Quintessential Vermont & New Hampshire

Old Jul 30th, 2004, 11:19 PM
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Quintessential Vermont & New Hampshire

We are making our first trip to New England. So excited! It will be the first two weeks of October, hopefully catching the peak foliage. At first I was going to try to do ME, NH, & VT. But now I am thinking that ME would be better in summer and we'll save that for another time. My plan is to find a place in each state and rent for one week, doing day trips from there. Where do you think those places should be? Right in the middle might be right for some states but if there is not too much to see in a certain direction then I need to be off center. Can anyone suggest an itinerary for each state? We are not shoppers, so outlets are out. We will do small easy hikes, but mainly we want to see the scenery and visit your best points of interest. If you could go to only one area of Vermont and New Hampshire to take that "picture postcard" photo of Autumn, where would it be?
Also, does anyone know of vacation houses that are for rent in October? (Two adults)
I may think of more things to ask, so please bear with me. Thanks.
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Old Jul 31st, 2004, 04:31 AM
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You might want to rent a ski area condo and there are lots to choose from.

There is beautiful scenery all over the place. We had fun in northern VT trying the Great Vermont Corn Maze in Danville. It's not easy and since it's on a side hill, you'll get your exercise. Corn mazes seem to be popular in New England but this is the only one we've tried. The view from the top is nice. Other obligations have prevented us from attending the Warner NH Fall Foliage weekend which is usually held over Columbus Day weekend. The last time we went there was a craft show, farmers market, midway, pulling events and parades. Warner is a lovely town NW of Concord. Expect to see farmers and craftspeople. 4-H working steers (oxen) and horse club.
You should find cottage rentals on Lake Sunapee, Winnesquam or Winnipesaukee. There should be plenty of winterized places. Sunapee would be the quieter area but Meredith or Center Harbor on Lake Winnipesaukee would be handy to the White Mountains. There are real estate agencies that specialize in vacation home rentals.
Check the events for Brandon VT. They have a scarecrow festival. It's a nice little town where Warren Kimball has his studio.
The SE corner of NH is very built up so avoid that area except for a drive thru. The SW corner is pretty and rural however. Both northern VT and NH are a little too rural unless you're near a good sized town or have a particular destination in mind.
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Old Jul 31st, 2004, 04:41 AM
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I would recommend Stow, VT and North Conway, NH (in the White Mountains) to choose for your stay. Both are beautiful areas with plenty to see and do and there are other great areas within an hours drive.

North Conway does have lots of weekly ski condo rentals; not sure about Stow, but they must. Just do a search. The 1st 2 weeks should be peak foliage, so I would book lodging ASAP.
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Old Jul 31st, 2004, 05:12 AM
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webecca,

Do not base your stay in North Conway. While set in a beautiful natural setting, it has become one big shopping mall. If you want to base your NH stay on the Eastern side of the White Mountains, I suggest you go a little farther north, into Jackson or Intervale for that Quintessential feel. Just remember that you are in peak foliage time, and there will be a lot of people.

dfrostnh's suggestion of the Winnipesaukee area is also a very good suggestion. Lots to do, an hour or so from the Mountains.

In Jackson, check out Luxury Mountain getaways for Condos, or the Eagle Mountain House. At Winnipesaukee we've stayed at Samoset on the south side of the lake, and it's very nice. Unsure about where to stay in Merideth.

In Vermont, Woodstock is a picture postcard town, with lots of activity, but with a bit of a shopping center feel. Stowe is beautiful and busy. If you want rural mountains with elegance, there's the Pitcher Inn in the Mad River Valley.
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Old Jul 31st, 2004, 10:32 AM
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I second the Jackson, NH area or Mt. Washington, which is close by. From either place, you could do the cog railway or a gondola ride up Attitash or Wildcat, also Kangamangus Highway which can be crowded during foliage season. There are many day trips you can take from there. N. Conway, while close by, is one big outlet mall with too much traffic, IMO.

In VT, the Killington area is centrally located with lots of empty ski condos to rent. The gondola will be running and Woodstock, a really cute NE town is 35 min. away. Go to Killington.com. From there, you can do day trips north up rt. 100 through the Sugarbush area to Stowe and Ben & Jerry's etc., and go south on rt. 100 to Weston and all those picturesque towns. There should be many crafts fairs and fall festivals in both states that time of year.

The weather could be anything so bring layers. There could be some frosty nights and even some "frozen precipitation" in the mts. Enjoy. I have lived in New England for 60 years and never tire of its beauty.
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Old Jul 31st, 2004, 12:08 PM
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Lincoln, NH and
Woodstock, VT
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Old Jul 31st, 2004, 01:16 PM
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I looked on a map and saw that Jackson, Bartlett, and Lincoln are actually in the White Mountain range and Center Harbor and Meredith appear to be at the base of the mountains. What I am afraid of is that if we choose Jackson, Bartlett, or Lincoln we will have to go up and down the mountain everyday and it may take a long time because of steep windy roads. But then again, the same may be true of C. Harbor/Meredith. Is there much worth seeing north of the White Mountains; how far north on highway 93 should we go? You know, I think part of my problem is that I look at a Vermont/New Hampshire map and compare that to a Calif. map (where I live) and feel that I will be driving for days to tour VT. & NH. I have to keep in mind that both of those states are smaller in size than all of N. Calif. It is hard to keep that in perspective.
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Old Jul 31st, 2004, 04:06 PM
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It's all day trips. The driving up and down the mountains is kind of what you want to do. The foliage and vistas are all around you as you drive. It's not as much the destination.

That said, if you stay a bit further north, you cut some of the drive each day. So if you stay around Lincoln, you could spend one day driving up to Mt Washington/Bretton Woods. One day driving down to the Lakes region. One day hiking around Lost River. (However, if you stay around the Lakes Region, you could easily drive over to the coast for a long day trip.)

And if you drive from NH to VT via Rt. 89, try to stop in Warner, NH (around Exit 9/10) on the way. There is a small, low-key, Native American museum that is quite well done and in a lovely setting.



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Old Jul 31st, 2004, 05:00 PM
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Here's another recommendation for Jackson, NH and Stowe, VT as base points.

The very best way to enjoy the foliage and scenery (especially the notches in the White Mountains) is to get in the car and drive all over every day, first in one direction, then the other.

Be advised, though, that it may be quite the challenge to find one-week rentals at this late date for this fall. I'd recommend booking something appealing forthwith.

You won't be driving up and down mountains every day. The towns are located in the foothills and valleys. NH and VT are, indeed, quite small. You can cover a lot of scenery in several hours, and you'll want to.

Center Harbor and Meredith are just outside the Mount Washington Valley in the Lakes Region where it is quite flat but you can see the mountains in the distance. Foliage (due to the proximaty to water) comes later here.
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Old Aug 1st, 2004, 08:54 AM
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Some thingw we enjoyed on our recent trip

Near Stowe/Montpelier Vermont
Ben & Jerrys
Cold Hollow Cider Mill
Rock of Ages Granite Quarry
Bragg Maple Syrup Farm
Trip to Ft. Ticonderoga via Ferry
at Larabbee's Point

In NH - Mt. Washington Cog Railway

With your rent-a-week / daytrip style of travel (one which I really like), sticking to the two states is the only way to go.

That said, I think you will get bored and will wish that you included Maine in you plans.
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Old Aug 1st, 2004, 11:08 PM
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BigTyke....
You say that I may wish that I had included Maine. Are you saying that because you are from Maine or do you think that there is not enough to see and do in VT & NH for 2 weeks? As I said earlier, not having been to that area of the country where states are small and so close to each other I am trying to think in terms of how much of Northern California I could see in two weeks because VT and NH easily could fit in that space. This will be my first foliage trip. We don't have that in CA. But back to Maine...don't you think that it would be best to save Maine for a summer trip? Do you think I will get bored with too much foliage scenery and not that much to do in VT & NH?
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Old Aug 2nd, 2004, 03:44 AM
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If you didn't think you were ever going to get here again, then yes, I would recommend spending a few days exploring mid-coast Maine.
We live in NH but there are places we still haven't visited. Last year we spent a week in VT and certainly didn't see everything. Read the local papers, sometimes there are local events that are not well advertised except in the free "neighborhood" papers under community events. My husband likes to attend antique engine events, for example, and these seem to do very little advertising. There is a 1/2 hour program called NH Chronicles on tv every weekday night at 7:30pm. They still haven't run out of stories about places and people and the program has been running several years at least.
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Old Aug 2nd, 2004, 04:54 AM
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As others have mentioned, there are many scenic areas of VT and NH. All of Vt, except for the small urban areas of Burlington, Rutland, Brattleboro, Barre, etc. is very scenic, postcard stuff. As for NH, the most scenic areas are the western corner, and to the north of Concord. I would not recommend North Conway , Lincoln or the Weir's Beach area - they will not meet your expectations of 'picture postcard' New England. However drive 5 minutes away from them and it quickly becomes very pretty. Here are some very scenic villages in Vt: Chester, Grafton, Woodstock, Stowe, Middlebury, Waitsfield. For NH: Jackson, Bethlehem, Lyme, Warner, Peterborough, Sunapee. Of course there are dozens more!
The Round Barn Inn in Waitsfield Vt, The Marshland Farm at Queechee Vt, The Inn at Sunapee NH would all meet your expectations for scenic lodging.
If you want a taste of real rural New England, I would suggest staying at a farm b&b. There are many throughout both states. Although these states are small by western standards, driving on mountain roads (especially east to west) can take much longer than a map would indicate.
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Old Aug 2nd, 2004, 06:10 AM
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Another area to consider would be upper Massachusetts (Williamstown area) and the Mohawk trail. The foliage should be beautiful around the time you'll be visiting, and I think there's quite a bit to do in Williamstown.
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Old Aug 2nd, 2004, 11:51 AM
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I am not from Maine (Am from Arizona). I just spent a couple of weeks in those 3 states and I found that 4 days each in VT and NH was plenty. If you can plan out a full week of day trips in each state, then you should stick with your plan.
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Old Aug 2nd, 2004, 11:58 AM
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The mountain road driving is not what you may have experienced in CA. The roads aren't that twisty and windy at all unless you want to drive up to the top of Mt. Washington. The main roads you will be on are easy drives and tend to be in notches or valleys so it's not an issue you need to think about.
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Old Aug 16th, 2004, 06:33 PM
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We have rented a cottage in southern New Hampshire. It's at a place called Inn at Valley Farms. You can check their website for info and availability.
This is a large organic farm, but very close to the historic small town of Walpole on the New Hampshire/Vermont border. We are from the West Coast. Have been to New England twice, and this is the area we found to be the most charming and beautiful. Like you, we are planning to use this as a base for day trips.
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Old Aug 17th, 2004, 05:48 AM
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Walpole is in a quiet rural agricultural corner of the state, a good spot for exploring both NH and Vt. Surprisingly, NH is more agricultural in this neck of the woods. If you crave a small city experience, Keene NH has some great eateries. Brattleboro Vt. is also an interesting small city with some counter culture leanings. For some good photo ops, drive up to the Cornish/Winsor covered bridge, and the auto road up Mt. Ascutney.
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