vrlp

My spouse and I are driving to Boston from ND to see relatives later this month. We have not been east of Ohio so would like to hear about some interesting places to see and restaurants to try. We plan to stop by Niagara Falls but from there I am totally confused as to the best roads to take. We would have 3 days to wander over to Boston from Niagara Falls. From Boston we thought about going north into Maine and coming back through Canada and down through Michigan. We have about a week to get back home from when we leave Boston. We both enjoy driving trips, we are in our late 50's and he is not much of a history buff but he loves scenery. I've sent for information from New England but only 2 states came through so far. Thanks for any advice!

weekend_celebrations

We live just south of Boston and there are so many options around us within a couple of driving hours. There is beautiful coastline in Maine (Oqunquit, York, BoothBay Harbor) and on Massachusetts Cape Cod (national seashore beaches). For coastal city- there is Portland, Maine (day trips to nearby islands, interesting food scene). You may also peek into New Hampshire for the very beginning of foliage season. There is Newport's (Rhode Island) historical mansions and cliff walk. I blog about New England family weekends- but you may find my ideas useful for couples as well. http://celebratetheweekend.com/fall-weekends-england/
(not sure how far into Canada you want to go from Boston but there is a cute Magog right on the border)

vrlp

Thank you - I will study the web site more - it looked to have good ideas. Any help is great as trip time is coming fast!

dfrostnh

I like to read Chowhound posts to find restaurants. There is a thread for Northern New England that would include Portland ME and NH. I agree with weekend's suggestions. Depending on how far you want to travel in Maine, you have a chance of visiting a lobster shack (with picnic tables on the water) on weekends until Columbus Day. Google best lobster rolls in Maine to get a list. You might pick one based on scenery. Last September we went to McLoon's for the first time and it's now our favorite but it's up near Rockland ME.

Last year we took a northern route from NH's White Mountains to Ellsworth ME. It was nice but very rural. Followed the Androscoggin River for a ways. From Portland ME to Conway NH is about an hour and puts you in NH's White Mountains. I would recommend Portsmouth NH and a boat trip in the harbor or inland rivers. Good narration and lots of great scenery. I'm not a fan of the Kancamagus Highway thru the mountains since I prefer from Conway south on Rt 16 to Tamworth and then across thru Sandwich and then over to Meredith where you can connect with I93 north thru the mountains.

HappyTrvlr

Google tourism websites for the places you want to visit. Those are helpful when traveling.

vrlp

Thank you for your ideas. I have been googling when I find time but all the information gets overwhelming. It helps to hear from people who live in the area as to ideas of where to go. Can't wait to eat some lobster!

tt16489

In March 2016 we went with my sisters and our friends to Maine and New Hampshire. I fell in love with Portland as it’s on the coast and there are picturesque cruises to the islands around. For the autumn time Vermont and New Hampshire are famous for the foliage and there are flocks of people then so be sure to book as soon as you can.

traveler2005

When we went to Cape Cod this past summer, we spent one day in Boston. We took a City View Trolley Tour using a Groupon. We thought it was a pretty good way to see quite a bit in one day. We parked at a big garage near the aquarium - pricey, but convenient to the place where we had to start the tour with the groupon. Their tour also included a boat trip.