Hi, I’m Sam.
If you’ve been clicking around here for a bit, we’ve probably already met.
But if you’re new, welcome to New England Wanderlust.
I’m the writer and creator behind the screen, and this blog came to life purely because of my love for all things travel in New England, and beyond. I’m very grateful that this website is my full-time career, and I put everything I have into providing you with as much information on New England travel as possible.
I’ve spent the past 10 years seeing as much of the Northeast and New England as I can, and through my expert suggestions and tips, it’s my goal to inspire and entice you to have your own Northeast adventure.
You’ll find lots of travel guides and inspiration for this entire region, and you’ll see that I have a big focus on coastal destinations, especially Cape Cod and the islands. My favorite thing in the world is to be by the coastline, and if you throw in fresh seafood on a paper plate, an ice cream cone for dessert, and a lighthouse, well then … you’ve just made my day 🙂
Ever since my very first visit to Cape Cod when I was a teenager, walking the sand dunes of the National Seashore, exploring the streets of Provincetown with my mom and sister, and being terrified to crack my first lobster claw (I still prefer lobster rolls to this day!), I’ve been addicted to this area of the world.
Even in my very earliest memories of visiting New England from New York, I can remember thinking and feeling how special this region truly is, and I try to show that to all my readers every single day.
So, What’s In It For You At New England Wanderlust?
- My knowledge and expertise: I’ve been traveling this region for over 10 years (plus my years as a kid!), so I know it well, and I’ve been to a lot of places. I live in Upstate New York, so most of my free time and weekends are spend exploring different areas of New England.
- I’m not someone who’s just been to New England once or twice – it’s truly a passion of mine to travel and explore this region. So, with each trip I take, I go back and update information in posts if needed, and I’m always looking to share the latest tips and suggestions. I don’t just publish a post and never touch it again.
- You won’t find any AI-generated content on my website. Everything is written by me based on my own experience and extensive research. Any posts written by guest authors will also be experts in their area, and will be noted as guest writers. I’m very picky about the content that’s on this website, and have a genuine passion for keeping it authentic and valuable.
- Lots of itineraries. I’ve done so many road trips in this area that I have so much information to share about what’s worth it, and what’s not. If you don’t see a particular itinerary on this site yet, I guarantee you that it’s in the works 🙂
- I try to throw as much information into each post as I can, including my own personal suggestions based on experience.
- Whenever I travel, I really try to snap as many photos as possible that really invoke the feeling of New England – because it truly is a feeling! While I don’t have photos of every place I’ve visited just yet (who knew this would ever be my job?!), I’ve been working hard to build my image library to bring you fresh, new and inspiring photos.
My Background – In Case You’re Curious 🙂
I was born and raised in Upstate New York, went to college for Journalism in the Hudson Valley, lived in Chicago for five years before finally moving back to New York because my husband and I came to realize it would forever be home. And while I know that New York isn’t part of New England, I love where I live so much, and wanted to share all my favorite things to do here, too.
New York and New England, to me, have always invoked the ultimate sense of cozy, while being perfectly nestled into nature, and I can never get enough of it. I love that we have dramatic coastline and sandy beaches, the most beautiful fall foliage, no shortage of quaint little towns, rich history, so many parks and hiking trails, and vibrant and unique cities that just can’t be replicated. I love every bit of it.
Even as a kid, I always got so excited to get the L.L. Bean catalogs in the mail, and envisioned what it must be like to live in Maine, wear cozy fisherman knit sweaters, and spend my days by the coast. Of course, I always pretended to like all the trendy things kids were supposed to be into at that age 😂. But for me, this feeling has always been a part of my soul. As an adult, I’m so glad I’ve embraced it, and turned it into something I’m proud of – this website.
In 2012, When my husband and I decided to make ourselves permanent Northeasters after our time in Chicago, we landed in the Albany area of Upstate NY because it’s the perfect gateway to all of New England, as well as the rest of the Empire State. Both our families also still live in New York, so we decided to stay closer to them and not become official New Englanders just yet.
Now, we’re only a few hours away from all of the beautiful New England destinations, and we also love exploring everything NYS has to offer (which is so much more than the city!). Since moving back to NY, we’ve gone on quite a few Northeast adventures, and I’ve learned a lot about traveling this area. I began to document our trips as a hobby, and to share photos with friends and family. But over the years, I accumulated so many photos, and so much information about the area, I knew I wanted to find a better way to share it all for anyone who may be looking for it. That’s when New England Wanderlust began.
Let’s Get To Know Each Other A Bit More.
Here Are A Few More Fun Things About Me – Do You Relate?
– I’m a hardcore introvert, and don’t like leaving my house much when I’m not traveling or hiking. Travel is really my biggest motivation for getting me to leave the house. That, and food.Â
– We have two dogs that we love. Our older pup is a maltipoo mix that we adopted while living in Chicago, and we named her Betty after the legendary Betty White. Emma is our goofy little Corgi. Betty doesn’t like to travel as much in her older age, but we try to take Emma with us whenever we can.
– My husband and I got married in Saratoga Springs, NY, and honeymooned in Vermont. We were living in Chicago at the time and really just wanted a true escape from city life. We were so excited to go hiking and spend tons of time outdoors … and it rained about 90% of the entire week. Thankfully, we really needed a week of rest after our wedding, so it all worked out, but we still laugh about it to this day.
– In 2015, we bought our first house, which is a fixer upper farmhouse from the Civil War era out in the countryside of Upstate NY. We’ve been slowly renovating it ourselves over time, and are still working on it. We also have 25 acres, a Christmas tree farm, and are working hard to get gardens established to really create a beautiful homestead.
– A few of my favorite TV shows are Frasier, Bewitched, Parks and Rec and The Wonder Years.
– It’s incredibly hard to pick a favorite destination in New England because I love each one I’ve visited for different reasons, but if I had to pick, it would be Nantucket. Cape Cod is a very, very close second. And it’s hard to beat Vermont in the fall.
– I love all the seasons – even winter. In fact, the older I get, the more I love winter! I can’t imagine living somewhere that didn’t experience all four seasons. I find that seasonal transitions always give me something to look forward to, and I still get excited for each and every one of them, every single time.
– If given the choice, I will always pick countryside destinations over cities. Even better if it’s coastal countryside.
– In 2021, my husband and I crossed our biggest bucket list dream trip off our list – we spent two and a half weeks in Italy, and it was as dreamy and perfect as we’d hoped. Our next few bucket list destinations to travel to together are Japan, London/English countryside, a coastal California road trip, France, a Pacific Northwest road trip (crossed this off in fall 2022!) and Australia.
– I also do a bit of solo traveling since my schedule allows a lot more flexibility. I’ve gone to Asia for three weeks by myself, Vancouver, California, and have taken tons of solo New England adventures. My solo travel bucket list destinations are going back to Iceland and Nova Scotia (Josh and I went together, but I could spend a month in each of those countries), a road trip through Arizona and Utah, Antarctica, Alaska, Hawaii and Newfoundland. But basically, I want to see it all. But I always want to come back to my home in the Northeast.