Welcome to the Northeast!
-- New England and New York --

Located in the far northeast of the United States, New England is comprised of six states -- Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

This is not at all to diminish our new addition to the Guide, the State of New York.  Indeed, all of New England encompasses 63,474 square miles.  Yet, by itself New York includes 54,471 sq. mi.;  that's fully 46% of the whole.  And, you will find as much variety in topography and people in New York as you will in all of the others states. (Well, Massachusetts is a Commonwealth,  actually, but there is no real legal difference.   John Adams slipped in the name change in his second draft of her Constitution in 1780.)

New England possibly got its name when Captain John Smith said in 1606 that it resembled the coast of England.  There is certainly great variety -- from rich farm lands in New York and Connecticut to the rocky coast of Maine, all of the Northeast owes it to the action of long-gone glaciers.  ...Even the lay of the mountains themselves.  They are all part of the Appalachian chain, of course.  Starting from the south, the Catskills and the Adirondacks line the east side of New York.  The Berkshires are on the west of both CT and MA.  In VT they become the Green Mountains, and the Monadnocks and White Mountains of NH.  The Appalachians end at Mount Katahdin in northern Maine.

Glacial action is why the hills and mountains tend to be steeper on their northern sides, with gentler slopes to the south and east.  And it's also why the region's harbors are excellent. 

While rocky soil limited farming, good harbors engendered a great shipbuilding industry, as well as the trade that followed.  That may be why activists here were strong fomenters of the American Revolution -- in reaction to harsh English controls.  (With its huge area and more productive lands, New York was a bit slower to commit to the Revolution, but they came along, too.)

As more lush farming was found when America's West opened in mid-19th Century, New England turned more and more to industrialization.  New York became an industrial giant.  Then, as labor-intensive manufacturers moved South for cheaper labor, we became more high-tech.

So, for its history, geology, and methods of commerce, New England and New York have become prime destinations for tourism.  As a traveling experience, everywhere you can find sun and fun and gentle breezes and good food.  

This is a land of a rugged people who take on exciting challenges.  As just one example, consider if you will the signage  (big, with black letters on a bright yellow background)  on New Hampshire's Mt. Washington trail heads.  The precise wording will change with the trail, but the message is always the same:

"Warning.  The area ahead has the worst weather in America.  
Do not attempt this trail unless you are in top physical condition, 
and carrying extra food and clothing.  Turn back now if the weather 
is bad.  Many people have died on this mountain."

Well, after all, at 6,288 feet Mt. Washington is the highest of the Appalachians.  Somehow on this sign you almost expect to see a smiley face next to the sign's signature, "U.S. Forest Service."  ...But it is for real.  Most of the people who die on this mountain die of hypothermia (exposure), and most of them during the summer.  Even favored ski trails go through places like Escape Hatch and Damnation Gully.

The summertime-only Mt. Washington Auto Road is steep -- a real brake-killer, that one.  On the way down, use low gear, and stop often to cool your brakes;  no kidding!  It is also narrow, winding, and without guard rails.  Never stop on the way up, only on the way down, and for reasons of sheer physics the car on the way down always has the right of way!  One "welcome" sign even says "You may not appreciate this driving experience."  (In this land, we are known for our  "tongue in cheek" approach to life.)  We have driven it;  we have also taken the stage as well as the cog railway, both of which are great rides.

In the Northeast we love our signs, facts and figures.  There is a sign at the weather station on top of the mountain, "The highest wind ever observed by man was recorded here. ... In a great storm April 12, 1934, the crew's instruments measured a wind velocity of 231 miles per hour."  Indeed, the principle storm tracks crossing the Northeast all seem to use Mt. Washington as a route marker.  Heck, the average wind is just over 35 MPH.  They exceed 75 MPH (hurricane) typically 104 days a year.  The station has recorded temperatures from -47°F to as high as 72°F.  Snowfall averages 256 inches per year, but exceeded 566 inches in one season (1968-69).  Planning a trip?  The summit is cloudy around 60% of the time.  

So why do it, when life is so cozy down where the more sane people live?  The views ... the people you meet ... the adventure ... meeting Nature on her terms ...  the ... but you'll find out.

Even with all this talk of mountains, if you would seek an image that is symbolic of all of the Northeast, you could fare little better than to visit Gloucester, Massachusetts.  There, just above the incoming tide, stands a monument to a legacy.  Surprisingly small in size -- little larger than a man, actually -- the bronze Fishermen's Monument (the background image to this page) really bespeaks a heart as large as a whole people.  Since 1623 the phrase "out of Gloucester" has been a mark of pride and valor.  From this place, the nation's oldest seaport, fishing vessels large and small brave the unforgiving waters.  From 1840 to 1903, one list shows 768 fishing vessels lost, along with 5,202 lives, and even that is an incomplete compilation.

And yet still they go.  Muscles tensed.  Eyes on the horizon, toward the morning sun.  Industrious, capable and proud.  Indomitable.
    

Top of page

©2003 Baughan & Company.  All rights reserved.