Trip Report: New England Road Trip

TLDR: Last October (5-15) I (33 year old woman) took a road trip through New England, hitting Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine. The scenery is gorgeous, both the mountains and coastline. The food is great (I ate a lot of lobster) and I already want to go back and see places I missed.

I didn't make a budget for this trip (a bad habit of mine). Nor did I record how much gas, food or souvenirs cost, but I wasn’t shaking my head in dismay at my credit card bill after. I stayed in Bed and Breakfasts for about $150-250 a night. I loved having “the New England experience” this way.

Breakfasts were typically at my stay. Most lunches were at smaller shacks or places I could get into quickly. I ate nearly all my dinners at the bar, where I chatted with patrons and the bartenders and typically got one local brew or new cocktail. My souvenirs were magnets, a bottle of gin and some small artwork.

Thursday Oct 5-Friday Oct 6

I drove from south of Ottawa and arrived in Stowe my first evening. On the way down, I took a  route through the islands on Lake Champlain. Here I stopped for lunch at golf course (fabulous, great beer from Kraemer & Kin) and visited the small remains of a fossilized reef. I drove though Smuggler’s Notch to arrive and would have loved to take more time in this area in the future.

I stayed at the Brass Lantern Inn, which was gorgeous, super friendly owners, and really good breakfasts. It was sort of mountain cabin inspired, which fit well with Stowe.

On my full day in Stowe I walked around the (very cute!) town and hiked up to the lookout over the town to take photographs. I took a few trails to see waterfalls and mountainside scenery. I got there just after a storm had passed though, but the scenery looked much better than the images I took.

Saturday Oct 7

This was a big driving day with little detours and stops along the way. I went south along Route 100 (scenic byway) and visited the Cold Hallow Cider Mill in the morning since it was raining. I was able to see several covered bridges and Moss Glen Falls (roadside). Once it cleared up a bit I happened upon an artist’s market and spent time exploring the stalls.

I stayed at the Black Swan Inn on Lake Winnipesaukee and left for Salem in the morning. I loved the classic Victorian vibe but didn’t get a chance to spend much time in the building.

Sunday Oct 8-Monday Oct 9

Salem was a zoo when I arrived. I drastically underestimated the number of people in the city for Spooktober. I went straight to my AirBnB in nearby Marblehead (room in a private residence). I spent the afternoon at the lighthouse, relaxing and watching the tide come in. This little break was one of my favorite afternoons.

On Monday I went into Salem and took a walking tour around the city covering the history of the port town. I also visited some of the many (many) outdoor shops out for the city’s month-long Halloween festival. I got a chance to see the Peabody, an old, well established history museum.

I left town Tuesday morning after eating at a local fisherman’s spot in Marblehead (cash only, inexpensive and delicious, a recommendation from someone the night before)

Tuesday Oct 10

Another long road trip day. I took Coastal Route 1, which wound through cliffs and along the ocean. I stopped at several lighthouses and took a small detour to go up to a viewpoint on the Bridge. Kennebunkport was a cute town I wanted to see more of, and I had to pass through both Portland and Rockland before reaching Camden. I didn’t get a chance to see much of Camden and would love to go on a harbor and lighthouse cruise next time.

I stayed at the Blackberry Inn, which was SO classic New England. I wish I’d been able to stay longer. In the morning I continued north to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor

Wednesday Oct 11-Friday Oct 13

I stayed at Moorings Inn, which turned out to be on the far side of the island from Bar Harbor town. However, it was a ten minute drive to the Bass Harbor Lighthouse. I arrived late afternoon and sat with some lovely photographers to catch images of the sunset. I am very grateful to them for their tips.

I took a harbor tour, which I had hoped would focus on the history, wildlife, and geography of Acadia. Unfortunately, my guide was more interested in telling us which house was owned by which celebrity.

I took a day to go through the Acadia Park Loop, stopping at anything that looked interesting, including the famous Thunder Hole, taking the shore path, seeing two Pebble Beaches, and visting Jordan Pond for lunch and a hike.

I decided to take the side path halfway around the pond loop, as the sign said it was a short distance to Bubble Rock. This was a mistake. None of the signs tell you the walk is basically vertical. I made it up (somehow) and got back down (another minor miracle- I am not in shape). I finally arrived back to the Jordan Pond house just after sunset and was able to catch a great photo on my phone in the twilight.

Saturday Oct 14

I chose to take a different route home, passing through Quebec to visit the Dark Sky Observatory in Notre-Dame-de-Bois. I attended a presentation on the solar eclipse (that occurred April 2024). While it was entirely in French (a language I cannot speak) I still found it very enjoyable. We were able to go outside afterwards and examine the sky, including Jupiter and Saturn using the observatory telescopes. 

As to the bed and breakfast. I have never had chicken as good as what I ate at the Au Vaillantbourg. Despite my language barrier, communication wasn’t difficult. The hostess had Google Translate ready and was so kind during my visit.

What Went Right: Food paradise. There were so many local brews. I ate so much lobster. I typically sat at the bar- I found it more engaging and interesting, even when I didn’t chat much. The bartenders were great and I got to meet a lot of wonderful visitors to the area as well!  I loved both the scenery- both the mountains and the coast

What Went Wrong: I had a cold the first few days, which put a damper on things, but it had resolved by the second week. I found that I was tired of moving from place to place every night in the middle portion. I didn’t expect how busy Salem would be and

Final Verdict: In the future, I’d love to take a couple more trips to New England and take more time in each location. I hope to go back at least once to stay in the White Mountains of New Hampshire since I missed out this time. I love visiting the mountains and the North Atlantic.