SUMMER TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE

Remembering an eccentric bookstore customer and his unusual friendship with a reclusive reader. by Kate Whouley

114 /// The Traditionalists: Born to Be a Tugboat Captain

ST PG 78 /// Hidden New England

Dreaming of summer travel? Think new, get off the beaten path, and visit these six towns for a relaxed, laid-back escape. by Yankee staff & contributors

ST PG 92 /// Best Food Festivals

Yankee ’s guide to our favorite celebrations of classic New England cuisine. by Christie Matheson

Second in our series celebrating New England’s heritage trades: Doug Fournier guides Maine’s visiting merchant vessels safely into harbor. by Ian Aldrich

120 /// Follow Us

Second in a two-part series on New England’s energy landscape: Profiling three communities that are adopting clean technology to power their future. by Howard Mansfield

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More Contents THE GUIDE

Home

32 /// The Art House

New Hampshire painter and needle felter

Lauren Decatur finds inspiration in the nature at her doorstep. by Marni Elyse Katz

40 /// Open Studio

In Newbury, Massachusetts, Michael Updike etches stories into stone. by Annie Graves

42 /// House for Sale

Yankee visits a historic sea captain’s home in Kennebunk, Maine. by the Yankee Moseyer

48 /// Bottling the Magic

In Vermont’s Mad River Valley, maple producers are embracing innovation to preserve a venerable tradition. by Keith Pandolfi

58 /// Recipe with a History

Old-fashioned whoopie pies unite three generations of home bakers. by Aimee Seavey

Travel

62 /// Could You Live Here?

Chester, Connecticut, offers a compact downtown in a beautiful riverside setting. by Annie Graves

70 /// Out & About

Patriots’ Day festivities, maple tours, St. Paddy’s celebrations, flower and home shows, quilt expos, and other fun seasonal events. compiled by Joe Bills

72 /// The Best 5

Maple-mania destinations: Early spring brings sugaring season, when New Englanders tap their trees for liquid gold. by Kim Knox Beckius

74 /// Local Treasure

8

YANKEE ALL ACCESS

DEAR YANKEE

10 CONTRIBUTORS

12

INSIDE YANKEE

14

MARY’S FARM

Winter Dreams by Edie Clark

16

LIFE IN THE KINGDOM

Pure Vermont by Ben Hewitt

20

FIRST LIGHT

Yankee reveals “Secrets of the Spring Foragers”: the magic and the romance of the wild food in your own backyard. by Annie Graves

24

ONLY IN NEW ENGLAND

The Small-Town News Network by Ken Sheldon

26

KNOWLEDGE & WISDOM

Mud-season tips, St. Patrick’s parades, and expert advice on collectibles.

30

UP CLOSE

Sap Buckets by Joe Bills

134

62 departments

POETRY BY D.A.W.

152

TIMELESS

NEW ENGLAND

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Home & Garden 39 Spring Gift Guide ............. 46 Stowe, Vermont 69 Best of New England ....... 76 New England Museums 132 Marketplace 147

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‘The Natural’

What a wonderful article on Beatrice Trum Hunter [Nov./Dec., p. 78]. I enjoyed reading about this pioneering woman whom we’ve heard so little about. I’m so grateful that it was published while she’s still with us to communicate her experiences. I so admire her commitment to health and the envi ronment. She’s a terrific role model.

SARA ANNE DONNELLY

Sara Anne Donnelly (“‘More Than Just a Tree,’” p. 104) is a freelance writer in Portland, Maine. She specializes in narratives focusing on Maine, its people, and their culture and is the author of Insider’s Guide to Portland, Maine (Globe Pequot Press). saraannedonnelly.com

I’m so glad that you thought to go find Beatrice Trum Hunter. A glimpse of her life was a pleasure and a wonder. I liked that she was visited by Adele Davis, who changed my diet when I was a teenager. Thank you, both for bringing another valuable story to your magazine and for emphasizing the importance of the “simple (nontoxic)” things.

No Ordinary Life

What a delightful surprise to open the pages of your November/Decem ber issue and see the beautiful write on St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts [“A Life That Is ‘Ordi nary, Obscure, and Laborious,’” p. 66]. St. Joseph’s is very near and dear to me, since my cousin, Brother Bruno, was one of the first monks to live there. After Bruno’s death in 1990, Father Simon, myself, and another monk (who wishes to remain anonymous) mutually adopted one another. I’ve been to two funerals, shared a few meals with these wonderful men, and continue to make an annual visit to the abbey. They’re very special.

TRISTAN SPINSKI

Tristan Spinski (“Born to Be a Tugboat Captain,” p. 114) is a photographer, writer, and co-founding member of GRAIN, a photography collective. He lives in Portland, Maine, with his wife, Sarah, and two dogs, Floyd and Billie Ocean. tristanspinski.com

HOWARD MANSFIELD

A resident of southern New Hampshire, Howard Mansfield (“Follow Us,” p. 120) is a writer and consultant focusing on American history, preservation, culture, and the meaning of place. His newest book is Sheds (Bauhan Publishing), exploring simple New England structures such as barns and bobhouses. howardmansfield.com

KEITH PANDOLFI

Keith Pandolfi (“Bottling the Magic,” p. 48) is the senior features editor for the website Serious Eats. He has been fascinated by maple-syrup production ever since his parents took him on a childhood trip to Vermont, and he firmly believes that maple is one of the best foods humankind has ever discovered. He lives with his wife and daughter in Brooklyn, New York. seriouseats.com

KATE WHOULEY

Kate Whouley (“Vincent and His Lady,” p. 112) writes from her home on Cape Cod. She is the author of Cottage for Sale, Must Be Moved and Remembering the Music, Forgetting the Words: Travels with Mom in the Land of Dementia katewhouley.com

Write us at 1121 Main St., Dublin, NH 03444, or editor@YankeeMagazine.com. Please include where you reside. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

ANNIE GRAVES

Annie Graves (“Secrets of the Spring Foragers,” p. 20, and “The Slate Imaginings of Michael Updike,” p. 40) is a contributing editor to Yankee and author of the magazine’s “Could You Live Here?” column (p. 62 in this issue). A New Hampshire native, she’s been a travel, home, and feature writer for more than 25 years. anniegraves.com