New England Fall Leaves Foliage (10/1-10/2016)
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| Amazing Fall New England Fall Foliage |
Seeing the Fall foliage in New
England is amazing!
Everywhere you go the colors are brilliant – bright yellows, oranges, bronzes,
purples, and the vibrant reds blew us away. It is truly a wonder of the world
happening this good only in New England and a part of Japan.
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| Beautiful Stowe Vermont |
There are
also charming New England towns to visit with covered bridges, quaint country
B&B’s, good restaurants, country fairs, and for Pat, some of the best
shopping she has found. Tourists are called “Leaf Peepers” and treated very
friendly.
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Vermont Covered Bridge
Reflected in Quinebaug River -
Old Sturbridge Village Massachusetts |
We choose
to do a wonderful New England Fall Leaves tour starting in Boston, then heading
up the coast of Maine, crossing over New Hampshire to Vermont, and back through
New Hampshire and Massachusetts to Boston.
Below is a review of our trip that
we highly recommend...
Boston & Cape Cod, Massachusetts
With the
great availability of flights and lots of fun interesting things to do, historic
Boston and Cape Cod is a good place to start a New England Fall leaves foliage tour.
We spent 2 days – 1 day in Boston and 1 day on Cape Cod.
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Historic Marshall Street -
Boston Massachusetts |
In Boston, we jumped on the hop on/hop off
Super Tours trolley bus. They have
three interconnected loops you can take stopping all over Boston. It was great
to see and learn about Boston and its incredible history getting off at places
we wanted to explore. Your ticket also includes a narrated boat ride on either
the Charles River or Boston Inner Harbor.
We very
much enjoyed the Boston Harbor cruise
and having lunch of lobster roll & Boston clam chowder from Boston Chowda in the Quincy Market near the harbor. Lots of
fun performers are entertaining around Quincy Market.
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Beautiful Boston Commons
in Boston |
The New England Aquarium is also located at
the Boston Harbor and it is a 10-15 walk over to the beautiful must-see Boston Commons (see photo). Around this
area is the self-guided Freedom Trail
where you can walk to many famous historic sites of America’s oldest city that
played an integral role in the American Revolution.
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Wayne & Pat
at Lobster Pot -
Providence Cape Cod |
We enjoyed our day trip to Cape Cod. From Boston Harbor's Long Wharf, we took Boston Harbor Cruises' 1 ½-hour Cape Cod Fast Ferry to Provincetown leaving 9am and returning 3pm. When we
arrived in Provincetown, we hopped on the sightseeing Mayflower Trolley for an interesting 45-minute narrated tour around
Cape Cod.
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| Commercial Street Provincetown Cape Cod |
We then
continued our Cape Cod visit strolling Provincetown’s
main street (Commercial Street) exploring the cute shops and art galleries
having lobster at the Lobster Pot
restaurant (see photo) just to the right of MacMillan
Wharf where you arrive.
Cape Cod Travel Tip... turn left
on Commercial Street from the wharf
for the most of the shops, etc.
Kennebunkport, Maine
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| Main Street Kennebunkport Maine |
Kennebunkport is an incredibly beautiful and
quaint small town on the southern coast of Maine – one of our favorites of our
trip. Kennebunkport’s town center in and around Dock Square (see photo) is located along
the Kennebunk River. Kennebunkport was shipbuilding and fishing village for
well over a century and is a popular summer seaside town and tourist destination.
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| David's Restaurant - Kennebunkport Maine |
The Dock Square area of Kennebunkport has
B&B’s, quaint shops, art galleries, and good seafood restaurants. Some of
the nice restaurants include David’s
overlooking the river, Alisson’s, and the Crab
Shack on Main Street.
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| Love Fresh Maine Lobster! |
Kennebunkport
is where the Bush’s have their family home where they live
and are often seen during the summer.
Lobster Tip: 90% of the lobster consumed in
America (40 million pounds) comes from Maine and it is wonderful! Enjoy it for
lunch because the dinner prices are often much higher. Also, lobster rolls can
have more lobster in them than the smaller 1-pound lobsters and are can be
better priced and already to eat – yum!
Camden, Maine
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Pat Enjoying the
Fryeburg Country Fair Maine |
Camden is a well-known summer colony in
the mid-Coast region of Maine. The downtown is quaint and filled with unique
shops and good restaurants. For a treat, grab a gourmet sandwich or lobster
roll from the Camden Deli and sit
outside overlooking the picturesque schooner-filled harbor listening to the
waterfall – a wonderful experience. If you like boat trips, you can take a
2-hour schooner trip of the area.
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| Camden Maine from Mount Battie |
Just a
couple of miles north of Camden is Mount
Batti where the State Park Rangers claim has “Maine’s most beautiful view” - see photo. We
haven’t toured all of Maine but do agree that the views of Camden and
surroundings are fantastic and should not be missed (see photo). They are also
several very nice hikes you can access from the road.
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Inns at Blackberry Common -
Camden Maine |
We stayed
at the Victorian Inns at Blackberry
Common (see photo). It's the kind of place you imagine when you think “Romantic and
Charming New England B&B.” We had a room with a fireplace – very nice!
Camden’s historic downtown is about a 10-minute walk away. Owner and Chef Jim
makes a wonderful breakfast - one of the nicest we have had.
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| Soco Maine |
When
driving north on Maine’s coast to Camden, we stopped at Portland’s Old Dock area. There were crowds from the cruise ship
and tourist buses so we continued on seeking quaint towns like Kennebunkport
and Camden.
Some fun facts about
Maine... almost
90% of America’s lobster and 97% of blueberries come from Maine. If you come to
Maine for the Fall leaves, it is normally best mid-October.
The Kancamagus Highway
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Fall Foliage at Sugar Hill Scenic Vista
on Kanamagus Highway - New Hampshire |
Even if you
have to go out of your way, be sure not to miss New Hampshire’s Kancamagus Highway (pronounced "Kank-ah-mah-gus." It is truly one of
the most scenic highways in America and one of the best Fall foliage viewing
areas in the country (see photos).
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| Kancamagus Highway New Hampshire |
Running
about 35 miles along Route 112 between Conway and Lincoln through the White
Mountain National Forest, the Kancamagus Highway offers spectacular views of
the White Mountains, Swift River, falls, and during the Fall, brilliant Fall foliage
colors. Completing the experience, you can enjoy the smells of pines, river,
and changing leaves.
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Fall Foliage Lily Pond -
Kanamagus Highway New Hampshire |
|
We started
on the east end of the Kancamagus Highway at Conway. Starting at either end is
great (just reverse this advice). Right at the start from Conway, you may want
to stop in the Saco Ranger Station
for a current map, suggestions for what you want to do, and have any questions
answered. The rangers are very helpful.
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Albany Covered Bridge
on Kancamagus Highway -
New Hampshire |
After
traveling about 6 miles, turn into the road to see the Albany Covered Bridge (see photo) and take a walk around this beautiful area. The
next stop should be Lower Falls.
There is a lot to see after that but do not miss the Sugar Hill Overlook, Lily
Pond (see photo), and the Hancock Overlook.
Just before the Sugar Hill Overlook, the less than 1-mile round trip easy hike
to Sabbaday Falls is nice when there
is water running.
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| Fall Foliage Hwy 100 Vermont |
Some background on
Fall Leaves: There
are only two places in the world where the Fall leaves have the most brilliant
foliage - in America’s New England and a part of Japan. These changing colors of
autumn signal the trees are getting ready for winter. The food making process
is over in the leave cells containing chlorophyll that give them their green
color.
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Fall Foliage Bridge over Creek
off Hwy 100 Vermont |
In Fall,
the leaves stop making food partly due to shorter periods of daylight and
cooler temperatures. The green disappears and the yellow and orange colors
appear. The vibrant reds, purples, and bronzes appear due to other process like
the sugars trapped in the Maple leaves by the cool nights turning them red or
if on the shady side, they can become yellow.
Stowe, Vermont
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| Store in Stowe Vermont during Fall |
Stowe is a wonderful town to visit and
this area has beautiful Fall foliage. If you have some ‘spurge’ in your travel
budget and up for some elegance in the mountains, we recommend staying at the Von Trapp Family Lodge.
When we
left Stowe, we traveled south on Vermont’s
beautiful Byway Hwy 100 to Woodstock enjoying wonderful foliage and
stopping to enjoy country stores. Fans of Ben
& Jerry’s ice cream can stop for a fun factory tour. Don’t miss the ‘graveyard’
where they have retired the favors that did not work – the descriptions are
funny.
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| Pat & Wayne as Ben & Jerry - Vermont |
We loved
driving south on Hwy 100 stopping at country stores and fair and seeing covered
bridges (good on in Waitsfield). If you want to see a pretty waterfall, stop at
Moss Glen Falls. It is only about a 2-minute hike right off Hwy 100.
Woodstock, Vermont
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| Woodstock Vermont during Fall |
Woodstock
is a pretty town to explore where you can explore quaint shops, art galleries,
and restaurants. If you arrive during lunchtime, be sure to try the gourmet
Zesto sandwich at Mon Vert Café.
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| Beautiful Quechee Gorge Vermont |
We also
enjoyed visiting the town of Quechee located near Woodstock. Along U.S. Route
4, the Quechee Gorge (known as
Vermont’s little Grand Canyon - see photo) is beautiful. Also, a visit to the Simone Pearce glass blowing store perched
over the falls of the Ottauquechee River is a very nice experience. Go
downstairs for a great view of the falls and the Quechee Covered Bridge.
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Country Home on
Lake Winnipesaukee New Hampshire |
Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
Wolfeboro is a cute town on Lake
Winnipesaukee and is America’s oldest summer resort. You can take a 2-hour
drive around Lake Winnipesaukee stopping
at interesting places. We liked Alton Bay – the only place in the U.S where
planes land on the frozen lake during winter. Don’t miss taking a boat cruise
on the Mount Washington.
An interesting
place to visit is Castle in the Clouds
to visit the Luchnow Mansion off Hwy 171 (Old Mountain Road) near Meridith
located northeast of Lake Winnipesaukee. The beautiful 2-mile drive up to it
and the wonderful view of Lake Winnipesaukee is view the price of admission.
Also, the turkey sandwich at Carriage
House restaurant was wonderful. We also enjoyed the short walk up to the Falls of Song waterfall.
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| Fall Foliage Hwy 100 Vermont |
Great idea for a
wonderful Fall Foliage week... We spent 12 days on
our trip. If you have less time, here is a great itinerary for a 5-7 day trip: 1) Don’t miss the
Kancamagus Highway across New Hampshire starting near Conway; 2) go up to
Stove, Vermont; 3) take the beautiful Vermont Byway Hwy 100 and 4 south to
Woodstock, Vermont; and then go to 4) Lake Winnipesaukee New Hampshire.
Sturbridge, Massachusetts
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Fall Foliage Reflected in Quinebaug River
Old Sturbridge Village Massachusetts |
Sturbridge
makes for a great stop. We loved our visit to the Old Sturbridge Village where you can have fun discovering what life
was like in New England in the 1930’s. On 200 scenic acres, they have 59
original antique buildings including homes, school, meetinghouses, country
store, bank, water-powered mill, shops, and a working farm. Be sure not to miss
the short boat ride on Quinebaug River that boards near the Vermont Covered Bridge.
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| Old Sturbridge Village |
It’s fun to
interact with authentically dressed staff to better understand 19th-century
life. There are a number of demonstrations put on during the day and lunch at
the Bullard Tavern was nice. In addition to having fun and an interesting
experience at the Old Sturbridge Village, you come away with a greater appreciation
of what we have today.
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Pat at Colonial Inn -
Concord Massachusetts |
Concord, Massachusetts
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New England Home -
Concord Massachusetts |
On our way
back to Boston, we stopped at Concord located 19 miles away and were so glad we
did. Concord is a pretty town rich
in U.S. history. This is where “the shot heard round the world” was fired starting the U.S. Revolutionary War at the Battle of Lexington and Concord. We
suggest you park near the historic Colonial
Inn in downtown Concord (see photo). It is a nice place to stay; lunch is good,
and they have maps of the area and will answer questions.
From the
Colonial Inn it is a nice walk or short drive to the historic sites of the
battle at the Minute Man National
Historic Park. The free 30-minute film at the Minute Man Visitor Center offers a nice overview of what happened
here in 1775.
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Walden Pond -
Concord Massachusetts |
In the mid-19th
century, Concord developed into a literary center featuring Ralph Waldo
Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. You
can walk around Walden Pond (see photo) and
literary fans can visit the graves of these legends at the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
Save some
time to walk around the town of Concord visiting some of the shops and have
some lunch at one of the nice restaurants.
Travel tip... What is the best time
of year to enjoy the New England Fall leaves?
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| Fall Foliage on Hwy 100 Vermont |
It changes
every year – the year we visited (2016), it was a little late because of the dryness but still
wonderful. Normally, beginning October is best in northern New England and
mid-Oct further south. You can Google “peak fall foliage” to get the best
predictions.
Travel tip...
What are some good money
saving tips for visiting New England during the Fall foliage time?
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Fall Foliage on
Vermont Country Road in Fall |
Plan early!
Because tourism in this area is somewhat limited and Fall is by far the busiest
season, accommodations book out early. We planned 6 months ahead and were
already finding places booked or the last few rooms. And prices go up as the
season nears. So, starting in January is not too soon.
Also, stay
in the quaint B&B’s – not only will it greatly enhance your experience,
they can save you some money over the big hotels.
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| Stowe, Vermont |
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