We (husband and two daughters, 15 and 18) will have about 3-4 days to get from Boston (Salem probably) to Saratoga Springs, NY in late July. Long story!! Is part of a longer trip from Australia.
We want to explore some of the NE area (towns, farming areas) on the way and I wonder a good route to take where we could see some of the countryside but also some of the mountain/lake areas. I also want to limit the driving so I am looking for ideas for routes that are more south than north!!
I read something on here about Meredith in NH but if we did that I am thinking we would not do the Green Mtns but instead see some of the White mtns. If we stick to the southern Green mtns would we still be able to experience the feel of NE? What would be a good route to take?
Thanks
Kate

One of my favorite spots is Alton Bay, NH, just south of Meredith...if you can do a medium-difficulty hike then Mt. Major is the place for you...rewards you with an incredible lake/countryside view.

From Alton Bay you can cut west through the lakes region...Sunapee, Claremont over to the Green Mtns. Only problem will be in July the inns & cabins fill up fast, many have 3 night or even 1 week minimum stay. I like Bayside Inn in Alton Bay but King George Motel or Belnap Point motel would do in a pinch.
www.bayside-inn.com
www.bpmotel.com

thanks so much for that - I will follow up with your ideas
I just realised it wasn't the best time to post a note as most people in the US would be asleep now!!! There is still a lot of activity on here - insomniacs??
kate

A little summation of the Green mtns vs the White Mtns: The Greens in Vermont are not as rugged, less commercialized and have richer soils, so there is more agriculture. The Whites are more jagged (almost alpine), very heavily forested, with more wilderness but also more touristy attractions. The Whites are superior for hiking, and are dotted with some beautiful lakes. The Greens are dotted with some beautiful farms and scenic small villages. This is a very general overview - both areas have some of everything! If you are going from Boston to Saratoga, it would make much more sense driving wise to drive norhtwest from Boston, up I-89 in New Hampshire, then across into Vermont. There you will pick up Rte 4 west, which cuts across the entire state and will bring you to close to Saratoga (I've done this trip many times!). On the New Hampshire leg of this journey, you will pass thru some very scenic country - Warner, New London, Sunapee (lakeside and mountain resort town), and Hanover (a college town). A night or two in this area is well worth it. Into Vermont, you will pass thru the Woodstock area which is a prime tourist destination. You will then go thru the Shelbourne pass- Killington ski area which is quite mountainous. Both of these areas are worth exploring for a day or two. Once you approach Rutland, the drive is a little less interesting, but still quite scenic. As you cross into New York, you will drive thru some very rural farm country.
If you do want to see the Whites, you will need to drive up I-93 from Boston, spend a few days then either cut across to Vermont and down (very long drive), or backtrack to I-89.

If you opt for Vermont, I would suggest Middlebury. Middlebury is a great small college town and in the heart of Vermont's farm country. There is lots to do-especially in the outdoors. You can do lots of hiking in the Breadloaf Wilderness, visit the Sheldon Museum of VT History, Otter Creek Brewing Co., take the ferry from Shoreham over to Fort Ticonderoga in NY, take a day trip to Burlington, and go swimming in Lake Dunmore.
Boston to Middlebury is about 3.5 hours. Middlebury to Saratoga about 2, maybe a little less.

these are all great ideas - thanks so much - will have a mini conference with the family and look at alternatives - this has been soooooo helpful. The driving distances are shorter than I imagined even though I have been looking at a map.
If we went the routes suggested in last two posts would we need to book ahead or could we just explore and stay where we fancied?
Thanks again!!

We stayed in Meredith in the fall 2004 (Meredith Inn - I believe) and enjoyed the area there. We visited "Castle in the Clouds" and it has a beautiful view. The driving distances are relatively shorty to anything in Australia (I'm from Texas and was surpised at how fast you could get around in the NE part of the US!).

Although you will be travelling at a busy time, there are many small motels, b&b's, inns, farmouse inns, etc in this part of the world. Having a list of possibilities along with phone numbers would be a good idea, as many nice b&b's are tucked away on remote back roads. Also, in the Killington area, there are scores of ski hotels that will probably have rooms in the summer. You should be able to find something. As for driving distances - true things are relatively close in New England, but some of the east-west back roads are very winding and mountainous, so the map can be deceiving.

One suggestion for when you are in NY state at Saratoga. Go to Cooperstown (Baseball Hall of Fame, NY State Historial Society) and try to go to the Glimmerglass Opera House which is a wonderful experience. www.glimmerglass.org

I liked zoots idea and I love the Woodstock/Rutland/Middlebury to Burlington area if that Rte 7 or thereabouts works for you, as I have only done the route round trip from Boston many times when our daughter was in college in Middlebury. Zoots sounds like she would know, but I think it is only about 90 minutes from Middelbury to Saratoga Springs.

I like her idea of NH, from Boston you will/can see some ocean if you want that, and then swinging into VT - the Hanover/Dartmouth college area/

The way I used to go wasn't thru NH, so I'd go mostly highway until I got to White River Junction (a good stop, shopping, lunch) and on to Middlebury over and down the mountain road, I think a great scenic drive past farms, streams, beautiful vistas and into Middlebury

I don't know how or if the mountain road can figure into your route, but I think it is the only way to go from White River Junction to Middlebury the scenery, valley, farms, brooks, small bridges and teeny towns, and into Middlebury - a small New England town, tiny common & downtown with quaint shops, incredible views of Green mtns and Lake Champlain, Frog Hollow arts and crafts, some clothing outlets a bit out of town 5 min or less: (geiger, nordic sweaters and the vermont soap company factory and outlet where can buy great soaps and creams on the cheap, the bars that are "cut wrong" are all thrown in old wooden bins, a few nice restaurants overlooking the falls, (Otter Creek bakery, yum) and Otter Creek Brewing Company and Middlebury is close to Bristol, Vergennes, Rutland or Woodstock a GREAT town to visit for an afternoon with cool shops and cafes - about/most one hour from Middelbury: all lovely back road scenic drives from Middlebury area.

Boston to Middlebury is about 3-4 hrs if you choose the mountain road route

Wherever you stayed in this area (B&B's and plenty of lodging choices in all these towns: Middelbury Inn is a real old time Inne - they still serve afternoon tea, and there is also Swift House Inn which has option of main house, carriage house, and a 3rd bldng I cna't remember what they call it - I've stayed in the other two. The "Bulrush" was our favorite room. Middlebury Inn, the larger room on your left at top of first set of stairs has an 'entry room with pull out couch as well as tv and a door that closes to the main br, which has another tv, and you'd share a bath - but they also have small twin rooms for the girls. Your girls can walk from either place (and there are others) all over downtown Middlebury and be safe if they want to go out w/out you.

Middlebury has small shops - funky and crafty being it's in a college town, so the type of shops teenagers would like - and Middlebury College, which also has a lovely campus, small on the hill, great arts and theater center- if in the fall, maybe a play/dance show/concert at night your girls would like as well as the adults - and catch a sunset over the mountains

Anyone can eat in the college grill which has pool tables, etc and great burgers -

stars at night also great in this area b/c not much industry/evening lights

and during the day, all along Rte 7 towards Burlington - about 40 min drive - there are great photo ops and you pass farms, galleries (where often you can see blacksmiths at work, glass blowers, etc) arts and crafts stores, covered bridges, alpaca farms, flower farm, winery, the Vermont Teddy Bear factory and many historical musuems and sites along Rte 7 and some on the lake side - (Sheldon Museum w/ mansion, exhibits and an incredible restored 200' steamboat that seeing the woodwork alone is worth the walk through) , Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (replica, full size of revolutionary gun boat Philadelphia II, historic musuem), you can ferry across Lake Champlain, - (about 20 min from Middlebury) to Ft. Ticonderoga (for you, they can catch some sun on the Lake ferry;

Burlington, to me, is not small town NE, but I like it and it has the Church St. Marketplace, huge pedestrian shopping area w/ enough stores and cafes to keep them busy shopping for a day when they've had enough of the small town charming shops. It also has great restaurants, Flynn Ctr for Performing Arts etc, great views of the lake,

Plus the activities in and around Lake Champlain are too numerous to mention. Good web sites we used to consult: www.midvermont.com and vermont.org

I also love the white mountains, but I do feel it is more touristy and more developed in many areas -

did I say watch sunset from the hill near college science ctr? amazing...

If you do NH, Middelbury, Saratoga, I would make rezzies in or near Middlebury - the college runs language programs in the summer and also the Breadloaf Writer seminars, etc so it isn't sleepy in July - there are other motels, one new hotel, and other b & b's, I wouldn't want to see you on the mountain roads of VT or NH trying to scout something at night, sometimes during parents wknd at middlebury, parents were an hour away to get a room. Both VT and NH are big summer destination spots b/c of all the outdoor activities.

If you care where you stay, I'd plan my route, get a place for a night in NH if you wanted, but I'd lv Boston early, make it to Middlebury by sunset, and stay there a night or two or one of the nights somewhere else and get up to SS.

Also, if you don't I would definitely have my rezzies for Saratoga Springs, that is an art/sports haven in July.

I love VT which definitely has more farming landscapes than NH but keep in mind that from Boston to Concord NH is only 1 hr 10 minutes via Rt 93 (from Museum of Science area). Once you get into NH the roadside scenery becomes prettier and prettier. Then you can be in Meredith in less than another area. Lake Winnipesaukee is very popular with boaters, everything from sailboats to huge power boats. One of my favorite towns is Center Sandwich. You have views of the mountains from the Lake W area. You could be in Meredith for lunch and then drive further north before swinging south again along the CT river. These small towns along the VT/NH border don't seem to have changed much. It would make for a lovely afternoon drive before reaching Middlebury although you could choose to stay closer to NH and then do day drives thru VT. Going thru NH's Franconia Notch is beautiful. Although this would add extra hours of driving, I think you would find it very worthwhile. VT and NH are quite different but both are beautiful.

I'm partial to Vermont (having lived in both states). I think Vermont is more pristine than New Hampshire (NH while having stunningly beautiful areas also has more manufacturing and industrial, old mill towns).