Aussies in New Egland for Autumn (Fall)

Late September/early October is too early for the famous fall foliage you might be thinking of--unless you go to the most northern reaches of Vermont or Maine, which are too far for an overnight trip from NYC. And keep in mind that especially on weekends, most inns and even many hotels require more than one night's stay.
Ok, the "no"s are out of the way. Give us some more information.
What do you consider "mid range" in price--that's really a meaningless statement considering the variety of locations and types of accomodations available.
Type of place you want to stay? Some inns have rooms for 3, but not very many.
What kind of scenery? Changing leaves are out of the picture, but there are still nice mountain areas to see, or beachfronts, or small towns--what suits you best?

Thanks nyer, ok I guess it`ll be 2 nights way up north!
Small towns in the mountains,with some colour hopefully.
Mid range ?$200-250 per night.A ,we are not there to look at at the rooms. A plain motel is fine, in a place with a decent choise of food , the town ,I mean.Thanks

Here's hoping you'll all take turns as the back seat of a Mustang is dreadful!

You will definitely have to drive far north to see any color, but the scenery is dramatic in the mountains and beautiful even as the leaves are just starting to change.

Bugger, I was afraid the backseat would be uncomfortable.
Guess we`ll have to hire a `sensible` car, not quite the mental picture I had, but I`m old enough not to suffer for the sake of fashion.Any other funky cars that are sort of
`American`?
Which state is our best shot for colour way up north?

Another problem, regardless of your seat, is visibility riding in a Mustang. It's much better to ride in a car with huge windows and one that gets more reasonable gas mileage.

Though timing does vary from one year to the next, this will give you a good idea of best areas for your dates:

http://www.yankeefoliage.com/peakmap/

Click also on "Scenic Drives"

Note, however, that it's a six hour drive (with no stops) to areas where you may see a bit of color that early, so a very long drive in each direction for a one-night trip.

You may want to consider the Adirondacks...the leaves turn a bit earlier in that area, and it's the same distance, or a bit closer (depending on where you go) to NYC.

Thanks djkbooks. piont taken ,no Mustang.
I`m happy to consider the Adironacks, my goodness I`ve a bit of homework to do.We are still looking for hints re sccomodation,I assume all your known motel chains are well represented all over the area,and they will be fine if they are..
Iclicked on yankeefoliage .ta.

You might consider staying in a place like Manchester NH. Not the prettiest city but it has a lot of very good restaurant choices and variety of cuisines. Then you could do a day trip to NH's White Mountains (hopefully, not one a weekend). You can be in the middle of the mountains in 2 hours. If you want to stay closer to the mountains, Meredith NH on Lake Winnipesaukee is nice.
Then, to get back to NYC head west over to Keene NH and then get on Rt 91 in Vermont that will take you south thru Western Massachusetts to CT and then back to NYC.
A minivan is very comfortable with lots of windows and space for luggage. I realize some might consider it a 'looser cruiser' but I don't think Mustangs are the same kind of car they were in the 60s/early 70s. Come to think of it, I've ridden in a friend's and the front seat isn't that comfortable either plus I hate riding low on the road.

If you decide to go to Vermont, you will have to plan on northern Vermont. I would suggest driving up interstate and doing your "leaf peeping" in the Northeast Kingdom area around St. Johnsbury. It is a long drive for a 2 day trip but the color probably won't be very far advanced farther south in early October.

Thanks everybody,Looser cruiser ,i`ve not heard that expression before,but it does paint a mental picture!
I`ll check out my maps,but more comments most welcome.

Burlington VT is very pretty, lots of good food and you could make driving loops to see the scenery.

An SUV is too big for 3 women IMHO. I think a Mustang would be OK -- how about a convertible, then you'd have lots of visibility (and frozen faces)! (Its ``Loser Cruiser,'' by the way: the idea is only moms use them to drive their kids to soccer).

If you stay in a suite hotel, you might be able to find rooms with two beds and a sofa that unfolds to a bed. Also you would have a small kitchen for making breakfast and evening snacks. ( Chains include Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites. Extended stay hotels -- AmeriStay, Residence Inn -- would be good to but they are mostly located near big cities.)

I-91 is quite scenic through MA and VT, so that would be a good way to drive north.

OMG sorry for the spelling error looser/loser. Ignore my comment, minivans are very comfortable and I still miss mine. I know plenty of people who drive them. An SUV is not too big but it's unnecessary and some people find getting in and out of a higher seat a bit tricky. (Not as tricky as a lifted jeep with 35" tires.)
Burlington is a wonderful suggestion and worth the distance. Good variety of restaurants and fun Church Street/pedetrian shopping area. It's also a college town on beautiful Lake Champlain.

You could see if you could rent a PT Cruiser (made by Chrysler) or an HHR (made by Chevrolet) - some rental car companies have them). They have sort of retro styling like a 1940s car. Of the two, I think the PT Cruiser is more stylish.

Another possibility is a Charger (made by Dodge). It is a sedan but it has more of a muscle-car look than most. I think some police departments buy Chargers.

Can't advise you on the ride comfort or gas milage of any of them, though.

No, you will not find motel chains in the Adirondacks or in the mountains of northern New Hampshire and Vermont.

If this is truly to be a two day, one overnight, trip, your best bet would be to head for the Catskills or Adirondacks in New York. The drive to, for example, Saranac Lake would about the same as to northern VT or NH, but you'd have a far better change of fall colors. And, the Catskills are even closer.

Have a look at

http://www.nyfallfoliage.com/

No matter where you go, weekday rates will likely be significantly less than weekend.

Burlington is a great idea, but if you are looking for a smaller Vermont town, I would suggest Stowe. It is in the mountains, so the color will be better. It is a quintessential VT town with a good selection of accomodations and restaurants. Check out www.gostowe.com for ideas. A fun place in the Adirondacks is Lake Placid, home of the 1980 Winter Olympics. If you could somehow manage both the Adirondacks and VT, there are ferries in Essex and Port Kent, NY to take you across Lake Champlain.

All you people are fabulous!cranachin,a PT Cruiser sounds jusy the thing for us , as I don`t fancy frozen faces in a convertable.We have decided on 2 nights away,and Catskills,Adirondacks sound like the places to head for, Obviously they are seperate areas, but are they close? or do we go to one or the other?We will most certainly aim for a mid week stay. Iam v excited by this trip! Please keep suggestions coming.I want to `wow` my girlfriends with my brillant planning! Says she ,ever so modestly.

Lodging for 3 who want their own beds is tricky. You might try booking a king-size bed for 2 to share in a room with a sleep sofa or ask for a roll-away. Unfortunately, queen beds are rare. Most hotel rooms have double size beds. Sharing one room would be much less expensive.
There will be lots of trees in the Catskills and Adirondacks but I think there are more fun things to do in VT or NH. Also more varied scenery which is why New England is famous for fall foliage and NY usually isn't mentioned. (sorry, we didn't enjoy our vacation in the Adirondacks although we know people who love the Lake George area).

There's a car ferry near Burlington too, come to think of it ...

The Adirondacks are dramatic and very scenic, and remote, with long empty distances between towns. The Catskills have gentler hills, with some nice towns to visit (like Lake Placid mentioned above).

But if you are looking for a class New England in Fall Leaf Peeping experience, you have to be in New England. Very roughly, NY trees will be beautiful in shades of mostly yellow and orange; New England trees colors are riotous, many colors that don't even have names.

(I mean classic, not class)

Hi,

We love the Catskills. They're about 2.5 hours (on the Thruway) from NYC. The Cairo/Roundtop area has a few very nice "authentic" German restaurants (we like the Mountain Brauhaus) and the East Durham area is know for it's Irish influences.

www.crystalbrook.com/mountain-brauhaus

www.east-durham.org

Also, the Keene, NH area is very nice and there's plenty of New England charm with the many covered bridges in the area. This is about 3.5 to 4 hours from NYC. Our favorite "scenic" roads would be Vermont route 9 and Massachusetts route 2 (aka The Mohawk Trail). They run parrallel to each other. You could drive one as part of thetrip up and the other as part of the return trip.
We can highly recommend the "Elm City Brewing Co." at the Colony Mill for dinner in Keene.

www.elmcitybrewing.com/index.html

www.colonymill.com

Covered bridges in the Keene area:

www.southwestnh.com/outdoors/bridges.html

www.town.swanzey.nh.us/vertical/Sites/{760A44B6-0D83-4ACA-89A3-80792F1CB951}/uploads/{51F82355-A09B-48CF-99C6-457B67084DB3}.PDF

General info:

www.southwestnh.com

Paul

I definitely need a bloody big map of N E USA !The covered bridges sound lovely,(like Madison County?)Again ,thank you all.How busy are the roads mid week? I`ll be driving on the wrong side of the road,(for me)I`m reasonably confident but it`s a little daunting.I think I`ll have the boxing kangaroo flag flying out the window ,so my occasional idiotic move will be forgiven.

Driving is the least of your concerns.

You really need to research various destinations thoroughly yourself.

Advice to head for Manchester, NH, or Burlington or Stowe VT, with all due respect, is just not prudent if your goal is to see colorful foliage the dates you will be traveling. Likewise, Lake George and The Adirondacks are two entirely different destinations.

Your best bet is to study the web foliage maps for choosing the best destination(s) for your dates.

And, know that if "yummy food" (all depending on what you consider that to be...) and scenery is "last but not least" is a rather curious endeavor.

Here's a foliage map for Vermont showing when foliage is likely to be best in different areas of the state
http://www.foliage-vermont.com/foliageinflash.htm

I still recommend the Northeast Kingdom for best color in late
September/early October. I would also disagree with the post that describes Stowe as a "quintessential Vermont town." It is a resort town and does have lots of lodging and restaurants.

Susielou--

I'm not sure I would compare New England's covered bridges to Madison County's (not around native New Englanders, anyway! You'd probably get a cold stare.)

Cranachin, why? where is Madison County? I certainly will not mention it to any New Englanders.

I interpreted OP as being in NYC late Sept and traveling to see foliage early October. Here is link to NH's foliage map. How much color there is on Oct 1, for example, is debatable given each year is a bit different due to summer rains and whims of mother nature. By Oct 7 there can be more color in more areas. As you can see on the maps, there is more color earlier at higher elevations so there can be pockets of color within a short drive. Color is spread over a few weeks. Sugar maples are brilliantly colored but reddish oaks are a bit later. I think people look for the maples. There's a new variety of maple I've seen planted in office parks around Concord NH which still has color and leaves fairly late in October. Sometimes you can see red swamp maples in Sept in swampy areas near the road.

I think VTtraveler makes a good point about Stowe. It's a very popular and pretty resort town but it's not a typical small VT town (I would vote for a place like Brandon). I drove Rt 16 thru NH's mountains yesterday. The Conway area (which will be unbearably mobbed with tourists in the fall) is a fun, resort area. Lots of shopping, lots of hiking, lots of restaurants. Some of the hotels/resorts are luring people with sleigh rides etc. The view from the main st looks at a gorgeous mountain but it's not a typical NH town.
Mid-week, traffic shouldn't be a problem except during commuting hours in some areas. On a Sunday afternoon, roads heading south will be congest with people going home from leaf peeping. Rt 91 thru Western MA into VT isn't bad although I tend to travel that stretch either early morning or late in the day/early evening. The scenery is nice because it's rural.
The best thing for a friends' trip is to plan some stops at places you know will interest them. It might be an unusual restaurant (such as Simon Pierce in Quechee VT), a winery tasting, a very special shop, a place where they make cheese or ice cream (ok, maybe Ben and Jerry's factory tour). The hardest thing is finding something to do a night which is why I suggested staying in Manchester NH (a former mill city). There's a chance a restaurant will have live music in the evening. It might be a little too quiet after NYC.
I drove over a covered bridge yesterday. They are usually only wide enough for one vehicle so 2-way traffic isn't possible. They may be pretty but not really suitable for modern traffic.
So, if you plan some nice stops along the way, I think your friends will forgive you if the color isn't brilliant.


Driving on twisty country roads shouldn't be a problem. I think city intersections are tricky ... which lane do you have to be in for a left hand turn and is it ok to turn right on red. Sometimes the 3 lane road becomes 2 lanes since the leftmost lane is meant for cars entering a highway on ramp and that lane 'disappears' after the ramp. Watch the lines on the road for lane changes like that in city highway intersections.

(Madison County is in Iowa.)

Y'know, I am worried about the fact that you are planning only 1 night in New England. It is a wicked long drive to Burlington VT and further to Conway NH --you won't have time for much beyond checking in, eating dinner, and leaving the next morning, so it will be all about what you see on the way there. But if you stay further south, you have less chance of seeing peak colors. I can't really see how to get around this problem.

capxxx--the OP has said that she is now planning on 2 nights away from NYC. Should make the trip much better

you are getting all sorts of great advice --I'll just add this re the rental car . . .

Do not get your heart set on any specific make/model. The agencies won't guarantee you'll get a particular car. They couldn't unless they only have one model car in their fleet, which doesn't happen.

Note just about every car site says something like "Mustang or similar", "Chev. Cobalt or similar", etc --

I am very new to the world of computers ,& typing is a labourious processs,but all you people are helping me even with this. Your ideas are terrific ,I know we will end up with a `sensible `car ,flights of fancy aside.

Having been to northern NH & Vermont the first week of October many times, the chance of much color is slim unless you go very far north.

For your dates, if your priority is foliage and pretty town, the better bet is the Adirondacks, Catskills.

The foliage maps, I think, are based on averages over many, many, years, and just do not represent a typical year. They're useful for planning if you're visiting for a week, but not so accurate for a night or two.

One idea might be to wait until you arrive and phone the foliage hotlines (each state has one or you can check latest conditions online) to see where there is color, then determine your destination. It will still be so early in the season that lodging should not be a problem