Northern New England--October 1-8
Jul 12th, 2009, 01:46 PM
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Northern New England--October 1-8
I am a recently retired Texas teacher looking forward to seeing Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire during the first week of October with my husband. Our best trips have always been the "fly by the seat of your pants" variety, but I understand that this may not be possible with the large number of tourists. We are interested in backroads and out of the way places at which to stay and eat. We will be flying and renting a car, so I'm assuming that Boston will be the starting point. Any suggestions?
Jul 13th, 2009, 03:37 AM
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See about flying into Manchester NH. It'll be more central for the areas you want to visit.
For the Vermont portion of your trip, I would recommend staying in the northern part of the state. The Northeast Kingdom of VT is beautiful that time of year. East Burke would be a nice place to stay - it's off the radar for most tourists so it won't be as busy as other parts of the state. Still make your lodging reservations though, especially for the weekends.
For the Vermont portion of your trip, I would recommend staying in the northern part of the state. The Northeast Kingdom of VT is beautiful that time of year. East Burke would be a nice place to stay - it's off the radar for most tourists so it won't be as busy as other parts of the state. Still make your lodging reservations though, especially for the weekends.
Jul 13th, 2009, 04:23 AM
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You don't want to just drive - check out the Great Vermont Corn Maze in Danville VT (not far from Littleton NH at the top of the White Mountains). It's really a fun thing to do but figure 2-3 hours. Most of the tourists will be around North Conway and the Kancamagus Hwy. Go thru early on a weekday. Avoid southbound interstates on Sat and Sun in the late afternoon. Fridays will have heavy traffic beginning mid-afternoon northbound esp Rt 93 south of exit 18, commuter traffic plus weekenders. It is always stop and go between exit 12 and 14 on Fridays.
Manchester is an excellent suggestion. Portsmouth NH and southern Maine would be nice. Maybe for the end of your visit since color gets to the coast later plus MHT is less than an hour from Portsmouth. Get a really good road map since everyone tends to stay on the major highways. For example, you could get off Rt 93 at exit 13, head into downtown Concord, take a left at the lights onto Pleasant St which becomes Rt 103. Keep following this route out past the hospital and thru the pretty towns of Hopkinton, Contoocook and Warner, then pick up Rt 89N. Downtown traffic might be heavy but once you're past the hospital it becomes a lovely country road with the option of visiting Gould Hill Apple Orchard (many varieties of antique apples) plus a nice view, Kearsarge Indian Museum in Warner, etc. You could also continue thru Sutton and not pick up Rt 89 until you get to New London (pretty college town). The scenery is actually pretty good on Rt 89 and 93.
I agree with bm, get your lodging reservations now for the weekends.
Manchester is an excellent suggestion. Portsmouth NH and southern Maine would be nice. Maybe for the end of your visit since color gets to the coast later plus MHT is less than an hour from Portsmouth. Get a really good road map since everyone tends to stay on the major highways. For example, you could get off Rt 93 at exit 13, head into downtown Concord, take a left at the lights onto Pleasant St which becomes Rt 103. Keep following this route out past the hospital and thru the pretty towns of Hopkinton, Contoocook and Warner, then pick up Rt 89N. Downtown traffic might be heavy but once you're past the hospital it becomes a lovely country road with the option of visiting Gould Hill Apple Orchard (many varieties of antique apples) plus a nice view, Kearsarge Indian Museum in Warner, etc. You could also continue thru Sutton and not pick up Rt 89 until you get to New London (pretty college town). The scenery is actually pretty good on Rt 89 and 93.
I agree with bm, get your lodging reservations now for the weekends.
Jul 14th, 2009, 05:17 AM
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Thank you so much for the info. We are also considering driving instead of flying so that we can view the Midwest on the way. We want so much to be free of a schedule, but are really concerned about the lodging situation. If we stay away from high traffic areas, could we manage this? We do have a Garmin, but don't know how much it will help on the backroads....
Jul 17th, 2009, 11:29 AM
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To drive across the U.S. may require more time than you sound like you have. How much time do you have for the total trip?
Congrats on retirement, by the way! We retired from "flatlander country", too, and have been living here on our ridge in beautiful Vermont for several years, and we LOVE it! (My wife was a teacher, too.)
We like to be free, too, but that time of year is when everyone else wants to see the foliage around here, too, so you may have to start looking soon for lodging possibilities.
We like B&B's, especially, but that's just us. What kind of accommodations do you like?
Good luck with your plans!
Congrats on retirement, by the way! We retired from "flatlander country", too, and have been living here on our ridge in beautiful Vermont for several years, and we LOVE it! (My wife was a teacher, too.)
We like to be free, too, but that time of year is when everyone else wants to see the foliage around here, too, so you may have to start looking soon for lodging possibilities.
We like B&B's, especially, but that's just us. What kind of accommodations do you like?
Good luck with your plans!
Jul 17th, 2009, 06:30 PM
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We will be able to adjust our days to include driving time, so that should not be a problem. We love B&B's ( or any place that has a private bath!) We really want to "wing it" and hope to stay off the beaten path enough that we can find places to stay....hopefully not in our vehicle! What would you suggest?
Jul 18th, 2009, 03:55 AM
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You should be able to wing it except on weekends, especially Columbus Day. Avoid North Conway, NH on that weekend. Otherwise if you're not super particular about accommodations I don't think you'll have a problem although you might want a couple of 'anchor' reservations.
Manchester is a good idea. You could head up to VT and then through NH and to the Maine coast and then back down to Manchester.
Manchester is a good idea. You could head up to VT and then through NH and to the Maine coast and then back down to Manchester.
Jul 18th, 2009, 11:57 AM
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We LOVE B&B's and try to find those whenever we travel. We've found some very nice ones in New England, too. (One served us lobster fritatas for breakfast!! Dunno if I spelled that correctly.) I'll try to dig up info on some of these and post about them later.
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Jul 20th, 2009, 06:52 PM
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I would appreciate having a list of places you've tried. We would love to taste the lobster fritatas! We are really looking forward to eating as much lobster as possible....we don't get it much around here.....
Jul 20th, 2009, 07:55 PM
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That would be very, very risky. You'll find very few, if any, places to stay "off the beaten path". In the rural areas (and most of the areas, between towns, are rural), you aren't likely to find B&B's along the roadside. They tend to be concentrated in/near town and along the major roads very close to a town.
Note also that the more appealing and reasonably priced places that will be fully booked far in advance.
Depending on how busy foliage season is with travelers this year, you could be fine week nights. But, you could also find yourselves driving for hours and hours, many miles between towns, with "no vacancy" signs everywhere.
Back roads and out of the way places do not generally include lodging and/or places to eat.
That would be very, very risky. You'll find very few, if any, places to stay "off the beaten path". In the rural areas (and most of the areas, between towns, are rural), you aren't likely to find B&B's along the roadside. They tend to be concentrated in/near town and along the major roads very close to a town.
Note also that the more appealing and reasonably priced places that will be fully booked far in advance.
Depending on how busy foliage season is with travelers this year, you could be fine week nights. But, you could also find yourselves driving for hours and hours, many miles between towns, with "no vacancy" signs everywhere.
Back roads and out of the way places do not generally include lodging and/or places to eat.
Jul 21st, 2009, 03:59 AM
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If you want to "wing it" pick up the coupon magazines that are free at welcome centers etc. like Roomsaver. These are good for walk ins at all kinds of hotels/motels, have little maps that show where there are places to stay and tell about other things that are available like free breakfast, washing machines, etc. Even if you can't use the coupon you know where there is lodging and some have phone numbers so you can call ahead (but probably not be able to use the coupon). You can also go on line and print off coupons for various locations that you might be going to stop at. B&B s will mostly not be in this type of thing but for the trip cross country when you are just looking for lodging they will save lots. Always ask first if they have a room then present the coupon.
Jul 23rd, 2009, 06:23 AM
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I'm thinking we don't have enough time to really plan this trip out the way we need to....maybe we should just take a 10 day drive along the gulf coast this year and start planning for New England earlier next year. Should we consider a bus tour since we are "newbies"? I feel overwhelmed by the structure and scheduling that we will apparently have to abide by. I was just wanting an easy-going, fun, RELAXING time for my first big trip since retiring!
Jul 23rd, 2009, 08:19 AM
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Does anyone know when the peak fall foliage is in the Maritime Provinces? Also, which of these are favorites and why? We have been to Nova Scotia and love it. If anyone has lodging or restaurant recommendations in New Brunswick or PEI or Nova Scotia, please advise. Where is the foliage the best? Thanks so much...dell
Jul 23rd, 2009, 08:39 AM
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no no no, no bus tours. Every time I have taken a bus tour I've always been slightly disappointed like going to a chain restaurant for dinner or not having quite enough time at a place I really like. You don't have to plan the perfect trip. Have your weekend reservations and leave some other days open for winging it. Make notes about cancellation policies. There is so much to do in many parts of New England that you are sure to hit some highlights. If the northern areas and interior of Maine you would have difficulty finding a place to stay without a reservation. There are some areas as djbooks pointed out that are a little too far off the beaten path for easily found lodging and restaurants. But there are also lots of places that have a lot of options. Keep in mind that New England is set up for four seasons of tourism. The beaten path tends to be the interstate hwys and chain restaurants clustered around major towns and cities. (the places the buses go) Actually Rt 93N thru NH goes thru the White Mountains and is a beautiful drive but there are other secondary roads to explore.
Jul 25th, 2009, 02:14 AM
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Donna:
Please don't feel "overwhelmed". Try to relax. Simply sit down together, think a bit about what you might like to do, and then consider what time you might have to do it in. Maybe a simpler driving trip closer to where you live would be better this time; only you two know that.
We happen to enjoy "country life" and basically do NOT enjoy cities, so we, too, prefer "back roads" and have found plenty of nice places to visit and/or stay. I especially hate cities for their noise, people tearing around like lunatics, etc.!
Some folks love bus tours and some don't. My wife and I have been married for 40+ years, have three grown children, and have been retired for several years now. We have never taken ANY "tours" simply because we're kind of independent and dislike the "everyone into the pool" idea.
Four years ago, we decided to tour Michigan for two weeks. We got the Michigan information and had a ball planning a driving trip all over the state. Why Michigan? Well, why not? It was a lot of fun! However, we started out going one way and then totally reversed course when it looked more sensible to do so. No big deal. We reserved at a few B&B's (which all turned out quite nicely, by the way) but also left a few dates open so we could make changes for rescheduling, and that proved wise.
Two years ago, we decided to fly to Yellowstone Park via Billings, Montana, and drive around Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota for two weeks. That, too, was almost totally fun (with a couple of minor glitches). However, I will say that the flights each way were VERY tiring, with TWO stops each way.
Sorry - this may not have helped you! However, I think you may need to think a bit more about what you really want and can do. You started out saying you wanted a one-week tour of three New England states, but then say you might drive all the way here to see the midwest, too.
Again, I know you're eager to get going on a trip, but maybe just "set and think a spell" more first. You have lots of time!
All the best.
Please don't feel "overwhelmed". Try to relax. Simply sit down together, think a bit about what you might like to do, and then consider what time you might have to do it in. Maybe a simpler driving trip closer to where you live would be better this time; only you two know that.
We happen to enjoy "country life" and basically do NOT enjoy cities, so we, too, prefer "back roads" and have found plenty of nice places to visit and/or stay. I especially hate cities for their noise, people tearing around like lunatics, etc.!
Some folks love bus tours and some don't. My wife and I have been married for 40+ years, have three grown children, and have been retired for several years now. We have never taken ANY "tours" simply because we're kind of independent and dislike the "everyone into the pool" idea.
Four years ago, we decided to tour Michigan for two weeks. We got the Michigan information and had a ball planning a driving trip all over the state. Why Michigan? Well, why not? It was a lot of fun! However, we started out going one way and then totally reversed course when it looked more sensible to do so. No big deal. We reserved at a few B&B's (which all turned out quite nicely, by the way) but also left a few dates open so we could make changes for rescheduling, and that proved wise.
Two years ago, we decided to fly to Yellowstone Park via Billings, Montana, and drive around Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota for two weeks. That, too, was almost totally fun (with a couple of minor glitches). However, I will say that the flights each way were VERY tiring, with TWO stops each way.
Sorry - this may not have helped you! However, I think you may need to think a bit more about what you really want and can do. You started out saying you wanted a one-week tour of three New England states, but then say you might drive all the way here to see the midwest, too.
Again, I know you're eager to get going on a trip, but maybe just "set and think a spell" more first. You have lots of time!
All the best.
Jul 25th, 2009, 03:31 AM
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The early part of your trip will coincide with the annual Northeast Kingdom foliage festival which is a great way to see some of the towns in that part of the state
http://www.nekchamber.com/pages/3952...tival_2009.htm
I really don't recommend trying to make a trip to northern New England during foliage season without reservations.
http://www.nekchamber.com/pages/3952...tival_2009.htm
I really don't recommend trying to make a trip to northern New England during foliage season without reservations.
Jul 25th, 2009, 03:54 AM
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There is no need for much structure or schedule.
If you want to see Maine, NH and Vermont over nine days, three days in each would be fine. In the foliage areas, you may run into 2-3 night minimum stay requirements, anyway.
You could pick any town in each of those places, and explore from there - you'll find plenty in all directions. There will also be tons of literature for deciding what to do/where to go once you're there.
Due to your dates, I'd recommend starting with the coast of Maine. Depending on airport, you'll probably want to end in New Hampshire.
The best way to enjoy the foliage and scenery is by driving all over, and you can see much better (and stop wherever you like along the way) from your own vehicle than a bus.
Though it's busy during foliage season, it's not mobbed.
Because of the large area you wish to cover, minimal planning is far better than "seat of your pants", that's all...rather than having no plan whatsoever.
There is no need for much structure or schedule.
If you want to see Maine, NH and Vermont over nine days, three days in each would be fine. In the foliage areas, you may run into 2-3 night minimum stay requirements, anyway.
You could pick any town in each of those places, and explore from there - you'll find plenty in all directions. There will also be tons of literature for deciding what to do/where to go once you're there.
Due to your dates, I'd recommend starting with the coast of Maine. Depending on airport, you'll probably want to end in New Hampshire.
The best way to enjoy the foliage and scenery is by driving all over, and you can see much better (and stop wherever you like along the way) from your own vehicle than a bus.
Though it's busy during foliage season, it's not mobbed.
Because of the large area you wish to cover, minimal planning is far better than "seat of your pants", that's all...rather than having no plan whatsoever.
Jul 25th, 2009, 06:04 AM
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Obviously peak foliage time varies from year to year but in general northern Vt peak is around the first week in October. There are foliage hotlines and web sites to help you pick good areas for color once you are actually in an area.
