Melb_gastronome

Hi - My husband and I are from Australia and we're visiting the USA as a belated honeymoon in April (unfortunately we aren't able to come during Fall - next time!). We'll be spending 3 nights in Boston and then have another 3 nights to spend driving through the rest of New England (we need to start and finish in Boston).

We're interested in seeing beautiful scenery, walking through quaint towns and eating good food. I'm really keen to try a lobster roll (they don't have those on Australian menus) and visit a cheese farm or two (I've found one on the internet called Sugarbush Farm in Vermont - any comments?) as well.

Does anyone have suggestions for an itinerary? From my research, Portland (Maine) and Woodstock (Vermont) really appeal but it's our first time to New England so any advice would be most appreciated!

dfrostnh

While you're still in Boston, take a culinary tour of Boston's North End or Chinatown.
Our current NH coastal lobster roll favorite is Petey's in Rye NH. It's open all year. The very short NH coast also includes beautiful mansions in Rye. Find Rt 1B to get to Portsmouth. That will take you thru Newcastle, a very old and pretty town. If you park in the parking garage in Portsmouth you can walk the Market Square area. Lots of small shops. Your timing might be right to see spring flowering bulbs along stone walls. If they are, I strongly suggest driving around the residential areas in Rye. Newcastle is pretty all the time.

Get up to Portland for dinner and have a foodie tour scheduled for the next day. It will include some cheese tasting. It ends at the brewery and you'll be within walking distance of Duckfat which you should visit for a late lunch or just to have the fries.

We haven't been to Sugarbush Farm. From Portland you can head directly to NH's White Mountains and then over to VT but if you're heading to Woodstock choose your quickest route. Woodstock is near Norwich VT which is home to King Arthur Flour. If you like to bake, don't miss it. Simon Pearce is very popular restaurant in Quechee VT and was able to re-open after the devastating floods last year.

Winter farmers markets have become very popular in NH but most are on Saturdays. I would check VT, too. The grocery in Woodstock has a very nice selection of cheeses and interesting foods. The name escapes me but it's right in the downtown area, an old-fashioned market with a hardware store out back.

April weather can be iffy from lovely warm early spring to possible snow so keep an eye on the weather and driving conditions. Around my area of NH, mud season is usually mid-late March. Some of the cheese farms are apt to be on dirt roads so I would suggest calling ahead to check. It could be perfectly dry or, due to spring rains, perfectly muddy. The muddy season is when the frost is coming out of the ground. Spring road maintenance can depend on the weather. Some dirt roads are fine all year and others are treacherous or simply all rutty until the road agent decides it's ok for grading. If you see signs that say "Frost Heaves" slow down because there's a big bump/dip ahead.

Yankee magazine's website has some good scenic drive recommendations.

isabel

What else are you doing on your trip? You aren't coming all the way from Australia for just six days are you?

Three days for Boston is ok, four is better but you can see the highlights in three. But three for the rest of New England isn't going to get you much. You could spend one day driving up the coast of Maine as far as Portland - look into York, Ogunquit and Kennebunkport as places to stop along the way. Spend that night in Portland. Next day drive through the White Mountains of NH to Vermont. Day three in Vermont. But that's really pushing it. And as stated above April weather in the interior can be unpleasant, and not much yet in bloom. If I only had three days and it was April I'd spend them in Boston and the coast. Things green up sooner there. You could do one day on the North Shore of Boston/Cape Ann (Gloucester, Rockport), then the next day as far as Portland, then the following up as far as Camden. You wouldn't get the mountains of NH or some of the quaint towns in Vermont but you won't get the mud either and some of the Maine and Massachusetts towns are pretty quaint.

You don't want to be in Boston on Marathon weekend which is the 14th.

Vttraveler

Here is a link to information about cheese makers in VT
http://www.vermontagriculture.com/bu...it/cheese.html

I am not familiar with the Sugarbush farm and its cheese. Cheddar cheeses I really like are Grafton, Crowley and Plymouth

The web site also has information about farmers markets in VT

As noted on other posts April weather can be bad in northern New England so you might want to stay flexible about heading to NH and Vt then. You could probably make reservations that could be canceled if necessary.

Melb_gastronome

Thanks so much for the advice, especially regarding towns on the way to Portland, food stops, cheese farms and driving tips.

From the advice, we will definitely go up to Portland and make several stops on the way at the recommended towns but I'm a bit worried now about whether it's too much to make Day 2 the White Mountains and Day 3 Woodstock and surrounds. I didn't know there was a mud season - thank you for warning me. On the other hand, it will be a very long time before we can get to the USA again.

Isabel - Our honeymoon is almost a month long: Honolulu, New England (Boston until 12 April then we were hoping another 3 nights in New England), NYC, Philadelphia, Washington/Gettysburg/Fredericksburg (husband is a Civil War fanatic), Chicago and San Francisco.

Ozarksbill

Whoops, you are indeed covering lots of territory...I would fear being travel weary. I do realize especially Australians stretch out vacations since coming some distance. But taking in NYC and Phily and more just seems too much. This in addition to Boston and up the coast? Yes, some Civil War sites might be interesting and many are in the Virginia-Maryland area.
Bill in Boston