Three-Day Weekends from Boston

Contributing editor Christina Ohly sends us packing for two peaceful weekend spots just a short drive from Boston. When can we leave?

BOSTON – Maybe, just maybe, you can put away the snow shovel. It's springtime in Boston, and everything's coming up roses. Take off on a Friday in the near future to explore and enjoy a quainter, quieter side of New England.

WOODSTOCK, VERMONT

If you're in the mood for: green mountains, picture-postcard covered bridges, and white clapboard church steeples.

Route to take: I-89 North for two-and-a-half hours.

Your agenda: Woodstock Inn — recently revamped to include LED-everything — has a serene spa and delicious farm-to-table cuisine in its casual Red Rooster restaurant. Head across the quaint village green outside your front door and make stops at the old-school Gillingham's general store and Yankee Bookshop before a lovely dinner-a-deux at The Prince and The Pauper, a town institution.

Avoid the Sunday blues: Do not skip town without a stop for black raspberry ice cream cones at the White Cottage Snack Bar. Open only in summer, this low-key spot is worth a serious, deep-fried detour.

WATCH HILL AND WEEKAPAUG, RHODE ISLAND

If you're in the mood for: a gorgeous beach escape with excellent cuisine to match.

Route to take: I-95 South for two hours.

Your agenda: Nest at the recently revamped Weekapaug Inn where sail boats, fishing gear, and a discreet, black-bottomed pool are all at your disposal. A meal of locally caught lobster, Matunuck oysters, and native beets is as memorable as the sunsets overlooking bucolic Quonochontaug Pond. Killer Swedish massages at Relais & Chateaux sister property The Ocean House are a Zen bonus.

Avoid the Sunday blues: One the way back to civilization, stock up on freshly baked chocolate chunk and molasses cookies at gourmet emporium The Cooked Goose.

Read more on Fathom: Summer with the Kids in Watch Hill.