rliebmantx

At the end of a trip to NYC in early June, my wife and I want to add a few days for a jaunt through some of New England. Tentative plan now is to take Metro North to Greenwich, CT and pick up a car. Drive US 7 up through the western part of Connecticut, all the way up through Massachusetts, possibly spending time at Hancock Shaker Village or, instead, later in the trip at Canterbury Shaker Village in New Hampshire. Any opinions on one vs. the other? Then into Vermont, working our way over to Woodstock. Has anyone been to Billings Farm and Museum? From there, we would cross into New Hampshire and work our way up to and eastward over Kancamagus Highway. Then south, maybe to Canterbury as mentioned previously, down to around Peterborough, and finally back to Greenwich.

Is five days enough time? Should the weather be pretty nice? Will we have any problem finding accommodations? (We tend to overplan, but I'd like to keep this trip loose and flexible and not be tied to hotel/motel reservations.) Any must-sees?

I'd be grateful for any thoughts, suggestions, opinions. Thanks.

Rich from Dallas

tchoiniere

Would recommend stopping at the Norman Rockwell Museum and walking around Main St in Stockbridge, MA.

colbeck

The Billings Farm and Museum is very interesting. Also, while in the Woodstock area, don't miss Simon Pearce in Queechee. They are located in an old mill on the river and have a wonderful gallery for their blown glass, as well as a fabulous restaurant. It is very popular, so reservations are a good idea, especially for diner.

Accomodations should not be too difficult in early June. The weather is tough to predict. June in New England can be lovely, but also can be damp and cool. Check accuweather or one of the other online sites to plan ahead.

WinniGuide

Canterbury Shaker Village is a very interesting place. We went on a field trip and learned quite a lot. I've never been to Hancock Shaker Village. If you keep going into Laconia from there, the Belknap Mill has a knitting museum which is interesting. It does seem that you have a lot of driving to do, so you might want to plan a day to relax.

emalloy

The Shelburn Museum in VT would be a nice addition to your trip.

dfrostnh

My husband and FIL have been to Billings Farm Museum and he's still raving about it. The grounds are beautiful. They enjoyed a tour of the house and it's still a working farm. I second a visit to Simon Pierce. We go for lunch. Even if you don't eat there, explore the building and how they generate their own power. If you bake, you might want to add King Arthur Flour in Norwich VT to pick up unusual ingredients. Shelburne Museum is on the opposite side of the state and is highly recommended. You can easily spend the day and some people spend two.
Early June can be beautiful or chilly/damp. Not a good time for hiking in NH since we might still have black flies. Depends on the area.
Tours of Canterbury Shaker Village are great. I have not been on a tour of Hancock so I can't compare. If you like farm museums, there is also the Remick Museum in Tamworth NH (between the mountains and Lake Winnipesaukee). It's fairly new. We haven't been there for a tour or event but see some interesting events on weekends. While in the Canterbury area you might also want to consider the Kearsarge Indian Museum in Warner NH. It was started by Bud Thompson and his wife after they retired from working at Shaker Village. You might have trouble with lodging in NH esp the Concord and Laconia area if your visit coincides with Motorcyle Bike Week which is June 13-21 and the NASCAR race in Loudon (next to Canterbury) June 12-14. Traffic on Rt 93 southbound will be extremely heavy on Sunday. I think this is one of the races when one northbound lane of Rt 93 is used for southbound traffic from Rt 393 to the Hooksett toll booth. If you are traveling south to Peterborough on that afternoon/evening, choose an alternate route which would be nicer anyway. There's a very nice field grown perennial nursey Mt Uncanoonuc Perennials in Goffstown NH (westerly of Manchester, could be on your way sort of to Peterborough). In the White Mountains, June 6-21 is the Fields of Lupines Festival. Don't miss seeing these beautiful plants in bloom (sort of like Texas blue bonnets). There are events on the weekends esp at b&bs and inns.
There are some wonderful crafts people and artists in the Warner/Canterbury area. You might want to visit some studios. For a quick trip, the League of NH Arts and Crafts has a shop on Main St in Concord.
I don't think the driving will be too much esp since you will do some walking as long as you don't mind sleeping in a different place almost every night.

rliebmantx

Thanks for all your responses so far. The last one was particularly informative.

With still a couple of months before our trip, I hope to receive a lot more of such helpful replies.

Rich from Dallas
rliebmantx