Connie

I am trying to flesh out an itinerary for the northern, mountainous areas of New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. We will enjoy taking scenic drives, doing a little hiking, paddling around in lakes etc. We won't be doing much shopping or museum visiting.

How much time will we need? I can give this area several days but it is relatively small (when you are used to traveling out west and live in Texas) so I'm having a hard time getting a handle on it. If a few days will cover it, I can use more time somewhere else. We are visiting the whole northeast from Maryland north.

Thanks

capxxx

I would say maybe 7-10 days. Pick a base in each area, and take day trips. Something like: NH 2 nights in White Mountain area; VT 2 nights in the Northern Kingdom; then a long day's drive and 3 nights in NY Adirondacks, then 2 nights in the Finger Lakes.

dfrostnh

First, I think the scenery can get too repetitious if you do too much driving. My preference would be to concentrate on VT and NH. VT's mountains are more shorter, more forested and the roads seem to be less traveled. There is a lot of farmland along Lake Champlain. Burlington, a lively college town on Lake Champlain could make a nice northern stop. DH enjoys ferry rides so we visited Ausable Chasm on the NY side. We also liked the Great Vermont Corn maze but that depends on time of year. The maze is more fun when the corn is very tall. The maze is in Danville VT on the NH side of VT so it could be a morning stop on the way to Burlington.

There is quite a bit to do in NH's White Mountains and Lake Winnipesaukee area so I would devote at least 2 or 3 nights. A day trip to the mountains is not a long drive from places like Meredith or Wolfboro on Lake W. A cruise of the lake on the SS Mt Washington would give you a quiet afternoon and break from driving. If you're from TX then you might not appreciate scenic views from high up. We haven't been to the Castle in the Clouds for quite a while. Your view from the top of a mountain could either be a trip to the top of Mt Washington or a tram ride to the top of Cannon Mountain. Friends have enjoyed the new zip line rides. The Flume is a nice walk thru a gorge. Figure in how long a hike you want to take. You could easily spend days hiking or not.
I highly recommend a picnic lunch someplace. One of our most favorite was the river in Bristol VT where people were swimming and jumping off granite ledges. We discovered it when we wondered why so many cars were parked along the Lincoln Gap.
My sister lived in Houston for several years and 'forgot how green NH is even in August'. Although you said you didn't want to visit a museum, Shaker Village in Canterbury NH is wonderful. Take a look at your dates to see if they coincide with any fairs or festivals. There are free evening concerts in several towns on certain nights.

J62

I agree with dfrostnh.

If your main goal is driving and scenery, then stick to either NH/VT or NY as a home base & stay local. The green rolling hills / mtns will get quite repetitious, and there is nothing unique about the hills in NY vs NH/VT. Both areas offer lots of hiking, ranging from easy to difficult.

If, on the other hand, your goal is to really get out in the wilderness more then the Adirondacks in NY may be better. The area is full of lakes and creeks, many of the interconnected for great one day or 1 week canoe trips, great NY State run campgrounds ranging from those with cabins or tent platforms & full bath/shower facilities, to roughing-it wildnerness camps with just a picnic table and fire pit.

You mention paddling around a lake a little. The Adirondacks are great for that, with many outfitters who will drop you off at a starting point and have you paddle your way back to your car. I'm not familiar with what there is to offer in NH/VT.

suze

I also vote for focusing on Vermont & New Hampshire and dropping New York state. Vermont is my personal favorite state in New England. It is stunningly gorgeous and to me feels less "spoiled" (there are no billboards along the highways for example, which really helps with that feeling).

dfrostnh

suze, I have to chuckle about less spoiled. I agree with you and could have sworn on our last visit that we hadn't seen a single MacDonald's but I guess I missed the one in Middlebury. (We were staying near Brandon.) We went in search of a place I had heard had the best pizza. I thought it would be easy to find esp in a small town but it was way off the usual road at a farm. They only served pizza a couple of days a week and had a few tables outside. Definitely no billboards and hardly any signs.

peterboy

I could be convinced that the Adirondacks will be more of the same scenery that you'll be seeing in NH and Vt but more wilderness and very few towns. The Adirondack Park is the largest publicly owned parkland east of the Mississippi River but it is mostly wilderness and it takes some effort to get out there and appreciate (hiking, canoeing, etc.).



I'd have to suggest a stop to see Fort Ticonderoga though...there's nothing like that anywhere else. Saratoga Spings is a nice town with a victorian downtown and seems very popular in summer.

TerrMys

I can't speak for NY so much, but I agree that 2 nights for the White Mountains and 2 nights for the Green Mountains sounds reasonable. Obviously more time is always better, but I think that would give you enough time to comfortably explore the landscapes a bit. Maybe add a night to explore the Lakes Region of NH, which is adjacent to the White Mountains.

The White Mountains offer arguably the most impressive mountain scenery east of the Rockies, but there's also a lot in the way of easy hiking. Franconia Notch State Park has some great spots. The Flume Gorge, although usually a magnet for tourists, is always fun. A less traveled but equally nice, easy hike is to Kinsman Falls near the Basin. The Kancamagus Highway offers a lot of pleasant turn-offs to enjoy the Swift River or the East Branch of the Pemigewassett. Crawford Notch also has some great short hikes, like to Arethusa Falls.

The nearby Lakes Region has no lack of places to put in and paddle around, as the name would suggest. My favorite of the bunch is probably Squam Lake (where "On Golden Pond" was filmed). Rattlesnake Mtn. off Route 113 in Holderness is also an easy hike with the most incredible view of the Lakes Region. If you base yourself in Lincoln or North Conway you could easily make a side trip to this area from the mountains.

emalloy

If you are planning to fly to the area, either Manchester, NH or Hartford/Springfield airports will be the easiest, possibly non stop. airports to fly in to without the hassles of traffic that you would get in Boston or NY.