New England

[Craig and Carol]

We're in the beginning stage of planning a fall trip to New England and would appreciate any recommendations on must sees, must dos, and don't miss this. The plan revolves around leaf peeping, grazing on coastal seafood, throwing some flies in the rivers, catching up on historical sites (Lake Placid) and museums (Cooperstown), and traveling through OH, PA, NY, NH, VT, ME (LL Bean). Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[Theo]

You don't say whether the trip will be in 2020 or 2021.

If you're thinking of 2020, before planning a trip up here, you need to go to the states' Covid-19 pages to learn the restrictions of each state. It has been a trying time up here (as well as in most places)!

With so many states (6) packed into a geographically small area, it has taken some effort for us to travel freely. Vermont, in particular, is quite granular about who is allowed to travel into the state. They restrict folks who enter based on their home states AND counties. For example, we can't do our fall leaf peeping this year because our MA county has greater than the maximum number of C-19 cases VT allows. The MA county west of us IS allowed to travel into VT, though.

Perhaps you may want to wait until next fall to take in the glory of New England.

[Craig and Carol]

Planning for fall 2021...sorry. Leaving St. Louis in late August, traveling in September and the first half of October.

[Sunflower0527]

Originally Posted by Craig and Carol

We're in the beginning stage of planning a fall trip to New England and would appreciate any recommendations on must sees, must dos, and don't miss this. The plan revolves around leaf peeping, grazing on coastal seafood, throwing some flies in the rivers, catching up on historical sites (Lake Placid) and museums (Cooperstown), and traveling through OH, PA, NY, NH, VT, ME (LL Bean). Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

I am originally from MA, so of course you want to see the Freedom Trail in Boston.

BUT

The one thing I want to do when I do go back home is travel the Kancamagus Highway in NH to the White Mountains. So many beautiful stops and tourist things to do.

https://www.travelchannel.com/intere...s-scenic-byway

[Craig and Carol]

Thanks.
Saw a segment on Weekends with Yankee yesterday about The Kanc...it went to #1 on The List. My only concern with going into MA, and more importantly the Boston area, is the death defying hijinks of the local drivers. Missouri drivers aren't a trip to the beach but Boston is a whole new enchilada. I haven't quite forgotten my previous visits... Stockbridge is on The List to see the Norman Rockwell Museum.

[Sunflower0527]

I totally get that. You could always park outside of Boston and ride the "T" in. A much better idea if you don't want to white knuckle drive ��

[Campincarters]

We just stayed at Saco River Campground in North Conway NH. The Kanc is nice but so is rt 302. Take a look at Watkins Glen New York and we also have been to Winter Island in Salem MA. Lots to see and do in New England. Love the Lake Placid area also in the Adirondacks.

[tkarper14]

X2 on both North Conway NH and Watkins Glen.

North Conway is a nice little town with some awesome shops. Stop in "The Hole In The Wall" for something to eat. Take the Cog Train up to the top of Mount Washington. very nice during the foliage color change. It you are feeling brave, drive to the top of Mount Washington. It is quite an experience with no guard rails. I preferred the train so I could look around instead of having to focus on the road.

Watkins Glen State park is just impressive with all the waterfalls.

Originally Posted by Campincarters

We just stayed at Saco River Campground in North Conway NH. The Kanc is nice but so is rt 302. Take a look at Watkins Glen New York and we also have been to Winter Island in Salem MA. Lots to see and do in New England. Love the Lake Placid area also in the Adirondacks.

[Theo]

Originally Posted by Craig and Carol

{snip}...My only concern with going into MA, and more importantly the Boston area, is the death defying hijinks of the local drivers....{snip}

My perspective on the drivers in MA is framed by long-term driving experiences in Europe, Wash DC, rural Ohio, the Southwest/Northwest, and now New England (for the last 45-years).

In my very subjective assessment, I find that my fellow drivers in MA are usually fairly reasonable. That isn't to say that they always safe, however. Typical issues occur with folks pulling out into the road from side streets without due caution (lobster appears to cause problems with depth perception ) and cars following too closely at highway speeds (again...lobster ). Both of these issues can be addressed with defensive driving. Also, one has to watch out for situations that involve the right of way (like rotaries and 4-Way stops) as it seems that there are many interpretations of "correct" procedures. Again, all can be addressed by defensive driving.

The one thing I absolutely WON'T do is to drive into the center of Boston. It is one of my favorite US cities...but not for touring in an automobile. The older (best) parts of Boston have narrow streets with many that are one way. Parking is a real problem as well.

Fortunately, Boston has a terrific subway system (the "T") that can easily transport you from the suburbs to the heart of the historic district. We routinely drive from the western part of the state to the suburbs (Newton, MA - which, incidentally, gave its name to the cookie!) and take the 35-minute trip on the Green Line to Fenway Park.

I would suggest you set up a base camp in the suburbs and take day trips into the city. If you aren't on a strict budget, you could Glamp at Normandy Farms in Foxboro, MA.

Also, if you aren't already a member, you might want to look into a Harvest Hosts membership. They offer "free" overnight dry camping stays at farms, breweries and wineries. These quick stops make a long drive easier by splitting it into two days. And, although the stays are free, it is usually good form to patronize your host's operations. We have eaten well in farm restaurants, over-sampled craft beer, and socialized with inquisitive llamas!

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by Sunflower0527

I totally get that. You could always park outside of Boston and ride the "T" in. A much better idea if you don't want to white knuckle drive ��

This X2. We did this and just used public transportation. Made it a much more enjoyable trip. Plus one of our things in big metro areas is to see if we can master the public transportation. Boston is one of the easiest.

[PSUFan1]

Originally Posted by Campincarters

We just stayed at Saco River Campground in North Conway NH. The Kanc is nice but so is rt 302. Take a look at Watkins Glen New York and we also have been to Winter Island in Salem MA. Lots to see and do in New England. Love the Lake Placid area also in the Adirondacks.

Where did you stay near Winter Island? Been trying to find a nice full hookup campground north of Boston, but haven’t found anything with decent reviews.

[TinyHousers]

I'm originally from Vermont, but haven't lived there in years (retired military, settled in Alabama). Late September, early October is the best time to visit for the foliage, but depending on the weather/temperatures, a week can make all the difference in the colors.

Running down a small list from memory:
- Trapp (as in Maria von) Family Lodge in Stowe, VT it's a resort, but Stowe is a beautiful place to take in the fall colors
- Shelburne Farms and close by, Fort Ticonderoga, VT
- Ben & Jerry's, Waterbury VT. Nice little tour, new flavor tasting, gifts shop, and of course the Ice Cream graveyard, where some flavors are laid to rest
- Boston: Not necessarily historical, but definitely maybe a landmark: No Name's restaurant, if it still exists. It's called No Name's because...well, yep.
- Mt. Washington in NH. Highest peak in New England. It will be cold as heck, but if it's still running that late in the year, I highly recommend taking the Cog railway to the summit.
- Anywhere in Acadia National Park, ME
- Wells Beach, ME. The absolute best salt water taffy in the world (as confirmed by my inner 10-year old's memories).

Those are just few ideas, but whatever your itinerary, I am certain you will have a fantastic time!

Cheers!
Chris

[n-e-d]

Sorry Tinyhousers No Name closed around end of December last year

[Campincarters]

We did stay at winter island. Unfortunately no sewer sites but only a short drive to the dump station.

Originally Posted by PSUFan1

Where did you stay near Winter Island? Been trying to find a nice full hookup campground north of Boston, but haven’t found anything with decent reviews.

[TinyHousers]

Originally Posted by n-e-d

Sorry Tinyhousers No Name closed around end of December last year

Oh no! What a shame! But happy to know it lasted as long as it did. For the record: last time I had dinner there, the only way to navigate to it was by local word of mouth.