paterson

My husband and I will be arriving in Boston on October 24th for a week. We will spend a few days in Boston, but will also rent a car to drive up the coast to Maine. We want to see the best fall foliage we can. Any suggestions as to where we should head? We also love seafood (lobster), and my husband is planning to eat himself sick on it. Where's the best places we should visit for seafood?

suze

Hmmm... I'm think that's a little too late for peak foliage, isn't it?

Anonymous

Yes, most years it will be all over throughout New England by then, especially heading north (e.g., Maine). However, the summer has been very pleasant and you just never know how it's going to work out.

MBnancy

We went last Oct. (Columbus Day Weekend) time frame, and the color along the coast in Maine was pretty much gone by the end of our trip. You would have better luck in the middle of MA, we saw some great areas along Route 2.

paterson

Well, we've already made our reservations for the week of 10/24, so we'll just have to drive South, or to the West, as the last post suggested. We'll try Route 2. I had looked at foliage color maps on the internet previously, and they all said late Oct for the Boston area was peak. Thanks for the info, and we'll hope for the best.

china_cat

I think you'll see good color in Massachusetts. its just going north up to Maine is the wrong idea. Driving out route 2 all the way to the Berkshires would be a very pretty drive, and there should be foliage out there.

paterson

That sounds great, and just what we'll do. We still want to drive up to Maine though. Any good seafood restaurant suggestions along the coastline from Boston to Maine?

djkbooks

I doubt you will see any leaves at all driving Route 2 to the Berkshires. Peak there is typically around Columbus Day. After peak the leaves drop quickly after it rains a few times.

And, along the Coast of Maine, many lobster pounds are closed after Columbus Day and/or are only open weekends. If you phone the various Chambers of Commerce, they will advise places open year round.

You might get lucky with foliage in Boston if fall is late. A drive EAST on Route 2 toward Boston is fantastic, especially just as the skyline comes into view.

All of the states have toll free foliage hotlines. You may want to phone once you've arrived to find out whether/where there's foliage to view.

djkbooks

Go to http://www.yankeefoliage.com/peakmap/

Advance to October, then click on 24.

canyonjane

In the northeastern corner of Connecticut (an hour southwest of Boston) the peak of fall foliage has been the second weekend in October -- I say "has been" because some odd things have been occurring of late involving the timing of seasonal events so this year could be different. Sometimes the peak will last for one to two weeks, but if we get the combination of rain and wind, the leaves will fall quickly. There is no way to know ahead of time how long the foliage will last. The other factor is the brilliance of the color of the leaves which varies from season to season. On the plus side, one advantage to coming to Boston on Oct 24 for a week is that there should be relatively few tourists. That will give you a great opportunity to visit whatever sites are of interest. Driving up to Maine could be a disappointment at that time of year, however. I would recommend coming back to New England in warmer weather and driving up to Acadia National Park in Maine. That is a destination unto itself. It is our only national park in New England and is a stunning combination of the rugged rocky coastline and dramatic mountains that hug the shore. But returning to your trip this October... for seafood, you need go no further than Boston. The first restaurant I would recommend that you go to is Legal Seafood. The seafood is consistently superlative; the clam chowder is the best. There are many other seafood restaurants in Boston as well.

tovarich

I think you should consider to do the Connecticut/Massachussets foliage(Berkshires-Mohawk trail-Litchfield-Housatonic valley...Paul

china_cat

I really do think you'll see good color. yes, if there is a heavy, or windy rainstorm the leaves may fall. But your plan of going west or south is a good one.

Regardless, October is a beautiful time of year around here. it can be crisp and cool and brilliantly sunny. If you go out to the Berkshires, you can do a little hiking, or visit the museum and historic houses and it will be lovely. so don't let the whole calendar/peak foliage thing discourage you.

dfrostnh

I've seen the last of fall color as last as Oct 23 in Rhode Island. I have not going lobster hunting in RI, however. If you are going to head north to Maine you might consider stopping in Seabrook NH at Markey's or Brown's for a lobster shack kind of experience although not great views. It's a paper plate kind of place. Last night's newspaper had a story about lobster rolls on the NH seacoast and said a popular spot charges $18.99!!! A nearby competitor only charges $10.75 and claimed it cost him $10 to make it. Considering the lack of foliage in Maine at that time of year and the fact that the great lobster shacks are closed, I think a Rhode Island venture should be considered. Southern Maine towns do a lot to attract tourists so as long as weather is good you could enjoy the area, find some lobster and maybe have some fancier dinners in Portland. Considering the date I might also suggest looking for some good pumpkin festivals.

wyatt92

You may see some great foliage right in Boston. Last year the foliage was very late and a little "wimpy" for lack of a better term.

But the trees along the Charles River (bordered by Storrow Drive on the Boston side and Memorial Drive on the Cambridge side) were quite pretty last year. I remember driving down Storrow quite a bit and really trying to appreciate the foliage. There are large grassy areas and running/walking trails along the Charles so you could grab some lunch and have a picnic.