Over fall break, I designed a seven-day family road trip from Atlanta to New Hampshire. We passed through every New England state except for Rhode Island, and stopped at Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire.

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The Amish Village offers insight into the lives of the Amish people. There is a replica of an Amish house visitors can tour. There is also a one-room school house, blacksmith shop, barn, and more.

Admittedly, Pennsylvania does not fall under the New England region, but it was an ideal preface to our road trip. I was interested in Lancaster specifically because of its long withstanding Amish community. The lifestyle of the Amish people is regarded with great respect and admiration, yet it almost seems like an antithesis of the American Dream. We went to the Amish village, which replicated the most discerning aspects of modern day Amish people.  I even discovered my new favorite jam, apple butter, a staple in Amish households. We bought several jars of apple butter at the Lancaster Central Market, which is known as the oldest farmer’s market in America. The best part of Lancaster was driving through the peaceful back roads of the Dutch country, with its rolling corn fields and clothes hanging outside to dry.

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A vendor sells t-shirts in the heart of historic Boston, a city with a blend of low rise and high rise buildings.

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This lighthouse, although magnificent in beauty, stands short in height, at less than 35 feet tall. It was commissioned in 1855.

Maine was a very quiet place, filled to the brim with sights to appreciate. For two days, we explored Acadia National Park, which is on a large island off of the coast of Maine. The landscape is incredibly diverse and bright. There are mountains, beaches, ponds, and woodlands perfect for landscape photography. Vermont and New Hampshire seemed incredibly isolated from growing up in busy Atlanta suburbs. Most of the economy was dependent on agriculture, and we drove through many farm lands to chase the best views of fall foliage. Understandably, we lost our way a few times, but the local people were very friendly and amicable.

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There are many covered bridges throughout New England. They were historically built to protect the wooden support beams from harsh winter weather.

Our road trip to New England began with bustling tourist attraction, but as we drove farther into New England, I realized that the small, quiet towns were the most captivating of all.