Fall trip, is it a good time?

Old Oct 4th, 2015, 12:17 PM
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Fall trip, is it a good time?

We arrive in Salem tonight October 4, for 1 night then move on to Ogunquit for 2 nights. Hopefully some lobster and blueberry pie. Next stop North Conway for 2 nights (7&8) Oct then 5 nights Woodstock Vermont. We are looking for fall Color. Is our timing ok?

Any suggestions appreciated. All accommodations are locked in.
Very excited. This trip has always been on my bucket list.
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Old Oct 4th, 2015, 12:36 PM
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You're a bit early for the color but will have a great time regardless. Are you arriving Salem Ma or Salem NH? I assume Mass. but you tagged your post NH.

For the most scenic drive Ogunquit to North Conway I would drive up to Wells then head out route 109 through the Shapleigh Lakes area then hit Route 11 to Limerick. It's not your fastest route but will be enjoyable.

Perkins Cove Lobster Pound will deliver lobster dinners & utensils right to your hotel if you happen to have a dining table. Otherwise The Lobster Shack is right there, or drive to Kennebunkport to see the village and dine at Mabel's Lobster Claw. The shore road drive from Ogunquit to Cape Neddick is very nice too,,,try to do it around sunset, it's just a 10 minute jaunt.
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Old Oct 4th, 2015, 02:43 PM
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Color is looking terrific in Concord NH area. We like some color but still a lot of green. I saw full color in photos posted recently on facebook for NH White Mountains area. But Conway residents told me a couple of months ago that each end of the Kancamagus Hwy can be completely different. You're going to see some great color. It started coming on good last week due to colder nights. Today was the first sunny day since heavy rains last Tuesday night. Week forecast looks like a good amount of sun. This morning at 7am, I heard a small flock of Canada geese start flying west. On the ground, a flock of wild turkeys were heading east. We have two red maples in our view to the south. One is showing a lot of color but the other is still very green. The small red swamp maple by our driveway is full red. I think that recent heavy rain after a summer of below average rain has helped improve color.
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Old Oct 4th, 2015, 03:46 PM
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It's perfect timing. Tonight there will be a frost that should jumpstart the color. In Ogunquit, If you go to Lobster Shack, consider a chili dog - no really! And if you stop in next door at MC Perkins check out the bar upstairs. . nice setting to cool off or warm up or get out of the sun or stay out of the rain.
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Old Oct 5th, 2015, 01:31 PM
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Wow thanks for your replies.
We have had a lovely drive up to Ogunquit today. There is splashes of Color along the road. Stopped off at Nubble Lighthouse, beautiful along the seashore.

Thanks for the lobster suggestions. I had one earlier today along the way, I was disappointed, so I will try your suggestions.

I am feeling good about the fall Color, as long as it doesn't rain.
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Old Oct 5th, 2015, 03:07 PM
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Welcome to New England! Where are you staying in Ogunquit? And foliage colors often radiate in the rain so don't pray away the rain! You have great plans!
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Old Oct 6th, 2015, 02:07 AM
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Weather looks pretty good for the rest of the week. Foliage festival in Warner NH this weekend and the small, country fair in Sandwich, NH (between Lake Winnipesaukee and White Mountains). I usually recommend southern route from Rt 16 south of Conway thru Tamworth and Center Sandwich as an option for east/west instead of the Kancamagus but there will be some traffic in Center Sandwich because of the fair. Shouldn't be too bad and you'll be in Woodstock by then. I hope you make a visit to the Norwich VT farmers market on Saturdays thru October. It's very festive with some good food vendors (think pastry for morning snack). Probably a nice selection of apples.
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Old Oct 6th, 2015, 04:41 PM
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Thanks for your welcome and suggestions.

We are staying at the Pink Blossoms resort in a studio apartment. Great rate, great little apartment and great location.

Today I ticked lots of boxes! Weather perfect, hot. clear blue sky, not a cloud. We walked the marginal way, so beautiful with the sunshine, waves rolling in, salt air smell, gulls crying and beautiful shrubs along the way. Perkins Cove is so pretty and quaint, just how I imagined it. Not many people around ( a shop owner told me it is elbow room only in August). We ate fresh steamed lobster for lunch sitting on the boardwalk.e then we had home made blueberry pie. Watched the lobster traps being hauled in and soaked up the atmosphere. Walked back to Ogunquit and enjoyed stops along the beach and sand watching the surfers, later tonight we had dinner at Barnicle Billy's lobster stew for hubby and sweat crab roll for me and we shared a blueberry pie, yum!! Delicious apparently George W Bush dines at Billy's all the time he is in town, he has a summer house at Kennebunket (sp?) and is in town for 2 more weeks, he always dines with 8 secret service around so they told me tonight.

Tomorrow off to the White Mountains. Not sure of the route have had a couple of great suggestions, but we will stop off along the way.
Loving New England so far!
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Old Oct 6th, 2015, 04:59 PM
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We love PinkB !

I keep hoping dfrost will give Ogunquit a try in the off-season.

Thanks for the updates.
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Old Oct 7th, 2015, 07:00 PM
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I took dfrost's suggestion of Rt 16 a couple of years ago, and it really was a beautiful drive! Your trip sounds great.
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Old Oct 8th, 2015, 04:18 AM
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Lol Clark. We liked the Dunesof Ogunquit but there are too many cars and people in southern Maine. Like the Harpswell area a lot more. At least dh and I treat all states equally. We don't care for Woodstock VT and North Conway NH either.
But, love the Center Sandwich NH area in all seasons.
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Old Oct 10th, 2015, 05:17 PM
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Well our stay in North Conway was beautiful the days were sunny with a rich blue sky and the colours stunning. So so lovely! Our drive along the kancamagus hwy was drizzling but the colours were still beautiful almost iridescent we made several stops. We are now in Barnard near Woodstock and today was lovely also with lots of great colour. Tomorrow we are going to Quechee. So loving this time of year.
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Old Oct 10th, 2015, 05:40 PM
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Wonderful!
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Old Oct 11th, 2015, 05:14 AM
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You are in VT for one of the nicest Columbus Day weekends we have had in years. I hope you continue to see good foliage. My husband and I took a drive around north central VT yesterday (in the Montpelier/Cabot area a little farther north than where you are) and the color was very good.
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Old Oct 11th, 2015, 01:31 PM
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I warned you not to pray away the rain! I have fond memories of a misty day on the kanga! Just thrilled all your planning is working out! BTW - Columbus only thought he discovered America - but the people living there knew it was here! Safe journeys and thanks for the updates! Most enjoyable!
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Old Oct 25th, 2015, 03:10 AM
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Well our final 5 nights in Barnard were the icing on the cake. We rented a wonderful log house with cosy fires in each room.

Columbus weekend was perfect weather. We took a trip up to Stowe, following route 100, stopping for coffee at Green Mountain coffee, visiting Ben & Jerry's for delicious ice cream, a stop to sample yummy cheese and chocolate along the way and pumpkin displays everywhere. The hillsides were like a patchwork of red, yellows, oranges and green, spectacular!

A man in Stowe told us that the same time last year the leaves were gone. The colours were amazing, so brilliant and rich. We found many covered bridges across the countryside, ate a yummy luck at Simon Pierce and bought a little glass something to bring home.

We visited a maple syrup farm and another day we visited King Arthurs Flour and were sad not to be able to purchase all that we wanted because of lack of room in our suitcases.

Thank you one and all for all your great suggestions and recommendations. We had a wonderful trip and ticked off so many boxes.
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Old Oct 25th, 2015, 02:58 PM
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You did have great weather! Columbus weekend was fantastic.. glad that you enjoyed your trip!
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Old Oct 26th, 2015, 01:30 AM
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you really lucked out this year. Color is still somewhat decent in our area of NH this year but usually the trees are bare by now. Heck, one year not to long ago, it snowed for Halloween. Glad you had a great visit.
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