New England road trip places to see?

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Flame
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New England road trip places to see?

Post by Flame »

We are taking our 1998 Concourse from East Texas all the way up east coast to Main and back. Going first 2 weeks this June and want to make a itenerary. Any advise or suggestions of what to see and do? We are also going in to Cooperstown New York for baseball hall of fame. Plan to just "touch" Main to say we've been there but want to visit All new England including Vermont. Also want to "drive through" Washington D.C. and possibly New York City. Mostly want to experience waterfront quaint little fishing towns and shops. Don't care about swimming...just sight seeing and shopping little towns.Definantly want to go to Cape Cod. Thanks in advance. I believe the temperatures should be nice in early June?
1998 Concourse V-10 Triton....AKA...Land Shark
deppstein
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Re: New England road trip places to see?

Post by deppstein »

Flame...sounds like a great trip. So much to see. Based out of Boston, we have traveled the region from the tip of Maine all the way down to the Smokey Mountains in our 2004 Premier. We are campers and tend to gravitate to state parks and the like more than RV parks. And we always travel with our bikes (there are fantastic biking opportunities throughout the region, so if you are similarly inclined, let me know and I can make some specific suggestions).
First off--if you really want to focus on "little fishing towns" and interesting places to walk and shop, I think you really should reconsider your intent to just "dip your toe into Maine. The Rocky, wooded, coast of Maine with its thousands of miles of coastline is THE PLACE to experience those sorts of places. Seacoast Route 1 from Brunswick to Bar Harbor winds its way through those exact types of places. And for a real treat, park your Rig in Port Clyde for the day and take the passenger ferry to Monhegan Island (no cars allowed). Freeport Maine, between Portland and Brunswick is home to LLBean and Kittery Maine (near Portsmouth NH) is full of every outlet store you could imagine. All along the way, lobster rolls abound. Acadia National Park in the Bar Harbor area has great easy hiking along old carriage paths and you should definitely stop at the Tea House in the Park during 4 PM "tea time" and have a popover while sitting in the Adirondack chairs by the lake.

Now, back to some suggestions of things to see on the route East:
--The Blue Ridge Highway and Skyline Drive through the Smokey Mountains and up toward the Shenendoah Mountains for sure
--On the way, check out Monticello (Jefferson's historic home)...really worth the trip. And on your way into DC, I would recommend a stop also at Mount Vernon (Washington's Home near Richmond)
--While in DC...The African American Museum, Holocaust Museum, National Gallery, and the Smithsonian top my list
--Traveling North, toward New England from DC, I would head inland some to avoid New York and New Jersey...boring drive, and you have to go around Baltimore anyway (can't travel through the tunnels with propane). If you like to hike, check out the Catskills (North South Lake Campground is good base)
--Heading toward Cape Cod (I agree, worth the trip), perhaps consider stopping in Newport RI to take the Harbor Walk and get a sense of America's Gilded Age...the mansion tour is great!
--While on Cape Cod, suggest camping at Nickerson State Park, where you can ride (or walk) the Rail Trail. Province Town is a HOOT, and the National Sea Shore beaches are all worth a stroll.
--Marblehead (in Massachusetts) is a cute old town on the water, and, of course, Boston has lots to offer.
--In New Hampshire, its all about the White Mountains. A drive along the Kancamgus Highway (112) from Lincoln to Conway is the way to go. Lots of great hiking spots right off the road (some with waterfalls), and several good State Forest Campgrounds
--Then for Vermont, I'd recommend everything! A drive up through Vermont along highway 100 will take you through some of the prettiest places you have ever seen with lots of small towns, campgrounds, hiking along the way.

I'll stop here for fear of overwhelming. Feel free to come back with specific questions on particular types of activities or places to camp along the way.
You can send a PM If you prefer. Enjoy!
David
SpongeSue
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Re: New England road trip places to see?

Post by SpongeSue »

Image

New Shoreham is a cycling, laid-back spot with a fantastic wildlife sanctuary and lighthouse that dates back to the time when Bland Island was tasked with keeping ships out of dangerous shoals. You can even take to the skies and see the island from above on a helicopter tour.
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—Bill Murray
Newgmole
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Re: New England road trip places to see?

Post by Newgmole »

We are preparing to take our maiden voyage with Lois… Our recently acquired 1998 premier. We will be leaving from the Harrisburg Pennsylvania area headed north to New England starting October 12. We are retired and are looking for some laid-back, where are the locals eat, not crowded, scenic places to see. I plan on taking 81 north to Scranton, then taking 84 E. to danbury Connecticut. We will follow that to Hartford Connecticut. Then I have not decided on a route north ( thinking Rt1 north along the coast). We want to end up in Acadia national park/Bar Harbor in Maine. I’m thinking of taking the scenic route #1 along the coast, picking it up somewhere north of Boston. As gas is quite expensive and we are on a fixed income I am looking to stay overnight for free some of the time, and camping in state campgrounds the remaining time. With a occasional night in a regular campground with full hook up. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!
1998 Premier V8
chin_k
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Re: New England road trip places to see?

Post by chin_k »

I am not a big fan of Danbury. Do you have specific reason to go to Scranton? I think you may want to use the Merritt Parkway in CT (15) if that is a good alternative. It is parallel to I-95. However, it is no-commercial vehicle parkway, and have a few low bridges. I only drove on it on a passenger car, so I do not know if the rig can use it. It is a lot more scenic than most of the routes in CT.

I would love to New England in the autumn... maybe some days.

Edit: Sorry, the height limit is 8 ft, and it specifically says no RV. Oh well. :(
2000 Concourse dinette, on 1999 6.8L Ford E350 Triton V-10 Chassis
Newgmole
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Re: New England road trip places to see?

Post by Newgmole »

Thanks for the reply Chin_k ! 8-)
I don’t really have any reason to go to Scranton, just figured it would be easy to take 81 north to Scranton and pick up 84 W. No reason in particular, just wanna avoid major truck route. I know 81 is a major truck route but after that should be smooth sailing. :shock:
It’s been along time since I’ve been north of New York and it is shore time! I have no love for Danbury Connecticut either, don’t know much about any of the New England towns with the exception of Cape Cod were we vacationed previously. There should be an awesome trip with the colors of the leaves and all the autumn activities. We are looking forward to the trip.
1998 Premier V8
chin_k
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Re: New England road trip places to see?

Post by chin_k »

Danbury is famous for hats. You may want to wiki it and see if there is any attractions that you like. I think you will be better off along the coasts as much as you can then go inland for the foliage after you get past New Haven, but you may want to continue along to RI if you like the coast. I think deppstein and others above made some great suggestions. There are a few Chinook owners over there (I know a few people over the facebook group who are from there in Westerly RI and New London CT area). I kind of like doing exploration without much planning, but always come home with a lot of missing opportunities. I guess that is a great excuse to go again, but last time I was there was 20+ yrs ago :(
2000 Concourse dinette, on 1999 6.8L Ford E350 Triton V-10 Chassis
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