What if Autumn Guided Tours are Your Goal?
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10Guided tours or not, that is the question…
To start off, all links on this page are ones that can be found on the menu line of the website. Either under Foliage articles or any of the others in the green area!
Autumn guided tours are very popular these days but I don’t take them because I like to stop at too many places and usually for stupid reasons like I want to stop and photograph a tree… 🙂
I get letters from Leaf Peepers from time to time that I feel will help others. So I post them here… ( I prefer questions on the articles for that reason)
Becky gave me these simple facts. Oct 15-22 arriving in Boston and flying out on 22nd. Stay a night or two in Boston, where to stay up north, and we’d rather do guided tours but can drive if we have to, suggestions?
Easy, peasy! 🙂 Yeah right… 🙂
Hi Becky
There are no shortage of places to stay and depending on your arrival time you can either jump in the car or stay the first night in Boston. The Marriott is next to the airport and they will send a shuttle to pick you up. I think any of the major hotel chains near the airport will be fine.
You can try Tauck guided tours 800-680-2858 but I don’t know much about them other than they are the oldest tour company in New England. If you read my blog articles I always tell you lots of great places to go and what I do to plan for them.
If you go to my planning tools page you can order gazetteers and other books to help plan your trip.
You don’t tell me your age or what you might like so it makes it difficult to make a lot of suggestions. But, if you are in the 50 – 70 age bracket then finding a place to stay with nice things around for you to explore may be key.
For your dates, I’m thinking (at least for this year ) that Woodstock VT may work out. 2.5 hours north of Boston. Several nice hotels and Inns (not particularly cheap) but comfortable. (prices run on Trivago $158 – $299/night)
I like this because if I’m wrong you’ll be able to head south to find some color but my gut says a week late this year but it also will color up fast when it does start.
Things to see
Also, there are covered bridges nearby, the Jenne Farm, The Billings Farm and Museum (http://www.billingsfarm.org/) Quechee Gorge, and lots of other scenic spots. Check my Vermont scenic drives/places page
If New Hampshire is more to your liking.
How about Meredith NH? A small village with a big lake. But as I look the two real nice places Churches Landing and the Inn at Mill Falls are both booked up for your dates. But there are places all through that area. Trivago lists many other places to stay like Laconia and Gilford as well as smaller places in Meredith.
A few things to see in NH
You can easily drive up to the Kancamagus highway on Route 93 or take a back road. The “Kanc” as locals call her is the Grand Dame of scenic roads in New England. Due to elevation, she may be done for color but either way, she will be a pleasant drive. One covered bridge and falls and things like that along her length (37 miles).
You can take a ride on the Mount Washington, a steam paddle boat that takes excursions on Lake Winnipesaukee. Or you can take the hobo railroad and a steam rail trip back into the past.
I just did a series of articles on Tamworth NH at this link https://jeff-foliage.com/?s=tamworth and you can read this foliage article to get some ideas.
Make sure that you pick soon, as rooms fill up in the best places.
I hope this gives you so ideas on places to head to and remember, EXPLORING is the name of the game. Get a Gazetteer and a GPS and you will have a great time.
Anyone else has their own suggestions??? Leave a comment below!
Jeff Foliage Folger
Autumn is a state of mind more than a time of year – Jeff Foliage
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We have our route all lined up for our fall foliage trip at the end of Sept. We are very excited! We have used many of your articles to plan some our travels and look forward to seeing the sights as we’ve been planning this trip for years! We are starting from Portland, Maine and traveling through several states, but at a leisurely pace for 10 days. Thanks for all your comments and direction! They have helped so much!
We have our route all lined up for our fall foliage trip at the end of Sept. We are very excited! We have used many of your articles to plan some our travels and look forward to seeing the sights as we’ve been planning this trip for years! We are starting from Portland, Maine and traveling through several states, but at a leisurely pace for 10 days. Thanks for all your comments and direction! They have helped so much!
Plan to arrive in Boston on Oct 8 and travel to Martha’s Vineyard.
Then on Oct 10 travel up along Maine coast on 95 to Portland, ME.
Then go west and take Route 112 through White Mountains and on to Montpelier, VT and Stowe, VT. Then North to the City of Quebec. Then back South to Boston where we want to take a bus tour to Niagara Falls.
So from Oct 10 to Oct 13 will be the main foliage tour.
What are the predictions for fall colors for these areas at that time?
The Maine coast doesn’t usually change until more along the 17th so you won’t see a large area of color until you hit the western portion through NH and into VT. Route 112 better known as the “Kanc” will be hit or miss due to climbs in elevation. I think you’ll still see some color but it usually hits around the 1st to the 5th… This year I think 5th to the 10th should be good so you could get a good show.
Stowe is iffy, I think you might be a little late but it should still be pretty.
Helpful?
Plan to arrive in Boston on Oct 8 and travel to Martha’s Vineyard.
Then on Oct 10 travel up along Maine coast on 95 to Portland, ME.
Then go west and take Route 112 through White Mountains and on to Montpelier, VT and Stowe, VT. Then North to the City of Quebec. Then back South to Boston where we want to take a bus tour to Niagara Falls.
So from Oct 10 to Oct 13 will be the main foliage tour.
What are the predictions for fall colors for these areas at that time?
The Maine coast doesn’t usually change until more along the 17th so you won’t see a large area of color until you hit the western portion through NH and into VT. Route 112 better known as the “Kanc” will be hit or miss due to climbs in elevation. I think you’ll still see some color but it usually hits around the 1st to the 5th… This year I think 5th to the 10th should be good so you could get a good show.
Stowe is iffy, I think you might be a little late but it should still be pretty.
Helpful?
Jeff:
Thank you! I read your post about the impending storm and its possible impact on colors.
Just what type of weather should we encounter from the 10th to the 13th?
Traveling from the west coast to take in New England fall colors and sites.
We are California residents. I know New England states are small in comparison to the West Coast states. We do plan to get out of the car and take in hikes along our routes.
Today I found out that the Kanc is only about 34 miles in length. So it is hard for me to
determine just how far we will get each day. We are dropping the trip to Quebec and Niagara Falls to take in more of New England. We are ‘flying by the seat of our pants’ on this trip and only have booked one stay at Martha’s Vineyard. And, yes, I have already made Steamship Authority tickets to get there and back from the mainland.
And last night I found out it is only about a 2 hour non-stop drive from Boston to Portland, ME. I really do not know how many stops we will make along the way. Do plan to take in two light houses. From what I am finding in these distances is that we will have a lot of time to take in the sites.
Thank you for the tip about Beaver Pond and Sugar Mountain which I will plan to stop at.
Will David, we may have small states in New England, but I challenge anybody to drive from south to north in Maine in less than two or three days only because there’s so much to see when you’re up there.
Distances are deceptive the 34.5 miles that takes you from Conway to Lincoln on the Kancamangus highway could take you anywhere from one hour to the better part of the day if you get out and actually hike at trailer to stop and see the Albany covered bridge and don’t forget the lower Falls and a little pond and, and well you get the idea.
It’s all about getting out of the car and exploring what you find and those of the things that take up the majority of the time if you stay in the car you can cover all six states in a day or two but you really haven’t seen anything.
Or you can keep getting out of the car and really exploring 30 mi.² like I did in my series of articles on Tamworth New Hampshire.
I don’t know what kind of whether you’ll hit between the 10th and 13th of October but as long as you’re in the central Vermont or New Hampshire or Maine areas of New England you should be good as to finding really good fall colors. The Joker in the deck will be the weather and it happens at the most unfortunate times that will get a strong rain storm right before you get here and all the peak colors get taken down and even though I and everybody else is saying how great the colors are you get here and you can’t find a single colored leave because everything that remains on the trees is green.
This does happen! Just like that everything is all wet and colorful, and on the ground. I will not blow smoke you know where and tell you that it’s a safe bet at any time during the month of September or October because the weather can change at a moments notice. We’ve had a wonderful summer as far as sunny dry weather and that same weather is also causing the leaves to fall early in some areas that are having heavy drought. The good thing is that the further north you go, the more rain that they’ve had and you have a better chance of having the leaves stay on the trees longer.
Jeff:
Thank you! I read your post about the impending storm and its possible impact on colors.
Just what type of weather should we encounter from the 10th to the 13th?
Traveling from the west coast to take in New England fall colors and sites.
We are California residents. I know New England states are small in comparison to the West Coast states. We do plan to get out of the car and take in hikes along our routes.
Today I found out that the Kanc is only about 34 miles in length. So it is hard for me to
determine just how far we will get each day. We are dropping the trip to Quebec and Niagara Falls to take in more of New England. We are ‘flying by the seat of our pants’ on this trip and only have booked one stay at Martha’s Vineyard. And, yes, I have already made Steamship Authority tickets to get there and back from the mainland.
And last night I found out it is only about a 2 hour non-stop drive from Boston to Portland, ME. I really do not know how many stops we will make along the way. Do plan to take in two light houses. From what I am finding in these distances is that we will have a lot of time to take in the sites.
Thank you for the tip about Beaver Pond and Sugar Mountain which I will plan to stop at.
Will David, we may have small states in New England, but I challenge anybody to drive from south to north in Maine in less than two or three days only because there’s so much to see when you’re up there.
Distances are deceptive the 34.5 miles that takes you from Conway to Lincoln on the Kancamangus highway could take you anywhere from one hour to the better part of the day if you get out and actually hike at trailer to stop and see the Albany covered bridge and don’t forget the lower Falls and a little pond and, and well you get the idea.
It’s all about getting out of the car and exploring what you find and those of the things that take up the majority of the time if you stay in the car you can cover all six states in a day or two but you really haven’t seen anything.
Or you can keep getting out of the car and really exploring 30 mi.² like I did in my series of articles on Tamworth New Hampshire.
I don’t know what kind of whether you’ll hit between the 10th and 13th of October but as long as you’re in the central Vermont or New Hampshire or Maine areas of New England you should be good as to finding really good fall colors. The Joker in the deck will be the weather and it happens at the most unfortunate times that will get a strong rain storm right before you get here and all the peak colors get taken down and even though I and everybody else is saying how great the colors are you get here and you can’t find a single colored leave because everything that remains on the trees is green.
This does happen! Just like that everything is all wet and colorful, and on the ground. I will not blow smoke you know where and tell you that it’s a safe bet at any time during the month of September or October because the weather can change at a moments notice. We’ve had a wonderful summer as far as sunny dry weather and that same weather is also causing the leaves to fall early in some areas that are having heavy drought. The good thing is that the further north you go, the more rain that they’ve had and you have a better chance of having the leaves stay on the trees longer.