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.
I’m heading to the Woodstock inn and brewery for 4 nights at the end of May.
Nice place in North Woodstock NH right in the White Mountains.
Free awesome breakfasts and great beer.
You should check it out...
Maine coast is great some nice resort towns and the Green Mountains of Vermont is the most peaceful place I’ve been.
Near Camden, just a little ways due north, you’ll find the Mt. Battie tower. If you have a clear day, the views from up there are spectacular. You can see many miles up and down the coast, and islands. Take binocs if you have them.
Mt. Battie Tower
https://maps.app.goo.gl/x9Z9YVmTqkR52bQ3A?g_st=ic
It’s in a state park, there’s a parking fee to get in.
Here we go.
Camden Hills State Park
Renowned for the panoramic view of Camden Harbor and Penobscot Bay from the top of Mt. Battie, which inspired Edna St. Vincent Millay’s poem “Renascence,” the park still inspires wonder in visitors today.
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/trail_activities/camden_trail_conditions.shtml
The tower is a bit of a climb, but worth it. The tower was built to commemorate those who fought in WWI.
Grew up in Bath, Maine; go right after Labor Day; days still warm, summer crowds have thinned out.
https://www.mainemaritimemuseum.org/visit/by-land-sea-the-bath-iron-works-story/
coastal sightseeing—Popham Beach; (was a lifeguard there in my early 20’s)
https://apps.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/details.pl?park_id=22
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Popham
where to stay: (worked there one summer in college)
We did a lobster boat tour out of Rockland. It was quite interesting seeing what working the lobster traps looks like up close.
Also, Lubec a bit of a drive but a cute little coastal town. Lunch at the fisherman’s wharf is great just for the view. You can also cross over the border to Campabello Island if you’re so inclined.
Yea that is a pretty cool place
My second favorite place to go in Maine is the Stonewall Kitchen Store right off Rte. 1 on the way to Barnicle Billys. The sandwiches there are wonderful and you can eat outside in their gardens. In the store they have samples of all their jams, mustards,sauces, etc.
https://www.stonewallkitchen.com/stores/yorkcompanystore.html
If you’re going during tourist time it’s always best to go during off hours when places are not crowded.
Third favorite place is Camden, Maine. Beautiful views and sailboats coming in and out of the harbor.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g40550-Camden_Maine-Vacations.html#/media/40550/‘138323610’:p/?focusedIndex=0
Tripadvisor can be your best friend when you are planning a trip.
It really depends on what you like.
I ride motorcycles and like small local restaurants that cater to the locals.
In New Hampshire, start with lunch at The Poor People’s Pub in Sanbornville. Get the warm German potato salad with whatever you choose. Then drive up Rt. 153 all the way to Conway. It winds through tiny towns and woods without all of the traffic or tourists. When you get to Conway you can turn south and ride the Kancamagus Highway to Lincoln or north to Fryberg, Maine or North Conway and Mount Washington.
In Vermont, start at Brattleboro or Bennington and take Rt. 9 to Wilmington. Stop for breakfast or lunch at Dot’s Restaurant and then turn north on Rt. 100 for as far as you want. You won’t regret it (except in snow season).
The coast of Maine is very busy all the way to Portland, but the old port in Portland is worth the trip. The old ladies love DiMillo’s on the pier. I prefer J’s Oyster Bar at the front of the same pier or Rosie’s Restaurant and Pub just one block up the hill on Fore Street. If you ride motorcycles, stop at Bentley’s on Rt. 1 in Arundel on the way north to Portland. North of Portland, Mt. Desert Island and the Arcadia National Park, although touristy, are worth the trip.
One more thing: If you get to Portsmouth, NH in warm weather, don’t miss the scallops at The Old Ferry Landing on Ceres St. in the harbor. It is well worth the trip.
There is The American Precision Museum in Windsor VT where they first made guns with interchangeable parts. It revolutionized gun manufacture.
https://americanprecision.org/
And right near it is the Windsor/Cornish Bridge, the longest covered bridge in the US.
Just south of the bridge in VT, is North Country Smokehouse for some of the best bacon anywhere.
Driving almost anywhere in VT/ NH is great just for the scenery but be warned that if you go much further north than Windsor to Concord, make sure you always keep your gas tank topped off and that you have food and water with you.
There are some pretty desolate stretches where there are not many options for food, gas, and facilities.
I’ve never been to any of those states- but just yesterday, I watched a video of a walk through of the USS Albacore, which is an experimental submarine that the Navy used to try out new ideas in the 50’s and 60’s. It’s open to the public as a museum, in Portsmouth. There is an admission fee.
If you make it to Burlington, Vermont, stop into Nectar’s for an open face turkey sandwich and some gravy fries. They bake their own turkeys every day and hand slice them for your sandwich.
If you are on Rt. 91 just north of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, stop in at the Miss Lyndonville Diner. They are on Boston Magazine’s list of “Best Places to Eat Pie.”
BTW, any place to stay in the fall may already be booked and will be at peak cost.
Since you’re going that way, take a couple of extra days for this: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg
Drive one way and take the ferry back. Drive around the Gaspe peninsula west to east for the best views without having to twist your neck the whole way. I’ve been to the fort five times...it’s that spectacular, especially for history buffs. I used to have a home in East Boothbay, so I can heartily recommend that area and a trip on the tour boat Good Times.
If you are into baking, you may like the King Arthur baking store. I have never been there, but have heard of it.
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/cafe-bakery-store
Stay away from the maple syrup candy. 🤡
However, parking was IMPOSSIBLE. Further, the lots that were open were about $40-50. Finally, if you're turned off by many places with rainbow flags proudly displayed, while Portsmouth isn't Provincetown it also isn't Mayberry. FWIW, I've seen worse.
King Arthur has a large restaurant and store in VT on Rt 5 near Dartmouth college (liberalville NH).
It’s a fun place to visit.
I told mr. mm that sometime this summer I want to fill the tank and pack food and water and drive north to the Canadian border just to see it and say we did it.
Lived in CT for several years. Business & leisure travel took me to several of the states you plan to visit. During the fall foliage season finding hotels can be a challenge ... plan accordingly.
For FR fans, a visit to President Calvin Coolidge’s home in Plymouth Notch, Vt. is a must. The tiny community has changed little since Coolidge’s day. You can visit the modest home in ln which he grew up and view the table in the parlor where his father, a notary public, administered to him the presidential oath of office in 1923. When I was last there in 2004, the cheese factory, owned by the Coolidge family until recently, was still producing delicious cheese, and I brought some of it home.
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