pinecone

Hi, my boyfriend and I are grad students in upstate NY who have five days off next week. We're both new to the area and want to explore and see some fall foliage.

We are in Ithaca, so Vermont is about a 7-hr drive. We have been considering both Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Can anyone suggest a good driving itinerary or destination? We'd like to do some hiking and apple picking too.

Thanks!

escargot

Several web sites that might help you - they have suggetsed itineraries, areas, info - for vermont anyway, are:

yankeefoliage.com
and
midvermont.com

also, if you google say 'fall foliage tours, vermont"
or nh,, Maine, etc - you will see a lot of info on the subject and suggested itineraries. There is hiking available in all the states you mentioned - and there are several posts here if you go to "US" on this forum, and then plug into the "search this forum" bar at the top bar "fall foliage" or "new england foliage" you will get a lot of recent posts and ideas - many have requested and rec'd ideas for just the states you are asking about.

bluestar

What's the big deal about picking apples? That desire seems to come up a lot on this board and I have never understood the allure.

zootsi

Since next week may be a little past peak in the northern half of VT & NH, I would base myself somewhere in the Ludlow-Weathersfield-Chester area of Vermont. From here you could hike or drive up Mt. Ascutney, see the Cornish NH/Windsor VT covered bridge, visit the beautiful St. Gaudens historic site in NH, and pick apples at Wellwood Orchards in Weathersfield. Close by is Woodstock Vermont, which is a magnet for New Yorkers seeking a 'cute' Vermont town, and Hanover NH, a scenic college town with lots of good places to eat.
bluestar - picking nice crisp macintosh apples on a sunny brisk day, in a beautiful New England hillside orchard, surrounded by flaming red and orange foliage, is one of the joys of being in rural New England.

zootsi

Just an update on apple picking. We went to Wellwood this weekend (amazingly beautiful spot), and it was thier last weekend for pick your own. There might be others that are still open however.

dfrostnh

Freshly picked apples have the best flavor. It's fun to get outdoors and some orchards have nice views (Gould Hill Orchard in Hopkinton, NH), other products for sale at their farmstand, and, if they make cider, the air is fragrant with the smell. Some farmstands have fresh cider donuts for sale. Basically, it's also nice to have a destination. Our summer destinations are usually lobster shacks or homemade ice cream places.

celfan

I don't know anything about Hopkinton NH. However, I believe I saw the sign for that town over the weekend in the area that I thought had the most stunning foliage.I was by Stowe, St.Johnsbury, Littleton and other known
great foliage areas.Surprisingly, the most gorgeous bright leaves were on rte 89, west of Concord, NH for about 30 or 40 miles. Gorgeous reds. By the time I got to Lebanon it was muted.

dfrostnh

Celfan, Hopkinton is off Rt 89 so you did see the sign. Foliage is strange this year. Muted in some areas but vibrant in others. A friend claims we need a good frost to bring out the colors. Some areas are muted because of blight. For visitors, the colors probably look great but for a local, no, this isn't a great year for color in my area BUT radio reports said it was spectacular in the White Mountains this past weekend.

ParrotMom

Foliage is just peaking along Route 495 in MA...and I'd recommend starting mid-Mass and working your way down to Conn. We've never been in to apple picking, but it's a great family event..Thre is usually hay rides, cider, cider doughnuts and great areas for having lunch along the winding roads of N.E. The other great thing is the opportunity to buy real cider..not the stuff that they sell in stores... there is a major difference.. We will go to our favorite orchard in Stow, MA and buy apples not only for eating,but making sauce and pies. Oh yes.. great time to buy pumpkins, squash and if you can do it...corn stalks for decorating.

celfan

dfrost,

I was in white mountains over the weekend. OK, not great. Concord area in my opinion was better. We didn't get the real reds in Burlington/Stowe area this year, but things picked up after Friday's frost. I always enjoy foliage, whether good or great.

This is from my porch a few minutes ago.

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n...n/foliage2.jpg

dfrostnh

Looks like you have a great view from your porch! Thanks for sharing. Ought to give non-New Englanders a good idea of what foliage is like.

ParrotMom

ME TOO!!! Just open the back door or look out my second floor living room and see the tree tops and the beautiful colors.. Oh yes.. the leaves on my deck.. Had never understood the fascination with "foliage"..we have bus loads of tourists from all over the world staying at the hotels in this area.. Going into the supermarket and seeing a group of Chinese people trying to make sense (no, I don't speak chinese) of our supermarket..lol..but the five hotels in this city are all packed..