As summer approaches, sleepy towns across New England begin to wake up from winter hibernation. With flowers in bloom and leafy trees covering the mountains, summer is the best season to visit New England (and the only time to enjoy its pristine beaches). The region has plenty to offer outside of major cities like Boston, Providence, and New Haven, especially on the coast, where locals flock to relax on the beach, go biking and sailing, and enjoy the delicious seafood New England is known for. Starting in Connecticut and heading north to Maine, here are 15 of the most scenic small cities and towns to visit for summer fun, food, history, and culture.--Laura Itzkowitz
Newport, Rhode Island
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Mystic, Connecticut
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Lenox, Massachusetts
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Hyannis, Massachusetts
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Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
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Nantucket, Massachusetts
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Gloucester, Massachusetts
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Newburyport, Massachusetts
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Portsmouth, New Hampshire
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Franconia, New Hampshire
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Montpelier, Vermont
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Burlington, Vermont
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Brattleboro, Vermont
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Kennebunkport, Maine
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Bar Harbor, Maine
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