Why Indie Bookstores Are on the Rise Again
For those looking for some light summer travel in New England combined with bookstore browsing, places I can recommend are The Bookloft in Great Barrington, Mass. and Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vermont. As is often the case with studied "neo-hippie" businesses in New England, they can be a little precious in their recommendations and inventory, but you can always find something interesting, they are able to answer questions about books, and they encourage "slow shopping".
A bonus with Northshire is that it's just down the street from the main Orvis store. In fact, when I was the chaplain of a nearby school, I formed the "Rod and Book Club" so that like-minded students could accompany me for a day of fishing and book buying.