Routes and Stayover Suggestions [Allentown to Brunswick, ME]

[RDB]

Caroll and I wish to visit Coastal Maine while waiting for our house to become livable. We plan to visit near Allentown, PA before heading on up.

As I'm unfamiliar with New England, I ask for your assistance in a driving route from Allentown to Brunswick, ME.

I realize the 3rd week of October is chancy for leaf color, but doctoring has to come first. Hopefully the pretty will hold for our excursion.

We'll depart Allentown on the 16th and plan to stop overnight at least once, maybe twice. We just don't ride for hours-on-end anymore.

Have considered heading north through Albany to the White Mountains, then eastward to the coast. Where do you recommended for staying over, if we go that way?

I imagine going toward Hartford, Auburn and around Boston might be quicker and if too late for color-in-the-mountain that would make sense. Where is good for staying over, if we take that route?

It would be great to meet a few of you as we get close. Please email or PM me if there is any interest.

We will goof around a few days on the coast above Brunswick. Anything we shouldn't miss? (Eateries, uniquic sights). We eat lobster somewhere, at least once.

How different is the White Mountains from the Blue Ridge Mountains of VA/NC?

We should use a Week deposit (RCI) after (or while) we see the rocky coast. I'm thinking "Where would be neat in late October?" I think Cape Cod, New York City, Atlantic City...
You see, after we get done with Coastal Maine, we will head back to Newport News, VA. We don't have to return via Allentown.

We also can use Wyndham points for a few "hit-and-miss" stays. Two days on the Cape, two or three in the City, and/or a couple on the Jersey coast. Have to be back around 6 Nov.

Any help from the experts?

 

[amycurl]

I'm not an expert, but I will give you some Allentown to coastal Maine advice. My mother used to drive a similar route to this quite a bit (Reading, PA to Bar Harbor,) and definitely recommends the Albany-through Vermont route. You can sit in traffic for hours and hours on the Mass pike around Boston. (Also, my aunt lives in Glen Falls, which would be her layover on the trip, which would make for one short day and one long day.)

I went to camp for years in the White Mountains and find them very different from the Blue Ridge (which is close to where I live now.) There are dozens of great Vermont/NH towns on that route....Queechee (sp?) Gorge, Rutland, Killington....there are tons of great little places to explore.

But I am biased. I *hate* I-95 with the fire of a thousand nuns (esp. in the NE corridor) and try to take other interstates/US Highways as much as possible.

Hope this helps!

 

[SailBadtheSinner]

The first thing I would do would be is to study the interactive fall foliage map provided by Yankee Magazine - http://www.yankeefoliage.com/peak-foliage-forecast-map/ and try to get condition updates.

If the current conditions are close to average, the map indicates that leaving Allentown on 10/16 would give you past peak foliage conditions in the interiors of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

If the updates indicate an average fall foliage conditions, this is how I would do it. Take Interstate 87 north to Interstate 90 and turn east (towards Boston) which will put you into the Berkshires http://www.berkshires.org/Default.aspx?tabid=58 When you are done in the Berkshires, continue east on Interstate 90 until Interstate 495 just east of Worcester and stay on Interstate 495 until it intersects with Interstate 95 just south of the New Hampshire state line. Follow Interstate 95 all the way into Maine.

some places to visit in Maine:
Freeport, home of the LL Bean main store
Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park, http://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm
Portland, http://www.visitportland.com/

Maine foliage map: http://www.maine.gov/doc/foliage/report/index.shtml

On the way back to home, you could visit Cape Cod, Newport RI, the indian casinos in eastern Connecticut.

Suggestion for your return trip will wait until you have firmed up that part of your travel plans.

No ones has ever accused me of being an expert.



SBtS

 

[ChrisH]

Try the Berkshires

If you go up to Albany and then take Rte 90 through MA a good overnight stop would be in Lee, Lenox, Stockbridge MA area, not too far from MA/NY line.

Plenty of sightseeing and should be some decent color. Pretty wide range of overnights from exchanges at Oak n Spruce Resort or Jiminy Peak or inexpensive motels, reasonable B & B's, up to expensive and fancy.

 

[harris.margaret9]

MassVacation.com has a great fall foliage map as well as a lot of suggestions for things to do in Boston and the rest of MA. The map might help you maximize your time in peak foliage areas!

 

[theo]

Fiery nuns and blazing suns...

I *hate* I-95 with the fire of a thousand nuns...

Having attended Catholic school for a few years in my youth, the thought of "the fire of a thousand nuns" is a very scary thought indeed.

Just joking around --- I realize that you actually meant suns