jeterray

traveling from Manchester to N Conway on Oct 3. Is there any place to stop and eat supper before N Conway ? Thanks.

dfrostnh

No place to stop on the Kancamagus. It's all scenery. Assuming you are going up I93, instead of Kanc, I would take the more southerly route exit 23 for Meredith and then up to Center Sandwich and eat at the Corner House. Then go to Tamworth and over to Rt 16 and north to N Conway. There are a lot of options in Meredith. I had a fantastic calamari appetizer at Canoe recently but it's going to be very crowded on a Friday night.

jeterray

dfrostnh- Thanks. We made a trip to NH last year at about the same time. We went north of Kancamagus to 302 and Bretton Woods. Leaves were wonderful across 302.The reason we chose Kancamagus is to hopefully catch good leaves and scenery. What's the chance of good leaves on the route you suggested ? By the way, you were quite helpful last year also. Thanks again.

Ackislander

It may be a trifle early at lower elevations, but year to year, who knows?

When my kids were growing up, we always went to the White Mountains on the Sunday of Columbus
Day weekend to climb Mt Chocorua on the Champney Brook Trail. The color was glorious, unfailingly glorious, up to the summit, which is bald rock with no trees. But the views to the south, where dfrost is encouraging yo to drive, were always lovely.

I don't know where you are coming from or plan to wind up, but you could take either route and return by the other. Neither is long.

Ackislander

Sorry about you start and end points. I didn't retread your post when I finally got to answer it. But it still is not a very long route to double back, and they are sufficiently different that you would enjoy both.

jeterray

Ackislander- I assume you are saying that the Kancamagus is at a higher elevation, and more likely to have color in early October ? I know it's impossible to predict the colors, but if Kancamagus is not higher, that could change our plans. BTW,on Oct 1, 2013, the Waterville loop was beautiful and alive with color. Thanks for the help.

dfrostnh

Just read a prediction from Yankee Magazine that color is going to be early this year. Not surprising. We're having a cold spell and there are touches of color already. One year we went to Stowe third weekend in October and there was no color at all. So this year the more southerly route I suggested might be best esp because Meredith is such a pretty town any time of the year. You can also drive thru the Squam Lakes area. I prefer this route because of the homes and other scenery along the way. Sometimes you get a backdrop of mountains but it depends on what road you are on. We've done a lot of backroads in that area including the seasonal Sandwich Notch road which I would not recommend for scenery but we wanted to visit the waterfall.