If you had 5 days in New England...

[binny]

in Mid October, where would you go and what would you see?

We are being spontaneous (well sort of we are 5 weeks out). My mum and I both have free airline tickets that need to be used soon and a ton of hotel points to use so we figure we do this on a shoe string.

What you say is a "must see" we are thinking about something along these lines


http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...3.261206,-71.268311&spn=4.320233,7.514648&z=7


But we are very flexible.

 

[MM27]

Boston

Go see a show, walk the freedom trail, do one of the trolley/duck tours.

 

[binny]

Boston is definitely part of the plan! We will only have a day and half there though I think depending on how it goes. My mum and aunt are in their 70's so I cant push them too hard.

 

[ellenec]

New Hampshire in the fall is beautiful. Try the town of Keene

 

[momof1princess]

i would have to see salem, ma, just for its mysterious qualities and historical richness. i would also definitely go to boston.

 

[Pikester]

You could check out Ben & Jerry's. http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/factory-tours/factory/ Looks like there would be beautiful foliage and it could be fun to see how they produce ice cream.

I only mention this because we are hoping to do this in the next month or so.

 

[patsfan101]

Wow... tough one for me - I keep going in circles here
My first reaction was that your trip looks like a lot of dirving for only five days. We live near the ocean, so absolutely love to visit the mountains. Peak foliage in the mountains of Vermont (Stowe, Burlington) is usually early October (no later than Columbus Day), but you should still see some nice color. You can ride the gondola ski lift up to the top of Mt Mansfield in Stowe - really pretty! And visit the Trapp Family lodge (Sound of Music fame)

You could do the mountains in New Hampshire - Look into North Conway area and avoid the trip to Vermont. It would be less travel and keep you closer to Boston. Same foliage, different mountain range. I know that Wildcat mountain runs their ski-lift in the summer/fall as well. They also have a zip-line you can ride down the mountain on - never tried it (I'm chicken!)

Driving across the state of Massachusetts is about 2.5/3 hours of not much to see. You could stop at Sturbridge Village - it's a re-creation of a nineteenth century New England town, haven't been there in years

Ogunquit, Maine is another favorite spot of ours. Cliff House Resort, Barnicle Billy's for lobster, walking the Marginal Way, shopping at Perkins Cove, ...

But a visit to the Cape cod National Seashore is very cool also. The cape is really nice in the fall - less crowded but still very pretty...

Did I help, or just give you more questions?

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

i would have to see salem, ma, just for its mysterious qualities and historical richness. i would also definitely go to boston.

Absolutely Salem!! House of Seven Gables, Ghost Tours, and tons of sights as well as the Witchcraft Hysteria.

Also take a trip to Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudbury the setting is picturesque and you can eat Yankee Cooking at the antique inn immortalized in Longfellow's poem. Then go across the street to the old mill. It could not be more of a picture postcard day. You could also head to Concord and Lexington

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

You could check out Ben & Jerry's. http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/factory-tours/factory/ Looks like there would be beautiful foliage and it could be fun to see how they produce ice cream.

I only mention this because we are hoping to do this in the next month or so.

I have done the Ben and Gerry's tour and while it is kind of fun it is a LOOOOOOOOG way to see ice cream made and visit the graveyard of flavors.
The Teddy Bear Factory is right near there and here too....boring and expensive over 100.00 for a Teddy Bear.

 

[PatsGirl]

I think I would go less North, maybe start heading west from the Portsmouth, NH area to Saratoga Springs, continuing south to the Cape and the Plymouth areas. Definately see Boston, Salem, Kittery/Ogunquit area, Saratoga Springs, and I think you'll get good foliage coming back east through the Berkshires where you might want to stop in Stockbridge or Williamstown, then head to the lower Cape and back up into Plymouth.

One day in each of those areas: Cape/Plymouth, Boston, Kittery/Ogunquit, Saratoga Springs, and the Berkshires?

 

[meowser]

Mt. Washington in northern New Hampshire! That will also get you some beautiful scenery.

 

[dakcp2001]

SALEM!!!!!! SO much fun in October!!!

 

[The Mayor]

Just remember that if you're coming to Salem, MA in October be prepared for CROWDS on the weekends...I'm talking WDW type Christmas amd Easter week crowds...there's very limited parking and you may have to shuttle in from the North Shore Mall in Peabody...traffic in and out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday barely moves...trust me on this one as I've been living through it every year...also, if you don't have a hotel room in the area already then plan on staying 20-30 miles outside of Salem.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Salem, MA is wonderful, as is Boston.

I live in RI. It's pretty cool, but no major things to see. I'd skip coming here and go somewhere else

 

[lynxstch]

is in Deerfield Mass, the Yankee Candle Store..I used to live in MA and would take a trip up there every year in fall...usually the Xmas scents are out along with the fall ones..you can make boxes full of all kinds of samplers..they have a nice gift shop, and it's a really pretty drive in Fall!

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Have you booked anything yet? I just want to give you a heads-up that if you decide on Boston, it may be a difficult to coordinate free air and hotel in October. I used to do business with most of the hotels in Boston and October is one of the busiest months of the year. Rental cars can also be very expensive or difficult to book around Columbus Day weekend. 'Head of the Charles' Regatta is the following weekend which also makes the city very busy. I just want to make sure you know this so you don't book a flight and then find it difficult to get a hotel or car.

I recommend spending time in Boston then renting a car... don't rent a car in Boston! Driving is difficult and daily parking rates at the hotels are a fortune (possibly around $40 a day). Rent a car if you decide to leave the city to visit other areas like Salem, NH or Maine.

 

[manning]

Coastal Maine.

 

[suzannews]

Loved the White Mountains in NH, we stayed in North Conway. Beautiful!!

 

[wdwfan16]

Salem

 

[binny]

Flights are booked and hotels are fine. I will be booking them tomorrow I think. So far everything is open. We will be there the 15th through the 20th so hoping to miss a lot of the craziness. We will be arriving in Boston on the 18th.


Is there any easy to get to Boston Logan to Bedford NH? Not the greyhound? lol I havent gotten that far in my research yet. Most of my clients rent their cars at the airport. I am hoping to rent in Bedford then return there and take mass trans when we get back.
Thanks!