sf7307

I think I asked about the Maine coast and about CT already. So, it looks like we'll have 4 days to tool around, and have never been in Vermont or New Hampshire, other than to the ski areas, and once to Bennington for breakfast. We'll be starting out in New Haven -- we'd love to explore cute little towns (again, using California as an example, places like Carmel/Cambria/LaJolla/Coronado). We also love beautiful scenery (driving through Maine to Quebec one year - spectacular; Lake Tahoe - a favorite). Being near the ocean would be good but not imperative (since we live in the SF Bay Area -- and I can look out at the bay from my office!). We will leave New Haven probably Monday morning and have to return Thursday night. Your thoughts?

gypsy_grey

These are all towns in Vermont =)

1. Woodstock and Queechee, though these areas are a little pricy too, so be warned. Woodstock has some great unique shops ('Unicorn' is one) and some cool specialty stores like Who is Sylvia, a vintage clothing shop.

2. East Dorset, which is one of the tiniest little villages ever, hidden in the middle of the mountains though not hard to get to as it is right off Rt. 7. If you're looking for neat palces to spend the night, the Wilson House B&B in E. Dorset is a good place, with a very relaxed and homey atmosphere, and great staff.

3. Wells is another tiny, cute little Vermont town, also hiding among the mountains, this time near Lake St. Catherine. Two churches and a general store around a green, where the village library stands (please stop in if we're open - yes, I work there [monday evenings])

4. A few more: Poultney, Castleton, Fair Haven (all very close together), Chester and Ludlow.

Enjoy your trip!

easytraveler

I'd post some suggestions, but am afraid that your friends will gang up and attack me for trying to answer your request for "cute" or "beautiful".

However, New Englanders are generally very good at answering questions without attacking other posters. You should get some good responses.

sf7307

Thanks Gypsy -- I'm off to find them on googlemaps.

dfrostnh

Starting from southern NH:
Peterborough: artsy, upscale on a river.
Harrisville, a former mill town, very pretty but no shopping or restaurants
Pleasant drive beginning in downtown Concord, go west on Pleasant St which turns into Rt 103. Goes thru towns of Hopkinton, Contoocook, Warner. You could hop on I89 and get off in New London, small college town, some mountain views, drive around Little Sunappe and Pleasant lakes.
Center Sandwich NH, just nw of Lake Winnipesaukee, nice views toward mountains, try to find Sandwich Creamery.
Wolfboro on Lake Winnipesaukee

Kind of hard to figure out what you mean by cute. Woodstock VT is beautiful but it's a tourist town. Warner NH, for example, doesn't have very many tourists except on Sunday morning when they are waiting for a table in the Foothills Restaurant. Nice independent bookstore, a couple of small shops, Kearsarge Indian Museum on the road to the top of Mt Kearsarge. A few generations of farming families who still have their kids raise working steers and more than a few very talented artists and craftsmen, including MacArthur Grant winner David Carrol. (Year of the Turtle)

sf7307

thanks dfrost (I'm guessing the nh stands for New Hampshire the way the sf in my screen name stands for San Francisco?). I told 8 or 9 books out of the library today, so between the books and the advice I've gotten on here, I'm sure we'll find plenty to do for 4 days. DH and DS are on their way to Hartford as we "speak", but I'm not leaving until Friday. I'm really looking forward to the trip - almost no planning!

wyatt92

The cutest towns in NH (IMO) are Portsmouth and New Castle, both on the coast. Portsmouth is a small city with lots of shops, restaurants, historical sites, museums, etc. New Castle is sort of blink and you'll miss it, but it's on the water and postcard worthy cute. The Wentworth by the Sea Marriott is a great property if you're looking for lodging.

sf7307

Thanks a lot Wyatt. We have tons of Marriott points, too, so I'm going to check out the hotel you mentioned.

sf7307

Wyatt, no rooms available for points, but there is availability. I may just go there for the whole four days!!

wyatt92

You'll love it. I grew up in Portsmouth and drive through New Castle all the time and never tire of it. It's very seaside New England. Have fun!

RLFox184

I like Portsmouth as well but I wouldn't call it a "little town". It's a fun small city.

I totally agree with...

Harrisville - it seems like every building is on the historic register so it must be as close to what a New England town from the 1800s feels like.

Peterborough - OK I am biased since I live here but Budget Travel magazine named us one of the "Top ten coolest small towns in the U.S." in 2007. From our arts and culture scene, to quaint downtown and excellent restaurants and shopping, this is a great place to visit!

To round out the Monadnock Region, Keene Hancock, and Walpole are also cute NH towns.

dfrostnh

wyatt's suggestions are great and so are RLFox's additions to the list. I didn't name Portsmouth because it's a city and New Castle because it's a blink but the drive out Rt 1B is beautiful. I esp like the causeway view where the Portsmouth Navy Prison (in Kittery ME) is on one side and you can see the top of the Wentworth from the other. The other drive I like is out to Kittery Point (ME). Yes I'm in NH and we've been having a lot of rainy weather. Portsmouth will give you some options if the weather isn't good but if it is, highly recommend harbor or inland rivers cruise.
If you drive north to Hartford CT, Rt 84 then head for Rt 91 that goes up thru western MA you will miss all the traffic on the Mass Turnpike and Rt 495/95 area. Get off at the Brattleboro VT exit (I think it's 3) to go to Keene NH. From Keene (pretty college town mentioned above) take Rt 101 to Peterborough (notice a trend here?) Then plot a route of secondary road to Harrisville and Hancock heading toward either Manchester or Concord NH. Hop on Rt 293/93 to Concord, take rt 393 east to bypass the commercial area. Then Rt 4 to the coast. You'll approach Portsmouth (rt 16) and go over the Great Bay bridges. Mapquest tries to route you rt 101 all the way which is the quickest but also most boring route to Portsmouth.
If you like fine quality, contemporary crafts the League of NH Crafts is having their annual 9 day show in Sunapee NH. Started yesterday. Check their website.

RLFox184

OK, since we are now mapping this out for SF Main Street in Keene and Peterborough are towns you stop and walk around and Harrisville, Hancock, (and the others are mention would make nice drive-thru towns).

From Keene/Peterborough to Portsmouth I would take Rt 101 East from Keene to Dublin where you take a simple loop road (Chesham Road) which takes you up into Harrisville and then (Harrisville Road) back down to Rt 101 and into Peterborough (let me know if this sounds intriguing because I would add a very scenic four minute loop around a lake with Mt Monadnock as the backdrop).

From P-Boro, Hancock would not be quite on my route (not far either) but I would take Rt 202 North to Rt 136 (just North of town) through Greenfield, Francestown, and New Boston (all cute towns and a nice General Store in New Boston). From New Boston take Route 77 through North Weare making a beeline for I-89 right outside of Concord.

Make your way from I-89 to I-93 to I-393 (sounds like a lot of highway here but we are talking maybe five miles of driving between the three interstates)...to Route 4 (dfrost's suggestion as I am out of my geographic area).

Ackislander

D-mn!

Why did you have to tell people about Harrisville?

sf7307

>>
Ha! Now I HAVE TO go there LOL!

And we LOVE high-quality crafts and the shows that show them! And street fairs. All good.

You guys are great, no GPS necessary!!

sf7307

One more question, though. We only have 4 days. Since you refer to some of these places as "stop and walk around" and some as just "drive-throughs", could we do both the New Hampshire AND Vermont loops described, or should we stick to one of them? In other words, is the Woodstock, Queechee, East Dorset, Wells, Poultney, Castleton, Fair Haven Chester and Ludlow 4 hours or 4 days (or something in between)? Same question for the suggested New Hampshire itinerary? (This assumes good weather -- which I know it hasn't been and may not be.

suze

I'm partial to Vermont (having lived in both states). Depending how far you decide to go north/south, certainly it's possible to see some of each state in a 4 day driving loop. They aren't that big in the east/west direction.

RLFox184

When are you actually coming?

zootsi

There are sooo many towns in both states that would qualify as 'cute'. Here are a few more - New Hampshire: Lyme (close to the college town of Hanover which has some great dining), Sugar Hill, Bethlehem, Orford, New London, Jackson. Vermont: Strafford, Warren/Waitsfield, and perhaps the cutest of them all Grafton. The entire village of Grafton is in a trust, so everything in town is 'just so perfect'!

sf7307

RB, the "drive" will likely be Aug 10-13, although the starting time is flexible (we will be in New Haven first helping our son and his girlfriend set up their apartment).