New England is ideal for a road trip, since it’s relatively compact, scenically spectacular and deeply historic. Our latest tour of the region connected Newport in Rhode Island with Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod in Massachusetts. May and early autumn (after Labor Day but before the leaves turn) are my favorite times to visit, since they offer both mild weather and a relative absence of crowds. But there’s something to be said for the summer high season as well, when resorts offer full ranges of activities, centuries-old towns thrum with energy and sunny beaches invite long days of idleness.