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Oct 7 - Oct 18, 2013: will it be past peak for fall foliage?

Oct 7 - Oct 18, 2013: will it be past peak for fall foliage?

Old Aug 18th, 2013, 09:42 AM
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Oct 7 - Oct 18, 2013: will it be past peak for fall foliage?

We are thinking of doing a tour which starts from Boston to Williamstown, Lenox and Stockbridge, Bennington, Shelburne & Stowe, the White Mountains and Mount Washington, Bar Harbour, Acadia National Park, Ogonquit and then back to Boston.

Will it be past peak for fall foliage... this is the only time slot available for the tour?

Thanks
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Old Aug 18th, 2013, 10:09 AM
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In my experience depends on several factors including amount of rainfall during the year, location elevation, etc. used to be that Columbus Day was considered the peak in some regions but I've been in far northern Vermont around that time and the color was still peaking.

Assume you are watching those various fall foliage websites.
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Old Aug 18th, 2013, 10:56 AM
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You will be in a bunch of different areas and peaks at different times for coast, mountains and from north to south.

No one can tell you exactly at this point - you may still have great color - or you may be past it at the northern end tops of mountains.

Agree to watch the foliage web sites.
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Old Aug 18th, 2013, 11:27 AM
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Historically, you should be okay in the southern part of your trip (i.e., the Berkshire area in Massachusetts). You still may be in time in New Hampshire, though the odds are not as much in your favor. And, the chances are even slimmer for Maine.

If you have time when you're in the Berkshire area, yhou might consider travelling a little more west to the Hudson Valley in New York for some potentially great foliage.
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Old Aug 18th, 2013, 12:12 PM
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If this is a bus (coach) tour, then I'd recommend that you consider self-drive, instead The tour you mentions is covering a lot of territory, so you'd be spending an awful lot of time on a bus on a highway. It's way, way better to be in your own car, taking much smaller roads, stopping when you find a pleasant spot.

As for timing, you'll likely be better of in western Mass and southwestern NH at that time, but it's impossible to tell at this point.
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Old Aug 18th, 2013, 12:21 PM
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Last year, we were in Camden, Maine and up to Acadia from Oct. 8-11 and it was not peak foliage yet - colorful, but as many trees still green as there were yellow and red. You can never exactly predict peak color, of course. With all the areas you're going to visit, you're bound to see many beautiful colors and sights.
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Old Aug 18th, 2013, 06:02 PM
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Hi everyone!

I think I should give more details:

I have no experience of Fall in New England, but based on my research, I had the uncomfortable feeling that I would be travelling the wrong way on this tour for the peak color. A link to the trip map is on http://www.tauck.com/tours/usa-tours...r-gr-2013.aspx

Trip Itinerary :
Oct 7 Arrive Boston
Oct 8 Boston...
Oct 9 Lexington & Concord, and on to Williamstown
Oct 10 Stockbridge & Lenox in the Berkshires
Oct 11 Bennington, Shelburne & Stowe, Vermont
Oct 12 The Green Mountains to the White Mountains
Oct 13 The view from Mount Washington
Oct 14 Portland, Maine
Oct 15 Boothbay & on to Bar Harbor
Oct 16 Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park
Oct 17 Ogunquit, the beautiful place by the sea
Oct 18 Journey home

I don't want to shell out a lot of money, just to see stick season, but am limited to travelling this period of time, so wonder if I should visit New England or book for another part of the country. I would love to experience the wonderful color palette of Fall , if this were a good time to visit, based on the above itinerary

Looking forward to your advice
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Old Aug 18th, 2013, 06:08 PM
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Hi All,

Strange that there were no replies posted when I checked before I just posted, so sorry if my reply seems disjointed.

Thank you all for your helpful responses

We just feel uncomfortable driving because we are only used to left hand drive, etc.

Which websites are best for foliage forecasts?
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Old Aug 18th, 2013, 06:17 PM
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Simply do a google search with the title "New England foliage" and you'll get all sorts of sites to check out.
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Old Aug 18th, 2013, 06:18 PM
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PS: Obviously, it's too early to get any forecasts for this fall!
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Old Aug 19th, 2013, 02:01 AM
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Oct 13 is really too late for Mt Washington. Since I see tour buses on I93 in NH when I commute there are times when I feel really sorry for the tourists because sometimes it's too late in the season for good color. The route keeps the cost of gas down for the bus company, I suppose, but it's not a very good one for best color.

Since I've never driven on the wrong side of the road, I don't know how quickly you would get used to it but you could make it easier by doing something like taking a bus from Boston to someplace with less traffic and good car rental prices (i.e. Concord NH). Concord NH (not the Concord MA on the tour route) is right on I93 and then it's straight drive up the highway to the White Mountains. You'd have to have a map or gps to get to Mt Washington. But, with a car, you could spend more time in the places you liked the best. Does the tour spend any time in Bennington, Shelburne and Stowe (expect that Stowe is the overnight place but some people spend all day, sometimes 2 at Shelburne Museum).

You could cross over to VT then enjoy VT. Take I89 back to Concord and then over to the Maine coast.

A lot of those places deserve more than the brief time the tour company allows. I would opt for spending more time in some places and cutting back on the number of miles traveled.
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Old Aug 19th, 2013, 02:52 AM
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My family used to climb Mt Chocorua via the Champney Brook Trail every Columbus Day weekend. There was always beautiful color on the trail and from the summit.

No one can pick the peak, but this is a good window for where you are going. I don't think there is anything at all wrong with the itinerary.

We had cold, rainy weather in Sussex and sleet in Paris this May. But that doesn't mean it was a bad time to go.
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Old Aug 19th, 2013, 05:58 AM
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Well, looking at the cost of that tour (over $4000), I would expect perfect fall colors everywhere or you're getting ripped off. No way I would pay that much money to be shuffled around and told where to go and what to look at.

I think you're best off to rent a car and just take it slow until you are accustomed to the driving.
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Old Aug 19th, 2013, 06:00 AM
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Forgot to add....renting a car means you can be flexible. Just keep an eye on the color forecasts and adjust your itinerary to catch the peaks, wherever they might be.

For th
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Old Aug 19th, 2013, 06:02 AM
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For that matter, you can also adjust the timing of the trip to go when the usual peak color is, rather than when the tour company has an opening.
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Old Aug 19th, 2013, 06:33 AM
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Tauck is a well-known outfit and I'm sure that the tour would be pleasant enough.

The advantages of the tour would be that someone else is dealing with reserving accommodations and finding a place to eat. The disadvantage is that you would be paying a lot of money compared to doing this on your own, and -- maybe more than anything else -- you would be missing out on any sort of close-up looks at New England: staying in small and charming B&Bs that are found throughout the area, and enjoying the smaller roads that are resplendent with color in the fall.

I think you'll have a fine time whether you take the tour or go on your own. My personal preference is self-drive, but only you know what's best for yourself.
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Old Aug 19th, 2013, 07:26 AM
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Thank you everyone for your helpful comments.
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Old Aug 19th, 2013, 02:33 PM
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Perfect peak is really not predictable. The farther north and the higher the elevation, the earlier the leaves turn. That said, along the coast of Maine, especially down the water-surrounded peninsulas, the color comes later than farther inland. Maine, along with other northern New England states has enough evergreen trees that you won't have "stick" season. Plus, when the trees are no longer colorful, the ground is beautiful. We are close to the coast and always have lots of pretty leaves on the ground for Halloween (Oct 31).

I predict you'll have a terrific time no matter when "peak" arrives this year - enjoy whatever each day brings you and you'll go home with many wonderful memories and photos.
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Old Aug 19th, 2013, 04:44 PM
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I think from the cold nights we have already experienced that peak foliage here in Western Ma will be earlier than our usual date of oct 12 or so.

Foliage is a natural phenomenon, therefore unpredictable to some degree.
I would not plan a trip that depended on only foliage for attractions.
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Old Aug 20th, 2013, 04:41 AM
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All good to know, but I am getting more anxious and confused. So I will just sit back and enjoy each day as it comes, as Grandmommy says!
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