in leaf-shaped bottles to lawn sculptures to hand-made clothing..
Antique Shopping in New England
I know that those of you reading in England or other parts of the “old country” won’t think so, but for Americans, New England is old. The town I live in dates to before the Revolutionary War. and like many small New England towns on the tourist path, many of its shops are given over to antiques. As in many of our rural towns, we’ve long since been discovered, and true bargains are few and far between. (Informed shop owners know exactly what they are selling and its values).
Hint: The farther away you get from New York and Boston, the lower the prices.
Route 7, which runs north to south through western New England, is a famed shopping area for antiques, particularly in the Massachusetts Berkshires and n southern Vermont. (Route 7 is also a great fall foliage drive).
The Brimfield Antique Show is held in central Massachusetts twice a year in late spring and early fall, not far from Springfield and Holyoke. Brimfield is New England’s largest antique fair, with more than 5,000 vendors from all over the country selling everything you can imagine, and lots of things you can’t.
Look for maritime antiques in Cape Cod and in coastal harbor towns and old fishing villages. Maritime antiques might include antique seafaring tools, as well as maritime charts and maps (both prints and originals).
New England‘s Discount Outlets and Tag Sales Offer Good Shopping Deals
New England is also well known for two other kinds of budget shopping: So-called “tag sales” (everyone else calls them “garage,” “yard,” or “rummage sales”) are held virtually everywhere in rural areas on summer weekends. Look for great deals on children’s skis, cross-country skis, ski boots, and winter clothing.
Discount outlets are another place to spend an afternoon. Some have locally-themed stores. Check out North Conway, New Hampshire, which has lots of outdoor manufacturer’s and clothing outlets, Manchester Center, Vermont, which has some New England themed shops, and Lee, Massachusetts(just off the turnpike) for designer outlets.
And don’t forget to stop in at L.L. Bean’s flagship store in Freeport, Maine. It’s perhaps New England’s most famous shop of all.
Practicalities
Consider sales tax: It caries from state to state. New Hampshire has no sales tax; Rhode Island has no tax on clothes; Massahcusetts and Vermont have no sales tax on clothes less than $175 and $110. New Hampshire doesn’t tax liquor. If you just so happen to be in the market for a yacht, buy in Rhode Island, which has no sales or use tax for boats! (And Massachusetts has no sales tax on — ready for this? — airplanes!)
