New England



As a Massachusetts native who has lived and worked in four of the six New England states, and being quite familiar with the other two as well, I consider myself a New Englander through and through. What follows are a few facts and personal observations about each state in the region, as well as links to their tourism offices. If you're lucky enough to live here already, get out and explore your home turf. And if you're not a New Englander, come pay us a visit!
  
Connecticut

Mystic Seaport

Nickname: Constitution State 
  
Capital: Hartford
  
Largest city: Bridgeport  
  
Population: 3.5 million
  
Population ranking among the states: 29th
  
Area ranking among the states: 48th
  
Offbeat tidbit: Folks here don't brag about it, but Connecticut was the birthplace of Benedict Arnold.
  
What their neighbors say: "Connecticut is a state? I thought it was just an oversized suburb of New York." 
  
A must-see attraction that really is worth the trip: Mystic Seaport
  
Best thing about the state: Lots of diversity in a small package
  
  
Maine

Acadia National Park

Nickname: The Pine Tree State
  
Capital: Augusta
  
Largest city: Portland
  
Population: 1.3 million
  
Population ranking among the states: 40th
  
Area ranking among the states: 39th
  
Offbeat tidbit: Maine is the only state that is bordered by only one other state, and Mainers can be a bit xenophobic. They refer to anyone from anywhere else as being "from away."
  
What their neighbors say: "Why are so many yards up there so cluttered? Don't they ever throw anything away?"
  
A must-see attraction that really is worth the trip: Acadia National Park
  
Best thing about the state: It's natural beauty
  
  
Massachusetts

Beacon Hill, Boston

Nickname: The Bay State
  
Capital: Boston
  
Largest city: Boston
  
Population: 6.9 million
  
Population ranking among the states: 15th
  
Area ranking among the states: 44th
  
Offbeat tidbit: The motorists here, especially in the Boston area, are notoriously bad drivers who believe using turn signals is a sign of weakness.
  
What their neighbors say: "Look out! There's a Masshole driving that car! Anything could happen." 
  
A must-see attraction that really is worth the trip: Boston
  
Best thing about the state: It's amazingly rich history
  
New Hampshire

White Mountains

Nickname: The Granite State
  
Capital: Concord
  
Largest city: Manchester
  
Population: 1.3 million
  
Population ranking among the states: 41st
  
Area ranking among the states: 46th
  
Offbeat tidbit: The state's most cherished icon, a granite outcropping known as The Old Man of the Mountain because it resembled a human profile, doesn't exist. It collapsed in 2003.
  
What their neighbors say: "Sure, they don't have an income tax, but that's because they get all their money by selling cheap booze to tourists and robbing them blind on toll roads."
  
A must-see attraction that really is worth the trip: the White Mountains
  
Best thing about the state: The independence of its people

Rhode Island

Newport

Nickname: The Ocean State
  
Capital: Providence
  
Largest city: Providence
  
Population: 1 million
  
Population ranking among the states: 44th
  
Area ranking among the states: 50th 
  
Offbeat tidbit: Rhode Islanders have a bizarre sense of distance because the state is so small. To them, a 40-mile drive is a really big deal requiring extra provisions, and maybe even an overnight bag.
  
What their neighbors say: "Do you have to have mob ties to live there?" 
  
A must-see attraction that really is worth the trip: Newport
  
Best thing about the state: The coast
  
Vermont

Lake Champlain

Nickname: The Green Mountain State
  
Capital: Montpelier
  
Largest city: Burlington
  
Population: 623,989
  
Population ranking among the states: 49th
  
Area ranking among the states: 45th
  
Offbeat tidbit: Vermont is the only New England state without a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. Vermonters don't seem to realize what a glaring deficiency this is.
  
What their neighbors say: "They're all transplanted New Yorkers, except for the locals who spend their time helping New Yorkers adapt to living in the country."
  
A must-see attraction that really is worth the trip: Lake Champlain
  
Best thing about the state: It really is a picture postcard