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-   -   New England in September??? (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/new-england-in-september-82047/)

karen Aug 7th, 2000 07:59 AM

New England in September???
 
Thinking of going to New England between Labor Day & "fall folliage", but now am getting concerned about the horrible traffic/crowds we're hearing about (to see fall colors). Any suggestions/ideas/comments on this? Were considering VT, NH and Cape Cod, etc. Are "bumper to bumper traffic" I'm hearing of true? If we go, open to good places.

DougD Aug 7th, 2000 08:17 AM

Karen, I live in New Hampsire,on the Vermont border. This is a very beautiful area, especially in foliage season. There are areas that get crowded, but there are so many back roads and small villages, you shouldn't have too many problems. Probably the most crowded areas are the North Conway/Franconia notch areas of New Hampshire, and the Manchester and Woodstock areas of Vermont. Try and stay in a small town a little off the beaten track - Lyme NH or Rochester VT. for example. Very beutiful villages indeed!(there are dozens of others!) As for the Cape, again some places are a lot more touristy than others. The Hyannis area is a zoo most of the time, but towns like Chatham, Wellfleet, and Truro are very pleasant.

Greg Aug 7th, 2000 09:02 AM

We've gone a couple times during first week of October to the places Doug mentioned, incl Woodstock and the "popular places" and haven't been bothered by the crowds. That is, they weren't heavy enough to make visiting a chore. <BR>Just remember that lodgings book up well in advance for most of the popular destinations.

Donna Aug 7th, 2000 08:43 PM

Cape Cod is NOT a leaf peeper destination, so September or October is an excellent time for a visit. You'll receive off season rates and it will be almost "quiet" there, with nearly everything still open until Columbus Day weekend. The tourists, day trippers, vacationers and "summer folk" are pretty much gone by Labor Day. As for New Hampshire and Vermont, I live in Southern New Hampshire and we've weekended all over New England during foliage season for more than 20 years. While it's busy everywhere, there's no "horrible traffic/crowds" anywhere (well, except for North Conway, NH). The best leaf viewing is in the Green Mountains of Vermont and White Mountains of NH, generally between the very end of September and first ten days of October. My recommendation would be to split your time between VT and NH, picking a "basepoint" in each, and setting out on scenic drives (which are in every direction) each day. You can cover a lot of territory driving around all day - and that is the very best way to enjoy the fall colors. Driving through the mountains (especially the "notches" in the White Mountains) and visiting all the "quintessential New England towns". Our favorite base points are Jackson, Bretton Woods, and Franconia in NH, and Stowe, Montgomery Center, and Manchester in Vermont. But, you can hardly go wrong. The only place really to avoid is North Conway, NH (unless you adore outlet stores and appreciate NO SALES TAX), about the only bumper-to-bumper traffic spot. Sometimes, the Kangamangus Highway (not really a highway, but a two lane only road through the lower White Mountain Valley) gets bogged down by RV's that refuse to pull over once in a while to allow the traffic to pass. Actually, the views are far superior, we think, along Route 2 and 302, which are not busy at all, even during "peak". I would recommend a minimum of three nights each in NH and VT, and if you have more time, the Cape is fabulous that time of year. But, if the purpose of your trip is foliage, I'd skip the Cape.

cash Aug 8th, 2000 05:32 AM

I agree with the above post, Cape Cod is lovely in Sept/Oct, but we do not have a lot of beautiful foliage - our trees are mostly pines and oaks that do not produce lovely colors. I would not necessarily agree that those months are very quiet - weekends are a madhouse of activity and we have many bus tours here during those months on weekdays - not to discourage you, but to be realistic. At least a bus with 55 psgrs doesn't take up as much road space as 25 cars would, so the traffic isn't too bad. On the other hand I would avoid a restaurant that has bus traffic if I had a choice. Come on down! <BR>


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