Thinking about visiting New England? We did! We were at New England on the last two weeks of October. The plan was to experience the famous Fall Foliage, see some of the equally famous covered bridges and coastal lighthouses. We were told that the the peak for fall foliage happens around September. We had to miss it by a few weeks due to work. It still turned out memorable for us with what fall foliage that was left and a short blast of northern winter. We were also able to go around to see the covered bridges in nearby locations. Furthermore, the parks of Vermont, the lighthouses of Maine, the coastal towns of Maine, the gilded castles of Rhode Island, the historical sites of Connecticut, and the busy downtown of Massachusetts all gave us a perspective of the New England States. We booked our flight weeks earlier and landed at Boston Logan International Airport. Our rented Q5 audi SUV kept us comfortable all throughout our trip.

New Hampshire – leaf peeping

• We spent the night at Windham, NH after driving 39 miles via I-93N from Boston Logan International Airport. The next day, we got our first show of the famous New England fall foliage – at a friend’s backyard! Golden, red, orange, and yellow leaves filled every tree surrounding us and the nearby Corbetts Pond. We will be heading to the Nordic Village Resort, NH today with multiple stops planned in between.
• There were more fall foliage at Massebasic Lake in Auburn, NH. It was sunny with high cumulus clouds and there was a slight ripple on the lake’s water that reflected images of the fall foliage.
• We were planning to do a short hike at Franconia Notch, located in the heart of the White Mountain Forest at Lincoln, NH. The wind from the northern blast froze the top of the trees and stripped it of the fall foliage. It was gray all around and without the multicolor of fall. It was a dangerous day to hike hence we settled for the passable roads and moved on.
• It was 41 miles of driving today via US 302 W. Our beds were soft and warm when we got to the Nordic Village Resort in Jackson, NH.

New Hampshire – covered bridges, Falls of Song, and Castle in the clouds

• The last count were about 58 historic covered bridges currently in the state of New Hampshire. We located the nearest ones in Jackson, Bartlett, and Conway. The bridges look ordinary but knowing its history of evolution changes the perspective of seeing the bridges. It made us feel like going back in time.
• Brook Walk, the hiking trail leading to the Falls of Song, took us through more fall foliage and a view of the largest and most spectacular of the series of falls along the walk.
• Castle in the Clouds, located in Moultonborough, NH, was our last stop for the day. The hike was short and through more fall foliage. It was getting dark and our appreciation of the overlook view was limited by the darkness of twilight.

New Hampshire to Vermont – 63 miles via NH-104 W and US-4 W

• We left Jackson, NH early and had breakfast at Meredith, NH. It was delightful to be sitting in a restaurant that was overlooking the serene Lake Winnipesaukee. Before long, we were on the road again headed toward Vermont.
• Quechee Gorge was our first stop after crossing the boundary of New Hampshire and Vermont. It was dubbed as the “Little Grand Canyon of Vermont” and it was located in Hartford, VT. It was a bit cold that day and so we shopped for a while at Vermont Antique Mall for some apparel to keep our heads and ears warm. We hiked down to the gorge and enjoyed the view of the water with sunlight sparkling on its surface.
• We love ice cream! It was only logical that the next stop was at Ben and Jerry’s ice cream factory at Waterbury, VT. We didn’t do the tour but we did taste some of the ice cream flavors. What can we say? Just delightful!
• We eventually ended up at our destination – Burlington, VT.

North of Vermont Scenic Byway 100

• A scenic byway in Vermont, known as Scenic Byway 100, runs along the eastern border of the Green Mountains. We followed this byway but not the popular locations. We opted for the northern extension of the byway that took us to more covered bridges, the Stowe Mountain Resort, the Smuggler’s Notch, and Bingham Falls. These were not the popular places along Scenic Byway 100 and we still enjoyed our adventure.

The local parks of Burlington, VT and Colchester, VT

• We spent the whole day resting from all the long distance driving. We explored some areas of Burlington and Colchester.
• Oakledge park faced the waters of Lake Champlain. There were a lot of construction and renovation in this park but it was a good place to spend time. There was a short trail that we walked, a park with a tree house, and a shore with red rocks. It was a good break.
• Causeway Park was 11 miles from Oakledge park. We arrived at the park by getting to the edge of Lake Champlain at Mills Point Road in Colchester, VT. What was unique about this park was that it has a hiking/biking trail that allowed for crossing to the northern side. The trail was created from an abandoned train track. The hike along the 4-mile, 10-foot wide trail was covered with fall foliage and opened up to a clearing with water on both sides. An island, covered with fall foliage, can also be seen to the left of the trail. We were planning to see the bird houses at Bird House Forest. We never made it. It was too far for us and we didn’t have enough time. We did meet a lot of locals along the way enjoying a hike or bike ride.

The lighthouses of Maine

• We were looking forward to seeing the sixty five lighthouses in Maine. Six of those were located in the Portland area and we were able to visit four.
• Cape Elizabeth lighthouse, also known as 2 lights or twin lights, sat in a private property but can be viewed from the rocky ledge of Two Lights State Park .
• Portland Head Light, one of the most photographed, painted, and visited lighthouses in Maine, was situated adjacent to Fort Williams Park .
• Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse can be reached only by walking the 950 foot breakwater made of granite blocks. It was near the campus of Southern Maine Community College. A caisson-style lighthouse used to help mariners safely navigate Casco Bay.
• Portland Breakwater Lighthouse, also known as Bug Lighthouse due to its small size, was designed as modeling an ancient Greek monument. Bug Light Park was located right next to the lighthouse with a view of the harbor and the Portland skyline.

The coastal towns of Massachusetts

• We visited three coastal towns in Massachusetts. They were located around 40 miles northeast of Boston, MA. The reason why we wanted to see these towns was because of the following: It was located far from the hustle and bustle of big city Boston, it represented the coastal way of life of Massachusetts, and it was famous for its fishing ports and art associated with the area.
• Rockport, MA – a seacoast village at the tip of Cape Ann. Home to Motif # 1, a famous art structure dubbed as the most often painted structure at the end of the granite wharf of Bearskin Neck.
• Gloucester, MA was sort of “down the road” for us. We were headed to its direction and we happened to ask one of the ladies at the coffee shop at bearskin neck for other interesting sites. She pointed out that Gloucester has been famous for fresh seafoods and a rich maritime history. It’s also known as having “America’s oldest seaport”.
• Manchester-by-the-sea, MA was the next stop. The town has always been famous for its vista points and scenic beach. We spent the late afternoon and early evening at the Singing Beach. We were lucky we found a lot of empty parking spots. This place has the reputation of full parking spots and a crowded beach. A movie was also titled for this place.

Rhode Island mansions tour

• We drove through Bellevue Avenue Historic District as we surveyed the gilded mansions from the road. Tourists on buses were plying the same route as information was provided by their tour guides. Not all mansions were accessible as renovations were done.
• The Newport Cliff Walk, a three and a half mile public walkway with a view of the ocean on one side and the mansions on the other side.
• Breakers Mansion, originally owned by the Vanderbilts, was built in only two years and the grandest among the gilded mansions in Newport. It has seventy rooms and twenty seven fireplaces.
• Chateau Sur Mer, now a museum and only open on weekends, was one of the first grand mansions on Bellevue Avenue. It was built in 1852 as an Italian-style villa. It boasts a massive three story great hall with forty five foot high ceilings.
• Rosecliff Mansion, built in 1898 to 1902, has a total of thirty rooms. It has the largest private ballroom in Newport with a view looking out over the ocean.
• Marble House, a fifty-room mansion where the front porch resembles the White House.
• The Elms, one of the grandest mansion in Newport. It has forty eight rooms and covers around 60,000 square feet of space.

Connecticut historical sites

• Yale University – founded in 1701. The third oldest institution of higher education in America located in New Haven, CT.
• St. Mary’s Church at Yale – established in 1832. The second oldest Catholic church in Connecticut.
• Mark Twain’s house – located in Hartford Ct. This was the home of famous author Mark Twain, real Name Samuel Langhorne Clemens. He lived in this house with his family from 1874 to 1891.
• Harriet Stowe center – just a minute walk from Mark Twain’s house. This center is open year round and includes the Harriet Stowe house and Katherine Seymour Day house.
• Bushnell park – established 1854. 41 acre of oldest publicly funded park in America.
• CT state capitol- overlooking Bushnell park. initial work started 1871. first general assembly in 1879.

Boston, MA

• Back in Boston, MA just in time to spend one more day walking around the Medical Hub, Quincy Market, and Faneuil Hall before preparing to head back home.
• We cannot emphasize more the fame of Massachusetts General Hospital. My younger self spent a lot of time reading about the research and breakthroughs that were done at this famed institution. Now I look at its facade knowing that a lot of my contemporaries came here to work and to learn. I also need to mention Boston children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
• Harvard Medical School and Boston University School of Medicine were also walking distance from the Medical Hub.
• Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall, located in downtown Boston, has food stalls and offered a variety of food choices as well as shops and outdoor entertainment.
• New England Holocaust Memorial, built in 1995, offered a glimpse of its memorial.