I will be driving around (rather aimlessly) for two weeks. One part of my planned trip takes me from Newport, RI to Montreal. I plan to take a scenic drive and maybe camp one night in NH (I have rented SUV and will be bringing tent to keep all options open). Which way should I drive??? Any campground suggestions???

Take the speedy route thru MA, Rt 495 to Rt 3 to Rt 293. Get off Rt 93 the next exit after the Amoskeag Bridge exit to Rt 3A. This runs along the west bank of the Merrimack River. Best homemade ice cream is at Merrivale Farms. Check out Concord if you need some lunch. Exit 14 looks congested but if hang a right, go over the bridge and take a left into the Everett Arena parking lot, there's a picnic area long the river plus you can rent a canoe. Head back across bridge and take a left at the lights onto Main St. Take a right at the lights onto Pleasant St. This will take you out of town on Rt 103. It's a pleasant drive thru some nice towns. Drive up Mt Kearsarge. Visit the Indian Museum. David Carroll's studio might be open/author and illustrator of Year of the Turtle. Keep heading in this direction and you'll end up in Sunapee. Nice lake. In this general area there are some small campgrounds. Or, from Warner you can take the road east over toward Rt 93 but stay on Rt 3. There will be some congested areas here and there but you'll be going thru the lakes region. Weirs Beach has an arcade and boardwalk and you'll see a lot people cruising. You can buy a big blue NH Atlas that will show you all the roads and seasonal roads, trout streams, etc. With this in hand you can find the road thru Sandwich Notch and find the falls that aren't far off the road. There's some nice state run campgrounds in the White Mountains. Check the one near Cannon Mtn. Get back on Rt 93 and connect with 91 thru VT. It sounds like you would prefer less populated areas so you might consider a quick run up Rt 93 and get off in Meredith for a closer look at the towns of Center Sandwich and Tamworth. It would be fun to connect up with the Kancamagus Hwy and head west to get back to Rt 93. Enjoy the trip.

The direct route (about 6-1/2 hours), once you get onto I-89 in NH, is actually once of the most scenic. Our favorite (and the quickest) route from there is to take the Plattsburgh ferry (across Lake Champlain) from Burlington to I-87 in NY State,which becomes 15 in Canada. There are any number of scenic places to spend the night more or less along the way. You didn't mention when you're going. The Lakes Region or White Mountains in NH or anywhere in the Green Mountains of VT are all terrific.

I guess the two Donna's must be locals--I really appreciate the suggestions and will be printing for the trip. I should have mentioned that this trip is last week of September first week of October so leaf-peepers may cause some congestion???

I've traveled all over New England at the height of foliage season for many years. The only real congestion you'd run into would be the Kangamangus Highway in NH (and it's often full of slow-moving RV's) and Route 16 in North Conway where all the outlets are. I think Routes 2 and 302 are more scenic than the Kangamangus. And, with a good map, you can easily avoid Route 16 in the North Conway areas (find West Side Road).

The best way to Montreal from NH is I-89, which runs from Concord NH, thru NH and Vermont, to the Canadian border. Some nice towns along the way include Warner NH, New London NH, the Sunapee area, the Hanover-Lebanon area (great restaurants), Quechee-Woodstock Vt, Sharon Vt, and all the beautiful towns you hit to the Canadian border. This is a very scenic drive. Montreal is 3 hours from the Vermont border on I-89.

correction to zootsi's post.
Montreal is 1/2 hour or so from the Vermont/Canada border. Another option is to take I-91 North and cross at Derby Line. Venture through the Eastern Townships before heading over to Montreal.

Correction to my own post. Montreal is 1/2 hour or so from the VT/Canada border at the I-89 crossing. A little over an hour at the I-91 crossing.

The one suggestion I'd make is that if you are in decent shape, the climb to the top of Mt. Adams, in the Presidential range of the White Mountains near Gorham, is spectacular. Don't miss it if you can help it.

I need to clarify my driving time statement: Montreal is 3 hours from where I-89 crosses into Vermont from New Hampshire. In other words, once you enter Vermont at White River, you are 3 hours from Montreal. Sorry for the confusion!

Thanks. It is clear now! And I really appreciate the ideas. I don't know my way around over there. I like the Mt. Adams suggestion. Hiking is one of my favorite activites!