New England Foliage Itinerary - Completely overwhelmed for now !!
Sep 1st, 2009, 01:51 PM
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New England Foliage Itinerary - Completely overwhelmed for now !!
Hi Folks,
I have experience witH Fodors forums before ... We have planned our Spain, Hawaii vacation using help from all the great fodorites ... And I know well enough by now that, to be respectful of everyone's time and opinion, one should do their research, read old threads and try to create some sort of itinerary .. Then the fodorites can take that first draft of itinerary apart and help you shape it into perfect for you ... I tried to do the resarch and I am completely OVERWHLEMED ... Reading all the old threads, seems like everyone has a different itinerary ... there are way too many places and names ... I could not zoom in on the BEST of the BEST to do ...
I am going to provide details of my trip best I can ... And hope that some of you can help me start an itinerary or point us to some old ones that work well ...
- we are a Couple traveling with a 4 year old boy
- Would like to visit the New England area for the gorgeous fall colors
- Dates: Flexible between Oct 2 and Oct 16; But would like to do upto 7 nights, including a weekend (to allow for 3-4 days vacation only)
- First research shows that Manchester NH might be best to fly in and out of; Also has cheapest fare from Austin TX; Tried Boston and Portland too
- Both of us are into Photography as a hobby, so any suggestions from unique perspectives/ views very welcome; my husband's policy has been to give back to Fodors forums by posting his pics (whihc have been very well received) to help future travellers get a good visual
- We both Love to drive, and do short hikes
- We are both vegetarian .. Love to eat in local whimsical places with good food .. do not care for very expensive upscale places, especially with a 4 year old in tow ...
- Most interested in fall colors, covered bridges, pretty architecture, cute little towns/ villages, mountains and lakes beauty with foliage
Hoping for the Fodorites to dig me out of this!! Thanks in anticipation!!
Vibhav
I have experience witH Fodors forums before ... We have planned our Spain, Hawaii vacation using help from all the great fodorites ... And I know well enough by now that, to be respectful of everyone's time and opinion, one should do their research, read old threads and try to create some sort of itinerary .. Then the fodorites can take that first draft of itinerary apart and help you shape it into perfect for you ... I tried to do the resarch and I am completely OVERWHLEMED ... Reading all the old threads, seems like everyone has a different itinerary ... there are way too many places and names ... I could not zoom in on the BEST of the BEST to do ...
I am going to provide details of my trip best I can ... And hope that some of you can help me start an itinerary or point us to some old ones that work well ...
- we are a Couple traveling with a 4 year old boy
- Would like to visit the New England area for the gorgeous fall colors
- Dates: Flexible between Oct 2 and Oct 16; But would like to do upto 7 nights, including a weekend (to allow for 3-4 days vacation only)
- First research shows that Manchester NH might be best to fly in and out of; Also has cheapest fare from Austin TX; Tried Boston and Portland too
- Both of us are into Photography as a hobby, so any suggestions from unique perspectives/ views very welcome; my husband's policy has been to give back to Fodors forums by posting his pics (whihc have been very well received) to help future travellers get a good visual
- We both Love to drive, and do short hikes
- We are both vegetarian .. Love to eat in local whimsical places with good food .. do not care for very expensive upscale places, especially with a 4 year old in tow ...
- Most interested in fall colors, covered bridges, pretty architecture, cute little towns/ villages, mountains and lakes beauty with foliage
Hoping for the Fodorites to dig me out of this!! Thanks in anticipation!!
Vibhav
Sep 1st, 2009, 02:33 PM
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You are right that there are a lot of options and you can't do all in only 7 days. You mention things you'd like to see but didn't say anything about seacoast. To me, so much of the beauty of New England is the coast that if I were coming from Texas I'd want to see the coast. But since you don't mention it perhaps it doesn't interest you. I would suggest two different itineraries if you do or do not want time on the coast. Also Boston - do you want any time there? I'm also a photographer and I decide where I want to go by looking at photos and see what "grabs" me. Maybe you could start there. My photos are at www.pbase.com/annforcier. Most of my photos are of Europe but there is a Boston gallery and one of "New England" Most of the New England shots are coastal, maybe because I live in western New England I tend to take trips to the coast. But you can find plenty of other photos on line.
So, I'd see if there are any particular places you feel you want to go, decide it you want any coast time and any Boston time. Also keep in mind that the first week in October the best color will be in Vermont and New Hampshire, by mid Oct it will be good in Western Mass and along the Maine coast. You can get "peak foliage maps" on line. Just google it and you'll get several. Once you decide on those things I'd be happy to try and help you with an itinerary.
So, I'd see if there are any particular places you feel you want to go, decide it you want any coast time and any Boston time. Also keep in mind that the first week in October the best color will be in Vermont and New Hampshire, by mid Oct it will be good in Western Mass and along the Maine coast. You can get "peak foliage maps" on line. Just google it and you'll get several. Once you decide on those things I'd be happy to try and help you with an itinerary.
Sep 1st, 2009, 03:31 PM
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Thanks a lot Isabel for replying ... The world is indeed a small place ... If I am not wrong, my husband had found your pbase website at time of our Spain research ... Your photos had guided us and inspired us for our trip ... You are absolutely right!! One has to always look for photos to decide on where to go .. I will definitely check out your photos and others as well ...That will help us decide on the coast and Boston ...
Is the coast good for fall colors too? When I think of the coast, I think of beach .. Maybe, totally wrong ..
Meanwhile, here is our website if you want to browse through some of our vacations .. Spain is a part of it too, though not complete as yet ...
http://www.pbase.com/avsphotos/travel
Is the coast good for fall colors too? When I think of the coast, I think of beach .. Maybe, totally wrong ..
Meanwhile, here is our website if you want to browse through some of our vacations .. Spain is a part of it too, though not complete as yet ...
http://www.pbase.com/avsphotos/travel
Sep 1st, 2009, 03:43 PM
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Isabel ...Looking at your photos .. seems like we would probably love to go to one/two coastal places .. that are absolute must do and have that beautiful white light house that you photographed ... But our priority would probably be inland ... we are mostly interested in fall colors with winding roads, covered bridges, cute towns etc ... Would love to have covered Boston in this trip too, probably do not have the time in 7 days ...
Sep 1st, 2009, 05:20 PM
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I fly into Manchester every October for a week-long visit (from Illinois) to see fall color and attend a GTG in BOS. I much prefer MHT airport over BOS. It's so much easier to navigate IMO, and the rental cars are right there... very handy.
I like to land, get my car, and then head north up to the Lincoln NH area. There is an absolutely gorgeous drive, on a very scenic... ie. you'll want to stop for photos every minute or two!!... 2-lane road that runs between Lincoln and Conway. The road has a name... slips my memory right now, but I'll be driving it at least once this October when I'm back in NH/Bos.
I always plan my trip around Columbus Day weekend. I have found some great Columbus Day bargains at the outlet mall in N. Conway (in case you like to shop).
You might enjoy the scenic Conway Railway. I've not taken it yet, but will try to include it this year. Also, I'm going to try to include a boat ride on Lake Winnepesaki (sp.. I'm sure I've butchered it). Lovely fall colors there as well.
You can't go wrong... the fall color in New England is really beautiful! Have fun planning.
Carol
I like to land, get my car, and then head north up to the Lincoln NH area. There is an absolutely gorgeous drive, on a very scenic... ie. you'll want to stop for photos every minute or two!!... 2-lane road that runs between Lincoln and Conway. The road has a name... slips my memory right now, but I'll be driving it at least once this October when I'm back in NH/Bos.
I always plan my trip around Columbus Day weekend. I have found some great Columbus Day bargains at the outlet mall in N. Conway (in case you like to shop).
You might enjoy the scenic Conway Railway. I've not taken it yet, but will try to include it this year. Also, I'm going to try to include a boat ride on Lake Winnepesaki (sp.. I'm sure I've butchered it). Lovely fall colors there as well.
You can't go wrong... the fall color in New England is really beautiful! Have fun planning.
Carol
Sep 1st, 2009, 05:46 PM
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Fly into Manchester and drive north on route 93. Once you get into the Lakes Region (exit 20) and north you're really in beautiful country for sight seeing. Meredith is a really cute town to have a day/night stopover, here is a website to look at http://www.millfalls.com/.
Take a day or evening cruise on the Mount Washington boat (about 2 hours) on Lake Winnepesaukee. It's a lovely cruise and it's a great vantage point seeing things from the water that you could not see by driving. Their website is http://www.cruisenh.com/.
Further north takes you into the White Mountains which is very beautiful and picturesque. As mentioned earlier, include towns like Lincoln, Franconia, and Conway/North Conway on your trip. I also haven't taken the Conway Railway, but check into it. Their website is http://www.conwayscenic.com/.
On your way back down to Manchester you can include Portsmouth as one of your stopovers. It's on the coast and has a lot of NH history and has done a good job of restoring its old colonial buildings. It has a lot of boutique kind of shops in its downtown (very walkable) area.
I'm vegetarian too and it's pretty easy to eat veg in NH. Most places (except steak and lobster places) have veg choices.
Take a day or evening cruise on the Mount Washington boat (about 2 hours) on Lake Winnepesaukee. It's a lovely cruise and it's a great vantage point seeing things from the water that you could not see by driving. Their website is http://www.cruisenh.com/.
Further north takes you into the White Mountains which is very beautiful and picturesque. As mentioned earlier, include towns like Lincoln, Franconia, and Conway/North Conway on your trip. I also haven't taken the Conway Railway, but check into it. Their website is http://www.conwayscenic.com/.
On your way back down to Manchester you can include Portsmouth as one of your stopovers. It's on the coast and has a lot of NH history and has done a good job of restoring its old colonial buildings. It has a lot of boutique kind of shops in its downtown (very walkable) area.
I'm vegetarian too and it's pretty easy to eat veg in NH. Most places (except steak and lobster places) have veg choices.
Sep 1st, 2009, 06:43 PM
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Sep 2nd, 2009, 03:57 AM
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We just spent Old Time Farming Days at Musterfield Farm in N Sutton NH with our 3 and 5 yo GDs. Of course, the girls had a fabulous time because Grampa has an antique John Deere tractor and gave them rides. I also let the oldest play in a mud puddle. At book club a young mother told me her family missed the event but prefer Harvest Day which is Oct 4 this year. She said there are a lot of demonstrations. Musterfield is now a farm museum. It is a beautiful property where they still work a large vegetable garden. A visit to New England should also include a visit to an apple orchard where you can PYO. Some provide hay rides. Gould Hill Orchard in Hopkinton NH near Concord has a Little Nature Museum. Nearby a former dairy farm Beech Hill is now a place to get ice cream and visit farm animals. We have visited their corn maze but I much prefer The Great Vermont Corn Maze in Danville VT (far north near Littleton NH). This is a great outdoor activity and there is fun things for a young child to do. We have not been to Charming Fare Farm near MHT but a friend likes to take her GD there.
Get a state Atlas and Gazetteer for the location of waterfalls and covered bridges. There is one for each New England state and I think you will find them in any bookstore. They also list suggested popular hikes. DS likes Polar Caves and Lost River. These are good, tourist attractions but you can find real hiking trails all over the place. I think Storyland in Glen NH (near Conway) is open weekends until Columbus Day. Everyone loves it there. It's a small amusement park geared for younger children.
You can easily include a day at the beach. The mountains are only 2 hours from the Portsmouth area. York ME is a popular family area with two sections of sandy beach. But you will also find small swimming holes on rivers and lake beaches. It may be too cold for swimming but not for some water play. Last summer we stopped at the local swimming area outside Bristol VT on the road thru Lincoln Gap. You would want water shoes because the bottom is rocky but it's possible to walk across the river in the shallow section. Up river is a deep pool and small waterfall. In summer, the older kids jump off the ledges into the deep pool. Definitely a good place for a picnic sitting on the ledge overlooking the falls.
Once you have your route set up you might want to post a request on Chowhound for vegetarian places. I know you wouldn't have a problem in Concord NH. I've heard good things about Indigo Cafe and I love the soups and salads at In A Pinch. The Concord Food Coop on South Main Street has a fresh food/hot bar plus a few tables in their store. There are vegetarian options at some of the restaurants that feature Asian cuisine. It's real easy to find pizza, burgers, and fried clams any place but good vegetarian cooking might be harder to find the further north you go. Because I'm an advocate of picnicking, I suggest you bring picnic gear with you. Right now blueberries are incredible and so good with vanilla yogurt. You shouldn't have any trouble finding artisan breads. If you eat cheese you might check the state dept of agriculture for farms that make their own cheese. Vermont has a 'cheese trail'.
We haven't been to the newly relocated Children's Museum that used to be in Portsmouth but is not in Dover NH. It's also high time we took the GDs to the Science Center in Norwich VT.
The atlas and gazetteer will also give you the location of the small state parks that are often overlooked gems such as Winslow which is on the back side of Mt Kearsarge (near New London NH). You should visit Yankee Magazine's website for the foliage forum and meet Jeff Folger who does a lot of photography. The current issue did an article on him since his specialty is foliage photography.
Get a state Atlas and Gazetteer for the location of waterfalls and covered bridges. There is one for each New England state and I think you will find them in any bookstore. They also list suggested popular hikes. DS likes Polar Caves and Lost River. These are good, tourist attractions but you can find real hiking trails all over the place. I think Storyland in Glen NH (near Conway) is open weekends until Columbus Day. Everyone loves it there. It's a small amusement park geared for younger children.
You can easily include a day at the beach. The mountains are only 2 hours from the Portsmouth area. York ME is a popular family area with two sections of sandy beach. But you will also find small swimming holes on rivers and lake beaches. It may be too cold for swimming but not for some water play. Last summer we stopped at the local swimming area outside Bristol VT on the road thru Lincoln Gap. You would want water shoes because the bottom is rocky but it's possible to walk across the river in the shallow section. Up river is a deep pool and small waterfall. In summer, the older kids jump off the ledges into the deep pool. Definitely a good place for a picnic sitting on the ledge overlooking the falls.
Once you have your route set up you might want to post a request on Chowhound for vegetarian places. I know you wouldn't have a problem in Concord NH. I've heard good things about Indigo Cafe and I love the soups and salads at In A Pinch. The Concord Food Coop on South Main Street has a fresh food/hot bar plus a few tables in their store. There are vegetarian options at some of the restaurants that feature Asian cuisine. It's real easy to find pizza, burgers, and fried clams any place but good vegetarian cooking might be harder to find the further north you go. Because I'm an advocate of picnicking, I suggest you bring picnic gear with you. Right now blueberries are incredible and so good with vanilla yogurt. You shouldn't have any trouble finding artisan breads. If you eat cheese you might check the state dept of agriculture for farms that make their own cheese. Vermont has a 'cheese trail'.
We haven't been to the newly relocated Children's Museum that used to be in Portsmouth but is not in Dover NH. It's also high time we took the GDs to the Science Center in Norwich VT.
The atlas and gazetteer will also give you the location of the small state parks that are often overlooked gems such as Winslow which is on the back side of Mt Kearsarge (near New London NH). You should visit Yankee Magazine's website for the foliage forum and meet Jeff Folger who does a lot of photography. The current issue did an article on him since his specialty is foliage photography.
Sep 2nd, 2009, 01:59 PM
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I am starting to get so excited .. Thank you everyone for the repsonses ...
Isabelle, I am going to take your advice and include the coast ... From dfrostnh it sound slike Portsmouth and York might be good to explore ...
Carol, I agree with you .. I am sure MHT will be much easier .. We are planning to fly into Manchester as well esp since in our week long trip we do not want to cram in Boston ...
Jaya and dfrostnh, thanks a lot for the confirmation that vegetarian will not be a problem ...we look forward to the fruit picking and artisan breads..
So trying to put together all the suggestions, here is a list of places/ cities to visit/ drive through ... and also a list of activities ... Please suggest modifications as needed ... These are in no particular order ... I will try to make it into an itinerary once we finalzie on the places
Visit/ Drive to-
- Portsmount
- York
- Conway
- Lincoln
- Franconia
- White Mountains
- Lake Winnepesaukee
Things to do/ Activities
- Cruise on Lake Winnepesaukee
- Conway Railway
- Corn Maze
- Apple Orchard PYO
Thanks dfrostnh for the suggestion of the atlas and gazetteer.. Will definitely do so ...
Thanks Weimarer for the link ...
One big question as well -- I do not see any mention of Acadia NP ... I always thought that one went to Acadia for Fall colors .. Was that just something wrong stuck in my head?? Should I plan to be in the Vermont, NH area and that is the best for fall colors??
Isabelle, I am going to take your advice and include the coast ... From dfrostnh it sound slike Portsmouth and York might be good to explore ...
Carol, I agree with you .. I am sure MHT will be much easier .. We are planning to fly into Manchester as well esp since in our week long trip we do not want to cram in Boston ...
Jaya and dfrostnh, thanks a lot for the confirmation that vegetarian will not be a problem ...we look forward to the fruit picking and artisan breads..
So trying to put together all the suggestions, here is a list of places/ cities to visit/ drive through ... and also a list of activities ... Please suggest modifications as needed ... These are in no particular order ... I will try to make it into an itinerary once we finalzie on the places
Visit/ Drive to-
- Portsmount
- York
- Conway
- Lincoln
- Franconia
- White Mountains
- Lake Winnepesaukee
Things to do/ Activities
- Cruise on Lake Winnepesaukee
- Conway Railway
- Corn Maze
- Apple Orchard PYO
Thanks dfrostnh for the suggestion of the atlas and gazetteer.. Will definitely do so ...
Thanks Weimarer for the link ...
One big question as well -- I do not see any mention of Acadia NP ... I always thought that one went to Acadia for Fall colors .. Was that just something wrong stuck in my head?? Should I plan to be in the Vermont, NH area and that is the best for fall colors??
Sep 2nd, 2009, 03:26 PM
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I think there is more to do in NH and the colors are the best the first two weeks of October. They will start changing further north during the first week and then work their way down the state so that by the second week of October they are vibrant in the central and southern part of the state.
For the 4 year old, you can include Story Land while you're in the White Mountains area. Their website is http://www.storylandnh.com/.
For the 4 year old, you can include Story Land while you're in the White Mountains area. Their website is http://www.storylandnh.com/.
Sep 2nd, 2009, 06:00 PM
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http://www.visitwhitemountains.com/t...s/default.aspx
I recently moved to NH and am just getting exploring. I will be heading up to the Mount Washington Auto road this weekend and riding the alpine slide at Attatash mountain.
I hear from locals that if you really want to see the fall foliage, the place to go is the Castle in the Clouds.
http://www.castleintheclouds.org/
I recently moved to NH and am just getting exploring. I will be heading up to the Mount Washington Auto road this weekend and riding the alpine slide at Attatash mountain.
I hear from locals that if you really want to see the fall foliage, the place to go is the Castle in the Clouds.
http://www.castleintheclouds.org/
Sep 2nd, 2009, 06:09 PM
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I have also heard that if you want a beautiful scenic drive, you should drive the Kancamagus Highway.
http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2458/stories/47172
http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2458/stories/47172
Sep 3rd, 2009, 01:28 AM
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Hope you can make reservations soon. Places book up early. It's the busiest tourist season esp for Columbus Day weekend. HardDriver, it ought to be a great time to go up Mt Washington. Weather looks very clear. Don't forget a jacket. You are right, view from Castle in the Clouds should be stupendous.
Sep 3rd, 2009, 02:39 AM
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I think you will enjoy the coast but I would go a little further north than York. York is nice but Ogunquit and Kennebunkport are better, and Camden/Rockport even better. Since it's fall and you are going for atmosphere you want nice rocky Maine coast, not beaches. But in your short time I wouldn't bother going all the way to Acadia as it takes quite a while to drive there (versus say Camden) and while it's really striking scenery you can get a good taste of the Maine coast without going that far.
I would also think twice about North Conway/Mt Washington. Yes it's the highest peak in New England, but it's very crowded at that time of year. Parking,driving, shopping, eating - will all be a mess. There is great fall color and New England atmosphere all over, you don't have to go there and virtually everyone on this forum (and elsewhere I'm sure) plans to go there.
If I were you I'd slit my time between the Maine coast between York and Camden, the Lake Winnepesaukee area, and Vermont. If you do fly in/out of Manchester then I'd skip Boston for this trip, but if you do end up flying into Boston I'd add a couple of days at one end of the trip.
I would also think twice about North Conway/Mt Washington. Yes it's the highest peak in New England, but it's very crowded at that time of year. Parking,driving, shopping, eating - will all be a mess. There is great fall color and New England atmosphere all over, you don't have to go there and virtually everyone on this forum (and elsewhere I'm sure) plans to go there.
If I were you I'd slit my time between the Maine coast between York and Camden, the Lake Winnepesaukee area, and Vermont. If you do fly in/out of Manchester then I'd skip Boston for this trip, but if you do end up flying into Boston I'd add a couple of days at one end of the trip.
Sep 3rd, 2009, 08:43 AM
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Thanks yall for the reply ... jaya, unfortunately Story land and Sata's Village both are open only for weekends in oct and we will not be there on weekends 
..
We booked our tickets today for Boston (could not get manchester at a reasonable cost) ... From what I have researched so far, and from all of your replies, seems like there are three main areas - White Mountains/ NH, Rt 100/ Stowe- Weston/ VT and the Acadia NP / Maine coast ... Not sure if we will be able to fit all of it into our itinerary ... Here is the first draft .. I have more details around White Mountains as I have just detail researched that one for now ..
Please help us take apart this itinerary ... I am open to any and all kind of changes within these dates ... Additons/ deletions/ must dos/ do not dos ... Bring it all !!!
3-Oct Saturday
Austin to Boston Late at night
4-Oct Sunday
Start Driving North on Hwy 93
Lunch at Meredith
Lake Winnipesaukee Cruise
Maybe try to visit Castle in the Clouds
Cut across to Portsmouth and end day at Camden, Maine
5-Oct Monday
Spent first half of day exploring around Camden; Leave Camden after lunch and reach Conway, NH
6-Oct Tuesday
Conway Train Ride - The 5.5 hr round trip on notch Train/ Fabyan starting at 11; Relaxing day around COnway
7-Oct Wednesday
Drive North on Hwy 16 to Jefferson for scenic drive/ stops;
Take a detour enroute for Mt Washington Auto Road (optional)
Do the Great Vermont Corn maze in Danville VT
Drive back on route 302 To conway stopping enroute for Arethusa Falls
8-Oct Thursday
Drive on Kancamagus hwy from Conway to Lincoln; Stop at the Albany Covered bridge
Stop at Lincoln for Clarks Trading post and Flume Gorge
Continue on to VT… Stowe VT??
9-Oct Friday
Undecided - Drive from Stowe VT to Weston VT on Rt 100??
10-Oct Saturday
Undecided - Drive to Boston with enroute sightseeing
11-Oct Sunday Fly back from Boston early morning
.. We booked our tickets today for Boston (could not get manchester at a reasonable cost) ... From what I have researched so far, and from all of your replies, seems like there are three main areas - White Mountains/ NH, Rt 100/ Stowe- Weston/ VT and the Acadia NP / Maine coast ... Not sure if we will be able to fit all of it into our itinerary ... Here is the first draft .. I have more details around White Mountains as I have just detail researched that one for now ..
Please help us take apart this itinerary ... I am open to any and all kind of changes within these dates ... Additons/ deletions/ must dos/ do not dos ... Bring it all !!!
3-Oct Saturday
Austin to Boston Late at night
4-Oct Sunday
Start Driving North on Hwy 93
Lunch at Meredith
Lake Winnipesaukee Cruise
Maybe try to visit Castle in the Clouds
Cut across to Portsmouth and end day at Camden, Maine
5-Oct Monday
Spent first half of day exploring around Camden; Leave Camden after lunch and reach Conway, NH
6-Oct Tuesday
Conway Train Ride - The 5.5 hr round trip on notch Train/ Fabyan starting at 11; Relaxing day around COnway
7-Oct Wednesday
Drive North on Hwy 16 to Jefferson for scenic drive/ stops;
Take a detour enroute for Mt Washington Auto Road (optional)
Do the Great Vermont Corn maze in Danville VT
Drive back on route 302 To conway stopping enroute for Arethusa Falls
8-Oct Thursday
Drive on Kancamagus hwy from Conway to Lincoln; Stop at the Albany Covered bridge
Stop at Lincoln for Clarks Trading post and Flume Gorge
Continue on to VT… Stowe VT??
9-Oct Friday
Undecided - Drive from Stowe VT to Weston VT on Rt 100??
10-Oct Saturday
Undecided - Drive to Boston with enroute sightseeing
11-Oct Sunday Fly back from Boston early morning
Sep 4th, 2009, 12:32 PM
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October 4th has too much planned. Plan to overnight in Meredith and do Castle in the Clouds the next day and then head to Maine. Meredith is a charming town. You'll want to walk and explore there.
For lunch, I like "Mame's" restuarant. You can walk to it from the center of town.
October 5th. Rather than going to the Mt. Washington road, go to the base of Mt. Washington and see the Cog Railway. Even if you don't actually go on the train, it's cool to see and there is a giftshop/mini museum there too.
October 9th. Not sure what there is to do in VT that you can't do in NH with less driving. Hanover, NH is a cool town. Dartmouth College is located there and there is a really nice downtown with boutiques and eating places. Very scenic and pretty area too.
October 10th. Head back to Boston in the morning. Back in Boston, take the Duck Boat tour in if the weather is nice or go to the Museum of Science or Children's Museum in the afternoon if those things are of interest. Plenty of things to do in Boston for part of a day.
See what you think of the above and reply with any questions/comments.
For lunch, I like "Mame's" restuarant. You can walk to it from the center of town.
October 5th. Rather than going to the Mt. Washington road, go to the base of Mt. Washington and see the Cog Railway. Even if you don't actually go on the train, it's cool to see and there is a giftshop/mini museum there too.
October 9th. Not sure what there is to do in VT that you can't do in NH with less driving. Hanover, NH is a cool town. Dartmouth College is located there and there is a really nice downtown with boutiques and eating places. Very scenic and pretty area too.
October 10th. Head back to Boston in the morning. Back in Boston, take the Duck Boat tour in if the weather is nice or go to the Museum of Science or Children's Museum in the afternoon if those things are of interest. Plenty of things to do in Boston for part of a day.
See what you think of the above and reply with any questions/comments.
Sep 4th, 2009, 01:33 PM
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It seems to me you're doing a lot of back and forth from NH to ME to NH to VT to NH. Think about "finishing" one area before moving on and it will save you a lot of crisscross driving. I think I would do VT first, then east to NH then east to ME and then back to Boston or vice versa. You can get to Stowe, VT, if you want to go there, in about 4 1/2 hrs or so from Boston - 93 to 89. From Stowe, you can go south on 100 for a way, then head east to Franconia notch (Clark's bears, the Flume) which is just west of Mt Washington which is west of Winnipesaukee which is just west of North Conway which is west of ME. Look at a map of New England before you nail down your plans. You will see that traveling "across" VT, NH, ME (east/west)is much more time consuming than traveling "up and down" (north/south) because of road configurations.
Sep 4th, 2009, 08:49 PM
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I'd recommend heading for the seacoast first, but Ogunquit, Kennebunkport, or as far north as Boothbay Harbor, are beautiful seaside destinations without driving all the way to Camden.
Because your dates are a bit early for much color, you may want to head/stay farther north than Conway, in Gorham (where there's a fabulous "Moose Tour") or Littleton. The drive from Gorham to Littleton via Route 2 is spectacular.
I'd also recommend driving over Route 302 and back rather than sit on a train for 5.5 hours, especially with a 4-year old. Note that views are totally different when returning the other direction (on all these routes).
If you want to go to the top of Mount Washington (and often fog and other weather conditions preclude any views), do yourselves a favor and ride up in the van. It's well worth the extra expense to be able to enjoy the views in both directions with a skilled driver. You really cannot enjoy this while worrying about inclines and curves and avoiding vehicles in the other direction, and preserving your brakes on the way down. But, I would skip that in favor of spending more time on other scenic drives.
Then, drive the Kancamamagus. The foliage moves south and west, so you should as well. Even a few days can make a huge difference in amount of color.
A cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee is scenic and relaxing (and a nice respite from all that driving), but the colors come much later to that area. There may be some color, but still lots of green.
You may want to head for Southern VT/NH (Bennington, Brattleboro, Keene, the Monadnock area of New Hampshire) or the Berkshires - again for more color that early.
The drive east from Bennington via Brattleboro, Keene, Peterboro...is very scenic, as is the Mohawk Trail from the Berkshires east through northern MA.
Or, you could head farther south to Lenox, Stockbridge, in MA.
For October 8-9-10, you will likely run into two, even three, night minimums with lodging. So, it would be best to decide where you want to wind up before heading back to Boston and book those accommodations first, especially since rates will be much higher for weekends than weekdays.
Because your dates are a bit early for much color, you may want to head/stay farther north than Conway, in Gorham (where there's a fabulous "Moose Tour") or Littleton. The drive from Gorham to Littleton via Route 2 is spectacular.
I'd also recommend driving over Route 302 and back rather than sit on a train for 5.5 hours, especially with a 4-year old. Note that views are totally different when returning the other direction (on all these routes).
If you want to go to the top of Mount Washington (and often fog and other weather conditions preclude any views), do yourselves a favor and ride up in the van. It's well worth the extra expense to be able to enjoy the views in both directions with a skilled driver. You really cannot enjoy this while worrying about inclines and curves and avoiding vehicles in the other direction, and preserving your brakes on the way down. But, I would skip that in favor of spending more time on other scenic drives.
Then, drive the Kancamamagus. The foliage moves south and west, so you should as well. Even a few days can make a huge difference in amount of color.
A cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee is scenic and relaxing (and a nice respite from all that driving), but the colors come much later to that area. There may be some color, but still lots of green.
You may want to head for Southern VT/NH (Bennington, Brattleboro, Keene, the Monadnock area of New Hampshire) or the Berkshires - again for more color that early.
The drive east from Bennington via Brattleboro, Keene, Peterboro...is very scenic, as is the Mohawk Trail from the Berkshires east through northern MA.
Or, you could head farther south to Lenox, Stockbridge, in MA.
For October 8-9-10, you will likely run into two, even three, night minimums with lodging. So, it would be best to decide where you want to wind up before heading back to Boston and book those accommodations first, especially since rates will be much higher for weekends than weekdays.
