I love this time of year! There’s always something so inspiring about Fall. It’s the perfect time for a fresh start and all the beautiful fall foliage is just icing on the cake. One of the best places in the country to do some quality Travel Therapy leaf peeping is in the New England area and right now there are some incredible travel specials you don’t want to miss!
Top Fall Foliage Destinations
For this TRAVEL TUESDAYS feature it’s all about picking the best places to see fall foliage where you can also get some huge fall foliage discounts and specials on room prices.
MAINE
I just got back from an incredible trip to Kennebunkport, Maine and the fall foliage was just starting to peak. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to get there from New York City. The flight was less than an hour and then it was just a quick twenty minute drive to the Kennebunkport area. This is such a gem of an area and one of the best parts is right now you can find some fantastic hotel specials with some of the best bed & breakfasts and Inns in New England offering huge discounts.
Top Places To Stay in Kennebunkport
For my trip I stayed at two of the top properties, the Breakwater Inn & Spa and the Beach House Inn. Both right now are offering a huge savings from their regular price with rooms starting at just $125 a night. At the Beach House I had room 404 and loved it. It’s on the top floor with windows that look right out into the ocean. At the Breakwater I also had a fantastic room that had its own balcony that looked right out over the Kennebunkport River.
For more: www.thebreakwaterinn.com & www.beachhsinn.com
Best Place to Eat in Kennebunkport
If you’re in Maine you have to splurge and have a dinner at the legendary White Barn Inn. It’s the top culinary experience in all of New England north of New York City and Chef Jonathan Cartwright out did himself when I was there and the I’m still dreaming about the succulent lobster I enjoyed and the velvety smooth chocolate soufflé. Another fantastic choice for fresh seafood is the Stripers restaurant right on the river at the Breakwater Inn.
For more www.whitebarninn.com & www.breakwaterinn.com
Best Places to see Fall Foliage in Maine
The locals in Maine say the best time to experience fall foliage is usually the last few weeks of October and early November but with Mother Nature you never really know so the best thing to do is check the Maine tourism website for updates.
A popular place to see some of the best fall foliage in Maine is along Coastal Route 1 along Penobscot bay in Mid Coast Maine. From Rockland you head north going through the small, quaint towns and villages like Rockport, Camden, Belfast and on to Bucksport crossing the Penobscot Narrows Bridge. From a 420-foot high observation tower you have views of the Camden Hills, Atlantic Ocean and Mt. Kathdin. Pure heaven!
For more www.visitmaine.com
VERMONT
Vermont is the second largest state in New England after Maine and besides being known for its delicious maple syrup those fantastic maple trees also provide some breathtaking fall foliage scenery. With more than 200 mountains and dozens of crystal clear lakes, Vermont is postcard perfect in too many ways to count!
Top Places to Stay in Vermont
Talking to the kind tourism folks in Vermont I was excited to learn the entire state is doing what it can to promote tourism and make sure people looking to enjoy fall foliage this year are getting the very best deals. How cool is that! So the state has set up a special promotion called Mid Week Peek ( I even love the name) where different hotels across the state can offer up some fantastic specials and then are featured on Vermont’s tourism website.
One example of a special deal I found was at the charming Doveberry Inn in West Dover where if you book two nights you can get a night free and rooms start at just $120 a night.
Top Places to See Fall Foliage in Vermont
Vermont’s tourism website probably is one of the best I’ve seen when it comes to helping you pick out some of the top fall foliage spots to visit. It even has a special foliage forecaster that you can just click on and it will tell you where the best fall foliage is at that time.
There are also some great links to scenic drives so you can plan out your route and be sure to get exactly what you’re looking for.
Here’s the link: www.vermontvacation.com
Vermont’s tourism website also gives some smart fall foliage tips and I’ve also added some of my own here.
Top 10 Fall Foliage Tips:
- Reserve Rooms Early
- Book Mid-Week for best Deals
- Get off the beaten path
- Pack smart for any weather situation
- Be photo savvy-study up on how to take best photos
- Research the area you want to visit
- Talk to the locals for best tips
- Pack a picnic lunch in case you’re not near a restaurant
- Best viewing sunrise and sunset
- Have a good map
For the most updated information on top fall foliage deals in Vermont just go to www.vermontvacatation. com
NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire is another stunning place where you can find some of the best fall foliage around and also score some great travel deals at the same time. I also love the New Hampshire tourism website at www.vistnh.gov because it’s constantly updated with new information that will help you plan the very best fall foliage vacation.
Top Places to Stay in New Hampshire
There are dozens of charming B&B’s and quaint Inns you can enjoy while you’re visiting New Hampshire or you can also find luxury hotels, it’s your pick. The tourism website has a whole list of properties offering special fall foliage rates so be sure to check it out and book early. One resort that stood out is the Mount Washington resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. Right now it’s running a super special where for $175 a night you get breakfast and your own private carriage ride. No matter what kind of atmosphere you’re looking for New Hampshire has you covered and offers competitive prices.
Top Places to See Fall in New Hampshire
The New Hampshire experts, in other words the tourism folks and locals, say that one of the best fall foliage routes you just can’t miss is taking Route 112 from Lincoln to Conway where you’ll find 35 miles of unspoiled road in the White Mountain National Forest. Another recommended scenic trip to take is to travel on Route 4 from Portsmouth to Lebanon.
If you want to add some snacking to your fall foliage viewing don’t miss New Hampshire’s popular Wine and Cheese Tour!
NEW YORK
When talking about the best fall foliage in the East poor little New York often gets left out. Okay, so the state’s not that little and not technically in New England but that doesn’t mean you can’t find some stunning fall foliage here and because it’s a bit off the “usual” leaf peeping radar there are many beautiful areas where you can practically have the whole place to yourself. Plus, New York is celebrating its 400th birthday so it’s one big celebration and that means super savings!
Top Places to Stay in New York
There are so many fantastic deals right now on places to stay in New York it’s mind boggling so to help you pick the place that’s just right for what you’re looking for the best bet is to go to the New York tourism website and check out the latest specials.
Just go to: www.iloveny.com/fall
In honor of New York’s 400 years right now through Nov 23, 2009, on the tourism website you can find 485 special reasons to love New York and I’m taking about major discounts here! You’ll find everything from free wine tastings to free nights at hotels and other major discounts! This makes visiting New York right now completely irresistible!
Top Places to See Fall Foliage in New York
So where do you go to see the best fall foliage in New York? Locals say some picks include the Perkins Memorial Drive in Bear Mountain State Park in Bear Mountain. This offers an amazing view of Bear Mountain and Harriman State Park. It’s on Route 9W or you can take the Palisades Interstate Parkway.
Another top spot to see fall foliage in New York is the Pepacton and Cannonsville Reservoirs in Delaware County. This is also where you’ll find some of the best fly fishing east of the Mississippi. Just take Route 30 from Margaretville or Andes to Downsville along the southern edge of the Pepacton, and Route 10 from Walton to Deposit.
Also, don’t miss Prospect Mountain in Lake George, off Route 9, because you’ll see some stunning vistas of Lake George and a 100-mile view of the five state area from this 2,030-foot summit!
Fall Foliage Wrap
Of course all across country you can find some incredible fall foliage scenes from the Northwest to the South so let me know some of your favorites.
For more unique vacation ideas be sure to check out my latest book TRAVEL THERAPY: Where Do You Need to Go? featuring more than 100 different trips based on what you’re going through in life. You get a special 30% off discount by clicking HERE or just pick up a copy at your local bookstore.
Stay tuned for more TRAVEL TUESDAYS features highlighting some of the best travel deals around!
