Healthcare Traveler - October 2008 - (Page 40) Home sweet home, sorta Want to mix souvenir hunting with cultural pursuits? Then drive to Windsor, located 30 minutes south of Quechee, to world-famous Simon Pierce Glass. There’s a gift shop on the premises, and you can take the free factory tour to watch artisans craft fine glassworks and pottery in the studio. Other delights Is visiting the seashore more your style? Just hop in a car and drive 2 to 3 hours to the Maine coast, famous for its lighthouses, lobsters, clams, and more. Kennebunkport is a quaint little town where you can embark on a whale watching tour. Further north is Portland, one of the coolest “small” towns in the area. Another hour and you will hit the factory stores of Freeport. If you’re really adventurous, make a long weekend out of a trip to Acadia National Park, only 5 hours north. You will be happy you did, because you just can’t see it all in a day—3 days might not even be enough. ME, standing in front of my canoe, by Mascoma Lake. You’ll feel like you have driven into a Norman Rockwell painting with every new town you discover. of restaurant you could possibly want is on the premises, and the street performers are amazing to watch. Their standards are so high, new performers have to try out for the privilege of working there. If Boston is not your cup of tea, how about Burlington, Vermont? Located on beautiful Lake Champlain, Burlington is about 90 miles northwest of Enfield. The lakefront has biking and hiking trails, and downtown is a quaint little area with some nice shopping. Church Street, however, is the hopping place with restaurants and nightlife. Like in Boston, street performers entertain visitors and residents alike during the day. Make sure you see the “clown” perform his balancing act with fire juggling. For artsy themes, head an hour south to Brattleboro. The first Friday of every month, the town hosts a Gallery Walk through downtown to help emphasize the local small businesses. Do not miss the New England Youth Theater, run by Artistic Director Stephen Stearns. Performed by children ages 5 to 18 and directed by professionals, shows range from Disney, to Shakespeare, to Broadway events. A non-profit theater, the cost of tickets ($10-$12 per show) goes back into the project to help kids boost their self-esteem, be social after school, possibly lay a foundation for a professional acting career, and be mentored by some of the best people on earth. The art of daytripping Sometimes, just driving backcountry roads in this region can be a memorable experience. Rest assured, every 20 minutes or so you will enter the limits of a quaint New England town. Chances are, each one is like the kind you have read about or seen in magazines, complete with a country store and a church with a steeple. If you’re like me, you’ll feel like you have driven into a Norman Rockwell painting with every new town you discover. Convinced yet? It’s pretty easy to see why I was drawn to this wonderful area. But don’t take my word for it. Ask someone else and he or she might give you 100 other things that make this region special. Or better yet, come see for yourself. A traveler at heart, I still plan to visit other states, but will definitely come back to New Hampshire for a 3-month assignment every year. For now, I have a place to call my own. My home sweet home…sorta. HT Rodney Daly, RN, a stepdown/PACU nurse traveler with Cross Country TravCorps, is currently on assignment at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. This entry won third place in Healthcare Traveler’s 2008 Faces & Places Writing Contest. www.healthcaretraveler.com 40 Healthcare Traveler October 2008 http://www.healthcaretraveler.com
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