What images pop into your head when you think of the northeast corner of the United States? Maybe it’s the quintessential town square, with a gleaming white church steeple looming above a grassy gathering place. Or perhaps you associate New England with its miles of shoreline and all the culinary treats that come with seaside dining – from clam chowder to Maine lobster.

You might be familiar with New England’s brilliant autumn season, during which Mother Nature produces a brilliant kaleidoscope of colors, as green leaves turn burnt orange, golden yellow and cranberry red. Think back to your American History lessons, and you can envision the landing of the Mayflower, the Revolutionary War, and other important events that took place on New England soil even before the United States had formed.

Indeed, New England offers visitors a wonderful blend of cultural, culinary and historic experiences. Comprised of six states, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, the region has a varying landscape – from the ocean to rolling farmland to rocky mountaintops. Since the states that make up New England are small in size, it’s easy to get to know the personality and character of each on a driving tour through America’s Northeast.

Most escorted tours of New England begin and end in Boston, Massachusetts, by far the largest city in the region. Founded by Puritans in 1630, and the site of many of the most important events during the American Revolution, Boston is truly a treasure-trove of history. Get introduced to some of Boston’s most important historic events and sites on a walking tour of the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile red-brick path through the city. Led by costumed docents, a narrated tour is a wonderful introduction to Boston’s heritage, with 16 stops along the way, including Paul Revere’s house, dating back to 1680, and the Old South Meeting House, where the Boston Tea Party began.

Boston is home to many American “firsts,” including the country’s first public school (Boston Latin) and first college (Harvard), as well as the first subway line and first town meeting, which took place at Faneuil Hall. Visitors flock to Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which centers around a pedestrian-friendly shopping area, with plenty of street performers and a la carte dining options. Arrive hungry when you visit Quincy Hall Colonnade, where dozens of vendors sell international food items – including authentic clam “chowda”!

Drive less than an hour outside of Boston and quickly the scenery evolves from big-city skyscrapers to what is more typically associated with New England landscapes – charming communities, rural farmland, and seaside towns. Many escorted-tour itineraries introduce visitors to this quieter side of New England with visits to local farms, such as the working dairy at Billings Farm & Museum, where guests can get up close and personal with Vermont’s rural heritage. Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks introduces visitors to the ancient method of harnessing tree sap and boiling it into wonderfully sweet maple syrup.

Newport, Rhode Island, gives visitors a glimpse of how socialites in the early 20th centuries spent their summers – in amazingly ornate mansions designed for families with last names like Astor and Vanderbilt. Meanwhile, Bar Harbor, Maine, serves as the gateway to Acadia National Park, the first established national park east of the Mississippi River. A drive through Acadia brings you close to Maine’s rugged coastline, with its pine forests and granite peaks.

Living history museums are popular attractions in New England; this is where entire villages have been recreated to reflect what life was like early centuries. Connecticut’s Mystic Seaport is a 19th-century seafaring village with authentic buildings that have been transported from other New England locales and filled with antiques. Visitors tour an old druggist’s office, general store, one-room schoolhouse and more. Meanwhile, Old Sturbridge Village transports you back to 1790 to 1840, with costumed staff who educate guests about what life was like in New England in that era.

Shopping in New England is a treat for anyone who is happy to wile away an afternoon looking for treasures in antique stores – there are certainly plenty of them dotting the backroads and tourist centers throughout the Northeast. While you may not be able to pack an authentic Shaker chair in your suitcase, small home décor items, antique signs or pieces of pottery can likely find a home somewhere in carry-on or checked luggage.

Packaged food items – like Vermont maple-sugar candy or Maine blueberry jam – make nice gifts for friends and family back home. Postcards or prints by Norman Rockwell, a New England-based artist known for his realistic scenes of everyday, small-town life, are another great souvenir and a wonderful way for you to remember your trip through America’s northeast states.