Presiding over the picturesque Vermont village of Manchester, The Equinox has played host to the well-heeled and well-traveled for nearly 250 years. Established in 1769, the archetypal grand old New England hotel has served as a meeting place for the fathers of the American Revolution and hosted American presidents including Taft, Grant, Harrison and Teddy Roosevelt. Now part of the Luxury Collection, the iconic 195-room resort recently underwent a $20 million restoration, adding luxury amenities, luxe accommodations, and a new restaurant and bar to update an American icon and uphold its legacy going forward.

Designer Geoffrey Bradfield was put in charge of the redecoration, and fitted out the new guestrooms with a muted palette of slate blue, dark brown and beige accented with hand-carved furniture. One wall of each guest room features a large black and white photograph of The Equinox from the early 1900's. Custom-made beds, marble vanities, dramatic floor length curtains and plush leather armchairs add the finishing touches. The lobby seating areas and library, both with fireplaces, have also been spruced up.

The Falcon Bar and Chop House are the new additions to the drinking and dining scene. The Falcon Bar features French doors opening onto a terrace with incredible mountain vistas and an open-air fire pit. Inside there's dark wood paneling and plush leather chairs, as well as an extensive collection of single malt Scotch and a comprehensive wine list. There's also a menu of locally sourced cheeses and gourmet chocolates. The Chop House, located at the original site of The Equinox House Hotel built by Franklin Orvis in 1853, features the original stone hearth and is designed in the manner of a refined hunter's lodge complementing the gourmet steak house fare. Leather banquettes and rugged palette are accented by old hardwood floors.



The adjacent Marsh Tavern, which has been the favorite watering hole of presidents since 1769, has been given a new menu of sophisticated, New England-style cuisine full of nostalgic flavors and simple, farm fresh ingredients. The bar specializes in an extensive selection of beers and ales and features snacks such as pretzels served with Raye's Mustard from Maine, the last stone ground mustard mill in the country. And of course there's lots to do besides eating and drinking: the indoor pool and spa, for starters.

The Equinox also offers the ultimate outdoor Vermont adventure experience with a variety of activities such as golf, falconry, archery, fly-fishing, shooting and Land Rover off-road driving. You can spend your morning maneuvering a Land Rover on rough terrain, midday practice your aim with recurve bows on the archery field, play golf on the lush course, and in the afternoon try field hunting alongside a majestic hawk, with some of the country's most scenic vistas as a backdrop.

While I enjoy summer in New England, there are few places prettier than Maine in the early fall. Today's estate is a 7,200 square foot home on Cousins Island, an island which is part of Yarmouth and connected via a bridge to the mainland. The home sits on 7.4 acres and faces beaches and ledges and has its own separate smaller private island. There are six bedrooms and the style of the home is classic Colonial with modern updates. Charming details include tile-surrounded fireplaces, a curved staircase and a large sunroom. It also has a matching guest house with a small balcony. This home is listed at $7.5 million.



Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

It's promising to be an early foliage this year in New England -- the leaves are already starting to turn -- so it's the perfect time to take advantage of a special at Rock Hall, an Addison Mizner designed bed and breakfast in Colebrook, Connecticut.

The "Road Show" package includes a horse-drawn carriage ride, during which you can toast the landscape with a split of champagne, a 25% discount for dinner at charming restaurant Pastorale in Lakeville, CT, and a second night's stay at the B&B at half-price. (Weekend rates $480-$600/night.) The special runs through November 25th, 2009.

Three centuries worth of New England's magnificent houses and mansions are collected in an equally grand new book from Rizzoli: Great Houses of New England, by Roderic H. Blackburn (text) and Geoffrey Gross (photography). Spanning a wide range of styles, these stately houses are the originals from which many of today's McMansions have been copied. They're more than just artifacts, however; as Blackburn writes, "Through the architecture and decorative arts we see the development of a people and their region."

Among the more splendid examples in the book is the Jeremiah Lee Mansion in Marblehead, Mass., dating from 1767 (pictured here), the impressiveness of which is "conveyed by its subdued monumentality," Blackburn notes. Lee, a shipping merchant, built it to emulate aristocratic estates in England, so you might say not all that much has changed. Also of note are the beautiful brick Georgian Macpheadris-Warner House in Portsmouth, N.H., dating from 1716; Rosecliff, a palatial McKim, Mead & White mansion which was the setting for the movie version of The Great Gasby; and Brookside, a gracious Greek Revival in Orwell, VT. See the gallery for more.

Plans have been announced for New England's largest marina, The Newport Club in Rhode Island. The Newport Club covers 44.5 acres of waterfront property on Aquidneck Island, plus 100 acres out into the cove itself. There will be 1,500 marina slips with retail shops, restaurants, waterfront residences, and marine-related support facilities. The slips will range up to 500 feet in hopes of drawing more megayacht traffic to the area. The Newport Club will feature resort style residences ranging from $395,000 to $2,000,000 and there are plans to build brand-name luxury hotels to create a popular yachting destination.

I confess, I am a little confused about today's home. The listing says it was built in 2000 but it looks much, much older. The home is located in Otis, Massachusetts tucked into the Berkshires region of the western part of the state. The nearly nine acre property features a six-bedroom home with a southern exposure and a mahogany decked wrap-around porch for lake and mountain views. The home's other details include beamed ceilings, custom cabinetry and hardwood floors.The kitchen which is designed to look quaint does feature a Viking stove. The dining room is home to a cast-iron bookstore and brick fireplace and adjoins a parlor with a fieldstone fireplace built from stone harvested from the property. The master suite has a walk-in closet and a bath with a claw-foot tub.The second floor is home to five bedrooms, bathrooms and two sitting rooms. Also on the property is a two-bedroom "getaway cottage and the one-bedroom bunkhouse. The land also includes a barn, boathouse, docks and other outbuildings including one with a sauna. It is listed at $3.3 million. After the jump, the classic Berkshires summer home.

Weathering a winter on the New England island of Martha's Vineyard is not for everyone, it can be extremely isolating. However if you want the experience of tranquility that comes from watching the seasons change in this magical place you could find few places as lovely to do that in as this gorgeous Edgartown home. Located on Edgartown Great Pond, this estate has 12.3 acres of land. The 10,000-square-foot main house has five bedrooms and a two-story living room with a large stone fireplace that would be the perfect place to snuggle down during gray days. The land also includes guest quarters above a three-car garage and guest house. This home is listed at $11.5 million. After the jump, bring your cashmere throw and settle in before the cold weather kicks in.