Kathywhelchel

Hi! My husband and I want to do a fall foliage drive throughout New England in October. We will both be retired by then so no real time constraints. We will be traveling by car with our 2 dogs, miniature schnauzers. We would appreciate any and all recommendations about must-sees, special eating places, etc. I'm not much of a hiker, so outdoor participation activities are limited. Thanks for any input.

Nepheline

Just a couple of tips: the leaves turn color from north to south. I live in the Lake Sunapee area. The leaves are typically at their peak around here Columbus Day weekend, plus or minus. What part of October you're traveling will make a big difference in what you see.
I think there's a lot of info on this Forum on foliage trips in New England. Do a search using the "advanced search" feature at the top of this column. Use a start date of a couple of years ago, the info probably hasn't changed much. Read the threads and get some ideas of what you're interested in and come back with some more specific questions.
Foliage season up here is pretty much our most touristed time of year and hotels, inns, b&b's fill up fast. It's not too soon to figure out an itinerary and start contacting places to stay.

Kathywhelchel

Thanks for replying

elberko

Kathywhelchel,
Welcome to Fodors!

For future reference, you get more/better info if your title reflects what you are seeking. Adding state tags helps, too.

Here's a recent post that may contain some help:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-road-trip.cfm

HowardR

Two thoughts about taking your dogs with you that might affect your plans:

1. Many hotels/motels do not allow pets.

2. The dogs will not be allowed in restaurants.

suze

Foliage trips are tricky to plan because "peak" is different every year.

nytraveler

While it's possible to travel with dogs and stay in motels/hotels it will severely limit where you can stay. Also there are many places you can;t take them and leaving them locked in a car for hours at a time is not a good idea. and hotels/motels won;t let them stay in the room alone in case of damage/barking.

Unless you are renting a property that allows dogs or traveling in a caravan I would definitely leave the dogs at home or in a kennel.

cw

You certainly have to make adjustments to your travels with dogs but you probably already know that. It won't be too hot or too cold in October to leave dogs in the car while you go to a restaurant so I don't think that is a problem.

But you will need to find dog friendly lodging. There are websites devoted to this, so take a look at them, and you'll need reservations at the height of foliage viewing.

Yankee Magazine has a good foliage site: http://www.yankeefoliage.com/

Heebzzz1

New England’s fall foliage is legendary. Across the region, leaves turn from green to gold and scarlet, purple and orange.

Ackislander

It will be packed around Columbus Day weekend, which is a big holiday in New England but it is also a great time for peak foliage.

You might plan to arrive Monday, while everyone else is driving South and back to work. If you stay near either end of the Kancamaugus Highway, you can drive south or north depending on the foliage reports and weather and then west into Vermont. Certainly the White Mountains in The Notches -- Franconia, Crawford, Pinkham -- are spectacular, especially if the summits have snow.

This brings up another point. You don't say where you are coming from, but mornings and evenings will be crisp (40's?) and perhaps colder.

We have always had very good luck with the weather before the third weekend in October. All bets are off after that.

You will need - absolutely - reservations before Oct 12 and will be happier after, and the dogs could be a problem. Don't just show up with them.

All these area have lots of lookouts, so you don't have to be a hiker to enjoy them.

Vttraveler

I live in north central VT and peak foliage here is very late September/early October.

dfrostnh

I usually recommend a boat trip from Portsmouth. Inland Rivers is really good for foliage but I doubt if the dogs can go on the boat. We just took a similar boat trip up the Piscataqua River from New Castle (next to Portsmouth NH). It's a pretty drive in this area (Rt 4/16 from Durham NH to Portsmouth). In Durham, Rt 4, there is Wagon Hill Farm which allows leashed dogs. You can't tell from the road but the property has frontage on the river. Check to see if you can take the dogs on the trail that goes to water. Long walk but not a hike. Picnic area on the water. You might also check the Urban Forestry Center on Elwyn Rd in Portsmouth about dogs on leashes. A friend likes the Rachel Carson Refuge in Wells ME which is not far from Portsmouth. Seacoast is going to be best area for seafood restaurants. Hilton Park adjacent to the bridges that go over Great Bay (rt 4/16) is right on the water.

However, the coast is a zone warmer than inland so foliage doesn't color up so soon. Start your trip as advised in an earlier post in the mountains.

The mountains are a little too craggy for me. I prefer the lakes region and towns between Lake Winnipesaukee and the White Mountains. Further south, you can drive up the Wilmot side of Mt Kearsarge for a nice view from the state park near the top. It can be windy but if weather is good, it could be a nice place for a picnic.

You can get maps for ice cream trail, wine trail, etc for each state. These help you get off the major highways. Keep in mind southbound traffic on a sunday afternoon is going to be extremely heavy on I93 and I89 in NH while secondary roads won't have much traffic at all and better foliage. Carry a very good map.

Farmers markets might not allow dogs but many have a vendor who sells dog treats.

Yankee magazine is a great suggestion.

Kathywhelchel

Thanks so much for all your replies!

Vttraveler

There is a good fall foliage festival in five towns in the NOrtheast Kingdom of VT in late September/early October. Not sure of the exact dates for this year but here is a link that describes the event and the towns
http://www.jeff-foliage.com/fall-fes...all-festivals/

This web site seems to have a lot of other good info about all things foliage.

If you can find a traditional chicken pie supper at a church while you are traveling, you should try to get tickets and attend. They aren't just for tourists -- I know local people who go from supper to supper in season.