One of my joys of writing about New England destinations is that I discover wonderful gems all the time. Beyond the obvious beauty of the high Presidential Range, or the dunes of Cape Cod, or the rocky coastline of Maine, is a world of New England towns and villages nestled in stunning locations rarely visited by tourists.

One such area is a span of the Connecticut River along Routes 12 and 12A in New Hampshire, and Route 35 in Vermont.

Covering an area that includes Walpole, The Cornishes, Grafton, Lebanon, Enfield, and the longest covered bridge in the United States, are beautiful villages and places to take your time visiting. The area is particularly scenic in summer and during the fall foliage.

The southern end of this brief weekend tour begins in Walpole.

Walpole has its roots in sheep farming in the lush hills that surround the village, and many of the grander homes in town were financed by the wool trade. Once a favored stopping point for the busy water traffic before the railroads took over, eventually it was to be as a literary center with seasonal visitors such as The Alcott’s and the building of Walpole Academy that kept the town and population thriving.

Walpole is now home to LA Burdick Chocolate which is an internationally acclaimed chocolatier, and offers a shop and restaurant, and if you happen to visit in the fall you can delight in their version of a German Oktoberfest. The 1801 House in town provides lodging for your weekend stay.

A short drive over the Connecticut River to the hills of Vermont takes you to Grafton.

Folklore has it that a farmer paid $5.00 and some rum for the privilege of renaming the then town of Thomlinson to Grafton. A rural sheep settlement at first, Grafton eventually attracted mills and trade because of the nearby rivers and plentiful lumber. Unfortunately for the town some disasters and its location away from commerce centers led to the closing of manufacturing plants, and loss of jobs.

The farmers remained but the town hit hard times until a great effort in the 1960’s saw restoration and revival of many of the fine and historic buildings in the village. Today Grafton is a thriving working village that embraces the old ways but has adjusted to the changing character of today’s world. The combination earns Grafton the right to be called one of New England’s beautiful villages. The Old Tavern is a restored Inn offering an alternative for your getaway accommodation.

Our mini tour takes us back over the Connecticut River to New Hampshire and winds north on Routes 12 and 12A as they hug the Connecticut River and provide many opportunities to pull over and admire the scenery, and absorb the sights and sounds of the riverbank.

Just west of Cornish City you’ll hit one of a number of covered bridges that traverse the river to Vermont. This one just happens to the longest in America.

The Cornish-Windsor Bridge is a two span 460 foot long Town Lattice Truss built in 1866 to connect Cornish in New Hampshire with Windsor, Vermont. To experience it, get out of your car and walk across to admire this New England heritage - chances are you’ll have it all to yourself.

As the Vermont border is the west bank of the Connecticut River all the covered bridges that span the river are officially listed under New Hampshire - but whose worried about borders on this trip.

Continue slowly north on Route 12A so you can soak up the scenic views, and you’ll eventually stumble upon West Lebanon, and if you head east on Route 4 to Enfield, you can take in the Shaker Village. At the village is a museum of furniture - of course - tools, clothing, photographs, and special exhibits. The grounds include herb and flower gardens and some easy walks that lead to scenic vistas of the Shaker Village and the surrounding Mascoma Lake area.

By all means explore the many villages and hamlets nestled in the valley beyond these suggestions, especially as you meander south from Enfield towards the Sunapee Lake region. The backroads of New England so often expose memorable places and surprises if you just take the time to explore.

Identifying and visiting beautiful and historical New England villages is one of my favorite pastimes, and thankfully, I’m not going to run out of places to visit and write about for a long, long time.

For more ideas and suggestions for places to visit in this area, check out my special New Hampshire vacations page by clicking here.

Look for another post before end of this week,

Cliff Calderwood
Executive Director
New England Vacation Planner