I am planning a road trip through the above-mentioned areas in the fall. These are my must-sees so far:
Now, what am I missing? What should I see, where should I go?
Primarily interested in nature, moderate hiking, photography opportunities.
And, hey, where can I see a moose?
Thanks,
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my personal preference is Old Quebec rather than Old Montreal, but tastes differ.
Gatineau is well worth the trip. Huge park, lots of hiking trails. Check out Kingsmere, which was Prime Minister Mackenzie King’s private home, where he made fake ruins.
I’ve got tons of recommendations for Vermont, and probably a few for Montreal.
How “off-the-path” are you interested in going, and how long are you planning to spend in each area?
(Also, I’d be happy to meet up and show you some old-fashioned Doper hospitality if you were interested)!
I’m in a slow but fun process of visiting all 251 towns in Vermont, and fancy myself at least a halfway decent guide.
Moose sightings are typically best at dusk. There are certain roads like Rt 16 north of Berlin, Rt 112 (the Kanc), or many smaller roads in the north country.
The Flume is moderately interesting, but there are much better hikes to be had. If you are interested, I could give you a list. You could also consider Lost River Gorge in the same area which is more interesting IMO. You can take a tram ride up Cannon Mountain to get you to the top of things and a fun ride up. Mt Washington has a cog RR and an auto road for much more elevation and drama, also more expensive.
Freeport is pretty much just a shopping town, I don’t recommend it. The coast of Maine has a lot more interesting places to visit. Consider Boothbay Harbor, Damariscotta, or Wiscasset. Are you looking for suggestions for hikes in Acadia? If you want to watch sunrise on Cadillac Mountain you should make reservations now.
I also prefer Quebec City to Montreal, but you can find nice things to see in both.
I appreciate that, but that would add a good bit of length to an already long (and already extended) trip. I will consider it, though.
Moderately off the path, I guess. We’ll be spending two nights in Montreal and two nights in Bar Harbor. The other stops are one-nighters.
That’s a nice offer, thanks. I’ll keep it in mind.
I though Freeport would be cool cuz I assumed it was a nice little town on the coast (all LLBean-ey). I can be persuaded to skip it, I’ll check out your recommendations. I know nothing about Cadillac Mountain.
This is all good info. The tram ride sounds awesome.
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Leaf season generally coincides with Columbus Day weekend, typically in a range 1 week either way. The further north you go, the earlier it starts. It’s one of the most crowded times up north, so keep that in mind.
For hiking, October can be anything from pleasant temps and blue skies to snow and ice; often in the same day. If you want to go up high you’ll need to be prepared.
What do you want to see in Maine? Freeport is a strip mall gone wild but I will say a visit to the LL Bean mothership can be on a lot of people’s bucket list. If you want a true downeast Maine lobster dinner I recommend Beal’s Lobster Pier in Southwest Harbor. If you want the best lobster roll I love Red’s Eats in Wiscasset. Warning, it’s expensive and you may have to wait on line for a bit.
Driving to the top of Cadillac Mountain lets you see the first sunrise in North America. (Probably not true, but it’s close.) It’s one of the very popular things in Acadia. Also touristy but IMO worth it is getting popovers at the Jordon Pond House. If you like challenging but relatively short hikes consider the Beehive or Precipice trails. Longer hikes include Gorham, Penobscot, or Sargent mountains. I also love renting bikes and cruising the many carriage roads in the park and marveling at the wonderful stone bridges.
If you’re a beer guy, a jaunt up to Stowe to visit The Alchemist or a jaunt down to Waitsfield to visit Lawson’s Finest Liquids is worth the time. (If you’re a beer guy and hate IPAs, maybe not). Both easy to get to from Waterbury.
I am not a lobster guy.
But I am very much a beer guy.
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The Precipice Trail is not for the faint of heart; lots of narrow ledges and ladders near the top. I understand the Beehive is similar.
You could spend a whole trip in Vermont just going to breweries, but The Alchemist and Lawson’s are super convenient to Ben and Jerry’s. (And they do have stuff other than IPAs.)
There’s also a great craft beer store in downtown Waterbury (Craft Beer Cellar).
If you want photos of Montreal, the place to go is the lookout point at the top of Mt. Royal. You drive up Camillen-Houde (a road), park at the top and then a short hike up to the lookout.
I like old Montreal.
I also second the recommendations of taking a tram up Cannon mountain or the cog railway up Mount Washington. The cog railroad is from another century, and is kinda fun even without the mountain. The mountain is well worth ascending. It’s above the tree line, and … There’s a reason they call it the railroad to the moon. I still have a small scar on the back of my hand from a cinder that came off the old coal-burning boiler.
But “fall” may be too late in the season to get to the summit. Mt Washington was some of the worst weather in the world. I probably wouldn’t go after the summit station closes for the winter.
The cog has mostly updated to diesel locomotives, both for cost and because the coal-fired steam engines poured out a lot of smoke. According to their website they do still operate a couple of steam locomotives in warmer months, but most of their fleet is diesel now. Which is sort of sad, but probably for the best. Those things were dirty.
Typically they run one coal train per day, and if you want it you have to make reservations specifically for it. I think they might charge slightly more for the coal train. October could be great, it could be winter. Check the weather, especially the Obs forecast, before going.
What the order of your trip? There may be places to hit along the way if we know your route.
Well, if you’re already on the Gatineau side, add some time for walking along the paths by the river, in particular the stretch between the Alexandra Bridge and the Place du Portage bridge. The view of Parliament across the river is the best photo opportunity there is in Ottawa, and it’s a nice short walk in any case.
Not yet fine-tuned, but:
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How much time are you planning for this trip? Enough that you don’t plan on visiting more than one a day, I hope, because many of these places are far apart.
For example, I live within 25 miles of the New Hampshire/Maine border and Bar Harbor is a 4 and a half hour drive. Lincoln NH to Bar Harbor is even farther.
It is looking to be a 9-10 day trip. We will have a full day (stay over 2 nights) in Montreal, Bar Harbor, and Ottawa.
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If you can budget the time, a detour down to the Lakes Region in NH is worth it (and not especially out of the way). And stop by Burlington VT for a meal. It’s no metropolis but the Church Street Marketplace is a nice walk and there’s some good restaurants. My wife and I are big fans of the Daily Planet. I’d suggest Leunig’s for some French-Canadian atmosphere, but, you know, Montréal.
I vacation at lake Winnipesaukee every summer, but i wouldn’t detour to the lakes region for this trip. It’s best when you can get into the water. Instead, I’d take the Kancamagus highway, which seems to be right on your route. It has great vistas, and there are lots of light hiking options along it.