Customer Reviews

Curious New England: The Unconventional Traveler's Guide to Eccentric Destinations

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My wife and I structured our honeymoon this month around this book, and we had a grand time touring its recommended destinations in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire. As we both work in horror publishing, we particularly enjoyed places like America's Stonehenge and H.P. Lovecraft's grave.

Buyers of this book should be forewarned to call ahead to every place they plan on visiting. We discovered that although this book was published this year, some of its information is already out-of-date. For instance, the aliens apparently beamed-up the UFO Museum two years ago. In some cases, the information was incomplete (e.g., the Occult Museum is only open to tour groups of 10 or more), or vague (e.g., road directions to the Bow Wow Villa (now no longer called that, by the way) and the Museum of Bad Art).

Overall, though, the book has lots of interesting information, and our vacation wouldn't have been quite as nice if we hadn't read it.

This is a terrific resource for those who will be travelling in New England and who are interested in seeing the more unusual sights the region has to offer. The book is divided into six chapters, each devoted to a state: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, and a map at the start of each chapter locates the cities covered. Each chapter contains entries listed alphabetically by city, and each entry contains a description, address, phone number, location, hours and sometimes a b&w picture. Entres include cemeteries, haunted houses, odd museums, unusual homes, monuments, etc. This book is lots of fun, contains great information and is well-written.

Terrific resource.

Never did I know that there where so many odd places to visit in New England. This book goes state by state and lists places to visit that are famous and infamous. Man now I wish I had a GPS to find them! Get this book!!

If you like the path less traveled, then this book is for you. If disneyland, and the flashy theme parks are the forefront of the American psyche, then this is the back roads. To my mind infinitely more interesting, I only wish he could chronicle the whole of the US, not just New england.Not to be missed!

I liked this book because I'm always bored and searching for something different to do. If your into New England culture like I am then you'll appreciate us eccentric Yankees! Some of this stuff I wouldn't drive out of my way for but it's enjoyable to read about it. Having grown up in the Boston area I already knew about most of these places(and lots that didn't make the book!)but if your planning to be in the area it's well worth your while to check out this book.

The subtitle says it all. New England is truly a Cabinet of Curiosities, and this indispensable guide directs you to its most bizarre, off the wall, and unsettling exhibits. Some evoke hilarity, some horror. Discover singing sand, glowing tombstones, ghostly squirrels, and a musical instrument said to cause madness. Marvel at the most mysterious manuscript in the world. Visit a miniature replica of the Holy Land or climb carved stone steps leading . . . nowhere. Read about a cursed statue in Maine, standing stones, and artwork made from insect parts. An absolutely irresistible book. I'm packing my bags!

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