RachelleButternut

We're looking to make that six and a half hour trip stretch into two or three days. What are some great places to stop before hitting Quebec?

I was thinking the Berkshires, Newport, Providence, even Hartford. Any good ideas?

Dorgal

Definitely a stop at Plymouth Plantation and the Mayflower and then on to Historic Deerfield with a stop at Yankee Candle and its incredible Christmas shops.

Dreamer2

Mooney Bay Cafe at the Mooney Bay Marina near Plattsburgh/Lake Champlain is a wonderful lunch stop.

Have you never been to Newport? That's a wonderful stop if you've never been, but you'd need at least a half day of day light. Maybe First Stop of the trip?

capxxx

Brattleborough VT for the lake views and very nice pedestrian area downtown.

If you want to go a different direction (may not be on your route), Portsmouth NH and Portland ME are quaint small cities with cobblestone downtowns and lovely harbors. They have interesting historical sections.

(And I'd research Yankee Candle before deciding if you want to drive all the way out to see it. Personally, it gives me the yipyaps.)

Hartford, eh. The other suggestions are better. Springfield has the baseball hall of fame, if that interests you.

In the Berkshires, check out Tanglewood, Mass MoCA, two art museums in Williamstown, and Stockbridge.

Patti

HI,

Actually it's the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield (and if you're into that sort of thing the Volleyball Hall of Fame is in nearby Holyoke.)

North Adams is a good idea--Mass MOCA is worth the trip.

What time of the year are you traveling?

Patti

capxxx

(Sorry, hands not paying attention. Of course its basketball. )

bm

Capxxx, I think you mean Burlington, VT, not Brattleboro. Brattleboro does not have a lake nor do they have a pedestrian only street. Brattleboro is however, a funky cool town.
That said, Burlington would definately be a good stop. Check out Church Street, the waterfront, the bike path etc.

china_cat

I don't have a map in front of me, so I don't know what route you are considering. But how about Franconia Notch New Hampshire? The scenery up there is great, and there are some beautiful places to hike. Lots of nice b&b's to choose from, too.

I always like the Berkshires. It seems way out of the way, but it sure is a beautiful area to spend a few days. I think your trip is too early for Tanglewood (you're going in June, right?). But there are lots of good places to eat, antique shop, hike, see historic homes, museums. some of my favorites are Chesterwood (the home and studio of Daniel Chester French, who did the Lincoln statue for the memorial in DC), the Clark Institute (this summer's special exhibit is David, Napoleon's favorite painter), Naumkeag (historic home), Bartholomews Cobble (a nature preserve), and Monument Mountain (for a very short, scenic hike). That's just a short list, too.

zootsi

If you are willing to drive a little longer (but not much), you could catch rte 93 to rte 89, which is another way to get to Montreal. I-89 winds thru some of the most scenic counrtyside in NH and Vt. You could stop in Sunapee NH, a scenic lakeside town; Hanover NH, a nice small college town; Woodstock Vt, a very charming upscale Vt town; Montpelier VT the small but interesting Vt capital, or Burlington Vt, a very scenic city. There are dozens of small, rural towns, hiking trails, farms, etc just off I-89.

RachelleButternut

Thanks. Those are some great suggestions. We're very familiar with the Burlington and Plattsburgh areas (though no one has ever recommended that we go out of our way to get to Plattsburgh! That's rich.)

We also roadtripped through to Portland the year before last and we loved it there! I don't think it's on the map this year, although we spent a long time deciding whether to rent a place in Cape Cod or somewhere in the Kennebunkport-Ogunquit corridor.

I was in Newport 25 years ago, and I'm sure we visited Providence, but memories are foggy. It'd be great to get back. I've also never been to Connecticut, so we may have to extend our trip.

Capxxx, I have no idea what the yipyaps are, but I love that expression. Unless yipyaps are like crabs, in which case, gross.

Thanks again. Looking forward to lovely New England!