2018 Exploring New England in the Fall

(Editor's Note: This trip was taken September 30th thru October 11th, 2018)

This year my wife and I decided it was finally time for another "bucket list" trip - New England in the Fall. Being a huge fan of Fall color in the Upper Midwest, we thought it was time to checkout the "mother of Fall Color" in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. As with all our other trips, this would be a driving trip, which meant taking advantage other sites from and to Iowa (Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan).

Planning

Planning for our adventure began in July with establishing a route and making hotel reservations. The trip was essentially broken up into three parts - the "drive to New England", "touring New England", and the "drive back to Iowa". Trying to learn from past trips where we crammed too many hours driving and not enough time enjoying the surroundings, the drive to New England portion would take 3 days. The "touring New England" would encompass 5 days, and the "drive back to Iowa" portion would last 4 days.

Taking advantage of travelling to and from the eastern portion of the United States, we also included stops in Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan, which allowed us to check out the NFL Hall of Fame, Niagara Falls, Mt. Washington (Cog Railway), Lancaster, PA, Gettysburg, Flight 93 National Memorial, and Michigan (checking out some wineries and a casino).

The final logistical planning activity was to acquire the tollway auto payment device - E-ZPASS. This is the contraption you put on your windshield that allows you to not stop at every toll booth between Iowa and the East Coast. Using the internet, I found a New Jersey site that allowed you to set up an account (minimum $25 to be loaded into account, with additional funds pulled from your credit card as needed), and even have a windshield device mailed to you. Luck was on our side - the windshield device showed up the day before we left!

Everything was ready to Explore New England in the Fall.

The Drive to New England - Days 1-3

Day 1 - We arranged the day to leave Waterloo based on avoiding major tourist areas on a weekend. So we took off on a Sunday, with our 1st day driving to Canton, OH (~ 11 hrs & almost 700 miles). About the only exciting part of the the drive was having that E-ZPASS Toll device! It was so nice just keep on going, and not to have to pull up to the booth, dig out $$ and pay! We found a sports bar in Canton, where we enjoyed our normal "Sunday pizza" and a local brew (or two).  Miles Driven - 671 (10 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 0

Day 2 - The 2nd day was the "real" start of vacation. Our plans were to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and drive to Niagara Falls for our next overnight. Being early risers, we decided to grab a breakfast first at Scrambler Marie's. With the Hall of Fame not opening until 9 am, we explored a few local Canton sites, including the President William McKinley tomb, located in McKinley Memorial park. It was a a beautiful, crisp morning, so climbing the steps to the tomb, and exploring the area was a great start to the day.

From there, we took the short one mile drive to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There's quite a complex on the Hall of Fame grounds. So we did a quick drive around to check out their stadium the multiple practice fields, McKinley High School, and the huge C.T. Branin Natatorium. Our tour of the Hall of Fame lasted about two hours. We stopped at a couple video presentations in addition to wandering the displays explaining the decades of the NFL... pretty amazing to see, given what you see on TV today. After numerous photos of Chicago Bear related displays, and a quick trip thru the gift shop, we hopped back in the car for the 4 hour drive (250 miles) to Niagara, NY.

We arrived in Niagara Falls, NY about 3 pm, and got checked in to our hotel. The day turned overcast, and slightly misty, so we donned our rain coats and headed out on foot to explore "The Falls". Given the time of day, we decided to only explore the United States side of the falls, which included Niagara Falls State Park, Goat Island, and Luna Island. It was amazing, for a late Monday afternoon in October and the fact it was cool and misty, how many people/tourists were still out viewing the Falls. After about 90 minutes (and approx. 3 miles of walking), it was time to scope out a place for dinner, and our nightly refreshment(s). Evidently, Monday nights in Niagara Falls is NOT a popular night for "sit down" restaurants, as we could only find a couple in the downtown area that were open. We finally stopped at TGI Friday's across from the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino. Not exactly what we had hoped for, as we usually grab some "local spot" when we visit new towns, but at this point in the day, we were ready to sit down and relax.
Miles Driven - 250 (4.5 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 3.2

Day 3 - Day 3, the last day of our drive to the "New England area" would take us to Burlington, VT, travelling along/near Lake Ontario, and thru New York State. With our usual early start, and the weather being overcast and a light mist, it was a bit difficult to navigate the back roads leading out of Niagara Falls, and to find an open gas station. But as the sun came up, we settled in to enjoy the New York state country side. We chose to take Hiway 18, which ran along the shoreline of Lake Erie. This is a less traveled road, and allowed us to view the the more rural side of New York State - apple orchards, small towns, and farmsteads.

One of our favorite sites on any trip are lighthouses. Our 1st lighthouse was the Oak Orchard Light House, near Lakeside Beach State Park. This lighthouse is a replica of the original lighthouse, which was swept from the pier in a storm in 1916. From there, after a short drive to Rochester, NY, we checked out our second lighthouse - the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse, along the Genesee River. By now, it was steadily raining, and our visit of this lighthouse consisted of me bolting from the car to the lighthouse grounds, snapping some photos, and sprinting back to the car. Yeah, we like lighthouses, but not enough to go stand in the rain to explore them!

With the rain continuing, and a 6 hour drive to get to our overnite spot in Burlington, VT, we switched from 2 lane back roads to I-90 and Hiway 365 (4 line) to Bulagga Bay and the Lake Champlain Bridge (southern end of Lake Champlain). It was at this point Sue and I both decided that we were finally beginning our New England Fall Tour. 

We had one more hour to our hotel, but had to stop at the
Magic Hat Brewing Company to taste some local refreshments. A neat little brewery! After unwinding with a cold beer, we headed out to grab a bite to eat at Uno Pizzeria and Grill.  

Miles Driven - 410 (8.5 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 0

Touring New England - Days 4-8

Day 4 - The day started out like the last two, with fog, overcast skies and a chance of rain. Our plan for the day was to make it to Bangor, Maine (~ 6 hour drive), after a stop at the Mount Washington Cog Railway, and a round trip ride to the summit. Pulling into the parking lot, we could not see the Summit, and wondered how enjoyable this would be knowing we couldn't see much. We both agreed we couldn't pass this up. Being the early arrivers we are, we wandered the museum inside the base station, learning about the history of this railway, and the unique equipment used. 

As our cog train departure time approached, we lined up and boarded the single passenger car, powered by a  

bio-diesel locomotive. 

The beginning part of the climb had limited visibility due the the low clouds, However, as we moved closer to the top, glimpses of sun and blue skies began to appear. Throughout the ride, the "conductor" gave us a wonderful background not only on the railway, but the surrounding landscape.

Once at the top, we left the train, and explored the Summit. Mount Washington is a place of extreme temperatures, with the coldest being -50 degrees (1885), and a high of 72 degrees (2003). Although chilly on the day we visited (30's and winds 10-20  mph), we lucked out and had the sun break thru, giving us amazing views of the mountain... and the clouds BELOW US!

Our return trip followed the same route as our ride up. However, with the clouds starting to dissipate, we were able enjoy more of the Fall colors beginning to show on the mountainside.

It was a great attraction to begin our New England exploration. For the next couple hours, we opted to take back roads of eastern New York State and Maine. The day ended in Bangor, ME. Since we were "officially" in New England, Sue wanted a lobster roll, and I was ready for a New England beer. We ended up enjoying dinner at Mason's Brewing Company, along side of the Penobscot River. 

Miles Driven - 320 (7.0 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 0

Day 5 - This was the 1st day to do some Fall New England hiking. But we wanted to get up in Northern Maine to truly enjoy the surroundings. We started the day off with a 1 hour and 45 minute drive north to the Seboeis River, where we found a 2.5 mile RT trail that followed along the river. It was perfect hike, with alot of beautiful sights and not too long to wear us out. 

We hopped back into our vehicle and continued on. One of those bucket list places I've always wanted to go to was the northern most point in Maine and New England. So we headed North, following Hiway 11 to Fort Kent, and then taking Hiway 1, along the Canadian border and and then thru the countryside of Northern Maine. Unfortunately, it was still an overcast day, But the the rolling countryside and the Fall colors were still amazing. 

We made a brief stop in Fort Kent for a photo op at the Canadian border, and the start of Hiway 1, which runs the Eastern coast of the United States to Key West Florida. 

It was about a 60 mile drive to get back South to Presque Isle, Maine, where we found our hotel for the evening. Tonite's dinner stop as at the Irish Setter Pub. A quaint, local establishment. The Pub was a fitting end to our day 5 adventures. 

Miles Driven - 300 (7.0 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 2.5

Day 6 - Since we traveled so far north in Maine, Day 6 was a day to head back south on historic Hiway 1, and check out some Northern Maine's sea coast. Our plan originally was to visit Acadia National Park on Day 7. However, we decided to adjust our plans, and make the drive down Hiway 1 as planned, but head to Acadia, and see if we could get in a hike, and do a drive of the eastern portion of the park. 

The 1st lighthouse of New England was the West Quoddy Lighthouse  on the easternmost point of Maine. Man, its amazing how beautiful a sight was with the blue skies! 

After a quick tour of the lighthouse, it was on to Acadia National Park. "Acadia National Park protects the natural beauty of the highest rocky headlands along the Atlantic coastline of the United States, an abundance of habitats, and a rich cultural heritage. It's one of the top 10 most-visited national parks in the United States. The Park has 27 miles of historic motor roads, 158 miles of hiking trails, and 45 miles of carriage roads..." 

After visiting National Parks in the Western United States, Acadia was a completely different experience. We entered the park with one of the best deals I've ever gotten - our Lifetime Senior National Parks Pass. It was mid day, and already the tour buses were lined up to drive the scenic coastal drive. We slipped in and took the one way drive along the coastline, stopping to enjoy the sights and sounds of the waves crashing on the rocky shores. 

Still having enough time in the day, we found a parking place and headed out for a hike, exploring the wooded areas as well as some of the carriage roads running thru the park. The topography gave us some challenging hill climbs. But it was perfect after spending most of the morning in the SUV. 

After finishing our hike we decided to head up to Cadillac Mountain, a premiere spot to catch sunrise and sunset. It was too early for sunset, but as we approached the peak, by the looks of the number of cars and tourist buses, there was a ton of people getting their spots reserved. We spent about 15 minutes there, and decided it was time to head down, and get back on the road to our hotel in Bangor, approximately 50 miles away. The next day we would return to Acadia National Park, and do some more exploring.

Miles Driven - 350 (7.0 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 3.0

Day 7 - Having had a taste of Acadia NP the previous day, we were anxious to get over there early, and not only beat the crowds, but enjoy the early morning light on the sights. My experience has been that some of the best experiences (and photos) have been in the early morning light. This day was no different. We decided to explore the western portion of the Park first, and stop in Bar Harbor for some shopping before heading on our coastal exploration. 

Another gorgeous day - blue skies and great temperatures. The western side of the Park was less hilly, and more populated with homes and acreages. Not far into our drive we came upon Seal Cove Pond. There was a slight fog over portions of a cove along the road. Beautiful views! The lone sail boat anchored in the cove was a keeper shot. So was this shot of a seaplane moored to a dock. Add the colors in, and wow! 

The drive continued on to the next spot we had to stop and check out - Bass Harbor Lighthouse. This lighthouse is always part of images reflecting the sights of Acadia National Park. It was possible to get down on the rocks along the shoreline to get an oceanside view. Of course we had to do that! There were some other tourists there as well, and one said to us "Go Hawks"! Surprised that they recognized Sue's fleece Hawkeye jacket, we chatted with them, and found out he used to be a sales person from the East Coast who regularly drove to Iowa for his accounts. Always fun to run into fellow Iowa supporters! Below is a video of your view from the rocks. 

After the lighthouse, it was time to enter the tourist world of Bar Harbor, Maine. Even at mid morning, the town was full of visitors. Couldn't leave Acadia NP without a shirt! Even the views from the downtown streets were spectacular!

After Acadia National Park, and the shopping at Bar Harbor, ME, we worked our way back to the Hiway 1 shoreline drive. Being a weekend, and a gorgeous day, the traffic was heavy, especially thru the coastal towns like Searsport, Belfast, Rockport and Rockland, ME. After fighting traffic most of the afternoon, we thought we'd find a local establishment to take a break and enjoy the coastal view. Sue found Archers on the Pier, along the Rockland Harbor shoreline.

Refreshed and ready to go, it was time for more lighthouses. Sue directed us to Owl's Head State Park. After a short hike (and climb) we visited Owl's Head Light Station, near Rockland Harbor.  

From there, we headed to our last tourist visit of the day at the Permaquid Point Lighthouse. Here, we visited the Fisherman's Museum, and made the climb to the top of the lighthouse. Its so hard to imagine what it would have been like living at a place like this - good weather and bad! 

Our drive for the day ended in Portland, Maine, with dinner at the None Such River Brewing Company. As we were enjoying our brews and waiting for our meals, I happened to look at an adjoining table, and saw someone that looked familiar.... what do you think.... Martha Stewart?? 

Another great day! 

Miles Driven - 280 (8.0 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 0

Day 8 - We continued our drive along the Atlantic coastline of New England before we have to begin heading back toward the Midwest. Lots to still see, however. We started off with Hurts Donuts and coffee and headed for one more lighthouse - Nubble Lighthouse. 

From there, we continued down Hiway 1 to Portsmouth, making a quick stop at the USS Albacore Submarine, and then hopping on I-95 to Gloucester, MA. It was another beautiful morning, so we stopped and took a stroll along the Western Harbor and Harbor Cove. 

It was time now to face the traffic in and around Boston. After spending the last 3 days on back roads and casual drives thru harbor towns, the drive thru Boston brought us back to the reality of life on the East Coast. But we made it, and found the turnoff for Hiway 3 - The Pilgrims Hiway, and headed to Oversand Station and Race Point Beach at the tip of the Cape Cod National Seashore. There, we visited the Old Harbor Life-Saving Station Museum, and the Province Lands Visitors Center. 

By now, my "refreshment" meter was beginning to go off, so we headed to Provincetown. Boy, what a popular place! We parked about 3 blocks from Commercial St., the main downtown drag for tourists. Shortly, we came upon The Brewhouse. Of course, we had to check it out. Fortunately, as we walked in, two persons at the bar got up. We quickly grabbed the seats. Ahhh... a cold beer, comfortable bar stools, and great people watching! 

From the Brewhouse, we took a walk along Commercial Street, and then out onto MacMillan Pier, where many of the charter and tour boats load/unload.

With a  2-1/2 hour drive ahead of us, we headed back to the SUV and began our trek to Providence, RI. We finished the day at a pizza joint near the hotel, ending another great New England vacation day. 

Miles Driven - 400 (9.0 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 0

The Drive back to Iowa - Days 9-12

Day 9 - This is the start of the 4 day journey back to Iowa. Still things to see and do, but none the less, our direction is headed West. We started Day 9 with a quick trip to scope out the "homes of the Rich and Famous" in and around Newport, RI. 

The dreary overcast day which we had on our trip to New England was back. But hey, we can still cruise Newport. Our 1st stop was the "Cliff Walk" near The Breakers, "the grandest of Newport's summer "cottages" and a symbol of the Vanderbilt family's social and financial preeminence in turn of the century America". With the light mist and cool breeze, our walk was short, returning to our SUV to continue the tour. We thought maybe this was a good area to look for a Summer vacation retreat for us. Not many for sale signs, but we did
see a few.

We followed Ocean Ave. to near the Castle Hill Lighthouse before crossing to the Claiborne Pell/Newport Bridge to Jamestown and and back to Hiway 1. This was our last section of shoreline driving along the Atlantic. Along this drive, however, we had to make a "drive-by" of The Dan Patrick Show Studio in Milford, CT. The show, a big favorite of Sue and I to catch up on all things sports, plus some good laughs, is usually on our radio during each morning of our weekday drive time. 

From there, it was now time to take on the drive thru the New York City area. We thought about trying to do some sightseeing in the City, but decided we need to save that for a future trip, when we can spend more time. I was thinking about doing a "drive thru" of New York City, taking the Belt Parkway, and then crossing thru in the Holland Tunnel before reconnecting with I-287 for our drive to Pennsylvania. But the more we thought about it, we decided we didn't need all the stress accomplishing that drive for what we'd be able to see. So we rerouted to connect with I-287 over to Pennsylvania, then I-78 & I-76, before settling in for the drive to Lancaster, PA. We successfully avoided the NYC area, but boy, even in midday, the traffic was still packed 25 miles north of Manhattan. Trips like these make us so appreciate the "Midwest traffic"!!

The rest of this day turned out to be mostly Interstate driving, following I-76 to Lancaster, PA. Another long day of driving (200 miles from NY City area). So, we decided to take care of business for our return home, and pick up "supplies" at Walmart (Sue's favorite - TastyKakes) and the Brewers Outlet (My favorite - Yuengling Beer).

What would a day be like without dinner at a local establishment? My "tour guide" suggested we check out the Lancaster Brewing Company. Time to kick back, relax and enjoy Flash-Fried Cheddar Curds and a couple local brews to end our day. 

We are starting to wear down, buy still have a couple more days of sightseeing on our way back to the Midwest. Time for a good night's sleep, and then take on Day 10!
Miles Driven - 400 (9.0 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 0

Day 10 - As a Midwesterner, anytime you visit the East Coast, you want to try to take in as many sites as you can. One both Sue and I have wanted to visit was Gettysburg. Only being 60 miles from Lancaster, PA, it was 1st on our agenda for Day 10. 

There is SO MUCH to see and do at Gettysburg. Knowing we had to drive to Pittsburgh, and wanting to make a stop at the Flight 93 site along the way, we opted to tour the Museum and Visitors Center, and then take the audio guided driving tour thru the countryside of Gettysburg (we'll make a return visit in the future and take the guided hikes). 

The guided audio tour was a fantastic idea. We could drive the park roads between the various sites within the Park, listening to narratives describing the history of the land and the battles that took place. We stopped at many sites to get a close up look at some of the artifacts, and stand in awe of views overlooking the battlefields. It was really a surreal feeling knowing the thousands of casualties that occurred across this landscape. You truly cannot grasp what happened at Gettysburg until you walk/drive this hallowed ground. 

Upon completion of the audio tour, we set the SUV GPS for the Flight 93 Memorial near Shanksville, PA. It was a 2-1/2 hour drive, following the back roads of Pennsylvania. Neither of us knew what to expect. Upon arrival, we found a very simple, yet profound complex. 

The Visitors Center housed a very informative museum, not only providing a detailed accounting of the minutes up to the crash, but also artifacts of the crash, and stories of the varied individuals who lost their lives. 

There is a  circular path (~1 mile long) that leads from/to the Visitors Center, which takes visitors past the Memorial Wall and near the crash site. Its such a peaceful setting, yet, the magnitude of the event is felt as you walk the site. 

On our way out of the park we made one more stop at the Tower of Voices, near the entrance to the park. We both were so glad we added this stop to our New England Trip. In our opinion, it is a "must see".

As with the day before, our energy was beginning to run out. We set our sights for Pittsburg, our next to last overnight stay. However, before calling it a day, Sue picked out a local establishment for our dinner - The Hog's Head Bar & Grill. Now, this was as local Pittsburgh as you could get. Set on the side of a hill in Reserve Township, PA, this bar has been in operation since the end of the prohibition era. Obviously, when a couple Midwesterners walk in, we got our share of looks. 

But we were warmly greeted, and sat down to enjoy a couple brews, and sandwiches (mostly typical bar food), while we watched the patrons come and go. After visiting some pretty fancy places during our trip, this was just as enjoyable.

That wrapped up Day 10 of our trip. It was a bonus on our "Fall New England" to be able to take in some unforgettable locations of national history.

Miles Driven - 250 (6.5 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 0

Day 11 - Day 11 is a long day of driving. Our route takes us from Pittsburgh up towards Cleveland, then west on the Ohio Turnpike/I90 to South Bend, where we head north for a couple final sightseeing stops. Our overnight will be near New Buffalo, MI. As with our drive East from Iowa heading to New England, the overcast and rainy weather had caught up with is again. Not much we can do outside so we opted to check out a couple local wineries. 

The 1st stop was at the Lemon Creek Winery & Farm Market, near Berrien Springs, MI. As we pulled in the parking area, Mother Nature let loose. We made a dash from the car to the tasting room. Yes, we were the only ones there! We decided after doing a sampling, that we should enjoy a glass of wine while the rain moved thru the area. 

We were joined by the local security guard - a golden lab, who decided he too was content to stay inside out of the rain. 

As the rain let up, we ventured out to the farmer's market building across the parking area, and sampled some of their wide variety of apples. 

With a couple bags of apples, and the rain letting up, it was time to move on to our next stop - the Round Barn Estate. This was a really unique place. The main attraction was an historic round barn that had been converted into a wine tasting and beer tasting venue, with large areas within the lower and upper floors for events. In addition, across the parking area was also a spirits tasting building with rum, vodka, whiskey, bourbon and gin. 

I opted to skip the tasting, since we still had some driving to do. Sue found some unique wines she wanted to try - Dessert Cream based wines. The person serving Sue said "these are like Bailey's Irish Creme, but without the liquor taste...". Sue tried the Black Walnut Cream and Salted Caramel Creme. Boy, did those taste good (I tried a sip of each)! Needless to say, we left with "a few bottles"!

With the weather still dreary out, we decided test our luck at the Four Winds Casino Resort near New Buffalo. The good news - we didn't lose much! 

Time to call it a day. Tomorrow is the last day of out trip, driving to Waterloo, IA.

Miles Driven - 550 (7.5 Hours) ; Miles Hiked - 0

Day 12 - This was our last day of the journey to New England and back. As with most vacations, the last day is the day you start thinking about all you have to do when you get home. Knowing we had to navigate the heavy Chicago bound around the south end of Lake Michigan, and wanting to get back early enough to pick up the dog from the local kennel, we hit the road early, with our convenience store coffee and donuts. We were greeted with a clear sky sunrise,  as we headed west on  I-94/I-80 across Illinois. Approximately 5 hours (and 350 miles) later, we pulled in our driveway. 

Its hard to decide what to see and do on a 12 day vacation, especially when the trip includes all the New England states and all the states in between Iowa and the Eastern Coast. We both agreed we got to enjoy some amazing places throughout the 13 states we passed thru. We also agreed that if we do it again, we would find an area or two to focus on, and enjoy the the time wandering the nearby sights. 

Having enjoyed Fall colors in the Midwest our entire life, it was a refreshing change to experience the New England countryside. Its definitely a bucket list vacation all should consider. 

If you are interested in viewing more photos from our trip, Click Here.