Hotels In Cape Cod and Maine
 

We will be driving from Washington DC to Quebec City and Montreal "up the coast" via Cape Cod and Maine and I am looking for hotel ideas for 1 night and 2 days near Cape Cod then also the next night on the coast of Maine...again 1 night and 2 days more or less. <BR> <BR>Cape Cod: <BR> <BR>Is it worth the trip to Martha's Vineyard-and is it still crowded around the 15th of October for any reason? Or would we be better to stay nearer to Chatham or some other place. We want to avoid Boston area this trip. But if there is a better place to stay north or south of Boston we are completely open. <BR> <BR>Maine: <BR> <BR>We have read that the Acadia park is lovely. We plan to cut inland toward Quebec-would you stay near the park-the Bar Harbor area or somewhere else. I know I have seen some discussion elsewhere so I will go search it out again-but any suggestions are welcomed. <BR> <BR>Also, how long and hard a drive is it from Cape Cod to Maine? Out here on the West coast we are used to long distance but I am imagining smaller roads and slower trips in this area-is that true? <BR> <BR>What weather generally can we expect in mid October in Maine-any guidelines? <BR> <BR>Also, names of specific hotels would be great for either area, but even just the names of good "stopping towns" would be appreciated! <BR> <BR>Thanks

This is just my opinion, but considering that you will be travelling in mid-October, you may wish to consider skipping Cape Cod and Maine and stopping instead in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts and the Green Mountains of mid-northern Vermont. Stockbridge, Lenox and Williamstown are wonderful "stopping" towns. Also very nice are the towns in northwestern Connecticut during the fall foliage season. Arlington, Manchester Village, Stowe and Burlington are also very good "stopping towns" in Vermont. It's probably better to visit Cape Cod and the Coast of Maine in May, June or September, when the weather is nicer, but everything is still open and the crowds aren't out and about. Many restaurants and so forth close after Labor Day, and more close after Columbus Day for the season. However, the fall foliage will be beautiful (just past peak) in the mountain areas. The leaves change first in the northeast and then south and west. A ride from Bar Harbor to Quebec City in mid-October will not be nearly as beautiful as driving through western Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont. As for the weather - you just never know. It could be quite brisk (very cold here last year the first weekend of October) or quite warm and sunny (it was in the 70's the very next week). So, it's best to pack layers and a warm jacket for evenings (temperatures drop considerably after the sun goes down). On the other hand, you'll receive off season or shoulder season room rates on the Cape and Coast of Maine and you may run into two or three night minimums when booking in the mountains. You can go to www.mapquest.com and calculate driving times and mileage. Hope this helps.

thanks for the hlp and the response-we are planning on driving back to DC via the route you suggested-so it sounds like both routes may be good <BR> <BR>thanks!

Since the foliage peaks in mid-NH around Oct 12, depending on how long you stay in Canada, you might miss most of the foliage on your way back. I would go the foliage route thru Western MA and VT on your way up. The middle part of ME from Bar Harbor to Quebec City is forested with pine as I recall so you won't see foliage. It's big lumber area. The Cape Cod area will still be warm at the end of Oct and certainly not crowded. But nights will be cold. I have heard that Martha's Vineyard is very beautiful in Oct but a lot of places have closed. Sept & Oct are supposed to be the wedding months. Have a great trip. <BR>

So, if your plan is to take one route up and another back, you may wish to consider stopping along the northern coast of Massachusetts. Salem, Marblehead, Newburyport (The Garrison Inn here is moderately priced and wonderful) and Rockport are wonderful "stopping towns". From there, you could head up to Franconia, New Hampshire on the western side of the White Mountains. Or, if you really want to do some driving, head for North Conway or Jackson,NH and take Route 2 or Route 302 through the mountains and notches west to Franconia, then head for Quebec City. Be advised that in the eastern parts of the province of Quebec the language is French. Some folks are bi-lingual, but not most as in Montreal. On your way through New Hampshire, Lake Winnipesaukee is fabulous and the foliage arrives here last (because of the lake). Good "stopping towns" are Meredith, Alton Bay and Wolfeboro. If you were more specific about the dates of your trip, we could give better advice, though.

Thanks so much-I think you are right that going up via the inland route VT, etc. is a good way to go and back out to Cape Cod on the way back. My husband is French and both of us are fluent in French, so even though the Quebec accent is way different than the Parisian, hopefully we will have some advantage there. <BR> <BR>In terms of the dates-we will leave Washington DC the 11th of October and need to be back on the 18th of October for a flight back to Seattle on the 19th. <BR>If we go to Quebec via Vt and home via the coast I assume we better make reservations due to the foliage traffic. Out of DC, should we plan 2 nights to Montreal or 3? And where would be interesting routings out of DC-good stopping places for Sunday and Monday (and maybe Tuesday) the 11, 12th and 13th if we need 3 days to reach Montreal. Oh and by the way, the 11th is my birthday and the 18th is my husband's so it would be fun to be somewhere special for dinner if there are places you know-if we take the inland route on the 11th we will be somewhere in new england one days drive from DC and on the 18th we will be back in DC. <BR> <BR>Again-many thanks in advance! <BR>jeanne

We just stayed at the Acworth Inn Bed and Breakfast between Barnstable and Yarmouth Port on the Cape. Very charming, lovely hosts, and wonderful breakfasts. Check out their web site. <BR>http://www.acworthinn.com <BR> <BR>Enjoy! <BR>