Flying in New England

Destinations from KBED

Associated Pilots, Inc. (API) at KBED maintains a great list of destinations. Here I list the areas where I have direct experience and give more specific recommendations. I currently rent Piper Warriors/Archers out of East Coast Aero Club, so all of these fields should be allowed by the renter's agreement.

For food destinations, make sure to call the restaurant ahead of time or check their business hours online!

Sightseeing

Location	FAA Identifier	Distance from BED	Notes
Keene, NH	EEN	50.5 nm	Great for building XC time, and a wonderful view during the fall. Brunch at Dinner Table is available before noons, and they close at 3pm on Sundays as of September 2019. Haven't tried it, so if you do please send a recommendation!
Laconia, NH	LCI	66.4 nm	Beautiful little town with some nice lake shore beaches. Lyon's Den is an excellent waterfront lunch option, and in off-peak seasons take the crew car from Sky Bright for free. Avis and Enterprise are available for longer stays, and rideshare apps should work in the summer during the day [1].
Martha's Vineyard, MA	MVY or 1B2	71 nm or 75 nm	To make a really good day trip out of this, book the plane for 8+ hours (8am-8pm if you can swing it). Total flight time is 2.3-2.5 Hobbs hours, and the extra half hour is largely worth it to be able to see more of the island. No experience with Katama, but API has a good info sheet [2]. Turo is a good option to rent.
Portland, ME	PWM	82 nm	Park at [Northeast Air https://northeastair.com/] and take the 2 hr courtesy car or a rideshare app into the city. Duckfat is a great restaurant with little wait before 11:30 on Sunday or with a small party.

Aspirational Trips

I haven't been on any of these trips, but they sound really fun!

Location	FAA Identifier	Distance from BED	Notes
Lewiston, ME	LEW	104 nm	Grab the crew car from Auburn-Lewiston and go apple picking at Thompson's Orchard.