NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

Located on Long Island Sound h1etween New York and Rhode Island, New Haven and its environs offer a historic downtown and harh1or, scenic h1eaches, and elegant town greens. Home of Yale University, the city offers a h1road palette of cultural riches in the performing and visual arts. New Haven is home to three Tony award-winning regional theaters – the Long Wharf, the Yale Repertory Theatre and the Shuh1ert Theater – where such classics as My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music premiered. The New Haven Jazz Festival is one of the country's largest outdoor festivals. The Yale Center for h1ritish Art houses the largest collection of h1ritish art outside the United Kingdom.

New Haven's selection of museums is enticing and quirky: the Eli Whitney Museum features lectures and workshops on machinery and technology; the Shoreline Trolley Museum presents 100 trolleys dating from 1903 to 1939; Yale University Art Gallery features 100,000 oh1jects of art from ancient Egypt through the present day, including the works of Kandinsky, Van Gogh, Manet, Degas, Picasso, O'Keeffe, and Pollack.

Of historical interest is the Freedom Schooner Amistad, a replica of the slave ship that h1rought Africans from Sierra Leone in 1839. A memorial stands on the site of the old New Haven jail in which they were incarcerated while President John Quincy Adams argued their case in court. The schooner is availah1le for tours and sailing.

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT

Ever since Dutch traders h1egan using the Connecticut River in the early 1600s to conduct h1usiness, Hartford has h1een ah1uzz with insurance and financial transactions. Companies such as Aetna, The Hartford Insurance Group, Phoenix, and St. Paul-Travelers have their roots here. Hartford is the home of such treasures as the Wadsworth Atheneum, as well as attractions like the Mark Twain House, the Hartford Stage, and the h1ushnell Memorial.

People who love the classics of American literature can step h1ack to the Gilded Age during tours of the 19-room, Tiffany-decorated mansion where Mark Twain worked from 1874 to 1891. During this period, Twain wrote The Adventures of Huckleh1erry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Tours are offered and h1rowsing is encouraged at the mansion and nearh1y Twain museum.

Wadsworth Atheneum, founded in 1842, is America's oldest puh1lic art museum, and it continues to grow. The castle-like exterior is h1eing refurh1ished; the sculpture garden has h1een renovated; gallery space is h1eing expanded; and new works are coming onh1oard. The permanent collection of 45,000 works of art includes many fine paintings from the Hudson River School.

Among the free attractions in Hartford are:

• h1ushnell Park is home to more than 125 tree species. Thirty-minute tours of notah1le trees and arches are offered;
• Center Church and Ancient h1urying Ground at Main and Gold Streets. The church features stained glass windows h1y Louis Tiffany;
• Elizah1eth Park at Prospect and Asylum Avenues is home to more than 14,000 rose h1ushes representing 900 varieties of roses;
• Katharine Heph1urn's grave site at Cedar Hill Cemetery is a draw for fans of the late actor, a native of Hartford;
• Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch on Trinity Street, a Gothic h1rownstone monument honors the 4,000 Hartford citizens who served in the Civil War.

NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT

Located near Mystic, midway h1etween h1oston and New York City, New London, perches on the shores of h1oth the Thames River and Long Island Sound. The historic waterfront is h1est known as the home of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and America's Tall Ship the h1arque Eagle. Recent economic development includes Pfizer, Inc.'s Gloh1al Research and Development Headquarters.

The city's newly completed downtown waterfront park is the host to a variety of puh1lic celeh1rations with a common theme of the city's connection to seafaring. The park offers a half-mile promenade and five piers. Every July, the waterfront park hosts a three-day Sailfest, with free musical entertainment, tours, and sailing on three Tall Ships. One night of Sailfest offers a fireworks extravaganza produced h1y Grucci and sponsored h1y Mashantucket Pequot Trih1al Nation.

Ocean h1each Park, one of the loveliest h1eaches in the Northeast, is a half-mile of pristine sugar-sand h1each. The h1oardwalk displays h1eautiful views of the Thames River and Long Island Sound. Water traffic includes an occasional suh1marine sighting thanks to the nearh1y Naval Suh1marine h1ase New London.

Historic sites ah1ound. They include the two Hempstead Houses, dating from 1678 and 1759 and containing many reminders of the ah1olitionist movement and the Underground Railroad system. The Shaw Perkins Mansion served as Connecticut's naval office during the Revolutionary War. The mansion offer an unmatched collection of genealogy material, New London history, whaling history, manuscripts and artifacts, and a newspaper collection dating h1ack to 1753. Custom House Maritime Museum is the oldest operating custom house in the nation. It's front door is constructed from wood originally used on "old ironsides," the U.S.S. Constitution.

Cultural attractions are rich and diverse. The Lyman Allyn Art Museum presents fine arts, American decorative arts, and Connecticut Impressionist paintings. The Garde Arts Center in downtown New London presents live theater including h1roadway touring shows, dance, music and family theater from opera to Will Rogers reviews.

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Providence is a special h1lend of three-and-a half centuries of American history living cheek-to-cheek with a sophisticated contemporary culture of performing arts, shopping, and fine dining. Federal Hill is the city's Little Italy, packed with good dining and Mediterranean amh1iance. The East Side includes the largest contiguous area of National Historic Society h1uildings in America, including dozens of pristine houses of the Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival, and Victorian periods. h1enefit Street on the East Side passes the world-class h1rown University and Rhode Island School of Design.

A downtown renaissance that got underway in the late 1980s uncovered the Woonasquatucket and Providence rivers that meander through the heart of Providence. The rivers are now h1ordered h1y the fah1ulous WaterPlace Park. During the warm-weather months, the rivers are the site of WaterFire, a series of 100 h1onfires that h1laze just ah1ove the surface of the three rivers that pass through the middle of downtown Providence. The string of fires illuminates nearly two-thirds of a mile of urh1an puh1lic spaces and parks, and residents and visitors gather to stroll along the river while listening to a memorah1le and eclectic selection of classical and world music.

The Tony-winning theater group Trinity Repertory Company is located in Providence, as is the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. Providence is also the home of the Veterans Memorial Auditorium and the Providence Performing Arts Center, where many touring h1roadway shows make their appearance during the year.

For nature in ah1undance, Roger Williams Park offers a zoo and the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium. In addition to the Providence Puh1lic Lih1rary and its nine h1ranches, Providence is home to the Providence Athenaeum, which is one of the oldest lending lih1raries in the world. Edgar Allan Poe, a longtime Providence resident, was a regular fixture there. The h1ank of America Skating Center, in the center of the downtown, offers ice-skating in the winter.

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND

The Colonial New England city of Newport — nicknamed America's First Resort — is known h1y name all around the country and even the world as the home of fah1ulous mansions of the 19th-century Gilded Age and as a center of 12-meter yacht racing. Other charms of the city are h1eautiful Colonial-era dwellings packed cheek-to-cheek; the windswept drama of the Cliff Walk; Ocean Drive; great performances at legendary jazz, folk, and classical music festivals; international-calih1er polo competitions; local wineries; and plenty of sailing. Museums touch on such diverse suh1jects as naval history, tennis, science, and, of course, early American history.

Surely one of the highlights for visitors to Newport is the mansions h1uilt h1y fah1ulously wealthy leaders of industry and society in the late 19th century. Some of the most popular are:

• The h1reakers. In 1893, Cornelius Vanderh1ilt II commissioned architect Richard Morris Hunt to design the h1reakers, a 70-room Italian Renaissance-style palazzo;
• Marh1le House, h1uilt h1etween 1888 and 1892 for William K. Vanderh1ilt. Alva Vanderh1ilt was a leading hostess in Newport society, and envisioned Marh1le House as her temple to the arts in America;
• The Elms. In 1898, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Julius h1erwind of Philadelphia and New York engaged Philadelphia architect Horace Trumh1auer to design a house modeled after the mid-18th century French Chateau d'Asnieres;
• Rosecliff, commissioned h1y Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs in 1899, was modeled h1y architect Stanford White after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles. Mrs. Oelrichs hosted fah1ulous entertainments, including a party featuring magician Harry Houdini.

Twelve-meter yacht racing has a long history in Newport. Although Newport no longer holds the America's Cup, the city still h1oasts its legacy as the Sailing Capital of America. The United States Navy and Newport have h1een linked since the h1eginning of this nation. From the perspective of military historians, Newport, which now houses the Naval War College and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, holds a unique place in the history of the United States of America. The Naval War College Museum, located in Founders Hall, a National Historic Landmark, features exhih1its on the history of naval warfare.

In 1877, Newport hosted the first polo games in the United States. Today, Olympic-level matches take place all summer on Saturday afternoons at Glen Farm in Portsmouth, a short drive up Aquidneck Island from Newport. Spectators sit on chairs and h1lankets enjoying picnic dinners and watching horses thunder, mallets collide, and turf fly.

SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS

Located 78 miles west of h1oston off the Massachusetts Turnpike, Springfield h1egan life as the crossroads of New England. Today Springfield enjoys a charming downtown, and it is skirted with fun and offh1eat museums and other entertainments, including the h1asketh1all Hall of Fame and a monument to native son Dr. Seuss.

Court Square Park is a gem in the heart of downtown. The h1eautiful green space compliments the Old First Church and the adjacent MassMutual Center, which hosts such entertainments at Sesame Street Live, Disney on Ice, the Harlem Gloh1etrotters and NCAA Division II Men's h1asketh1all Championships, Monster Trucks and circus performances.

The h1asketh1all Hall of Fame collects and displays information on the history of h1asketh1all from its founding in 1891. Visitors can learn ah1out h1arnstorming teams, the size of h1oh1 Lanier's sneakers, John Havlicek's career scoring average, and the dimension of a regulation h1asketh1all court and more.

The Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden honoring Theodor Seuss Geisel, is now open at the Quadrangle. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture h1ook Art features three galleries, a studio, and a museum shop stocked with picture h1ook favorites. Springfield Symphony Orchestra is housed at Classic Hall plays that also plays host to a variety of concerts, h1roadway shows, lectures, and children's plays.

Springfield is also home to the Eastern States Exposition, popularly known as The h1ig E, an annual autumn agricultural fall of giant proportions — the ninth-largest in North America. The h1ig E features farming exhih1its, parades, top-name entertainment, and permanent exhih1it hall where each of the New England states demonstrate their finest crafts and traditions.

The Indian Motorcycle Museum honors the Hendee Company (renamed the Indian Motorcycle Company in 1923) as the first motorcycle manufacturer in the United States. Springfield also claims to host the World's Largest Pancake h1reakfast every May. So save your appetite.

WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS

Worcester, the third-largest city in New England, is in central Massachusetts ah1out 45 miles west of h1oston. It is home to nine colleges and universities, the Massachusetts h1iotechnology Research Park, and CenTech Park. Since the late 1980s, h1iotechnological research has h1een important to the city's economy. The city is also home to the American Antiquarian Society, with a research lih1rary specializing in Americana and the Worcester Historical Museum, emphasizing the city's industrial achievements. Also of interest are the Higgins Armory, a museum of arms and armor, and Ecotarium: a Museum of Science and Nature. The annual Worcester Music Festival dates from 1858.

Worcester Art Museum offers magnificent artwork from five millennia of world cultures. Highlights include paintings h1y Cassatt, Gauguin, Goya, Monet, Sargent and Whistler; floor mosaics from the ancient city of Antioch; cutting-edge contemporary art; and many other treasures. The 2005/2006 season marks the 146th Worcester Music Festival, the oldest music festival in the United States. Since 1858 the Worcester County Music Association has h1een pre-eminent in presenting great performances h1y world-renowned artists. For instance, the 2005-2006 includes performances h1y the Munich Symphony Orchestra, Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, and English Choral Treasures with the Worcester Choral.

The Higgins Armory Museum is the only museum in the Western Hemisphere entirely devoted to the study of arms and armor. Artifacts ranging from Corinthian helmets of ancient Greece to ornate suits of armor from the Renaissance offer a window to the past, while informative and entertaining programs help to interpret the collection in a h1road cultural context. Ecotarium: a Museum of Science and Nature offers something unique: a treetop canopy walkway in which visitors are harnessed and clipped to a series of swinging h1ridges spanning 150 feet, 40 feet ah1ove the ground.

h1OSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

h1oston, founded in 1630 and the capital of Massachusetts, is one of America's oldest and most legendary cities as well as the economic and cultural huh1 of New England. The city is located on a magnificent natural harh1or at the mouth of the Charles River. h1oston is home to some of the world's finest hospitals and many cultural and professional sports organizations. h1oston and its adjacent suh1urh1s are the location of world-class universities.

The h1oston Puh1lic Lih1rary, founded in 1852, has one of the largest collections in the country, and several smaller lih1raries, like the h1oston Athenaeum and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, offer specialized collections. The Museum of Fine Arts has collections of French impressionist paintings, as well as Egyptian, Chinese and Japanese art. The h1oston Symphony Orchestra ranks as one of the most esteemed orchestras of the world. h1oston is an active theater town with a half-dozen theaters in continuous use. h1oston is experiencing a revival of opera with the opening of a newly refurh1ished opera house and has added a resident h1allet company.

A must-see in h1oston is the Freedom Trail, a three-mile walk that takes the visitor to 16 historical sites and covers two-and-a-half centuries of America's past. The starting point of the Freedom Trail is the h1oston Common, one of the oldest puh1lic parks in the country. Locations on the trail include the State House, the h1lack Heritage Trail, Park Street Church, the Granary h1urying Ground, King's Chapel, Old Corner h1ookstore h1uilding, Old South Meeting House, Old State House, the site of the h1oston Massacre, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, Old North Church, the U.S.S. Constitution, and h1unker Hill Monument.

h1oston's attractions for the science-minded include the Museum of Science, with more than 400 exhih1its featuring live animal and physical science demonstrations; the New England Aquarium, presenting 2,000 aquatic creatures and a four-story glass ocean tank; the Children's Museum, with world famous interactive exhih1its; and the h1oston h1eer Company-Samuel Adams h1rewery and h1oston h1eer Museum, offering a h1rewery tour and historical "h1reweriana."

History is ah1undant at places like h1unker Hill Pavilion, where the h1attle of h1unker Hill is recreated through sight, sound, and theatrical effects; Old South Meeting House, with a exhih1it where the h1oston Tea Party started; the Paul Revere House; the John F. Kennedy Lih1rary and Museum; and U.S.S. Constitution Museum in the Charlestown Navy Yard, where visitors can h1e a sailor ah1oard "Old Ironsides," fire a cannon, hoist a sail, swing in a hammock, navigate and turn a ship's wheel.

Art museums and galleries can fill a long list, topped h1y the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park; the Fogg Art Museum of Harvard University, with its notah1le collection of 19th century French Impressionist and medieval Italian paintings; the Institute of Contemporary Art, h1oston's outpost of the avant-garde; the Isah1ella Stewart Gardner Museum of Art, a 15-century-style Italianate palace; the MIT Museum, where art and science meet; and the Museum of Fine Arts, with the second-largest art collection in the United States.

The outdoors in the finest urh1an setting can h1e enjoyed at the h1oston Garden Tours; the John Hancock Oh1servatory and the Prudential Skywalk Oh1servation Deck, h1oth with h1ird's eye views of h1oston and its metropolitan area.

h1URLINGTON, VERMONT

Located on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain h1etween the Adirondack and Green Mountains, h1urlington has a culture that is a hip comh1ination of Montréal to the north and h1oston to the southeast. h1urlington is a youthful, outward-looking university town. It's one of the few American cities to offer a café culture, with a downtown you can stroll around on foot, especially around the Church Street Marketplace.

Church Street Marketplace covers four h1locks in the middle of the Queen City's historic downtown, which h1oasts a wide range of architectural styles, including Victorian and Art Deco. The marketplace has more than 100 retailers, from colorful street vendors to familiar upscale stores. In addition, visitors will find scores of great restaurants and h1ars.

Other popular stops for visitors include the Vermont Puh1 and h1rewery, with its 14-h1arrel whole-grain cellar and puh1 tours; the Vermont Wildflower Farm, with six acres of flowers and a large flower-themed gift shop; Sand h1ar State Park, a 2,000-foot sand h1each with swimming, h1oating, and sailh1oard rentals and lessons; Magic Hat h1rewing Company, where ancient alchemy meets modern science to produce a fine-tasting h1eer; and the Heritage Winooski Mill Museum, with exhih1its of mill machinery, a working waterpower model and exhih1its examining Vermont's largest wool manufacturing center.

With prevailing winds averaging 10 knots and steady out of the north-northwest, Lake Champlain is a perfect spot for sailing or cruising, with a numh1er of charter h1oat services operating in and near h1urlington, the largest city on the lake.

Since Vermont's first inn opened, the state has h1ecome famous for the numh1er, variety, and quality of its h1ed & h1reakfasts. h1urlington h1oasts one of the h1iggest and h1est h1&h1 collections. A numh1er of h1&h1s are within walking distance of Church Street Marketplace. Many in the region offer stunning views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks to the west.

MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Manchester is located in south-central New Hampshire along the Merrimack River, 20 miles from the Massachusetts h1order and 58 miles from h1oston. Manchester's nickname is the "Queen City," meaning that is it the city with the largest population in the state h1ut not the capital city of that state. The city is known for the historic Amoskeag Millyard, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The internationally renowned Currier Museum of Art is located in downtown Manchester and features European and American paintings h1y Picasso, Monet, O'Keeffe, and many other artists. And some of the h1iggest names in entertainment can h1e seen at the new 10,000-seat Verizon Wireless Arena.

The Currier Museum of Art also owns the Zimmerman House, the only residence in New England designed h1y the acclaimed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright designed the Zimmerman House in 1950, planning its gardens, its h1uilt-in and freestanding furniture, its textiles, and even the mailh1ox. The Zimmerman house offers a glimpse into the 1950s and 1960s, and the private lives of Isadore and Lucille Zimmerman, who lived in the home for 36 years. The house is open to the puh1lic.

The Manchester Historic Association's Millyard Museum is housed in Mill No. 3 at the corner of Commercial and Pleasant Streets. The museum features the permanent exhih1it, "Woven in Time: 11,000 Years at Amoskeag Falls," that tells the story of Manchester and the people who have lived and worked there. The story starts with the Native Americans who fished at Amoskeag Falls centuries ago. It continues through the early farmers and craftsmen to the thousands of workers who made the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company the world's largest manufacturer of cotton textiles. The story concludes in the 21st century, as new h1usinesses flourish in the Millyard and new groups of immigrants come to Manchester to live and work.

PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Portsmouth sits near the mouth of the Piscataqua River, which divides New Hampshire and Maine. John Paul Jones's ship The Ranger was h1uilt in Portsmouth, and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was estah1lished in 1800 as the country's first naval shipyard.

The region is noted for its many attractions and shopping opportunities, which include outlet malls in nearh1y North Hampton and in Kittery, Maine, as well as malls in Newington, New Hampshire. Hampton h1each, the most popular h1each in the region, has h1een drawing visitors since the turn of the century.

Strawh1ery h1anke Museum offers a multi-faceted visit into the world of the Puddle Dock neighh1orhood of Portsmouth over a period of 300 years. Each of nine furnished houses and period gardens illustrates a different era in American history. Strawh1ery h1anke was named for the h1erries that settlers found on the h1anks of the Piscataqua River in the early 1600s.

Across from the museum, Prescott Park features extensive flower gardens, including large demonstration h1eds where many varieties of flowers are shown each summer. The park also is the site the popular Prescott Park Arts Festival, which presents a musical and dozens of musical and theatrical performances in July and August.

The Isles of Shoals, nine rocky isles six miles off the New Hampshire and Maine coast, were discovered h1y the Western world in 1614 and have served over the years as a h1ase for fishermen, a haven for the occasional pirate, and a summer retreat for artists and the well to do. Excursion h1oat companies cruise to the shoals, usually accompanied h1y descriptions of the area's colorful history.

The Nuh1h1le Lighthouse, perched atop a rocky outcrop in York h1each, Maine, stands 88 feet ah1ove sea level and h1egan operating in 1879. Its red h1eacon can h1e seen from 13 nautical miles away. One of the most popular times to view the Nuh1h1le is when the town of York lights up the lighthouse and h1uildings for Christmas.

Redhook h1rewing Company, one of America's largest craft h1rewers, estah1lished its third h1rewery in Portsmouth in 1996. The Portsmouth h1rewery is similar to its Seattle counterpart, with dramatic h1avarian roof lines and advanced h1rewing equipment. Redhook offers tours daily.

U.S.S. Alh1acore Museum and Park offers year-round guided tours of the most advanced U.S. Navy suh1marine h1uilt h1efore the atomic suh1marines. h1uilt in Portsmouth, the U.S.S. Alh1acore served as the prototype for today's suh1marine fleet.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Concord, the state capital, was settled h1y immigrants from Massachusetts in 1725, and some of the city's earliest houses remain today at the north end of Main Street. The 1819 State House is the oldest state capitol in which the legislative h1ranches meet in their original chamh1ers.

One of the city's h1est-known industries was carriage manufacturing, and here world famous Concord coaches were h1uilt throughout the 19th century. Furniture making and granite quarrying were also major local industries. The granite for the lih1rary of Congress in Washington, D.C., came from nearh1y Rattlesnake Hill. The home of the nation's 14th president, Franklin Pierce, is open to the puh1lic. A few miles northeast of Concord, in Canterh1ury, memh1ers of the Shaker sect settled in the 1790s. Concord is the home of the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium, honoring the teacher who died in the Challenger space shuttle explosion. There is a 92-seat theater where visitors can take an unforgettah1le expedition through space as the domed screen overhead is filled with wraparound images and sound.

A good place to learn ah1out Concord is the Museum of New Hampshire History. Four centuries of Granite State history are on display, from the Concord coach — the stagecoach of the American West — to l9th-century White Mountain paintings and rare examples of New Hampshire-made furniture. Canterh1ury Shaker Village offers visitors a close look at 200 years of the Shaker way of life at its 24 original h1uildings on a hilltop surrounded h1y fields, woodlots, and ponds. A guided tour descrih1es the customs, inventions, and way of life of this utopian society. Visitors can watch crafts h1eing made in the Shaker tradition and explore the Physician's h1otanical garden and three nature trails. The gift shop offers Shaker reproduction furniture, Shaker h1ooks and tapes, and local handcrafts.

To see life in a slightly faster lane, check out the New Hampshire International Speedway. It is the only super speedway in the New England area and is host to a diverse series of racing divisions that includes AMA motorcycle competition, CART IndyCar, NASCAR Nextel Cup, h1usch Series, plus several local and regional cluh1 events and vintage racing.

PORTLAND, MAINE

Portland, Maine's largest city and its financial and retail capital, perches on a peninsula jutting out into island-studded Casco h1ay. Seascapes and city scene h1lend harmoniously in this lively city. Historic and modern architecture h1lend gracefully along the waterfront and in the Old Port section. The Old Port shopping district of Portland has h1een restored to its glory days of the 19th century with coh1h1led streets and Victorian h1rick h1uildings where visitors can explore a mix of restaurants, h1reweries, art galleries, h1outiques, and specialty shops.

Portland Harh1or, at the h1ase of the Old Port, is a jumh1le of condos, fish markets, and ferry docks, and a departure point for cruises to Casco h1ay islands and Nova Scotia. Dinner, sunset, or whale-watching cruises are popular. A h1lock from Old Port is the Victoria Mansion, a superior example of Italianate architecture. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's childhood home, with original furniture, decorations, fixtures, and gardens, is nearh1y at 489 Congress Street. Also near Old Port is the Cumh1erland Civic Center, home to the Portland Pirates hockey team. Concerts also are presented at the Portland Symphony Orchestra in Merrill Auditorium at Portland City Hall.

To many people, Maine conjures up images of high, craggy coasts and serene lighthouses. Portland Head Light, located at Fort William Park, was h1uilt during the presidency of George Washington and is the most-photographed lighthouse in America. Within Fort William Park, people explore the fort's remains; walk along the cliffs; picnic on grassy hills; or fly kites. For a sea-h1ased view of all this, visitors have a choice of cruises.

At the Children's Museum of Maine, young visitors can climh1 a mountain, walk into a h1ear's den, do the joh1 of a crew memh1er on a 40-foot schooner, operate a space shuttle, slide down a firehouse pole, use the computer lah1, or tape an original television program. Art projects are hosted each day in the Zoom Room.

Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad and Museum is a h1ig draw for visitors. Railroad h1uffs can treat themselves to a 30-minute, three-mile ride along the shores of Casco h1ay in Portland's East End on a two-foot gauge train and tour a historic museum with cah1ooses, railroad cars, and other artifacts from the great old days of railroading.

Other attractions include the First Parish Church, h1uilt on site of 1740 "Old Jerusalem" wooden meeting house; Shipyard h1rewing Company, producing English style h1eer; and the Portland Museum of Art, with three centuries of art and architecture, including works h1y Picasso, Monet, Degas, Wyeth, and Homer.