Making the most of a road-trip thru New England w/ the GF...ideas?

[teddyFBI]

I've agreed to take the GF on a road-trip, leaving from Manhattan, and heading North. That's the extent of our planning at this juncture.

I'm pretty sure we'll end up doing some schmaltzy trek through upstate NY, VT, maybe even getting over to NH and Maine. I need some ideas for the trip, both to keep the GF happy, and to make it somewhat interesting for myself too (fairly normal guy, definitely prefer DOING rather than just SEEING things).

Anyone done something similar who might come to my aid with some suggestions? Nice B&B's to stay at? Would welcome specific locations or activities to hit along the way.

(p.s. probably a 3-day / 4-night thing, so keep that timeframe in mind, and I'm sure she's looking for something that will keep us in the countryside and smaller cities, rather than anything too metropolitan; e.g. no Boston, Providence, etc)

[paperjam]

There's a wonderful little town in Maine called Naples. Old Orchard Beach is always an option. Freeport, Maine for some outlet shopping and LL Bean.

Foxwoods in CT. There are a bunch of great B&Bs nearby.

[Howard Treesong]

The Four Columns Inn in Newfane, Vermont is a nice B&B. Rooms are clean and nice, food at dinner is good and the town is very picturesque. Walk up West Street to the end (a short block) to see the display window of The British Clockmaker, who has some of the coolest clocks anywhere. Brag: I happen to own the apartment building across the street from the Four Columns. Beat: My brother and a boyhood friend once tied me up to one of the trees next to the courthouse in the center of town and poured coca-cola on me.

[scrub]

Stop in New Haven on your way up I-95. Pepe's Pizza or Louie's Lunch.

scrub

[Hoi Polloi]

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There's a wonderful little town in Maine called Naples. Old Orchard Beach is always an option. Freeport, Maine for some outlet shopping and LL Bean.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maine is long on road and short on trip for 3 days, IMO, unless you and GF really like the driving part.

Try the Adirondack Loj in ADK park. Rustic luxury. Or closer to the city is the Mohonk Mountain House near New Platz. Either way you got hiking, boating, eating and more.

[NT!]

Old Inn on the Green, Western MA. Stay for a night and dine, it's one of the best restaurants in New England. There's some good hiking nearby at Monument Mountain that's a great length for a daytime hike - between one and two hours, depending on your pace, with a great view from the peak. If you're into a more strenuous hike, Racebrook Falls will take up a good chunk of the day, and is even more beautiful. There's an extended part in the middle of the hike where you're on this sort of plateau / gentle climb in an elevated forest, really cool to walk through.

If you leave from NYC and go up the Taconic, or Route 22, or pick up US 7, you can be in the Berkshires in under 3 hours. That's a great spot to leave from and shoot over to Hudson, NY, an up-and-coming town south of Albany, or to get out into the Catskills (both in under 2 hours). Or head up Route 7 through Western MA into Vermont, pass through Williamstown, etc. That's a very nice drive.

PM me for more restaurant, lodging and activities info for Western MA / upstate NY, or just let me know what to post in the thread.

[Kneel B4 Zod]

I'm more of a beach guy in the summer. Southeastern Mass (Wesport area) is relatively unspoiled and very nice. rolling farmland into the coast. there are B&B's and a winery to go to there. lots of cool road biking, if that's your thing

from that area, Newport is very close. it can be touristy, but there are also nice beaches, restaurants, and bars to go to.

[samjjones]

I haven't been, but I've been told there's a bunch of wineries in the Finger Lakes region. Saratoga. Maybe Cooperstown if you guys are baseball fans.

[oe39]

woodstock/quechee is a nice stop in vermont

[Enrique]

Burlington is a nice town in Vermont.
There are a lot of places to hike too (either in Vermont of New Hampshire), I'd recommend Mount Washington. Hiking up to Tuckerman Ravines is a fun thing to do.