I'm from Malaysia. My husband and I are celebrating our 25th anniversary this year and as part of that celebration we are making a trip to Boston We want to do a road trip to New Hampshire and Maine which is from Oct 1 to Oct 7. We want to see the Fall colors. Which would be the best thing to do i.e go up to New Hampshire and then make our way to Maine (Bar Harbor) or do Maine first. I read up that Route 16 and the Kancamagus Highway is very scenic. We are thinking of spending two nights at New Conway and three nights in Bar Harbor. We will be leaving from Boston on this road trip. Any advice or tips would be most helpful in helping us plan. Thanks !
Road trip to New Hampshire and Maine
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The first week of October will be the busiest. I suggest you head directly north since you arrive on a Monday. The North Conway area would not be my choice since it's very built up but there's a lot of stores, restaurants, etc and it is a pretty town. If you prefer quiet, I would suggest someplace else. Rt 16 runs north/south and you get the Kancamagus from there if you are staying in Conway area. It takes you over to I93. To get back over to Conway, I would go a little further south to the Lake Winnipesaukee area. Meredith is a pretty town right on the lake. Drive east and then head up to Center Sandwich and east thru Tamworth. You get different scenic views with rolling hills, mountains as a backdrop and then you will connect back with Rt 16. This can be a half day trip if you don't do any lenthy stops or it could be an all day trip. Maybe even include a foliage cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee.
Head over to Maine. End up in Boston for the weekend. Everyone else will be leaving Boston for the weekend. It's Columbus Day weekend, a very popular time for weekend trips. You shouldn't have any trouble southbound on Friday but you'll see a lot of traffic northbound.
Happy Anniversary!
If you want to see fall colors those dates, you'll probably have to go much farther north in the mountain areas of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont. The foliage will be in the higher elevations.
You probably won't see much fall color in Bar Harbor or on Lake Winnipesaukee, as the leaves turn last near water.
Usually, there's lots of color the week before Columbus Day weekend in the North Conway area and along the Kancamagus, but the holiday is very early this year.
During foliage seaons, a week, even a few days, can make a tremendous difference.