 |
6 to 10 Day Tour-Northern New England |
|
|
Northern New England has its cultural side, but most people who tour here are looking for outdoor adventure. The following itinerary can also be followed as two shorter trips. |
||
|
|
|
Look upon Days 1 through 4 as a short tour of the Maine coast, returning to Boston on Day 4. To make a six-day tour of New Hampshire and Vermont, drive north from Boston to North Conway NH, and pick up the itinerary at that point in Day 5. Day 1Head north from Boston on I-93, then I-95, stopping at Porstmouth NH for lunch and a tour of Strawbery Banke. Continue to the Maine coast, staying the night in Ogunquit or Kennebunkport, or, if you prefer, in Portland. Day 2Continue northward along I-95, stopping for some shopping in Freeport, home of L L Bean and many factory outlets. Just before Brunswick, follow US 1, continuing through Bath. Spend part of the day around Boothbay Harbor, or Camden, or Blue Hill, but plan to stay the night in one of Bar Harbor's sumptuous inns. Day 3Explore Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, with another overnight here. Day 4Return to Portland and drive north on the Maine Turnpike and Maine Route 26 via Sabbathday Lake and Poland Spring to Bethel, for the night. Day 5Follow US 2 west to Gorham, then NH 16 south through Pinkham Notch to Glen and North Conway. Have lunch in North Conway, or buy supplies for a picnic, then drive westward along the Kancamagus Highway, the heart of the White Mountains. Stop for a picnic and a short hike at one of the White Mountain National Forest areas along the highway. Spend the night at Lincoln or North Woodstock, at the western end of the highway. Day 6Drive north from Lincoln through Franconia Notch, stopping to see the Flume Gorge and other natural wonders. Stop for lunch in Littleton, then head southwest on US 302 into Vermont. You may want to take a look at the Rock of Ages granite quarry and Hope Cemetery in Barre, next to Montpelier. Spend the night in Stowe, Burlington, or Sugarbush Valley. Day 7Visit the Shelburne Museum south of Burlington, then follow US 7 south through Middlebury and the Middlebury Gap to Hancock, on VT Route 100. Drive south on VT 100, perhaps with a detour to Woodstock or Plymouth. Stay the night in Woodstock, Weston or Grafton. Day 8Spend today exploring the beautiful towns and villages of southern Vermont: Manchester, Dorset, Grafton, Newfane, Weston. Spend the night in any one of these. Day 9From Manchester, go south along US 7 via Arlington to Bennington for a visit to Old Bennington, the Bennington Battle Monument, and Bennington Museum. If you have the time, you can slip across the state line to see Williamstown MA and the wonderful Clark Art Institute. and/or Mass MoCa in North Adams. Stay the night in Bennington. Day 10Go east along VT Route 9, the Molly Stark Trail, via Marlboro to Brattleboro, perhaps with a detour to Newfane for lunch. Continue via Keene NH and Mount Monadnock back to Boston.
|
|
| |||
