Rhode Island is about 3 hours from NYC depending on which part you want to visit. There are trains, buses, public transport or you could rent a car, but I would seek outside beauty in and near NYC unless you have a reason for wanting to visit RI, of which there are certainly many - but I wouldn't personally consider it a day trip.

But in NYC you do have some options for 'out of downtown" like the Bronx Botanical Gardens, the
Cloisters, - and in NYC there is nothing, for me, like a walk through Central Park - you will forget you are in the city.

There are vineyards in upstate ny, and lovely areas where you can see 'nature', but I am not sure of bus tours, or ways to get there besides a car - perhaps Ira or someone from NYC can help you with suggestions.

Welcome back, ira

Your trip sounds lovely, I'm glad you had a good time, and made it back safely. Your food report has made me hungry, good thing it's almost lunch time! :)

Johanna

Hi all,

Don't mean to be a tease, but I have other things happening.

More trip report:

Getting There: Sunday Oct 1.

Our flight was scheduled for 11:00, so I asked for a limo pick up at 08:00. The limo dispatcher suggested that I was going to arrive much too early. The TSA website said that the security line at ATL would be only about 10 min. So I changed our pickup to 08:30.

Uneventful drive to ATL. Arrived at 09:45. Arrived sweaty and out of breath at the departure gate at 10:57. Wife arrived several minutes later. Fortunately, I had printed out our boarding passes before leaving home.

They held the plane for several other passengers who had also been delayed by security lines, which were taking at least I HOUR. Arrived BVT about 20 min late.

This mess reminded me that I had originally planned to buy the tickets last year for $260. Delta was having troubles at that time, and most people I spoke to had advised me to wait, because Delta might go out of business.

After the strike issue was settled, I got the tickets for $340.

Note to self: Stop asking other people for advice.

Picked up the car from Enterprise (they were the least expensive for that day) and drove to Middlebury, VT in light showers. Rain stopped in the late PM, but skies were overcast.

We were in time for tea at the Middlebury Inn. A very pleasant way to spend a rainy afternoon.

More to come.

((I))

Leaf Peeping: Vermont

Our first tour was a loop that started in a NE direction from Middlebury up to Waterbury, East to Montpelier, South on RT 12 to Randolph and Bethel and return to Middlebury via Rt 125. Weather was overcast and occasionally rainy, still the forests were very pretty.

The State House at Montpelier is worth a visit.

Vermont Tour 2 took us North to Burlington then East along Rt 2 to Rt 100 and up to Stowe and further North. Stowe is definitely a place to meet tourists, but the area is lovely.

We took Rt 100 up to Rt 118, West to Belvidere Junction, South through Cambridge, Underhill and Richmond, and Rte 116 down to Middlebury.

The weather was much nicer, and we got some good pix.

As we were driving along, we came to a sign directing us to Enosburg Falls – not your usual tourist destination – and we went. We were very pleasantly surprised. As Spencer Tracy once said, “There ain’t much there, but what there is is cherce”.

This is a very old mill town that has seen better days. However, a Mr Larose has taken it upon himself to landscape the old bridge across the Falls, making it a very pleasant place to stop for a while.

Our third day, we visited the Shelburne Museum (www.shelburnemuseum.org/?flash=true)

Well worth a visit. Major highlights are the steamship Ticonderoga and the Webb’s apartment. Many old buildings and fine collections of folk art and craft. Paintings by Georgia O’Keefe were on exhibit when we were there.

More to come.

((I))

Ira -- we missed each other by minutes. My husband and I were just at The Sagamore in Bolton Landing from Oct. 9 - 12th. He had a conference to attend and some of the other spouses and I enjoyed the leaves and the charms of Lake George. What a beautiful spot.

The Boathouse B&B looks so wonderful. We put it on our list of places to get to in the future.

Can't wait for your pictures.
((c))

Ira...excellent report of one of my favorite things...born and brought uyp in NE I was fortunate enough to see leaf changes every fall...did the Me, NH, VT circuit three times AFTER I left NE in '57.

Did you by chance or planning get to the famous Vermont Country Store in Weston VT? Unique, indeed. We also enjoyed the Robert Frost House in NH.

Waiting for you pix for a taste of acute homesickness. Thanks for taking the time to write your report.

Stu T.

Hi ira,

Thank you for mentioning this on the Europe board. DH and I have long wanted to take a New England trip in the autumn, perhaps adding in a jaunt to Colonial Williamsburg. Your hotel recs and descriptions are wonderfully helpful and I can't wait to see your pictures! Welcome back

Why do I somehow feel that leaf peeping is illegal? =-O

Hi all,

Continuing my report:

VT to NH

We left Middlebury via Rt 125 on a very bright and sunny day, and made our way via various back roads to Bradford.

Having carefully plotted my course and equipped with detailed printouts from Expedia, I was not concerned about getting off Rt 12A to take Braintree Mountain Rd over to Braintree.

After searching for the road for about 30 min, I stopped at a house in the middle of the forest to ask directions. The very pleasant gentleman who helped us told me, “You are lucky you didn’t find it”. It seems that Braintree Mountain Road turns into a swamp about 2 miles up the mountain. He was kind enough to make a copy of a page from his atlas to guide us on our way.

Note to Expedia: Delete this road from the map.

Retracing our steps, somewhat, we arrived at Lincoln, NH about 1:30 hr behind schedule. Here we picked up Rt 112, the Kancamagus Hwy. Very spectacular scenery – every bit as good as advertised.

All went well until we reached Conway, where road construction and the County Fair traffic turned a 15 min drive to Glen, into a 45 min trek.

NH Tour 1

We took Rt 16 North past Mt. Washington, to Rt 2, where we headed East and turned South on Rt 113 in Main. This is a very, very pretty road. We negotiated the traffic around Freyburg and headed for Naples – Long Lake was very pretty. We then headed North via Harrison and Norway to Bethel and West on Rt 2 back to Rt 16 in NH.

NH Tour 2

From Glen, we took Rt 302 to Rt 3. Did a clockwise loop through Bethlehem and Lancaster before coming back to Rt 16 at Gorham. Franconia Notch and Pinkham Notch are both lovely. Dixville Notch is spectacular.

I have downloaded my 760 pix, and hope to have a photo or two available soon.

((I))

Hi TA,

>...a New England trip in the autumn, perhaps adding in a jaunt to Colonial Williamsburg.<

There really is nothing like NE in Oct.

I know that you Texas folk are used to open spaces, but are you aware that it is about 750 miles from Burlington, VT to Williamsburg, VA?

((I))

Hi ira,

We actually fled the Texas heat a few years ago and relocated to Colorado ;-)

Thanks for the info on the 750 miles... I knew it was quite the distance but didn't have precise numbers. We'd likely fly into either the southernmost or northernmost point, rent a car, then fly out from the opposite point from which we began our trip. If we turned it into a twelve day trip maybe we could break that one long drive up into smaller segments.

Hi tower
>Did you by chance or planning get to the famous Vermont Country Store in Weston VT?<

We didn't get that far South.

((I))

Hi Tries2PakLite
> we missed each other by minutes. My husband and I were just at The Sagamore in Bolton Landing from Oct. 9 - 12th. <

Well, Dang!

Maybe next time.

((I))

Ira -- sometimes I'm overwhelmed by how small the world is.

We could have had coffee, or tea, at Bolton Beans.
((c))

Glad you had a good trip. The area is just another one on my 'hoping' list. We live a long way from New England, which makes it tough. And yes, thanks for mentioning on the Europe board!

Scarlett, if you get to homesick for leaves, take a long walk around the Eastmoreland neighborhood.

I looked up Eastmoreland, and yes! we have to go over there right away!! Thanks.
Today we were in Washington Park, which did make me feel better. I love the trees in Oregon, they are so, so Tall. :)

I love Washington Park. Sometimes when I fly down to visit my son, we walk around up there.

Hi Ira, glad you had a great trip.
You picked a great route through Vt.
Come back and see us again!

Hi all,

NH to MA

We left Glen on a very pleasant day and headed SW toward Williamstown, MA. On the way we passed through or by Center Sandwich, Squam Lake, Meredith and Keen. Rt 9 through southern VT was very pretty.

The Berkshires were magnificent.

In MA, we found Shelburne Falls, Historic Deerfield Village, the Mohawk trail, Lenox and Housatonic well worth visiting. Stockbridge was pretty, but gridlocked. Hoosick Falls, Cambridge and Shushan were interesting.

MA to NY
We took the Taconic Trail from Williamstown to Rt 22 and headed North. Very pleasant scenery, but clouds were gathering again.

Bolton Landing is a pleasant place, and Rt 9 North toward Burlington is quite lovely, with views of Lake George and the surrounding forests.

I’ll post pix, as soon as I get them sorted.

((I))

Hi All,

Photos are at http://tinyurl.com/ybm32p

These were taken with my new Canon S3, and I haven't had much experience with it so some pix are not as good as I would wish.

I hope that you enjoy them.

((I))