littlelamb

My husband and I are planning a short 25th wedding anniversary trip and we have always wanted to go to NE during the Fall. We want to fly from Atlanta, Ga on Oct. 13. We were thinking about flying into Manchester or Boston and making a circle going through Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. We could take a late flight back on Sun Oct. 17th. We would like to stay in Bed and Breakfast Inns and would like to see coastal regions, mountains, and farm land. Does anyone have any suggestions for us?

dfrostnh

Oct 13 is getting a little late for central NH and VT and probably too late for northern, the mountains. Perhaps do southwestern NH exploring Peterborough, Jaffrey, Hancock etc. Spend 2 nights in this area using full day to drive around VT. I like Brandon VT. If you drive north on the western side of VT there's lots of beautiful farmland along Lake Champlain.

Head back toward Manchester. I think Rt 4 from Concord to Portsmouth is a much prettier drive than Rt 101 but there are complaints about traffic in Northwood. For some reason we never see traffic in Northwood but it is a commuting route to the seacoast. The prettiest part is Durham to the coast. I think it's Rt 16 that takes you over the bridges that span Great Bay. You'll get to the ugly traffic circle after that but from there you can visit Portsmouth NH, go up to Maine or down to the MA coast (Newburyport, etc). Since Portsmouth is about 45 minutes or less from MHT but also close to Boston, staying in this area would be ideal.

littlelamb

Thanks so much for your suggestions. Do you have any recommendations about cozy bed and breakfast inns in the areas you suggested?

Cyanna

Try the Lakes region - there are still mountains in the area and some pretty drives. There are some nice inns in New London (near but not on Lake Sunapee), Sunapee and Newport; and some lovely places around Lake Winnepesaukee - preferably on the east side of it so you're looking west at mountains. I would love to give you specifics but suggest you look here at "Lakes Region" places or tripadvisor for Wolfeboro.

Your idea of B&Bs may have to be modified a bit for NH, where you're more likely to have a choice between locally owned inns, a few chains, and very spectacular upscale resorts. The two B&Bs we've ever stayed in have been very modest.

littlelamb

Thanks, Your advice is helping me so much. Could you give me some suggestions about a neat town around the farming area in Vermont. We have been advised to go to the Lake Chmplain region. We have heard that there are places in Vermont where cheese is made. Could we also see this in that same lake region?

Cyanna

I was referring to New Hampshire's Lakes Region, which is at a distance and quite a bit further south (and east, of course) from the Lake Champlain/George area. I thought if leaves were what you wanted, you'd do better further south (as dfrostnh suggested).

littlelamb

Yes, we would like to visit the lake region in NH, but also the Lake Champlain area in Vermont also. I am checking inns in the Wolfeport, NH and would like to check bnb's or inns in the Lake Champlain area in Vermont also. My husband wants to see farm lands and maybe a cheese factory.

littlelamb

Could someone suggest a nice little bed and breakfast inn around the Lake Champlain area?

TerrMys

Unfortunately you may find that the fall foliage is probably past peak in northern VT by the time you arrive, but central/southern NH (i.e. the Lakes Region) should be right around peak by then. If you're really set on driving all the way to Lake Champlain, just keep that in mind. It will add a considerable amount of driving to your itinerary.

I would probably recommend doing your driving loop clockwise (i.e. starting with Vermont and ending with Maine) to see more color, but it may not really make a big difference in the long run. I would suggest taking the backroads from Boston or Manchester, passing through Hancock, Harrisville, Keene, and Walpole in southwestern NH; then Grafton, VT, the Cornish-Windsor covered bridge in Windsor, and finally up to Woodstock and Quechee Gorge. These towns are all incredibly charming.

That may be enough to do for a single day, so you might consider looking for accommodation in the Woodstock, VT area for night 1. From there you can head north in Vermont into the heart of dairy farming country; you might want to visit the Cabot Creamery in Cabot: http://www.cabotcheese.coop/pages/visit_us/ Or, if you end up staying on Lake Champlain, you could visit Cabot the following day on your way to NH.

On day 3 I would recommend heading towards I-93 South into NH and Franconia Notch State Park; you will be too late for the fall colors in this area but you'll still get some of the mountain scenery. A stop at the Flume Gorge might not even be a bad idea. I-93 will take you into the Lakes Region. There are a few options here: Squam Lake and nearby Sandwich are fantastic and very charming; Lake Winnipesaukee has a lot of options. The eastern side (Moultonborough, Tuftonboro, Wolfeboro, Alton) is quieter and less built up, but it's actually the western side (Gilford, Weirs Beach, Meredith, Center Harbor) that gives you the views of the mountains, as well as a lot of shopping and dining options.

From the Lakes Region I would head east towards the Maine coast. Some recommended attractions are the Portland Old Port, Portland Head Light, Kennebunkport, and the Marginal Way in Ogunquit -- these latter two towns would be good places to look for lodging. Continuing down the coast on your way back to Boston or Manchester, you could see Nubble Light on Cape Neddick, and I strongly recommend stopping in Portsmouth, NH to walk around town and see the Strawberry Banke area.

littlelamb

Thanks so much for your advice. You have given us some great ideas. Do you have any suggestions about lodging in the Kennebunkport/Ogunquit area? We would love to stay on the waterfront if we could. Preferably a BnB or Inn.

mazj

Thoroughly agree with dfrostnh about the Peterborough/Hancock area. And can recommend Little River B and B in Peterborough as a wonderful place to stay. The owners are so friendly and helpful and will recommend drives and areas to visit. The covered bridges around Keene are quintessential, the rail depot walk is stunning and the stone bridges recommended by the owners look incredibly picturesque.
Photos this time last year.
http://picasaweb.google.com/mazj50/NewHampshire#

dfrostnh

Nice photos mazj! I've read about the trebuchet but haven't seen it in live action. A home schooled student built a smaller version that did a great job launching pumpkins.

This June we stayed at the Dunes in Ogunquit. Loved the old-fashioned cottages. There is maid service but not free breakfast Very nice grounds. Located on Rt 1 but set back far enough from the road that you don't hear the noise.

littlelamb

We ended up reserving a room at Kingsport Inn in Kennebunkport. Most all of the other places I called required a 2 night min. stay on weekend and we only have one night before heading back home.
The Kingsport Inn looks to be a nice place in a good location, so hopefully we will be pleased. We would love to have some recommendations for a place in that area to enjoy some good Maine lobster.

colbeck

If you would like a small Vermont Town in the Champlain Valley, then Middlebury is for you. It is a New England college town, with lots to see and do. Also, it is located about 15 miles from Lake Champlain, and offers scenic drives through some of the best farmland in the state. Cabot Creamery does have a plant in Middlebury because of the large dairy population, but the main creamery, with tours, is located in Cabot, between Montpelier and St. Johnsbury. Perhaps if you headed from western Vermont into the White Mts. of New Hampshire you could do a tour on the way.

There are many nice inns and B&B's in the Middlebury area. Check out www.addisoncounty.com. A particularly lovely B&B is the Whitford House Inn (www.whitfordhouse inn.com)in Addison, which is between Middlebruy and the lake. The Inn on the Green in Middlebury itself is very nice, and walking distance to shops and restaurants. Another is the Waybury Inn (www.wayburyinn.com) in East Middlebury, whose facade was used on the Bob Newhart Show. They have a lovely dining room, as well as an onsite pub.

October is peak season in Vermont, and the color stays longer in the Champlain Valley. It is advisable that once you decide on a location, please make reservations. Middlebury College has lots of weekend activities at that time of year, so weekdays will be somewhat easier to find accomodations.

If you are interested in locating the New England towns rated by YANKEE MAGAZINE for foliage tours, pick up an issue after August 24. Middlebury has been rated #5 in New England. The list should give you some other ideas of places to visit on your tour. This list was also posted in USA TODAY on August 19th.

colbeck

Correction - the USA TODAY article was in the August 20 (weekend) edition.

HappyTrvlr

Look at Cornwall Orchards Bed and Breakfast in Cornwall, near Middlebury,VT.

littlelamb

Thanks so much for your sugggestions. We will look at some of the places you mentioned. My husband will love to see the farmland in the Lake Champlain area. We will definitely put that on our list of places to go.

simpsonc510

You also asked about flying into either Boston or Manchester. I usually prefer flying into Manchester. It is much smaller and less traffic congestion IMO. Boston is such a bear to drive around... (IMO)... and I've driven in just about every large city in the USA. For me, Boston is the worst one to try to navigate. Manchester is much much easier.

joesorce

Kings Port Inn is a pretty modern motel/hotel as opposed to classic "Inn". It's not right at the water, but just a walk around the block gets you to the docks and the area surrounding is very walkable even though it is at a very busy intersection. (Shouldn't be busy at all in mid October however). Cape Pier Chowder House and Pier 77 restaurant are two to keep in mind. They're a short drive out route 9 from Kennebunkport and you could stop at beautiful Goose Rocks Beach if you have an hour or two to kill. Pier 77 has a great dining room and a more casual pub area as well.
If you're short on time and decide to just walk to dining, Mabel's Lobster Claw will fit the bill. Most of the "lobster shack" picnic-table type places will shut down by mid October however.

Jaya

You can fly non-stop from Atlanta to Manchester (MHT). Manchester is a much easier airport to navigate than Boston, plus it puts you in NH and closer to your destinations.

If you're looking at a map, Manchester will put you right on route 93 to go north/south or route 101 to go east/west.