Ever since I was a small child, I would lose myself in an imaginary world captured by the ongoing lives of strangers. Driving home from a day at the lake, I’d hang, chin on fore arm, out the window, inhaling bugs and staring into the windows of the homes along the way. Often seeing the blue glare of a TV screen or the fluorescent gleam of a kitchen light, I’d think …what are these people doing now? Are they happy or sad? Young or old? Do they have children? Grandchildren, maybe? Quickly, I’d scope yards and driveways looking for any clues that might give me further insight into their lives. And, in a flash, it would all be gone. Perhaps this is why I am so fascinated today by the many New England mansions, castles, and historic homes that we are fortunate to have in our region. Thanks to various historical societies and preservation organizations, many of these landmarks have been beautifully preserved, restored, and continue to be maintained throughout the years. One such home that stands out to me, is the Thomas Plant house, formally called Lucknow, but currently know now as Castle in The Clouds. Besides spectacular vistas of Lake Winnipesaukee, its notable Arts & Crafts architecture and design, and technology that was way ahead of its time, more intriguing to me than the house, is the life of the man who once lived here.
Travel & Leisure Landmarks
The Shoemaker's House: Lucknow EstateA Brief History and Tour of Cape Cod Lighthouses
Covered Bridges in New England Covered Bridges in New England first appeared in the early 19th century, but the history of these monuments to another age date back thousands of years to China. Today there are hundreds of many fine specimens still surviving in the Chinese provinces of Guizhou and Zhejiang. Covered bridges had also existed in Europe since medieval times and there were once hundreds of them in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. Other notable surviving examples worldwide include the Japanese Covered Bridge in Hoi An, Vietnam completed in 1595, the 650’ long Kappellbrucke Bridge built in 1333 near Lucerne, Switzerland. A more recent example is the Lovech Bridge in Bulgaria. But it’s here in the Northeastern U.S., where wooden covered bridge design and construction reached its pinnacle in the nineteenth century. A combination of pressing need, plentiful old growth northern forests, and sheer Yankee ingenuity, advanced the development of wooden covered bridges to a rare combination of marvelous engineering feats that were also pleasing to the eye.New England Stone Walls: The Work of The Devil
The next time you’re traveling through rural New England, especially in Southern New England, be on the lookout for stone walls. And I’m not talking about the ornate and perfectly aligned walls put together by a professional stone mason. No, I’m talking about functional old traditional stone walls put down over 150-years ago by farmers by just laying one stone on top of another. Most of these walls have an “abandoned” look today, with gaps in the wall or only a few of the base stones left.These older stone walls may not be as pretty as the new cement based walls, but they are as New England as white steeple churches, clam chowder, and our fiery fall colors. And there is a movement afoot to preserve these traditional stone walls as an important link to the heritage of the region. Gillette Castle
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The waters around Cape Cod in Massachusetts are a graveyard for ships and many lighthouses were built in the nineteenth century to stem the loss of life. Today there are about 13 lighthouses that can be viewed from a distance or visited. Cape Cod lighthouses hold a fascination for visitors to the region and many, though long ago decommissioned, have survived as private homes, Inns, or museums. To understand why lighthouses are so important and prevalent to the area we need to go back to the last glacier era. Cape Cod is the most easterly peninsular in the U.S. and was formed during the last great glacier age over 20,000 years ago. Cape Cod and the Islands were at the southernmost extreme of the glaciers and were formed from the debris and silt left behind when the last of the glaciers retreated. In addition to laying down the foundation for the peninsular, this period also saw Georges Bank and Stellwagen Bank form. At one time these were both above sea level but with the glaciers receding, and the water level rising, these became submerged and are now some of the most productive fishing grounds in the world. A fact not lost on the whales who return to these feeding grounds each spring. 
Stone walls have always held a fascination for me, and when I arrived in New England I couldn't help notice the “jumble of rocks” everywhere. I came to learn far from being a jumble there was history behind the piles of rock in my yard. This article was written a number of years ago and gathered dust on my blog and I hope you have as much enjoyment reading it as I did researching the history, and writing about, New England stone walls 
To celebrate the brisk New England winter air and bright sunshine, we took a drive down to Gillette Castle in Travel & Leisure
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