Fall drive in New England?

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[Lectrichead]

It was suggested on the Aztekowner's Mailing List (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Aztekowners/?yguid=131070311) by Joe G. that maybe we could have just a show-up event; a Fall New England drive?  Any interest?  Any ideas for routes, dates, etc?

[97drexelgrad]

I'm Game !!!  I just need plenty of notice to make arrangments with work.
Brian

[an_aztek]

Count me in, just get a time and  date.
KBro

[chameleon-Kat]

We may be able to make it also

[Lectrichead]

I've been on a bunch of websites and from what I gather:

A) It's good to make motel reservations ahead of time for this season.

The changes in foliage is not an exact science, but they can predict the peaks fairly well for different areas.


I guess my thoughts would be to come up with a couple possible routes and dates and see which one the most people would be interested in?  Kinda new to this myself.  So any suggestions would be great.


I got these off a website, as a starting place:

Day Trips From Portland

Get a head start on your Christmas shopping (or a late start on back-to-school shopping) in Freeport - Maine's shopping mecca and home of L.L. Bean. When you've worn yourself out in the outlet stores, consider the scenic and relaxing outdoor activities we've discovered for you near Freeport.

Take the back roads from Portland to the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester, where you can get a glimpse of the Shaker lifestyle that produced the simple and beautiful Shaker furniture that is so popular today.
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Southern Maine is a treasure-trove of antique shops tucked away in quaint coastal towns. Spend a leisurely day exploring some of the many stores, while enjoying the contrast of vibrant fall foliage against the vivid blue backdrop of the ocean. Tall white church steeples peaking out from glowing yellow or flaming red and orange treetops dot the landscape, and white sandy beaches, deserted now that summer's over, beckon to leaf peepers.

Day Trips From Boston

Less than an hour from Boston is a mysterious, ancient site containing stone buildings and tunnels, a large sacrificial stone, and stone astronomical alignments that mark the summer solstice.

After visiting America's Stonehenge, which has puzzled archaeologists for a century, why not visit nearby Salem, Massachusetts?

Wine lovers might prefer to combine a scenic fall drive with a visit to the award-winning Nashoba Valley Winery just 40 minutes from Boston. The winery offers guided tours that explain all the nuances of their wine-making process and end in a tasting of several wines.

After visiting the winery, you'll still have time for a drive to nearby Lake Winnipesaukee, where you can view New Hampshire's autumn splendor from the decks of the "M/S Mt. Washington".

Canterbury, New Hampshire's historic Shaker Village is a perfect place to visit in October when the leaves are at their peak. Tour the buildings in this scenic setting, eat lunch at the restaurant, and browse the village shop.

If you have time, plan to continue on for another half hour or so drive to Lake Winnipesaukee, for a fall foliage cruise aboard the "M/S Mt. Washington".

Day Trips From NY City

Lovely Litchfield, Connecticut, makes the perfect day trip destination, especially when you include a visit to the White Memorial Conservation Center. The 4,000-acre wildlife preserve is a spectacular place to explore in the fall, and the whole family will enjoy and learn from the exhibits at the nature center museum. Your day will be particularly scrumptious if you include a refueling stop at the Tollgate Hill Inn & Restaurant, which has welcomed guests since 1745. Their Sunday brunch was voted best in Litchfield County by readers of Connecticut Magazine.

A drive in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts is entertainment enough this time of year, but while you're there, why not explore the more than 500 works of sculpture artfully displayed at Chesterwood, the former home of acclaimed sculptor Daniel Chester French, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. If you're lucky, you'll find a fire burning in the lobby of the Red Lion Inn when you retire there for lunch or dinner after your Chesterwood excursion.

If you are a true wine lover, why not prove it by stomping grapes this fall? Brotherhood Winery, the oldest continually operating winery in America (they even beat Prohibition by making wines for "religious purposes"), holds its annual Grape Harvest Festival in early October, and yes, you can feel the squish of grapes between your toes. Brotherhood is also a great day trip destination and is open every day through December for tours and tastings. If you're looking to do some early holiday shopping, be sure to sample Brotherhood's "Holiday" wine, a mulled wine that is served warm and is sure to chase away winter's coming chills.

[chameleon-Kat]

Hhmm there are quite a few options depending on what everyone is interested in.  As far as timing is concerned, in general  terms in average years,  I think peak foliage may be around 3rd week in sept about as far north as the white mountains in NH  (We were there one year and it was sno*ing , but not sticking. Last year bout that time was early for leaves turning),  to 3rd weekof Oct or so in southern New England.  Some places, like Maine coast can be very nice during fall, but extremely busy traffic wise (even on weekday never mind weekend). Also kinda depends on where everyone is coming from and how long a drive it may be for them.  Perhaps somewhere  in Eastern NY or Southern VT might be good  ( I-87 for those that might come up from south and I-90 for you Marc) . If I can come up with something more specific, I'll post more.  ( BTW My home PC got cooked by a weather event a while back so I can't get to YAHOO and don't know when I will get back there , so I'll have to find out stuff here)  Ray 

[Lectrichead]

One of my friends mentioned the White Mountain area, he said it was a good ride through there.  I did a little research and it seems like a definite option, large park with trails also.

As you said - it depends a lot on where everyone is coming from... 

Possibly if everyone is from NY state and states below, the Adirondacks would be an option as it would be closer?

[Lectrichead]

Oops, sorry Ray - kinda missed your reference to Eastern NY/Southern VT.  Very nice day here in upstate NY, got the laptop balanced on my knees connecting to my wireless and the glare on the screen is kinda bad...

In the Adirondack park, eastern NY, are some interesting mountains.  Some have some good trails to climb that aren't too bad.  You can even drive up Whiteface Mountain, about 7 miles or so; there's the town of Lake Placid and all of the stuff left over from the Olympics, various park trails, history museums, Ausable Chasms (you'llbe amazed if you've never been there) http://www.ausablechasm.com/, and a ferry ride across Lake Champlain to Vermont (a nice ride) if desired.  Can you imagine the picture that a bunch of Azteks on a ferry would make?

So a definite possibility there if there were interest.

[chameleon-Kat]

The Charlette-Essex Champlain crossing isn't to bad (20 mins) and access is pretty easy from I-87 (Ticondaroga). Mt Mansfield in VT also has a auto road that goes up to 3800 ft level I believe, and smugglers notch (close by) can be interesting, and perhaps with a little more travel, the floating bridge in Bookfield,Vt. Lots of possibilities.

[Lectrichead]

That sounds good too!

Now all we have to do is pick one.

[97drexelgrad]

Due to my change in jobs, I wont be able to attend as I won't have a weekend off until at least until the middle of November.  And then we are taking our trip to the Carribean.  Sorry- can't take the Aztek there, but I will be looking for Teks there!!

[Lectrichead]

Maybe next year we can do something here in the NE.

[97drexelgrad]

Well, it's not quite New England, but I am heading south down to Cape May, NJ for the weekend.  We're staying at Beachcomber's campground so if any one is going to be in the area stop by or drop me an email at 97drexelgrad@aztekfanclub.com  It's the new camper's second trip out.

Brian