Okay GRM'ers I need your help. My wife and I are wanting to go on a vacation in the New England area this October and I thought that hitting a road rally in the area would be a great way to see some fall foliage and good backroads. So anyone know of any road rallies going on in that part of the world or just some good destinations in the area to hit while we are there? We haven't settled on a state we want to go to so we're open to suggestions.
New England Region SCCA holds road rally events year-round:
http://www.ner.org/rally/rdral/events
Sonic
Dork
7/26/11 11:12 p.m.
No matter what you do, be sure to drive across the Kankamagus highway. Best scenic road in New England.
By October, the Cape and islands are empty of all the summer tourists, Boston is back to being a college town, and up north is full of leafers or in that weird state of empty between leafing and sking season. By October, a good portion of the fall foliage up North is Gone. Make sure you check out the fall foliage maps that are available so you know where to go for the best leaf peeping.
yeah, get your hotel reservations early - leaf color changing is a hot season
RexSeven wrote:
New England Region SCCA holds road rally events year-round:
http://www.ner.org/rally/rdral/events
Yeah October appears to be the only month they don't do anything. lol Just my luck.
Well be road tripping it up there from Nashville so I'm sure we'll see plenty of foliage on the way up even if most of it might be gone up north.
tr8todd wrote:
By October, the Cape and islands are empty of all the summer tourists
Columbus Day begins the Mass exodus. Go to the Cape that week. Monday will be a nightmare, but for the rest of the trip, you'll have the whole Cape to yourself.
It is a hot season for hotels, but you can still get stuff if you call more than a few weeks out.
While not a road rally, try coming up to the Mt Philo Hillclimb which is the weekend after columbus day. You can run the hill if you like, or you can corner marshall with your spouse. There are great views from Philo and the foliage should be near peak at that time. You can camp at Philo, but prepare to be cold.
I work for a resort in Vermont, and if you like I can design you your own "rally" through some of the best roads in the area that will happen to give you some good foliage views.
Feel free to email me with questions, and I can steer you in the right direction if Vermont is part of your equation.
Drive up Mt. Washington. The views absolutely cannot be beat. Plus you get a sweet sticker to put on your car. Oh, and you can pretend to be Frank Sprongl on the way up. Except that you'll be limited to about 20 mph Portsmouth, NH is a cool town if you don't mind navigating medieval-era road set-ups. Plenty of breweries around if you're into beer.
In reply to Twin_Cam:
Yeah I think Boston will be one of the stops and a Sam Adams tour is in order there, along with stopping at Hershey PA for my wife's sweet tooth (and mine).
I wouldn't mind heading up into Vermont sachilles so I'll shoot you an e-mail later. Thanks for all the advise so far guys!
gamby
SuperDork
7/28/11 12:28 a.m.
I dunno how good it is in October, but late last summer some friends from NJ (a couple) and my wife and I went to the Connecticut Wine Trail. It's a network of vineyards in Western CT.
We had an absolute BLAST plugging a vineyard into the Garmin, finding it, doing a tasting and moving onto the next one (you don't drink enough to get drunk). I think we hit 4 vineyards. Stayed at a little B&B, ate at an awesome restaurant (The Woodward House) and spent a great time with friends.
The vineyard owners take their craft seriously (even if the wine is only so-so--it was more about the experience) and the scenery is spectacular. It was a great out-of-the-box weekend. I couldn't believe it went as well as it did.
My wife's Fit was a week old in this pic among the vines
October is deep into cranberry harvest season as well. It is old hat to me and TR8Tood as we live in cranberry country,but many people come out to see the cool colors,and unique way of harvesting the berries(They flood the bog,and then use machines to knock the berries from the vines which they then float to the top). The colors on the bogs during harvest are great along with the leaf changes. You can try more than a few different recipies for all things cranberry as well if you like them which most I think do. South-Eastern MA is the honey pot as far as the berries go,and ocean-spray is based in Lakeville,MA. This area is just off the cape(some working bogs still on cape,but not as much),and would be a fun stop on your way out there. Take the canal tunnel if you get the chance it is fun.
-Chris
Oh, if beer is an attraction, you had better stop through Vermont. Lots of good craft brewers. LOTS.
I know some guys selling Shifter Carts up in the northeast...cheap