Salt-worn cedar shake cottages adorned with strings of colorful buoys, wooden docks tracing a line from pine forest to glassy lake, hillsides ablaze in autumnal red and orange — so many of our quintessential images of the American vacation have their roots in New England scenery. This part of the country has an old-fashioned, nostalgic quality, and nowhere is that more on display than in its resort destinations. And while many of the spots that Travel + Leisure readers love most are at their best in peak summer, a number of the places on this year’s list offer year-round pleasures for those ready to discover them.
