Some photos take on a timeless quality to them, especially when they are in black and white. Such is the case with the photo shown here of the Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, MA. This picture, which was taken in April of 2007, displays a view that almost has a frontier feel to it, even though this spot is less than an hour west of Boston. I took this on a day that featured some rather striking cloud formations, which added to the moodiness of the shot.For a larger version of this photo, go to the Boylston, MA photo on the Travel Guide of America site.
Much of the York Beach area in Maine is flat (as you would expect in a beach town), but heading east out of the village of York Beach, you quickly encounter some rather steep and winding roads that afford dramatic views of the ocean. The photo here, which was taken in December of 2008, shows a look eastward out over the open ocean near Cape Neddick Light (an often-photographed lighthouse). The rugged, rocky shore in this area is much different from the sandy beach areas found only a little more than a mile away.
If this scene looks familiar, that is probably because you have seen it on a calendar somewhere. Or in a photo book. Or a travel guide. Or so many other places. This is because Waits River is one of the most photographed villages in all of New England, if not the entire country. It is a tiny community located between Barre and the New Hampshire border, and probably attracts more professional photographers than tourists. This photo, which was taken in the late summer of 2002, seems to have a timeless quality, and for good reason; the village simply hasn't changed much in the last hundred-plus years.
Portsmouth, NH, is a delightful city with beautiful water views, historic homes, narrow little streets, funky shops and restaurants, and wonderful parks. One of the nicest parks is a waterfront spot within walking distance of downtown called Prescott Park. During the spring, the park's garden areas explode in color, as can be seen from the picture shown here, which was taken in the spring of 2004. The park is fairly small, but is often quiet and a great place to relax. 
Carlsbad is a peaceful, prosperous seaside town north of San Diego that I visit every now and then because I have family out there. The coast of Carlsbad is mostly flat with some nice beaches, but in some spots there are towering cliffs with awe-inspiring views, including this one, which was taken in June of 2006. Looking north, you can just barely make out the village of Carlsbad in the distance. 
Depending on the season, Crawford Notch, NH, can be a desolate place, unlike some of the other notches in the White Mountains. The picture shown here was taken at Crawford Depot in September of 2006, in between the summer season and the foliage season, and the area indeed had a haunting quality to it when I took it. The railroad tracks shown in the photo go east through one of the wildest and most rugged sections of the Northeast, dropping steeply into the Mount Washington Valley, and eventually, North Conway.
You don't have to travel very far out of Boston to find some truly unspoiled areas. One example is World's End in Hingham, which is only about 10 miles south of the city as the crow flies, but has the look and feel of a coastal spot about as far away from civilization as you can get. World's End is a coastal conservation area made up of hills, fields, and woodlands, and was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also helped the Emerald Necklace in Boston and Central Park in New York come into being. The photo shown here, which was taken in May of 2006, shows just one of many beautiful tree-lined paths that wind through through the reservation.
Unlike its neighbor (Vermont), the state of New Hampshire is not really known for having charming towns and villages. Indeed, many communities in the Granite State have strips of shopping centers rather than village greens, and some towns have no discernable centers at all. But this is certainly not the case in much of the southwestern part of the state, which is also known as Currier and Ives Country; many communities, including Jaffrey, Peterborough, Wilton, Fitzwilliam, and Harrisville have town centers that wouldn't be out of place in Vermont. And Hancock, which is next door to Peterborough, might have the most charming center of them all, with churches, a country store, an inn, and beautiful old houses, all framed by a backdrop of lush hills. The photo shown here, which was taken on a beautiful day in early October of 2006, shows a typically pastoral scene right in the center of Hancock. 
Because today is St. Patrick's Day, I figured it would be a good time to post a photo of an area that, in many ways, has the look and feel of parts of the Emerald Isle. Woodstock, CT, and particularly East Woodstock, has rolling green hills, narrow lanes, and lots of farmland, giving it a look not unlike the rural sections of Ireland. The photo shown here, which was taken in 1999, was taken near the top of a steep hill just north of the center of the village.
The central coast of Oregon is a magical place, with deep woods, towering cliffs, pristine beaches, and charming villages. And the part just south of the little town of Yachats is particularly stunning, including an area where the mountains truly do meet the sea. The photo shown here, which was taken in June of 2000, gives a view of Cape Perpetua, which we drove through on our way south from Yachats to the town of Port Orford.
Newfane, VT, is known in part for its exquisite village green that can be seen in all kinds of calendars and travel books. But the areas outside of Newfane aren't too bad, either, with scenic winding roads cutting through hilly, wooded landscapes and placid rural places. Some of the most beautiful parts of the Newfane area can be found in South Newfane, which is where I took this photo while bike riding on a fall day in the mid-1990s.
Much of Rhode Island is densely populated, but there are areas within the state that feel as rural as any part of New England. One of these areas can be found along scenic Route 77, which meanders through the southeast part of the state, ending at a wild and rugged coastal community called Sakonnet. The photo taken here, which was taken on a windy day in the fall of 2002, shows the desolate yet beautiful feel of the place.