Destination - Fall Foliage trip to New England

"Travelling is like flirting with life. It's like saying, 'I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station."

Lisa St. Aubin de Teran

There are many areas of the United States that has beautiful fall foliage.  I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and in the fall the trees all turn yellow and orange, and it is quite pretty.  But whenever one thinks about taking a trip to see the fall foliage, they think of the New England states.  And I have to say that they really do have quite spectacular fall colors.  We took a trip there in the early fall of 2005, and plan on going back to that area this year to see more of the area in the fall season.

Old Mill in Vermont

The main area people travel to for the fall colors, are Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.  There is much to see in these 3 states, even without the fall colors.  But if you go late September or early October, you will see a spectacular fall color show.  However, remember that this is a popular tourist season and make sure you have booked hotels in advance.  The place is full of tourists and tour buses, and hotels sell out.

You can always book a tour, or a cruise.  Most tour companies have Fall Foliage Tours.  Many of the cruise lines do cruises that go from the Boston area and up the coast, then down the St. Lawrence River to Quebec or Montreal, with stops to see the fall colors in those areas.  Or you can plan the trip out on your own, flying to one of the cities near where you want to be, and renting a car.  As long as you have your hotels booked in advance, you should be fine, and you will be able to see things without a constant group around you, and you can get off the beaten path.  That is what we did in 2005, with our friends who had come from Scotland to see the area with us.

Leaving Burlington on our
Lake Champlain cruise

On our trip we flew to Boston, where we spent a few days seeing the sights.  Then we drove to Vermont where we had booked a resort in a place called Smuggler’s Notch, which is near Stowe.  We spent a week there doing day trips to see the area.  We were close to Burlington and Montreal, and spent a day each exploring those places, including a boat trip on Lake Champlain.  

The Trapp Family owned lodge
 near Stowe

We loved the town of Stowe, Vermont.  The Trapp family, who came to the US during the war, settled in the Stowe area because it reminded them of their home in Switzerland.  They were made famous in the movie “The Sound of Music.”  They still have a lodge there and you will see information about them around town.  Also, Ben & Jerry ice cream has their plant there, which you can take a tour of, and get free samples.  It really is a fun tour to take.  Cabot Cheese is also made in the Stowe area, and you can take a tour and visit their outlet store.  I loved their horseradish cheddar cheese.  The Stowe area also has lots of covered bridges, water falls, rivers and nature paths to hike.  And the road that goes from Stowe to Smugglers Notch had some of the prettiest fall foliage colors anywhere, with the trees across the road it was almost like driving through a tunnel of color.

Train at the Sheburn Museum

We also spent a day at the Shelburn Museum which is many acres of land covered with architecture that represents the past.  It has log cabins, a lighthouse, a side-wheeler ship, a carousel, circus and doll museums, an old print shop, a jail, weaving and blacksmith shops, a covered bridge, a steam train, and an old schoolhouse.  All of those things are real items that have been placed there, and you can go into them, and look around.

Squam Lake
 On Golden Pond house & dock

After our week in Vermont we headed for New Hampshire.  We had rented a condo in Lake Winnipesaukee for another week.  That was also a lovely area.  We did day trips from there, and visited the city of Portsmouth and did a day trip up the coast of Maine, where we had a lobster dinner.  We also visited the White Mountain area, which is not to be missed.  Especially pretty was an area known as the Flume, which we hiked through.  It was an easy hike, with good paths, lots of water falls and rapids to see, and well worth the stop.  We also took a tram ride to the top of Canon Mountain one day, and a boat ride on Squam Lake, which is also known as the lake in the movie “On Golden Pond.”  And yes, we saw loons while on the boat trip, as well as the house on the lake that was used in the movie. 

Mount Washington Hotel

Another day we headed to Conway and Mount Washington.  Mount Washington has a beautiful old hotel which we had to go into and explore, and from there you can also take the Cog Train up to the top of the mountain, which is the highest mountain on the east coast.  The day we were there it was so overcast, we opted to not go on the train

The Flume, White Mountains, NH

Our last day in New Hampshire we headed up to an old house called “The Castle in the Clouds” which was across the lake from our condo.  It is a beautiful 1914 arts and crafts style home on the top of the mountain, with spectacular views of Lake Winnipesaukee.  It is open to the public, and was well worth going to.  Even the drive up is beautiful, especially in the fall.

We enjoyed the whole area, and I especially loved eating the lobster in Maine.  The fall foliage was quite nice, and the White Mountain area has spectacular scenery all year long.  No matter how you decide to explore the area - on your own or on a tour, it is an area well worth exploring any time of the year.

Cape Nedick Lighthouse in Maine

Castle in the Clouds