Three Best Churches in New England

We went to New England! And drove around. A bunch! One of the aspects I was most looking forward to (and least disappointed by... not that I was disappointed by much) was how great the churches are in New England. They just don't make 'em like this much anymore...

My favorites from the trip:

1. Ivy and brick church. On the way from Swanzey, NH to Dover, VT. Might be in the town of Bennington.

Contrary to what I was expecting, there weren't too many stone churches. And even fewer covered in ivy. What is the East Coast if it is not ivy-covered? Aren't these churches supposed to be where Harvard and Yale and all the other ivy-league schools I can't ever remember that qualify as Ivy League got the idea in the first place? Ivy and stone just looks good.

2. St. John's Dune Church. Southampton, Long Island

AKA the giant church right on the beach next to million dollar mansions. And yes, dunes. Porter and I did an actual Slow- Rubberneck- Stop- T-turn- Ogle when we drove past this guy. Such a lovely entrance. And what a striking shade of burnt red. And that giant anchor next to the front gate? Fitting somehow, in its grandeur. Everything about it is stately and beautiful. 

Beyond all the obvious reasons to love everything about this church (is the grass not greener than usual too, or is that a trick of eyes. #nofilter), I thoroughly enjoy the website for St. John's Dune Church- more formally known as St. John's Episcopal Church, because its back yard is sandy dunes, a very soft beach, and the Atlantic Ocean.

See? The backyard and spindly fence on the site's rotating front page (a spindly fence to keep out all those tacky New Money summer New Yorkers, eroding the dunes, the stateliness of the Hamptons, and the purity of the world, all at once for hot summer months on end). 

 Also on rotation, a path to the beach. Methinks there is a parable here. And more seriously cool spindly fences and deep sand, which line the beach and each path to it. Would these be too out of place to have in my west coast, non-beachy front yard some day?

Most importantly, two robed men, one in a dapper winter beanie (An Episcopal beanie, I believe), enjoying what I'm sure is a very meaningful sunrise conversation, in preparation for a sunrise Easter service.

I'm sold. 

3. Little white church with a steeple. Everywhere.

Is this cheating? Yes, maybe. Partially because this photo, I'm realizing now, is quite embarrassing with not only the most charming part of the entire building (the steeple) cute off, but also a telephone pole smack dab in the middle. Alas, it is the only good photo of a little which church we took. We're fired from church spotting.

But they are everywhere and they are adorable, almost every single one.