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New England’s most welcoming towns and best summer escapes

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New England’s most welcoming towns and best summer escapes


Scenic Six

Seasonal train rides, Bristol’s historic Fourth of July celebration, Duck Tour discounts, and more.

Bar Harbor, Maine. Tanner Pearson for The Boston Globe

You’re reading Scenic Six, Boston.com’s guide to New England travel. Sign up to get hidden gems, travel tips, and must-visit spots in your inbox every week.


Welcome back to Scenic Six.

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I hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend. We visited friends in Wells, Maine and then explored nearby Ogunquit (recently named the best beach town in New England by Boston.com readers). Though the weather wasn’t the best, outdoor dining was still hopping and the streets were full of people. It’s always a good vibe in Ogunquit. 

This week, I’m writing about two New England towns named among the most welcoming in America, a first-of-its-kind remote terminal for Logan Airport, the oldest continuous 4th of July celebration in the nation, Boston Duck Tour discounts, and more.

These New England towns roll out the welcome mat 

If you’re looking for a happy getaway, two New England towns were just named on a World Atlas list of 12 of the most welcoming towns in America: Bar Harbor, Maine and Burlington, Vermont. Both are hosting free festivals and other community events this summer, adding even more reasons for a Maine or Vermont escape this season. 

Need a ride? Consider a seasonal train

I’m a big fan of train travel because it’s relaxing and stress free. The CapeFlyer between Boston and Cape Cod resumed this past weekend and the Berkshire Flyer between the Berkshires and New York City starts back up on June 12 (with expanded service). 

Attend the oldest continuous 4th of July celebration in America

Believe it or not, Independence Day is just around the corner and one of the best celebrations in America is in Bristol, R.I., according to USA Today. The publication just named the Bristol Fourth of July Celebration among the best 4th of July celebrations in the nation (fun fact: this will be its 241st year). 

Travel tips

  • Logan Airport passengers flying JetBlue and Delta Air Lines can soon skip airport security lines and go straight to their gate by using a first-of-its-kind remote terminal in Framingham, opening June 1.
  • Celebrate America’s 250th birthday at Weir Farm National Historical Park in Ridgefield, Conn., the only national park dedicated to American painting, on June 14 (Flag Day) by attending the free event Art is Revolutionary. Guests will enjoy live music, plein air demonstrations, open house tours, refreshments, and art making activities. 

Deals and steals:

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  • Celebrate the 140th anniversary of Basin Harbor Resort & Boat Club in Vergennes, Vermont by booking the Summer Starts Early package, which takes 25% off weekdays and 10% off weekends on three-night stays taking place through June 18.
  • Taking a Boston Duck Tour? Save up to $10 per ticket on tours departing before 10 a.m. by using the discount code EARLYDUCK. The discount is valid for online purchases only. 
  • Traveling by train? Save up to 60% off eight tickets on Amtrak when booking Amtrak Share Fares by using the code V291 on the Amtrak app. A two-day advance purchase is required.

I’ll leave you with this photo I took of the sunrise in Wells, Maine.

Where have you traveled lately? Please share your photos by sending them to [email protected] and they may be featured in an upcoming Scenic Six newsletter.

Whether you’re traveling this week or planning your next escape, enjoy the journey.

— Kristi 

Profile image for Kristi Palma

Kristi Palma

Travel writer

 

Kristi Palma is the travel writer for Boston.com, focusing on the six New England states. She covers airlines, hotels, and things to do across Boston and New England. She is the author of the award-winning Scenic Six, a weekly travel newsletter.

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Boston, MA

Jets were 300 feet apart in Boston close call that forced Delta flight to abort landing, expert says

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Jets were 300 feet apart in Boston close call that forced Delta flight to abort landing, expert says


BOSTON (AP) — A Delta Air Lines jet was roughly 300 feet (90 meters) from an American Airlines plane during a close call at Boston’s airport that forced the Delta aircraft to abort a weekend landing attempt, an aviation expert said Sunday.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating the incident between two commercial flights that happened Saturday at Boston Logan International Airport.

Todd Curtis, a former safety engineer at Boeing, estimated the distance between the two jetliners using Flightradar24, a website that tracks flights. Curtis now coproduces a podcast about flight safety issues.

“This is a significant incident,” Curtis said, adding that it was particularly concerning because it involved two professional airline crews.

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He said federal aviation officials have been concerned about such runway incursions for a while now and will scrutinize Saturday’s close call.

Near-misses and runway incursions at U.S. airports will be the subject of a hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation will seek ways to strengthen safety across the national airspace system.

The Delta flight from Dallas had to execute a go-around, or aborted landing, to avoid the American plane departing from an intersecting runway, according to the FAA and flight logs.

The crew of Delta flight 2351 coordinated with air traffic control to perform the go-around, an airline spokesperson said. The plane, which had 129 passengers and six crew members on board, landed safely and deplaned normally, according to the spokesperson.

Go-arounds are safe, routine procedures performed at the discretion of the pilot or air traffic controllers, according to the FAA.

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Volunteer rescuer seriously injured Friday helping unresponsive teenage hiker in NH – The Boston Globe

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Volunteer rescuer seriously injured Friday helping unresponsive teenage hiker in NH – The Boston Globe


A volunteer rescuer was seriously injured while helping multiple hypothermic hikers who called for help near the summit of a New Hampshire mountain Friday night, officials said.

The rescuer, who had to be helped back to the trailhead, was carrying an unresponsive teenager through stormy conditions on Mount Lafayette in Franconia when they were hurt, according to a statement from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. The hiker, 19-year-old Dmytro Grechko of New Jersey, later regained consciousness and was taken to Littleton Regional Hospital for treatment.

A small rescue team set out around 8 p.m.for reports that the two teenagers were suffering from severe hypothermia about an eighth of a mile below the summit, according to the statement. More than five hours later, rescuers found Grechko and his friend, 19-year-old Jason Fisher of New Jersey, who was cold and wet but remained conscious.

Rescuers began warming the teenagers, who had set out without warm clothing or lights, around 1 a.m., according to the Fish and Game Department. Additional crews were called to help carry Grechko to the Greenleaf Hut, a mountain hostel operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club located on the shoulder of the mountain.

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As crews worked to rescue the New Jersey teenagers, another group of hikers called for help about a mile away from the trailhead, the statement said. Rescuers found those hikers wet, cold, and suffering from hypothermia, and gave them lights and dry clothing before helping them to safety.

Crews reached the hut with Grechko just before 3 a.m. and began treating all rescued hikers for hypothermia and other cold-related injuries, according to the statement. Grechko later regained consciousness, and after the group was warmed and dried, rescuers escorted him down the Old Bridle Path. They reached the trailhead around 7:55 a.m.

The Fish and Game Department warned that conditions in the White Mountains can change rapidly and urged hikers to check forecasts from the Mount Washington Observatory before attempting a summit. Officials also reminded visitors to carry proper gear.

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“Hikers are encouraged to be prepared for their trek to include packing the ten essential items: map, compass, warm clothing, extra food and water, headlamp, fire starter, first aid kit, whistle, rain/wind jackets & pants, and a knife,” the statement said.


Lila Hempel-Edgers can be reached at lila.hempeledgers@globe.com. Follow her on X @hempeledgers and on Instagram @lila_hempel_edgers.





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FAA investigates close call between two aircraft at intersecting runways at Boston Logan International Airport | CNN

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FAA investigates close call between two aircraft at intersecting runways at Boston Logan International Airport | CNN


The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a close call between two commercial flights at Boston Logan International Airport on Saturday morning.

Flight tracking data shows the pilots of Delta Air Lines Flight 2351 aborted their approach for landing around 11:30 a.m. as American Airlines Flight 3161 was accelerating for takeoff on an intersecting runway.

Delta pilots performed an evasive go-around maneuver before the Airbus A319 landed safely and passengers deplaned normally, a Delta spokesperson said in a statement.

The two aircraft got within several hundred feet of each other, according to a CNN analysis of tracking data from Flightradar24.

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An air traffic controller asked the departing American Airlines flight where it was going, to which its pilot said the tower had cleared the aircraft for takeoff, according to air traffic control audio captured by ATC.com. American Airlines deferred questions from CNN to the FAA.

While experts say flying remains an incredibly safe way to travel, Saturday’s close call is the latest in a recent spate of aviation-related incidents the US, including four dramatic plane crashes, the ever-worsening problem of turbulence and strikingly similar close call and go-around investigations.

A go-around, or aborted landing, is an aviation term for discontinuing a landing and beginning an immediate climb, then following further instructions. The safety maneuver is used to prevent runway incursions – when aircraft, vehicles or people are incorrectly positioned on a runway – as well as to counter other hazards, like sudden wind shifts and less-than-ideal approaches.

While go-arounds can feel jarring to passengers, they are still considered common and happen daily in the US, Michael McCormick, a former FAA air traffic manager and an associate professor in air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, previously told CNN.

“Passengers aren’t told in advance it’s going to happen, but they’ll recognize it when suddenly they’re coming in to land and the aircraft just starts rising back up again,” McCormick said, again noting go-arounds are routine.

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“This is something that pilots practice in flight simulators on a regular basis,” he added.



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