Road Trip Ideas During Fall Foliage

To start with; many people come to New England during the October fall foliage time looking for one thing…

“Peak Fall Foliage“

These “Leaf Peepers ₁” have one thing in mind, finding the “mythical” peak fall color, and this leaves them exhausted by the end of their fall vacation. (The Peepers, not the leaves) I know it does me…

I’m going to talk about three road trip ideas that will hopefully get you both fall foliage views and a relaxing vacation experience.

1st Road Trip Idea: Seacoast

I never seem to have the time to try a water-based foliage trip. I’ve always dreamed of trying something like this with my wife, but I also don’t mean jumping on a big luxury liner and motoring up the coast in two days.

I would like it to be one of those more intimate sailing trips where you have a small crew and a few other guests/photographers and you take your time sailing up the coast of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. To me, slowly meandering up the coast and stopping each evening in sheltered harbors would be a dream.

If you did this in mid-October, I would look forward to waking up on an October morning with the sun breaking the horizon and the entire shoreline aflame in colors. A perfect scenario would be some mist on the water and reflections of the fall colors lining the shoreline.

MAINE WINDJAMMER ASSOCIATION | CAMDEN & ROCKLAND, ME

Fall Foliage Cruises: Dates vary by ship; generally mid-September to mid-October. Camden & Rockland, ME. 800-807-9463; sailmainecoast.com/pick-a-ship/our-vessels

The Maine Windjammer Association is but one of many out on the internet that you can try. All the way from Rhode Island to the Canadian border. You will find one or two-day sails. some of these ships offer special foliage cruises, through which you’ll not only experience coastal New England’s natural beauty but also learn a thing or two about sailing!

I can’t think of a better way to wake up and enjoy my morning coffee and of course, my camera snapping away at 1 million shots a minute. 🙂

2nd Road Trip Idea : Farm B&Bs

emergo farm B&B at the top of the hill in Danville Vermont

I’m not sure what it is about old buildings and fall foliage colors but they just seem to go together. It doesn’t matter where I am during the year when I find a particularly good view of a farm, I make a mental note of it so I can try and find it again in autumn.

Of all the plans that you can make for a fall foliage vacation, farm touring would have to be one of the easiest to do. Simply put, farms are everywhere you go, so get off the main road. (As you’ve heard me say once or twice :-))

I love that old weathered barns just have an amazing character from the sun and rain beating down, year after year. Anywhere you go you’re bound to find an old farm maybe with a red-painted barn. *But*, remember, this is someone’s property. So before you go ambling down to the barn to get a picture of it. Make sure that you have permission first.

I’ve been hearing for years about a farm B&B in Danville Vermont. At the Emergo Farm B&B, you can get up and feed the animals, muck the stalls, and then have a hearty breakfast and go back to bed. But if I have a choice, sitting on the farmer’s porch with a cup of coffee at dawn might be more to my liking. We stayed here and loved it! Read about it here.

I’m not going to do a listing of all the suitable farm B&Bs but just do what I did. I put either “New Hampshire farm B&B”, “Vermont farm B&B” or “Agritourism in New England” into your search engine of choice, and click on the ones that sound like they have the amenities that will make your stay restful. Here is our Link to B&Bs and Inns for the ones Lisa and I have stayed at. At this point in time, these farms need all the help they can get, so if you have a choice between a farm B&B and an Econo Lodge, please give a farmer a hand.

The final benefit of this road trip choice is that you have your base of operation set. And your hosts will have excellent knowledge of the area and can send you out each day with specific suggestions.

3rd Road Trip Idea: Mountain trails, biking, and hiking.

kingdom trails Bike Shop along Darling hill road between Lyndon Vermont and Burke Vermont — Kingdom trails Bike Shop on Darling Road in the Northeast Kingdom

All across New England hiking/biking trails are available for the beginner to the expert. If you’re a non-hiker/biker like I am, make sure that you go with somebody who can keep you on the right path. I’ve heard Burke Vermont is the top for bike trails in the North East Kingdom. I’m not a mountain biker but this should be ideal for the outdoor enthusiast.

You might check with your lodging establishment to see if they know of anybody who might do a guide and/or rental services. This way, they can take you on trails that are both matching your experience level and they will know where the trails open up with views of ponds and fall foliage color.

It doesn’t matter what New England state you are planning to visit. From Maine, all the way down to Connecticut, you can find businesses that offer guided tours and or rental services. I have found some businesses and put them on a page for you to try out. As I say on my bike touring page I have not tried them so I am not endorsing them. But do your due diligence when checking out these bike rental and guide services on my website. I think exploring trails by bike is a great way to experience the colors of New England Fall Foliage.

(1) The term “Leaf Peeper” is used both with appreciation (for those businesses that benefit from the millions that pour into New England each fall) and with disdain (from those who have to use the roads that are popular with leaf peepers)

Jeff Foliage Folger

Autumn is a state of mind more than a time of year – Jeff Foliage

Visit my Amazon affiliate store for items that Lisa and I have curated for you. These items are either New England-made or things we think will make your fall foliage trip more successful.