Weekends with Yankee

Culture Series / 3 Seasons

Richard Wiese explores the sights, sounds and tastes of all six New England states — from foraging for edible invasive plants in Connecticut to whitewater rafting on Maine's wild Kennebec River. Senior food editor Amy Traverso shares the recipes, local flavors and sense of community that make up the fabric of the region’s food and dining scene.

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Outdoor Adventures

S8 E801 / 26m 46s / TV-G

Host Richard Wiese visits the East Coast’s largest horse ranch, Pond Hill Ranch, in Poultney, VT, to learn about its rodeos and lassoing. In Massachusetts, co-host Amy Traverso heads to Cape Cod in a vintage Land Cruiser to explore the dunes of Sandy Neck Beach and cooks chowder at the Pelham House Resort in Dennis. Last, we head to Burlington, Vermont, to talk with plein-air painter Peter Fried.

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Weekend Escapes

S8 E802 / 26m 46s / TV-G

Host Richard Wiese visits Mill City Park in Franklin, NH, New England’s first whitewater park, for a day of whitewater rafting and boogie boarding. In Maine, co-host Amy Traverso harvests lobsters on Penobscot Bay and cooks them up at the five-star Camden Harbour Inn. In Vermont, we visit Red House founders Britt and Matt Witt to learn the story behind their iconic handmade waxed canvas bags.

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New England's Best

S8 E803 / 26m 46s / TV-G

Host Richard Wiese bikes the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail. On Cape Cod, co-host Amy Traverso harvests wild beach plums and visits Lighthouse Keeper’s Pantry to make beach plum jam. In Dennis, she sits down to dinner with young entrepreneurs bringing new life to the Cape dining scene. Finally, we head to Lubec, ME, to showcase its natural beauty and fascinating mix of folks who call it home.

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Handmade in New England

S8 E804 / 26m 46s / TV-G

Host Richard Wiese is at White Flower Farm to learn about the hundreds of types of plants it grows. At Dumais Made, he visits a ceramics studio specializing in home décor. Co-host Amy Traverso visits Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury, MA, to take a hayride tour, sample antique apple varieties and bake delicious cider donuts. In Hanover, NH, learn about Red Kite Candy's handcrafted caramels.

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Little-Known New England

S8 E805 / 26m 46s / TV-G

Host Richard Wiese heads to Newport, RI, to picnic at The Chanler at Cliff Walk, and to check out the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In Maine, co-host Amy Traverso meets the sisters behind the oyster farm and raw bar OystHERS, then visits the treehouse resort Seguin to prepare an oyster charcuterie board. In Bethel, Maine, we find a town custom-tailored for outdoor lovers of all types.

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New England’s Great Outdoors

S8 E806 / 26m 46s / TV-G

Host Richard Wiese visits Sólheimar Farm in Tunbridge, VT, for a trail ride on Icelandic horses. Co-host Amy Traverso heads to Rockland, ME, to explore the gardens at the game-changing farm-to-table restaurant, Primo. Finally, New Hampshire’s agricultural scene comes into bloom at Sunfox Farm in Concord, where 20 acres of fields offer a stunning display of sunflowers each summer.

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Food Lover's New England

S8 E807 / 26m 46s / TV-G

Host Richard Wiese is in the heart of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region to try e-foiling on Lake Winnipesaukee, He visits Moulton Farm to make the classic treat, whoopie pies. In Maine, co-host Amy Traverso visits the fishing village of Stonington, where she tours an innovative sea scallop farm. Then, she heads to Aragosta, where she cooks lobster pasta with chef-owner Devin Finigan.

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Indulging in New England

S8 E808 / 26m 46s / TV-G

Host Richard Wiese heads for New Bedford, MA, to explore its maritime history and try his hand at scalloping. Co-host Amy Traverso visits the rising food town of Littleton, NH, to prepare a curry with Chang Thai Café chef-owner Emshika Alberini. For dessert, she stops at farm-to-cone ice creamery Super Secret Ice Cream. We wrap up with a visit to Sudbury for a tour of Goodnow Farms Chocolate.

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Deep Roots

S8 E809 / 26m 46s / TV-G

Amy heads to Boston’s Chinatown to meet chef Joanne Chang and tour the community before joining her in cooking some traditional pan-fried dumplings. In Westerly, RI, Amy teams up with Richard to explore the attractions and culinary delights of Weekapaug Inn. The tour continues in Tiverton, where Richard visits seaside farms and meets the farmers determined to preserve their way of life.

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To the Top

S8 E810 / 26m 46s / TV-G

Amy chats with cookbook author Dorie Greenspan at her Connecticut home before they whip up a delicious triple-layer parsnip and cranberry cake. Trekking up to New Hampshire, Richard puts his rock climbing chops to the test in Rumney, a premier climbing destination. Finally, we head to Martha’s Vineyard, where top architect Patrick Ahearn shows off some of his favorite preservation projects.

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Delicacies from New England

S8 E811 / 26m 46s / TV-G

Richard meets Rhode Island’s Perry Raso, owner of Matunuck Oyster Farm and Bar and a pioneer in the shellfish aquaculture movement. In Jackson, NH, Amy stops in at the Thompson House Eatery and joins owners Kate and Jeff Fournier in cooking Jeff’s signature watermelon “steak.” In Maine, we pay a visit to the team at Wiggly Bridge Distillery in York to learn all about their small-batch spirits.

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A Breath of Fresh Air

S8 E812 / 26m 46s / TV-G

Amy sits down with comedian and author John Hodgman in his hometown of Brookline, MA, to talk about how growing up there shaped his comedy. In New Hampshire’s famed White Mountains, Richard scales Cathedral Ledge, a tough climb that offers sweeping views across the Saco River Valley. We also explore New England’s largest outdoor sculpture park, the Andres Institute of Art in Brookline.

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Heading North

S8 E813 / 26m 46s / TV-G

Richard heads to Killington, Vermont, for women’s World Cup skiing and to chat with Olympic skiers before hitting the slopes himself. Next, he ventures to New Hampshire to meet artist Eric Aho and see him work on one of his famed “ice cut” paintings at a frozen lake. Finally, we visit the campus of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, for a tour of the monumental murals at Baker-Berry Library.

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