Last season, journalists Tom Richardson and Parker Kelley travelled 6,500 miles along the New England coast to discover some of the region’s best boating destinations. Enjoyable as their coastal trek was, it was not a trip taken for their own enjoyment alone: as cohosts of New England Boating TV, they took thousands of viewers along with them to discover great places to fish, kayak, water ski, see local history, and enjoy a good waterfront meal.

After all those miles, do they have a favorite? “That’s like asking which friend I like better!” says Parker. “I love them all uniquely.” The Camden, Maine, area ranks high up on the list for both of them. Other favorites include Newport, Bristol, Wickford, the Connecticut shoreline towns of Essex and Chester, Nantucket, Lake Winnipesaukee, the Boston Harbor islands—to name only a few. “Each harbor is so different from the next … yet there are always similarities to make us feel familiar and comfortable,” says Parker.

For two boaters—Parker grew up on the water in Cape Cod and Tom was hit by the boating bug when he started saltwater fishing in his 20s—their job is one to be envious of. What do they like best about it? “Being on the water and exploring new places along the New England coast,” said Tom. “But it’s also about meeting other boaters along the way.”

Even though they are both New England boaters, travelling for the show taught them something about the region. For Tom, it’s the incredible diversity of our waters. “Many boaters in New England don’t realize what an amazing variety of destinations are within a half-day’s drive,” he says. “You have the craggy Maine coast, the great beaches of Cape Cod, freshwater lakes and rivers, hundreds of protected bays and coves; nowhere else in the U.S. offers such diversity within such a relatively small area.”

So what wisdom can we all draw from their experience? “It’s so worth taking your boat to new places,” says Parker. “We’ve seen a lot of lighthouses, eaten a lot of seafood, and met a vast amount of welcoming and gracious New Englanders,” says Parker. “I hope we never run out of destinations!”

Tom and Parker will be at the New England Boating Experience at the Providence Boat Show to meet showgoers and share notes on boating destinations in the region. Click here to catch some episodes of their second season, where Tom and Parker travel in their GMC Sierra Denali and tow their C260 Pursuit to places such as Newport and Bristol (Rhode Island), Yarmouth and Sebago Lake (Maine), Quincy (Massachusetts), and more.