My wife & I will be in Stowe on business for three days at the end of September. We would like to spend an additional week in the area and are looking for suggestions of places to visit. We prefer B&B's or small inns and will move probably twice during the week to different areas, staying 3 days at each location. Current thoughts are Acadia National Park, White Mountains, Lake Champlain. Any comments will be appreciated, I am not very familiar with the area.

My first advise is that as soon as you decide where you want to go, make your accommodation reservations ASAP. Fall in New England is VERY busy and accommodations can get booked up to a year in advance.
The White Mountains in NH are only a couple hours drive from Stowe. I would make my "base" in the Jackson area. North Conway is very crowded on weekends and should be avoided. In the White's you can take Wildcat's gondola ride to the top of the mountain for some great views. Drive to the top of Mount Washington or take the coach ride or the cog railway. Do some hiking if you're into outdoorsy activities. Visit Franconia Notch and take Cannon's ski lift to the top of Cannon Mt, visit the Old Man, The Basin and The Flume.
Also, don't be afraid to venture off hte beaten path. It's there that you'll find the most beautiful views-get yourself a good road atlas and have fun!

Book now. Peak foliage for central NH will be around Oct 12. But beautiful foliage lasts for weeks as different types of trees change color. Yankee Magazine offers a good B&B locator and trip suggestions on their website www.newengland.com. Lake Champlain would logically be your first stop. We like the Middlebury VT area. Plot a route to NH to include a stop in Woodstock Vt and maybe a visit to the Billings Farm Museum. Many people recommend crossing NH on the Kancamaugus Highway. Drive up to North Conway if only to see the spectacular view of the mountain as you go up the main street. However, this is prime traffic congestion area. Timewise you should cut thru Maine and go directly to Acadia because it's so far north. Take your time, however, to enjoy Rt 1 going South. If you chose to stay in the Belfast/Searsport area you could visit Acadia as well as explore Camden and Boothbay. If you plan to hike then you would want to stay in the Acadia/Bar Harbor area. Be advised that interstate 89 and 93 in VT and NH are pretty drives but the curving, hilly drive on secondary roads are much prettier. Vermont's Green Mountains aren't as tall as NH's White Mountains. If it's a clear day you might want to include a drive to the top of Mt Washington in NH.

For the best foliage, you'll want to visit the mountains in NH and Vermont as opposed to Acadia (which is very long drive from Stowe) and Lake Champlain. The best way to enjoy the foliage is to drive all over every day, as it varies from place to place, even one side of a mountain versus the other. Staying here and there three days at a time is an excellent idea. You can do a lot of exploring in every direction from Stowe. From there, you may want to head to the White Mountains or to Southern Vermont or the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts. See www.newengland.com for planning. The foliage moves south and west, so you'll want to plan your itinerary accordingly.

Stowe is very northern Vt and along way from Acadia, but if you've never been there it's worth seeing. Consider this, leave Stowe and drive to White Mts, bookyour B&B now,stay a day or 2, then head for Acadia, via Rt2-Rt 4-Rt 17 to Augusta Rt 3 to Belfast Rt 1 to Ellsworth (one good day on the road).You'll see plenty of foliage, and Acadia during this time is beautiful too-much less crowded than the back roads of Vermont. Book your B&B's now!!!

I knew it was far, but I just looked on Mapquest and Bar Harbor (Acadia National Park) is about just under 8 hours from Stowe. Much too long of a drive for a short "vacation" for me. Just wanted to give you a heads up. I have heard that the Manchester, VT area is quite lovely and has wonderful B&B's, but the foliage starts up north and travels south. The end of Sept/first week in October might be pushing it for central/southern VT. No one really knows for sure the exact weeks that foliage will peak in certain areas.

Lake Champlain is not far (20-30 minutes if my memory serves me correctly) from Stowe, you could even take a short trip there, maybe stay a night to explore. Interstate 89 is one of the most beautiful highways in the fall.

I would definitely head to the White Mountains. Very pretty and quaint up there. For places to stay, I would do a search on www.visitnh.gov. Lake Winnipesaukee is very nice, but you might be a little too early for peak colors.

One other note, the coastal areas usually peak later than the inland areas. The coastal areas are better spots to visit in the summer.

Have a great trip!

Stowe is a beautiful town and in a beautiful area, especially in September. Right down the road is the state capital, Montpelier, which is worth a few hours, but to really see the foliage drive down 100 through Waterbury (stop at Ben and Jerry's for an ice cream and Cold Hollow Cider Mill for Vermont-made crafts and food products), then continue on 100 to Waitsfield and Warren. Stop at the Warren Store and pick up things for a picnic lunch or eat on their deck over the river (great French bread, country pate, cheeses, etc). Stop at Mad River Glen and ride a ski lift to the top of the mountain for some great views and hike back down. (Try the Round Barn Inn--fantastic B&B, or the Sugarbush Inn for accomodations in the area). Watch a show in town by the Valley Players (perhaps starring my sister-in-law!) Take a day to visit Burlington, which is right on Lake Champlain and meander down Church Street, a pedestrian only shopping area with some great restaurants, including one run by the New England Culinary Institute. See the great buildings on the campus of University of Vermont. These places are all within an hour's driving distance of Stowe. But do make reservations first--that's a very popular time to visit. Have a great time!