Fall Foliage Tours
Folks, it looks like Fall is almost upon us. You know what that means -- FALL COLORS! And with fall colors comes the pursuit of the perfect Fall foliage tours.
What are some great fall color areas and drives you ought to know about?
Kancamagus Scenic Byway in New Hampshire - some consider it the world's most spectacular Fall-foliage tour
The Historic National Road in Maryland - the Chesapeake Bay to the mighty Allegheny Mountains
The Catskills in New York - best the last two weeks of September or early to mid-October
Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina - best from mid-October through early November
Fall Foliage Tour Websites:
If you're someone who loves driving around viewing fall colors, you must check out a cool website, michigan.org, which sketches out some fall foliage tour drives in Michigan to see the changing colors at their best.
One drive that stands out to me is the Grand Rapids to Grand Haven to South Haven to Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids drive which takes you down the Lake Michigan Shoreline and through some beautiful state parks. The drive is approximately 195 miles and is best enjoyed early to late October.
Vermont Fall Foliage
Vermont Fall Foliage
Another cool site is foliage-vermont.com, which sketches out fall color tour drives in Vermont. My favorite is the Covered Bridges route in Northern Vermont along Rt. 118 and the Stowe Area Covered Bridges Tour. But, then, I'm a sucker for covered bridges - fall colors or no fall colors. They also include a 25-mile Woodstock/Quechee bicycle tour in Central Vermont if you want to get that much closer to the gorgeous fall colors.
Maine Fall Foliage
Maine Fall Foliage
Traveling to Maine in the Fall? Then you must visit http://www.maine.gov/doc/foliage/ for updates on Fall foliage conditions. As reported on the site, "The Maine Department of Transportation recently designated three new roads as scenic byways just in time for the fall touring season. They are:
* The Grindstone Scenic Byway on Routes 11 and 159 from Medway to the north gate of Baxter State Park in the northeast.
* The Seboomook Scenic Byway on Route 15 from Greenville to Jackman in the northwest.
* The Evans Notch Scenic Byway on Route 113 from Standish to Gilead in the western lakes and mountains region."
Guided Fall Foliage Tour in Maine
For those of you wanting a guided tour through some spectacular Fall Colors, check out the "Fall Foliage Spectacular" tour out of Boston, Massachusetts. It's a 10-hour tour starting from $55 per person and occurs daily from September 22 to October 21, 2007.
The itinerary is as follows:
Scenic route 2 to North central Massachusetts
South central NH in Rindge
Lunch at a converted NE Mill called Lilly's on the Pond ($12 per person)
After lunch, visit the Nashua area to an apple orchard
Willard Brook State Forest
Call 1-800-257-7544 for more information.
Guided 8-Day New England Fall Foliage Tour
Want even more Fall Colors? Take the 8-day New England and Fall Colors tour operated by CaravanTours. Prices start from $995 and include, according to their website, "Hotels, most meals, all of the activities described in the itinerary pages, airport transfers in select cities, gratuities to hotel porters, restaurant staff and local guides." The itinerary includes stays at:
Hilton Boston Logan Airport
Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Mystic Hotel in Mystic, Connecticut
Stratton Mountain in Stratton, Vermont
Fox Ridge in North Conway, New Hampshire
Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine
Nonantum Resort
Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Mystic Hotel in Mystic, Connecticut
Stratton Mountain in Stratton, Vermont
Fox Ridge in North Conway, New Hampshire
Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine
Nonantum Resort
This 8-day tour begins in Boston and travels through Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. For more information go to caravantours.com
Just so you know, New England states aren't the only places in the country for beautiful changing fall colors. at www.calphoto.com/fall.htm you will find reports of the changing colors in California. Yes, California.
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