Living in California for the past 15 years has given me a new appreciation for the places where I grew up, inspiring me to create a fun educational map of New England that includes each state’s official bird, flower, and tree, as well as iconic buildings, local dishes, tourist spots, and more.
I really nerded out in my research for this map, wanting it to both teach and act as a wink for locals who were already in the know.
For example, I learned that Maine grows 99% of the nation’s blueberries, especially in the Down East region. So there's basket of blueberries located on the map there. There’s also a yearly festival that happens in Lisbon, Maine, to celebrate the state’s official soft drink, Moxie. So you’ll find a Moxie can located on the map there.
Where was Basketball invented? Springfield, MA. The first Dunkin’ Donuts? Quincy, MA. The nation's oldest continuously operating amusement park? Bristol, CT. The first recorded game of ice hockey in the US? Concord, NH. …