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
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.
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
