My husband and I are planning an 11 day vacation to the New England states the last week in September through the first week in October. We have never been to this corner of the world. We will be flying in from Houston and want to rent a convertible. We are in our thirtys and love the outdoors. We would love to see the coastlines and mountains but we are not athletic enough to go hiking. We would really like suggestions on an itinerary if anyone could help.

Hi Dee,
First of all, fall in New England is not exactly convertable weather. It could be 70 degrees, but it also could be snowing. You never know.
Also, fall is the busiest time for tourism in New England, so as soon as you get some ideas as to what to see/do, start booking your accomodations asap.
Where are you flying in to? I'd suggest looking at airfare into Manchester NH. From Manchester you can drive up the Maine coast and spend a few days in Acadia Nat'l Park. Then drive west to New Hampshire's White Mountains. Jackson would be a great place to stay. Go to the top of Mount Washington on a clear day. From the White Mts, continue east into Vermont. Stowe is gorgeous-take the gondola at the ski are to the "almost top" of Mt. Mansfield. Visit Ben & Jerry's. Drive south through Vermont via Route 100 (lots of great little towns), then meander back to Manchester for your flight home.
Hope this helps!

skip Connecticut. Rich suburban wasteland surrounding unreal urban blight. Hartford is a hellhole. Shore is pretty but Maine, RI, Mass offer better. No mountains. Pretty in a suburban type of way, but no real interesting natural beauty.

Fasll in New England- must sees include moutains of Vermont and/or New Hampshire. The Berkshires in Massachusetts. Cape Cod is also glorious that time of year- less crowded, great weather (biking, shopping, sightseeing) and just as beautiful.

Boston- if spending 11 days in New England- spend a couple in Boston. You can stop there before after Cape Cod on way to/from Vermont or New Hampshire.

Fall in New England is a uniquely beautiful time. Drive up the coast from Boston through New Hampshire and into Maine. Takes about 2 hours to get from Boston to Portalnd Maine which is a great town.

Consider flying in/out of Burlington Vermont instead of Logan Airport. Takes 4 hours to drive from Burlington to Boston but space it out over a day or 2 and enjoy the gorgeous foliage to be savored along the way.

You wil be able to see/do quite alot in 11 days- enjoy!!!!!!!

A few more thoughts - you don't need to be in top shape to do some of the mountain hiks in New England. True there are some very challenging hikes, but there are some very scenic walks that take you to beautiful vistas, that a 70 year old could handle. Pick up one of the many hiking maps or books at any New England book store. Another idea - if you really enjoy the outdoors, consider stayimg at a b&b farm somewhere in a rural area, you'll have a very relaxing, rewarding experience.
PS: I don't know what that one poster had against Connecticut - parts of it are quite beautiful, especially the Litchfield hills.

Apparently gobby wanted to purchase real estate in CT but alas, could not. This has resulted in an enormously large chip on his/her shoulder. I can think of no other reason why one could describe such a beautiful state as a wasteland.