Unique New England products and attractions 

Tired of buying, seeing and generally experiencing the same old routine? These New England pioneers offer you new twists on old ideas -- offbeat ,unique and, at the very least, quite enterprising!

Posted 2/13/07, updates to follow

The Yankee Flipper takes care of pesky squirrels: Unless you're a member of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PETA), the Yankee Flipper is an entertaining and often hilarious way to rid your property of squirrels. Billed as the "squirrel-proof bird-feeder," birds can enjoy eating on this New England-born contraption, but a weight-activated perch -- with spring intact -- will send squirrels flying into orbit! YankeeFlipper.com

A museum dedicated to bad art: The Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) celebrates the works of some of the worst art in the world. MOBA was inspired by a piece of art taken from a trash can in Boston -- the dreadful "Lucy in the Field with Flowers". This community-based organization certainly bucks the high-quality art scene in Boston. Here, you can see the world's finest "bad" art taken from attics, yard sales, closets, etc.

Museum of Bad Art at the Dedham Community Theater,580 High St., Dedham Center,Mass. Tel. : 1-781-326-0409

Fast food organics: O'Naturals has somehow found a way for organic and natural foods to be delicious, affordable and served quickly in an earthy, friendly large dining room setting. As the antidote to the "Supersize Me" mind set, O'Naturals offers healthy items like wonderful bison meatloaf, pesto chicken, wild Alaskan salmon Asian noodles, fresh root vegetables, fresh salads with goat cheese, carrot ginger soup and flat bread pizza. There's not an ounce of "junk" here, as Stoneyfield Farms CEO Gary Hirshberg remains true to his vision of offering truly healthy food with no compromises in quality.

O'Naturals, 149 Great Rd., Acton. Tel. (978) 266-0222. Other locations in Portland, Maine, Falmouth, Maine, and Portsmouth, N.H. O'Naturals.

Talking trash at the Garbage Museum Here, you can meet Trash-O-Saurus -- a dinosaur made out of trash, as well as walking through a compost pile, mingle with compost worms and watch first-hand the sorting of recyclable items. The museum is located in Stratford and is brought to you by the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority.

The CRRA Garbage Museum ,1410 Honeyspot Road Extension,Stratford, Conn. Tel.: (203) 381-9571

If you know of any "offbeat New England" attractions, please contact us and we'll consider it for publication!