[arctichomesteader]

When you come into VT from Maine/New Hampshire I'd take US 2 then take a slight detour up VT 102 towards Bloomfield, left to VT 105 towards Island Pond and catch a glimpse of the Nulhegan Basin vicinity east of Island Pond (there isn't too much in Island Pond but there are services there whereas some other areas along this detour have less of them or none of them). Then you could take VT 114 down towards Burke and take a side road to catch 5A or another side road over to Lake Willoughby or if you skip the lake pick up I91 to go south until you get to a route you like over to Burlington. There won't be much for foliage in Burlington that time of year but the little detour I described tends to turn earlier than much of the state. The Lewis Pond overlook in the Conte Refuge is known for impressive foliage on clear days but I will warn you the roads are not good for low ground clearance vehicles.

[Hollytree]

This trip will be early for foliage so don't expect to see a lot of that anywhere.
9/30 Boston

I would see the north shore on the way driving through Newburyport/Hamilton/Wenham area, maybe Salem as well
10/1-10/3 Portland
One day is probably enough for Portland - see old downtown and harbor area
10/3- 10/5 Bar Harbor
Coastal Maine on Rte 1 is very pretty but a longer drive than you would expect and near the water is mostly spruce- see Camden and Rockland, Wiscassett slight detour on way to Bar Harbor.
10/5 - 10/6 Littleton
10/6 -10/8 Burlington
Never much impressed with Burlington VT- your mileage may vary- VT in general very pretty
10/8 - 10/9 Pittsfield/ Lee and points in the Berkshires- Williamstown is beautiful and has some fabulous museums forget Albany- too far
10/9 - 10/10 Shelton ?????
10/10- 10/12 Providence, if not too exhausted, one day in Providence, must see Waterplace, RISD museum, Benefit St. Second day should be mansions in Newport and Ocean Drive
10/12 - 10/15 Boston, MFA, public gardens, Beacon Hill, take a tourist trolley- big city- much to see

Ambitious trip but might be whirlwind enough to note places you'd want to go back to. The CT shoreline is beautiful too around Lyme and Mystic Seaport- but hat's too much for this trip!!!

[Sierrajeff]

Originally Posted by Hollytree

This trip will be early for foliage so don't expect to see a lot of that anywhere.
9/30 Boston

I would see the north shore on the way driving through Newburyport/Hamilton/Wenham area, maybe Salem as well
10/1-10/3 Portland
One day is probably enough for Portland - see old downtown and harbor area
10/3- 10/5 Bar Harbor
Coastal Maine on Rte 1 is very pretty but a longer drive than you would expect and near the water is mostly spruce- see Camden and Rockland, Wiscassett slight detour on way to Bar Harbor.
10/5 - 10/6 Littleton
10/6 -10/8 Burlington
Never much impressed with Burlington VT- your mileage may vary- VT in general very pretty
10/8 - 10/9 Pittsfield/ Lee and points in the Berkshires- Williamstown is beautiful and has some fabulous museums forget Albany- too far
10/9 - 10/10 Shelton ?????
10/10- 10/12 Providence, if not too exhausted, one day in Providence, must see Waterplace, RISD museum, Benefit St. Second day should be mansions in Newport and Ocean Drive
10/12 - 10/15 Boston, MFA, public gardens, Beacon Hill, take a tourist trolley- big city- much to see

Ambitious trip but might be whirlwind enough to note places you'd want to go back to. The CT shoreline is beautiful too around Lyme and Mystic Seaport- but hat's too much for this trip!!!

To use up that excess Portland time, stop into Portsmouth NH - their downtown has come along nicely and is like a mini-Boston - and it features one of my favorite businesses anywhere ever: "Portsmouth Book & Bar", an incredibly high-quality bookstore *with a microbrew bar in the middle*!


I like Route 2 to cross eastern VT from St. J to Montpelier and I-91... plus that way you get to see and stop in Montpelier.

[tbdallas]

Originally Posted by Sierrajeff

A further thought - I see you live in Texas - speaking as someone who's lived out west off-and-on for a couple decades, I thought I'd note that it takes longer to drive in New England than you might expect ... both in the sense of slower speed limits and curvy roads, and in the sense that there are places you'll want to pull over and experience all the time. It's tempting (from a western perspective) to think of New England as "small", and I'm sure if you superimpose your trip over a map of central Texas you think "gosh we can easily hit all these places - we could practically do it in a weekend!"


But it's different driving back east. In Arizona, we'd drive 2 hours from Phoenix to Tucson for a lunch meeting... in New England, Worcester might as well be on the far side of the moon from Boston (instead of 30 miles away) - a Bostonian would hardly consider going to Worcester for the weekend, let alone just for a lunch or meeting - and that's despite the fact that they could even take a commuter train!


And whereas in the California Central Valley or the plains of New Mexico you might drive 2 hours between towns and have no desire to stop (because it's just the same ol' fields or chaparral, mile after mile), in New England every 10 miles is going to take you to a new town center, with its own new village green, general store, picturesque church, etc. And in between the towns will be farm stands, hiking trails, scenic overlooks, and the like. So you're not going to get in a car in Portland ME and wind up 2 hours later in Littleton NH - or at least, you shouldn't! - but instead that could be an all-day trip in and of itself.

Very good point about the traffic. We drive all over Texas and have no issue getting from point A to B in a fair amount of time. I definitely miscalculated the time it would take to arrive at our destination.


Also, it seems like most of the objection I'm hearing are my stops after Burlington. I will revisit my itinerary and make some adjustments. Thank you all for your input.

[tbdallas]

Originally Posted by vter

Just a quick suggestion: Instead of Albany of Pittsfield look into the smaller towns around those areas: Bennington, VT, Williamstown, MA, Lenox, MA, Stockbridge, MA or Great Barrington, MA.
You'll be too early for foliage in greater Burlington but if you head east into the mountains you should be spot on. I would visit the Stowe are and the Mad River Valley (Waitsfield/Warren). Just drive around and soak in the scenery. Plenty of nice shops, restaurants etc to stop at if you want to stretch your legs and grab a bite to eat. I would suggest buying a Delorme or Jimapco Vermont Road atlas and get off the main roads. Don't be afraid of back (dirt) roads. This is where you'll see the best scenery and the "real " Vermont.
Shelburne Museum (just south of Burlington) would be a spot you would love since you mentioned history & museums. You'll want to plan for a full day there.
https://shelburnemuseum.org/
When you drive south from Burlington to Western MA I would suggest heading over to Route 100 and spend the day taking that route south for good foliage viewing. Route 7 is in a valley and foliage turns a little later.
Enjoy!

I actually cancelled a reservation in Lenox to make the one in Pittsfield. Kicking myself.

[tbdallas]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

When you come into VT from Maine/New Hampshire I'd take US 2 then take a slight detour up VT 102 towards Bloomfield, left to VT 105 towards Island Pond and catch a glimpse of the Nulhegan Basin vicinity east of Island Pond (there isn't too much in Island Pond but there are services there whereas some other areas along this detour have less of them or none of them). Then you could take VT 114 down towards Burke and take a side road to catch 5A or another side road over to Lake Willoughby or if you skip the lake pick up I91 to go south until you get to a route you like over to Burlington. There won't be much for foliage in Burlington that time of year but the little detour I described tends to turn earlier than much of the state. The Lewis Pond overlook in the Conte Refuge is known for impressive foliage on clear days but I will warn you the roads are not good for low ground clearance vehicles.

Disappointed that I am too early for the foliage. I didn't want to chance arriving too late and missing it. We planned to pack light coats and hiking gear. Any suggestions on attire?

[tbdallas]

Originally Posted by Sierrajeff

To use up that excess Portland time, stop into Portsmouth NH - their downtown has come along nicely and is like a mini-Boston - and it features one of my favorite businesses anywhere ever: "Portsmouth Book & Bar", an incredibly high-quality bookstore *with a microbrew bar in the middle*!


I like Route 2 to cross eastern VT from St. J to Montpelier and I-91... plus that way you get to see and stop in Montpelier.

Shelton, CT. Thanks for the bookstore tip. I'm going to have to drag my husband out of there. Beer and Books! He will be in hog heaven.

[tbdallas]

Originally Posted by OhBeeHave

3rd vote to skip Albany. Saratoga, Ticonderoga, Lake George are certainly far better places to see in NY.

When you're in Maine, stop at Red's Eats in Wiscassett. It's a small hole-in-the wall dumpy joint on the side of Route 1 just where it crosses the Sheepscot River. Best lobster rolls. My daughter loves their fish and chips. There's usually a long line, but it is worth the wait. If you're going to spend time touring New England, a lobster roll is a must.

Thank you. Both Pittsfield and Albany are off my list. I can definitely take a hint. Lol! Thanks for the tip on where to get a lip-smacking lobster roll.

[vter]

You'll be too early for foliage in Portland & Bar Harbor as coastal areas are the last to turn but you should hit it just perfectly for Littleton and your time in VT and Western MA. The immediate Burlington area will be a tad early but a few minutes to the east and it should be great.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by tbdallas

Disappointed that I am too early for the foliage. I didn't want to chance arriving too late and missing it. We planned to pack light coats and hiking gear. Any suggestions on attire?

The foliage is usually decent enough in northeastern VT around that timeframe so you might get to see some. The weather can be tricky. It could be in the 60's or 70's and sunny out. Or a few years back on a hunting trip in the woods of Ferdinand and Lewis the last week of September I awoke to a dusting of snow in the mountains and temps in the 30's. I'd bring clothes for both chilly and warm weather because it's hard to predict. Cell coverage can be spotty in many areas so always be prepared if you plan to do any sort of hiking.