New England – General info

. Settlement initially began in the area of the coasts, where villages and towns were built.

New England includes the states of Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. This was the origin of the United States. In Boston, the capital of Massachusetts, the first uprising against the occupiers England took place. This uprising subsequently led to the independence of the USA.

The settlement of New England began in 1620 by the Pilgrim Fathers, who landed on the Mayflower in Massachusetts Bay, near the present-day city of Plymouth. In the 17th century, Boston developed into one of America’s most important ports.

New England is the most European part of the USA, which is probably why many Europeans like it so much here. The landscape, climate and vegetation of New England are familiar to Europeans. New England is a region steeped in history, where over 350 years ago the Mayflower landed with the Pilgrim Fathers on board, the secret capital of Boston, where the famous Tea Party took place.

New England is still the region of colleges and universities (research and science) today. In addition to the two most famous, Harvard in Massachusetts and Yale in Connecticut, there are a large number of other small and large universities that are known throughout the country.

New England is almost as big as Austria and Portugal combined, but it is still rather tiny compared to the huge American continent. In the Indian summer, the forests of New England shine in the most beautiful colors.

Driving
Driving in the New England states is comparable to driving in Germany’s cities. In contrast to other states in the USA, the population density in Neueungland is quite high, but it is not comparable to Germany. Americans are also very disciplined drivers who do not vent their aggression while driving. Speed limits should always be observed, because controls are omnipresent and there is a risk of harsh penalties for exceeding them. On the highways, you should swim with the flow of traffic. In this way, you can sometimes exceed the speed a bit. Parking on yellow curbs and closer than 3 meters to a hydrant or driveway is prohibited.

The traffic lights are usually installed in the middle of the intersection. There is no yellow phase between red and green. Flashing yellow traffic lights are a warning. Red flashing traffic lights prompt you to stop. Turning right is allowed outside large cities, of course in compliance with the right of way rules, even when the light is red. School buses (these are yellow and have special warning signs) must not be overtaken or passed by oncoming traffic as soon as they have switched on the red turn signals. The German driver’s license is sufficient, for longer stays the issuance of an international driver’s license is recommended.

Car rental
The renter of the car should be over 21 years of age (some rental companies require an additional insurance premium for drivers under 25 years of age). A credit card is an advantage, otherwise you have to pay a high deposit. It is recommended that you take out sufficient insurance cover. This should contain the following addendums: CDW (Collision Damage Waver, sometimes called LDW – liability for self-inflicted damage to or theft of one’s own vehicle), PAI (Personal Accidents Insurance – passenger insurance) and LIS (Liability Insurance Supplement also EP (Extended Protection).

Money
In the land of credit cards, however, cash is also accepted. You should definitely bring cash with you. You should bring small denominations. In addition to the credit card, we took dollar traveler’s checks with us, which are accepted in the hotels and in most restaurants and shops.

Tipping is rarely included in the price and waiters as well as taxi drivers or chambermaids expect a tip of at least 10 to 15% of the bill. Taxes will be charged additionally.

New England has a continental climate, which means that it can get very cold in winter and it is often very humid and warm in summer.

Most precipitation falls in the cold season. The ideal time to travel can be described as the time from April to August, even if the high humidity can be a bit unpleasant.

The most beautiful season, however, is autumn from the beginning of September to mid-October with the foliage or Indian Summer.

The deciduous forests show an incredible blaze of colour at this time of year.

Due to the high number of visitors from all over the world, you should definitely make hotel reservations during this time.

The current weather in New England can also be found at New England weather.

The most impressive season in all New England states is fall, which runs from early/mid-September to mid/late October. However, the time span varies every year. You should find out in advance when to expect the foliage or Indian Summer. There are enough websites here that provide information about this. The local radio stations also provide information about the old status of leaf colouring.

The deciduous forests are colorful at this time of year, and New England is teeming with leaf peepers. Hotel reservations are highly recommended during this time, otherwise it is difficult to get accommodation. The Berkshires, a mountainous region in the far west of Massachusetts, is one of the strongholds in the Indian summer.

However, you won’t find as many tourists in Baxter State Park and around Moosehead Lake in Maine. Many other regions, such as the White Mountains in New Hampshire or the Green Mountains in Vermont, are particularly worth visiting at this time of year. However, the exact start date and also the length and intensity of the discoloration depends on many factors (e.g. the temperatures and humidity in spring).

This blaze of colour is caused by the difference between cold night temperatures and relatively warm and sunny daytime temperatures. The leaf discoloration can be seen in the diverse tree species of the maple species Red Maple and Silver Maple, the oaks Northern Red Oak and Scarlet Oak, and others such as Sassafras, Dogwoods, Sweetgum.

Due to the extreme temperature fluctuations, the trees produce a cork-containing substance that blocks the exchange of fluids between leaves and branches. This reduces the chlorophyll content of the leaves and the sugar in the leaves makes them bloom in the magnificent colours.

The name “Indian Summer” is based on an old Indian legend, according to which the red of the trees symbolizes the blood of a killed bear.

New England is an area in the northeast of the United States and is known as the origin of the English settlement of the Americas.

Settlement of the American continent about 70,000 to 140,000 years ago. However, New England was still uninhabitable until the end of the last ice age about 12,000 years ago

first sites in New England from about 4000 BC (Fishweir – Boylston Street, Fish Weir in Boston, Muschelhaufen – Ellsworth Falls in Maine)
Indian tribes were: Mahican in Vermont and Massachusetts (= Mohicans, also in J.F. Cooper’s book “The Last of the Mohicans”)
around the year 1000, the first Viking advance to the coast of New England took place

in the 16th century, various explorers (Giovanni da Verrazano, Jacques Cartier) reached the coast of New England, but did not settle there

At the beginning of the 17th century, various voyages of discovery and research were made to New England by Samuel de Champlain, Adriaen Block, Bartholomew Gosnold, and John Smith. The name New England goes back to John Smith.

1620 The Pilgrim Fathers reached Plymouth by ship Mayflower and founded the Plymouth Plantation

1630 John Winthrop founds Salem, the leading center of New England Puritanism

1635 Founding of cities on the Connecticut River (colony of Connecticut)

1635/36 Roger Williams founds Providence (colony of Rhode Island)

1679 Founding of the Royal Province of New Hampshire

1684 Massachusetts becomes a royal colony

1773 Boston Tea Party

1775 Skirmish of Lexington – leads to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War

4 July 1776 Signing of the Declaration of Independence

Ratification of the new constitution: Connecticut (9.1.1788), Massachusetts (6.2.1788), New Hampshire (21.6.1788), Rhode Island (29.5.1790), Vermont (1791)

1820 Maine becomes an independent state

New England cuisine is hearty and substantial.

The national dish of New England is, of course, lobster. In Maine, lobster is offered at almost every stand-up bite. When the early settlers reached the New England coast, lobsters over a meter long were not uncommon.

Fish specialties are Clam Chowder. Chowder is a “thick” soup made from seafood. Clam chowder is a traditional recipe from New England cuisine. Their ingredients include mussels (clam is a generic term for the hard-shelled clams and the soft-shelled sand clams), pork, potatoes, milk and cream. The soup tastes just fantastic. The name Clam Chowder comes from French and translates as “chaudière”, the name for a pot in which the fishermen prepared their meals.

Then there is the clambake, a seafood pot baked in the ground made of potatoes, mussels, chicken, onions, corn, sausages, crabs and lobster.

In addition, cod (cod), cod (scrod), haddock, sole, flounder and sea bass are often on the menu.

New England Boiled Dinner is a Dutch oven made from beef, potatoes and vegetables.

Boston Baked Beans are the most typical of all Puritan dishes. They are composed of dried brown beans cooked with pork and molasses. Dark bread is served with it.

Boston Cream Pie is a dessert made from egg cream and chocolate.

Maple syrup is extracted from the sap of the sugar maple tree (Acer Saccarum). In spring, when the daytime temperatures are around 4 degrees Celsius, mainly with light night frosts, the farmer drills holes in the trunk. Then he inserts a cone through which the juice can drain. After a few hours, the buckets (up to three per tree) are full. It takes about 40 liters of maple sap to produce one liter of maple syrup. It is offered in different commercial classes depending on color and taste.

The cranberry, the red American cranberry, is not missing from any Thanksgiving table. It is an ideal addition to turkey dishes. The turkey is a true Native American and can still be found today in the forests of the northern states of New England.

The farming families used to provide themselves with fresh milk and butter from their own cows. The milk was also processed into cheese, among other things. Cheddar cheese was then usually produced in the English style, which was sealed in large wheels of half a metre in diameter with a wax shell, cloth and dry rind.

There is a huge selection of beers in New England, as in all of America, by the way.