I just want to throw this out here...trying to decide on a trip next fall to the New England states. We would fly into Hartford CT (BDL) in Sept, stopping first night in North Conway N.H.
2nd day: driving to Cape Elizabeth Maine staying one night there.
3rd day traveling along Hwy 1 to Camden and staying 3 nights.
Next stop would be Bar Harbor and staying 2 nights.
Next stop would be maybe Kennebunkport or Oqunquit.
Or maybe Newport Rhode Island?
Want to also hit Mystic Ct. We would be flying out of Hartford again. I am thinking 10 days. The thing is I need to visit Conneticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island. I am trying to hit all 50 states, you know the ';Bucket List';.
So I am asking if this is doable? These are the towns I would like to see in and around the area. Would anybody have a better idea? I don%26#39;t know how to arrange which city would be better for a home base or is the route not the best way? I tried to google maps to see where to go. Any suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks
New England Itinerary
It would be a busy trip. I suggest that you consider only one or two nights in the Camden area, saving that extra night or nights for the Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park area and/or somewhere on the return leg to Hartford.
New England ItineraryUnless you like outlet stores, I%26#39;d skip North Conway. Here%26#39;s what I would do:
First night get into the Berkshire mountains of Western Masscusetts. Should be a not-that-bad trip from the airport, north on 91, west on 90. Stay in Stockbridge at the Red Lion Inn. It%26#39;s a very old wooden hotel with many rooms, also rocking chairs on the front porch. Good restaurant too. Visit the Norman Rockwell Museum on your way out of town the next day.
Go west on 90 to 87, in New York State. Go north through Albany and stop for lunch in Saratoga Springs. Get over to Highway 4 and take that into Vermont. Stay in Woodstock -- a lovely New England town, complete with a covered bridge.
Next day, get on 89 and stay just until you cross the Connecticut river into New Hampshire. Get on Highway 10, take it north to Highway 112. Cross New Hampshire on 112 which becomes the Kanckamagus Highway, very scenic, through the mountains. That night you can stay in North Conway, although I would go north, just a little bit, and stay in the quieter, more scenic Jackson area.
Next morning, get on 302 and drive into Maine. Enjoy Portland. Have lunch at Duck Fat. Stay in Cape Elizabeth if you want, or right in the Old Port area of Portland.
Next day, get on highway 1, stop in Freeport, shop a little at L.L. Bean, have lunch at Azure Cafe. Continue north on 1 and stay the night in Camden.
Next day, go to the top of Mount Battie, just north of Camden for the view. Travel north to Bar Harbor. Stay there three nights and catch your breath while touring Acadia National Park, eating lobster, and taking a boat ride out to see lighthouses or seals or island.
Next day, go to Bangor and travel Interstate 40, right down to Boston, about five hours. From there, you%26#39;re on your own. I%26#39;ve never been to Rhode Island.
My way you%26#39;ll also have visited upstate New York and you will really have seen something of each New England state.
Thanks so much for the replies:
We have been to New York and Boston MA, so just need Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Conneticut and Rhode Island. I was thinking about the Jackson area instead of North Conway also. Have to check into that.
Would it be better to stay in Portland instead of Cape Elizabeth? What about Kennebunkport?
We just came back from our 16th fall foliage trip. I%26#39;d skip Camden too. We usually time it to stop for lunch there at Capppy%26#39;s, walk around the waterfront for a bit and continue to drive to Bar Harbor. We love Kennebunkport, make that a 2 night stop for sure. Wonderful beach area.
Mystic is good for an overnight stop, see the Seaport Village.
Also like Jackson much better than No. Conway, though you will be close enough to shop if you want.
';Would it be better to stay in Portland instead of Cape Elizabeth?';
Were it me, I would opt for staying in the Old Port part of Portland (great shops and restaurants) and doing a half-day or so foray over to Cape Elizabeth (not far, maybe a 20-minute drive). Fort Williams and the Portland Head Light are well worth the effort.
You might want to check out the Portland forum for ideas on lodging and eating. We like the Regency (good rooms, great martinis) or the Hilton Garden for lodging and Fore Street or Street %26amp; Company for dining, but the range of choices is much, much wider than that.
To add something special to your bucket list, you might want to visit the Casco Bay islands via the Casco Bay Ferry. It%26#39;s a great way to see Portland and the bay.
Would agree with those who say you probably don%26#39;t need three nights in Camden -- two should do nicely.
Whether it%26#39;s North Conway or Jackson (have stayed in both) and Cape Elizabeth or Portland, should depend a bit on your travel preferences.... If you like the more quiet, out of the way, places, go with Jackson and Cape E. If you like to be ';in the middle of things (whatever they may be depending on where you are), go with North Conway and the Old Port area of Portland.
Jackson is a classic, but small, New England village with a very limited downtown commercial area -- several restaurants, a bake shop, art studios etc. North Conway is a larger, busier, much more commercial, but still New England village setting. Numerour botiques, an original five-and-dime store that%26#39;s still in operation, numerous restaurants, an historic train station and (depending on your timing) still operating steam train. Beyond the immediate downtown, North Conway also is an outlet shopper%26#39;s mecca -- with all the good (low prices etc) and bad (traffic congestion, chain stores and restaurants) that brings with it. I%26#39;d make my choise depending on your travel preferences -- and just because you stay in one, doesn%26#39;t preclude your visiting the other -- they%26#39;re not that far apart. And if you do go to Jackson (to stay or visit) be sure to drive the Rt 16B loop -- starts and ends in downtown Jackson -- some good scenery and rural New England scenery.
Cape Elizabeth vs Portland%26#39;s Old Port? Slightly tougher choice depending on where you stay in Cape E. (have to admit I havent%26#39; stayed there myself...) but understand some of their accommodations are on or near the water in quieter settings than the Old Port. But, if you like unique shops, restaurants, galleries, etc. in a redeveloped commercial shipping district of days gone by (lots of great architecture), all within walking distance of your hotel, I%26#39;d suggest the Old Port.... Again, it%26#39;s up to your travel style...
Further along your itinerary -- Mt Battie at Camden Hills State Park (just north of downtown on US 1).
On your way from Camden to Bar Harbor, allow half an hour or forty-five minutes for a stop at Ft Knox State Park, just south of Bucksport. The Fort itself is interesting, but the real attraction here is an observatory built into one of the towers of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge carrying US 1 over the Penobscot River. For a very small admission charge, paid at the gate to Ft Knox, you%26#39;ll get admission to the Fort and Observatory. The fastest elevator in the State of Maine will whisk you to the observation deck, 400 feet above the Penobscot, with a 360-degree view that includes the immediate coast of Penobscot Bay, the mountains of Acadia National Park in the distance, on a good day some of Maine%26#39;s inland mountains, and a general panorama of the mid-Maine area around Bucksport. Really worth the time to do this...
On the day you%26#39;re headed from Bar Harbor to points south, strongly suggest you consider taking US 1A from Ellsworth up to Bangor and using I-95 south from there -- can save you over an hour of travel time depending on mid-coast traffic conditions on US 1 -- which you will have seen already on your way north.
Sorry for the length of this post -- but wanted to give you a few things to think about as your formulate your itinerary.
Sounds like a great trip however you finally do it!
Thanks to you all, this sure will help in our planning. Any other suggestions out there?
Stay in Jackson. Walk around the small village setting. Take pictures. Walk and climb on the rocks in the river, very scenic and easily done. We stayed at the Eagle Mountain House. Then, if you want, you are very close to Conway for shopping, dining etc. Do drive the Kancamaugus Highway, a must see, in the fall. Flume Gorge is beautiful, too. Bretton Woods Hotel is a great drive from Jackson.
We fly out of Hartford all the time.From there to conway after a flight will be a buster! Remember your on vacation so start slow then pick up the pace as needed.Try Deerfield Mass,about 1 hour from Bradly stay at the Old Deerfield Inn and tour the colonial homes.This is on rte 91 north,about 45 minutes south of vermont.Head north the next day and settle in at Woodstock vt.You wil be close to the Vermont/New Hampshire border.Hanover N H is a college town .Conway is mostly outlet shopping and tons of traffic.Cut across the state and settle in at Boothbay Hbr for a few days.Finish up in Ogunquit or Kennebunkport. From there it would be about 4 hrs to Bradly airport carry on
Please keep posting on your travel plans to New England. My Husband and I are also planning a trip to New England in the Fall of 2010.I am also having the same issues...where to begin the trip.
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