natcam

I have never been to New England and am deciding to take advantage of a convention in Boston to see the area. I have made a preliminary itinerary based on driving distances. I have never been hiking and would love to take advantage of hiking opportunities in the area as well as a Vermont winery/cheese as well. Could you please recommend wineries? Also, please critique my itinerary. I have set aside about ten days. What towns would you eliminate and what towns would you spend the most time in? Do you have any alternate towns along the way you would recommend I visit? I would really appreciate your input!

Boston -> Portland, ME -> Bar Harbor, ME -> Camden, ME -> Jackson, NH -> Middlebury, VT -> Hanover,NH -> Newbury, NH -> Salem, MA -> Falmouth (base for Cape Cod) -> Boston

dfnh

May can be a beautiful month esp when apple orchards, flowering shrubs, etc are in bloom. On your way to Portland ME, I would not bypass Portsmouth NH. If the weather is good you could take a harbor cruise. Slightly inland, you can find the Flag Hill Winery and Distillery in Lee, NH. I particularly like the drive from Portsmouth to Durham because you cross Great Bay. I think there is another winery also close to Portsmouth but haven't visited. On your way to Bar Harbor you could stop at the Cellar Door Winery in Lincolnville which is just past Camden. The view from the top of Mt Battie (take the auto road or hike) is wonderful because it overlooks Camden Harbor. Not sure when the windjammers are in port, maybe not that early.
You only have 10 days! Middlebury VT is a lovely college town but not sure it's worth the extra miles. But, that said, it's a lot of fun to explore VT and I have the Vermont Cheese Trail on my to do list. We usually spend a week exploring one area of Maine so I hate to see people driving thru too quickly. The only VT winery we've visited is north, a good drive east of Burlington (Boyden Valley Winery). Portsmouth has great restaurants and is probably one of your best bets for sampling New England seafood. The lobster shack type places in Maine might open as early as Mother's Day otherwise you can get lobster rolls at year round places, just miss the ambiance of sitting at a picnic table next to the ocean. I am not a hiker so had almost a disasterous experience trying to keep up with 3 teenage boys on what was supposed to be an easy trail. The day was too hot. I'm in better shape now but keep in mind that too many miles if you aren't in physical condition might be overtiring. You can enjoy some high spots by taking gondola/tram rides. Unless you have a big reason to visit Hanover and Newbury, I might exclude them since you have to cut something out. Depending on when you visit, I would suggest taking in some special events. Keep in mind May dates might make hotel reservations hard to find in college towns due to graduations. My personal choice would be to skip the Cape since we prefer Maine and mountains and rural areas.

xxx30

With 10 days you should be able to pack in a trip to Nova Scotia and New Foundland. Are you using a private Prop or a jet plane ?

canyonjane

Dear natcam,
Ten days is enough time to have a wonderful trip in New England, but I would definitely try to pare down the number of destinations you have listed. Since your first three destinations are in Maine, I would suggest concentrating on Maine plus Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as dfnh has suggested.

As you want to go to Bar Harbor anyway, I would suggest extending your time in that area by several days so that you can also visit Acadia National Park. The scenery is dramatic because the mountains come right down to the sea which crashes against the rugged rocks.

The Jordan Pond House inside the park serves breakfast, lunch and dinner from sometime in May (not sure when it opens) through the autumn. The Jordan Pond Shore Trail goes around the pond and provides a good opportunity for a flat but pretty walk. You can drive up the road to the summit of Cadillac Mountain; the views are tremendous. The park contains a wide variety of hiking trails, short or long, steep or flat.

I would suggest staying in Bar Harbor for several nights and using that as your base from which to go to Acadia National Park.

The advice in the previous posting from dfnh is excellent. You will LOVE Camden, Maine and going up Mt. Battie is a great idea. I would suggest two nights in Camden at an inn. The town itself is as pretty as any town in Vermont and it's on the water as well.

If you would prefer to visit New Hampshire and Vermont, then frankly I would concentrate on those two states and leave out Maine for this trip.

You mention that you haven't been to New England yet. One truth about New England is that a lot of the interstate highways look the same and it's only when you travel on the smaller roads that you get a strong sense of the region and the charm of the specific state you're in.

Welcome to New England,

Jane

natcam

Wow! Thanks for the tips!

Ackislander

Weather in NE can be very good at this time of the year, but right on the coast it can also be chilly and foggy since the water will only be about 45 degrees. The coast is gorgeous in fog, but be prepared with the right clothes.

yk

Just so you know, the tourist towns up in Maine/NH/VT don't really open up until after Memorial Day. There will be some B&Bs and restaurants open but majority will be closed.

May in NE can be quite cold and damp. 10 days is not enough for your itinerary.

zootsi

As others have mentioned, your itinerary looks exhausting - getting around can take longer than a map makes it appear, especially on back roads thru the mountains. All the towns you mentioned on your list are good ones, but there is just too much hopping around for 10 days. The Maine coast is beautiful, but trying to sqeeze Bar Harbor (a long ride from anywhere) into the same trip as Middlebury Vt call for lots of driving. I would also assume you will spend at least 2 nights in Boston.
Timing is also a factor - early May can still be chilly, bleak, and muddy in the mountains, and late May is the start of blackfly season there.
I must also mention that New England is not really a prime area for wineries. There are a handful of decent ones in southern New England, and a few apple based ones in the north, but don't make wineries a major part of your trip.
Vermont does now have a 'cheese trail' you can drive, but again if you are going to spend some time on the seacoast, this could be a stretch in 10 days.
For hiking, the White Mountains of New Hampshire are the best place to be - there are hundreds of well maintained trails, but again the weather can be a factor in early May.

isabel

May is beautiful in southern New England, but iffy further north. The tourist areas of northern Maine, NH and Vermont will not be open yet. And as others have pointed out 10 days is not that long, New England is bigger than you might think.

I would start in Boston, for at least a couple of days. Then do the North Shore area - Salem, Gloucester, Rockport - maybe Newburypport. Then work your way up the NH and Maine coasts as far as about Camden. It's a lot closer than Bar Harbor and you'll still get to see some great New England coastal scenery, nice old towns, etc. I think there's enough to do in that area for a week but if you really want to see some of the western new england areas you could consider Sturbridge Mass, which has Old Sturbridge village, a living history museum which gives an excellent feel for old new england.

I have some photos of coastal new england (mostly Maine) - all taken from Camden south, if you want to see what that area looks like. They are here: www.pbase.com/annforcier/new_england
There are also photos of Boston in a seperate gallery.

alley

I agree with others that you have a lot on your plate. I too suggest going north through NH into Maine. If you make it all the way to Bar Harbor and want to keep traveling, so be it, but there's so much to see just there and back. Portsmouth NH is a great area with lots to see and do - I haven't yet made it to the winery in Lee, NH but I have heard very good things about it - www.flaghill.com. Lee is close to Durham, NH, where the University of New Hampshire is located. As for hiking, you might start with the website for the Appalachian Mountain Club, www.outdoors.org, for info on trails. Their guidebook is a great thing to have if you really intend to do a lot of hiking. Bar Harbor also has great trails to hike and/or bike. It will be chilly that far north, but it is beautiful country. The White Mountains of NH are also terrific for hiking. Sounds like a wonderful trip!!

colbeck

Sorry, I am late seeing this post as I am a new subscriber to Fodor's.
I agree with the others that 10 days is not a lot of time to get a good taste of New England. It would be easy to spend the entire time along the coast of Massachusetts and Maine.
However, if you really want a taste of New England, don't leave out Vermont!
Bar Harbor is wonderful, but a long way north and the the weather, as others have said, can be iffy.
I would suggest traveling from Boston up the coast on Rt. 1 to Camden ME, which is a lovely seaside town, and not just for tourists.
From there venture via Rt. 2 through the White Mountains of NH, through Gorham (home of Mt. Washington, which may still have snow)and through the Northeast Kingdom of VT to Burlington, which is a fabulous college city on Lake Champlain. There is a great pedestrian mall, a waterfront park and excellent restaurants. From there, down Rt. 7 through Shelburne maybe taking in the Shelburne Museum, which is a complex of historic buildings. They usually hold their annual Lilac Festival in mid May.
Rt. 7 south will take you to Middlebury, which is a lovely college town, not just a tourist destination. There are several nice inns, B&B's, the VT State Craft Center at Frog Hollow as well as many other worthwhile year-round attractions.
From there, head over the mountains, through Woodstock and Quechee to Hanover NH, home of Dartmouth College, then back to Boston.
Lot's of driving, but well worth it!
Good luck and have a great trip!

johngerard

Bookmarking to ensure I don't miss anything on the advice.

Am looking to head up to Camden with my family but looking for stopping off places to rest up as it is a long drive.

We have to start from New York heading out where I have Mystic for 1st night stop, then onto Rockport for 1 night. Been to both places before & want to go again.

Camden is my wifes must see so I was looking to stop at Kennebunkport - 2 nights - then on to Camden for 3 nights.

It was where to go from there that presents the problem. My wife loved Hanover & Woodstock, but where to stop? Gorham has now been suggested here & any more info would be appreciated. From there Hanover is quite close but Burlington sounds interesting.

From Hanover I need another stop before returning to New York. I drove from Hanover to Lenox 2 years ago & that drive was long & tiring as was the next leg from there to New York. Any suggestions for natcam would be appropriate for me.

dfnh

First, keep in mind that Burlington is in the northwest corner of VT. For someone returning to NYC, I would alter the route and go from Maine to Gorham/White Mountain area then across the northern section of VT to Burlington. If you want to see Shelburne Museum which is south of Burlington, plan on visiting on the day you are headed south. Then stay in Middlebury VT or further south depending on how much time you spend at the museum. Most of a day was fine with us but we know people who spend two days there. We haven't overnighted in Bennington VT but my husband likes to stop there. There's a classic car place near there he likes to visit. Bennington to NYC might be a short enough drive.

colbeck

johngerard,

Assuming you are not making this trip in the winter, the drive from Camden through the White Mountains to Burlington is the way to go for scenery. It is long (about 7 hours), but beautiful. It is very tedious if there is snow. You drive through Gorham NH, but there is really not much there unless you want to drive up Mt. Washington.

The other route, taking about the same amount of time, but easier driving, is to cut across from Camden to I95 south, to Rt.101 across to Manchester NH, then north on I93 to I89 to Burlington. The section of highway north of Manchester through Vermont is really quite scenic.
You can access the Hanover/Quechee/Woodstock area this way, or stop for lunch and some shopping at the Power House Mall in West Lebanon.

The time frame from there to Burlington is about 1 1/2 hrs.
Middlebury is a 40 minute drive down Rt. 7 from Burlington.
From Middlebury plan on 4 1/2 hrs. to New York by way of Rt. 22A to Rt. 4, to I87 in Lake George.
At appropriate times of year you can also take the cable ferry from Shoreham VT to Fort Ticonderoga NY and head south from there.

If you prefer to travel through Bennington, as previously suggested, head south on Rt. 7 from Middlebury for about 2 hours, passing through Rutland and Manchester.

Do I sound like a talking road map?

Have fun!

johngerard

Not wishing to hijack natcam's post, your ideas have been useful in planning for our summer trip.

If we were to head for Burlington I would definitely need a stop. Bethel, Newry or Gorham look close to stopover point - 120 miles equates to at least 3 hours driving for me & is quite enough. North Conway, which is close, might be worth a 2 night stop & I could include Bethel, Newry (famous covered bridge), Gorham and even a train trip on the 'rest' day.

Burlington to Hanover/Woodstock.

From there to New York is quite a trip. 2 years ago I travelled most of the day to get to Lenox & most of another day to get to New York. Middlebury & Bennington are too close to Hanover & make the next leg to New York really long. Stockbridge would be about the right area for a stop but I have been there & also visited Lee, the Hancock Shaker village and wanted somewhere diferent. A single night stop does not give you much chance to explore a place properly especially after a long drive. That was the problem with my first trip in only having a few 2 night stays.

If we flew into Boston I could head straight for Rockport & on up to Camden giving more 2 night stays. From Hanover I could head for Mystic & then to New York.

dfnh

johngerard, I thought we were the slowest drivers in the world. I'm not sure what route you took but Hanover NH to NYC should be about 7 hours via interstates. (I'm guessing based on living 1 hour from Hanover to the northwest and 5 hours to a NYC suburb.) Rt 91 south from Brattleboro VT is a quick route to Hartford CT and then easy run to NYC. Goes thru western MA although not as far west as Sturbridge. Pleasant highway and my preference over Rt 495/Mass Pike. I'd rather go west while I'm still in NH/VT.
The suggestion to head south on Rt 95 from Camden to Rt 101 then north on Rt 93 to Rt 89 to Burlington is pretty good but I would take Rt 16 and 4 from Portsmouth to Concord. Mapquest will send you to Rt 101 but that's a boring route. Rt 4 is slower but a nice ride. I agree Rt 89 to VT is quite scenic any time of the year. Only problem would be missing a drive thru the White Mountains.

johngerard

From Hanover took rte 4 & then south down rte 7 to Lenox stopping 3 or 4 times took over 5 hours in total.

Lenox across to rte 22, stopped at Millerton then on to NY took about 7 hours - 90 minute traffic jam on I95 didn't help. This year the satnav took us off I95 & avoided all the traffic jams & got from Hyannis to NY in 6 hours which included 2 stops.

colbeck

johngerard,

Traveling from Maine to Vermont in the summertime, a drive through the White Mountains is definitely the way to go. Most of the grand old 19th Century hotels have burned down, but two are still alive and well in the White Mountains. If you decide to travel through North Conway, the Mount Washington Hotel is north through Crawford Notch on Rt. #302 in Bretton Woods. It's a good base for the cog railway and other attractions.

My favorite is The Balsams in Dixville Notch. Coming west on Rt. #2, head north from Bethel on Rt. 26 to the resort. The Balsams is approximately 3 to 3 1/2 hours from Burlington VT. through some beautiful countryside.