fall foiliage tour
 

My husband and I are thinking of taking a road trip in the fall to view the foilage and would like to know when the colors will be at their "peak". We would like to stay in a quant New England inn, much like depicted on t.v. Any suggestions for specific towns/inns? We will have our 2 year old son along for the journey as well.

You need to be a little more specific. Where will you be coming from?

When to go varies by where you will be going - in Maine things start ot change in Sept - in NYC the lkelaves don;t change til Nov.

Also - if you want to do Inn/B&B you need to be aware thant many do not accept little kids (due to antiques - and many couples desire for quiet and privacy) so you will want to make ressies early to find a spot a toddler is welcome.

First suggestion would be to search this forum, because the question comes up a lot. ;-)

Peak color is a very variable thing, depending on what part of NE and the weather that we have during summer (how wet, how hot, etc.) In Connecticut, we usually expect peak color around Columbus Day weekend in October: color will probably start in northern NE in late September.

Also be aware that not all "quaint NE inns" are child-friendly, and the good ones book up early. It's not too soon to be making reservations, that's for sure.

It would probably help Fodorites responses if we knew where you were coming from, too. Happy trails!

LOL, nyt -- we were posting the same info at the same time!!

As the others have mentioned, foliage generally runs north to south, so depending on where in New England you'd like to go would is when you should go.
I live in Northern Vermont. Foliage usually starts turning at the end of September with "peak" generally hitting the first week of Oct. In the Champlain Valley, peak foliage comes a little later, usually Columbus Day weekend or just after. For Southern VT, Columbus Day Weekend is also a good bet for seeing some great color.
If you're interested in Northern VT and can come in early Oct, I'd head to Stowe, VT. Lots of lodging choices. Like someone else mentioned, I'm not sure how child friendly the quiant inn's are. Also, many of hte more popular places may be booked already, especially on weekends.
If you're interested in staying in Southern VT, I'd suggest Manchester, Bennington, Brattleboro, or Wilmington.
Other New England towns that fit your criteria are: Lenox, MA. Hanover, NH. Littleton, NH.
Hope this helps.

www.yankeefoliage.com

"Peak" season in NE varies from year to year in accordance with weather conditions & can be difficult to pin down precisely . . . . despite growing up in MA, I couldn't tell you exactly what it is that makes for the best colors. As to timing, it's a safe bet that early October will offer up a lovely color palette in most of the region.

We would like to visit either Vermont or New Hampshire. We are interested in visiting the covered bridges and hitting some of the small towns and villages and wouldn't mind visiting when a local fair/festival is going on. We will be traveling from South Central Kentucky. We would most likely go in Sept. or the first of October.

melgrem - If you are interested in covered bridges, there are many around Rockville, Indiana. There are 32 covered bridges in Parke County.

It would be a nice weekend trip for you sometime.

www.coveredbridges.com

If you are flying, it depends on what airport you are coming to - Manchester NH, or Burlington Vt. From Manchester, you could head up I-93 to the White Mountains,which are very rugged, and have lots of tourist attractions like Santa's Village, Lost River, etc. The most popular tourist town is North Conway, which has lots of factory outlets and restaurants. Less commercial towns would include Jackson, Woostock, Littleton & Bethleham. You could also head up I-89 from Manchester and explore towns like Warner, New London, Sunapee and Hanover - all very scenic. On the Vermont side it's more agricultural and less commercial. The 'classic' tourist towns are Stowe, Woodstock and Manchester (Vt). There are dozens of very charming towns that are less touristed, like Rochester, Chester, Craftsbury,Tunbridge etc,etc. You won't have much trouble finding the kind of scenery you are looking for in these two states. Early October will be a pretty sure thing for some spectacular foiliage, but also lots of tourists. However, there are lots of gravel roads that weave thru the mountains, so it doesn't take much to get away from it all.

Warner NH has a nice foliage festival on Sat and Sunday of Columbus Day weekend. There is also the Sandwich Fair which is in a small NH town northwest of Lake Winnipesaukee. If you find lodging in the general vicinity (Warner is off Rt 89 northwest of Concord) Rt 89 will give you an easy drive over to VT for a day of touring. Traffic on the interstates will be heavy Friday nights and on weekend days so be prepared with a good road map that shows secondary highways. There are several covered bridges in the Warner/Contoocook area. Locations of covered bridges are given in the New Hampshire Atlas and Gazateer available in bookstores and other places. This will also show all the roads, including seasonal ones, which is a great way to get off the beaten path. There is great foliage all over the place, including the interstates. Colors vary depending on the type of trees. Vermont has more open rolling farmland. NH has more craggy granite peaks. You can drive in any direction to see great color. With a 2 year old, you might be a lot happier in a modern hotel with a frig and microwave. Take-out for dinner in your hotel room when every one is tired keeps things simple. A ski area condo might be good. The Golden Eagle in Stowe would be great although it's not quaint. Make reservations soon. The first week in October is probably the most popular week of the year for tourism. Just make sure you aren't on the interstate heading south on Rt 93 or 89 in NH on Sunday afternoon. The traffic will be stop and go.

We usually head up Columbus Day weekend (book now if that is your plan) and we always stay in Stowe Vermont at the Golden Eagle, a real nice family motel/inn. The grounds are beautiful with a small pond, playground, and pool and clubhouse.

On our way up from Boston, we take the highway to Quechee Gorge and Woodstock. Spend a day there, and then we take the scenic route 100 to Stowe. E-mail me if you want more specifics ([email protected]). I love Vermont!

NannyJan