Summer In New England

We've spent the past few months traveling New England and it's made us realize that once the warm weather hits there really is no place like home.  We've also discovered that visitors from all over the country and the world are quite amazed at all of the free cultural and outdoor events offered in Boston and beyond.  From concerts and Shakespeare plays, public art exhibits, food and wine tastings, outdoor activities and just the natural beauty to be discovered there are really multiple options every day and night for every person.

We've traveled the quiet back roads of Vermont to visit an historic Inn and craft food makers and then we dined in New Hampshire.

We were inside Lamborghinis and mansions in Newport, Rhode Island, where we continued to enjoy feasts in uniquely historical and stunning settings while staying atop the cliffs overlooking Narragansett Bay.  There is nothing like waking up to a sunny, breathtaking view.

We've seen New England from the vantage point few get:  floating one thousand feet above the earth at slow velocity in retro-plush comfort.  YES, we are unusualists, adventurers and seekers of the peculiar!

We've had breakfast, lunch, dinners and late night cocktails made from ingredients sourced from the very best that local food and drink has to offer.  From fine dining to casual spots, hits and misses, we've been there.  And although we shun the "best of" lists and compilations that some publications feel compelled to offer we really do feel we have uncovered some true gems.  It's not all high brow and fancy (although who does NOT like luxury?)

And then there's Boston.  We've actually been impressed (and rather surprised) by the huge number of international visitors who take advantage of the summer months to visit our city.  Virtually everywhere we've been we've met people from France, Germany, Luxembourg, Australia, Japan, Britain, Ireland and Canada.  We are truly a world class city that millions of people each year are eager to visit and discover.

Of course, many of these people don't stray too far from the major tourist attractions as part of group tours, etc.  A great part of our readership has always had a wide international reach.  About eighty per cent of the email we get is from people on their way here who have googled the term "Boston Foodie".  Of course, they arrive on the very blog that you are reading now as the first return.  We try to steer them to the lesser-known spots and local events in  neighborhoods coming up over the next few weeks.

Younger visitors are social media savvy and use their phones and tablets to seek out the fun on Twitter and Instagram, where we try to post our weekend picks every Friday.  Most of them are free. All of these are ways to have an enjoyable day or night and meet new, local friends who can take them to even more unknown but interesting spots.  You don't see the tour bus parked at The Lawn On D.  Or when a new tall ship arrives.  Or when people dance the salsa on the banks of the Charles River.  And we are convinced that you, too, should join the experience.

Over the next few weeks we'll be sharing posts about our New England travel and dining adventures. You can follow the hijinx on @theBostonFoodie and the yet more sarcastic @TheBoysOfTBF on Twitter.  On Instagram look for @TBFWilliam and @deano_iam.  Yes, there will be food pics and people pics but never words or names scratched in the sand on the beach.