Posted on 04/09/2023 5:28:31 AM PDT by jimfr
I am planning a trip to Maine , Vermont and New Hampshire in the fall. I'm asking for advice on where to go, a more specific timing, what to see and places to stay. Interested little visited places but just beautiful as the more publicised spots.
Acadia NP, LLBean Outlet Store. Warning: Lobster is prohibitively expensive!
Leaves are at their peak color in the middle of October. It gets a little hey during this hat time.
I recommend the Shelburne Museum in Vermont. https://shelburnemuseum.org/visit/
Bar Harbor.
Bernie Sanders museum and Ben and Jerry’s factory
If you are from an area with a warm climate you want to make sure you check the average evening temperatures for your destination.
Some seaside restaurants begin to close the first weekend in October. Call ahead and try to go so you hit their last few days they are open. We went the first week of October, had some color but also had some nice meals. We did a coastal tour south to north ending at Bar Harbor.
Where are you from?
Maine: Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor
Vermont: The Houses owned by Bernie Sanders
More important than where to go is what to eat........
Eat lobster at least two meals every day. Most importantly, visit a lobster pound and partake of a truly fantastic regional meal
We went to Vermont many years ago and avoided the ‘high season’ for fall colors by going in late September. As it happened the colors turned early and it was quite spectacular. We visited Stowe, Windsor, Burlington, and several other areas, all by B&B. As I recall the Von Trapp lodge was very nice.
Our small group stayed here some years ago. It was VERY nice and old-timery Classic. 5-stars. Then. Don’t know about now.
https://www.hartnesshouse.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhLGn-Oqc_gIVKeHjBx0CNw8qEAAYASAAEgIUufD_BwE
See the lighthouses along the Maine coastline. My favorite is Pemaquid Point. See Mount Washington. Ride the cog railway. Tour the Mount Washington Hotel, but don’t stay there. Too expensive. Stay at the Inn at Thorn Hill in Jackson, New Hampshire. The less advertised Jackson, New Hampshire is more enjoyable than the overrated Stowe, Vermont.
Some years ago, I visited my nephew and his wife who were living in NH between Concord and Manchester and took a day trip with them to Portsmouth. I really enjoyed the Strawberry Banke Museum.
https://www.strawberybanke.org/collections.cfm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgittE4j_nQ
The downtown area of Portsmouth was really quaint with lots of cool small shops and restaurants.
“The seacoast is fantastic. you want to schedule a ride up 1A and a stop in Ogonquit”
Check out Barnacle Billy’s in Perkins Cove, Ogunquit. It’s on the water, casual dining, open summer and winter. You can’t get lobster and fresher than Perkins Cove. It’s right on the water where the boats come in. You place your order as you walk in the door of Billy’s and go sit directly overlooking the water. It’s mobbed in the summer so go during off hours. In the winter they have roaring fires in the fireplaces and it’s not crowded. Here’s their webcam
https://www.barnbilly.com/billys-webcam
Maine has its charms, but inland? Unless it's a hunting trip, bee line it to the coast. Avoid Portland and Lewiston. Boothbay and Camden and Bar Harbor north of here are worth seeing. Lighthouse at Pemaquid has cool rocks to walk around on. Actually most of Maine has rocks to scramble around on by the waves. Pemaquid does have an actual beach a few miles from the lighthouse however. You can bike the carriage trails at Arcadia, but I wouldn't plan a bicycle trip in Maine. The guided boat tour/whale watch cruises are worthwhile. The pumpkin regatta in Damariscotta is a hoot, but that's late autumn, and that's where the world's best oysters are. The rest of Maine is lobster/seafood heaven.
Greenville/ Moosehead Lake
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