Plan to Get Away with These 6 Picturesque Fall Weekend Escapes Around the Northeast
Driving distance weekend getaways (and one longer respite) that include where to eat, play and stay in Boston, the Cape, the White Mountains, Maine, New York City and the Adirondacks.
White Mountains, New Hampshire
A nature-lover’s retreat that stimulates the senses from the drive to hiking (and the well-deserved meal afterwards). By Edelinda Baptista
White Mountain National Forest entrance. Courtesy of White Mountains Attractions Association, New Hampshire.
Time away from the creative capital is necessary every now and then. Subbing the city’s bustling environment for New Hampshire’s serene setting allows visitors to recharge for just a night or a whole weekend away.
Friday morning: Our first stop in North Woodstock is the Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves (lostrivergorge.com), where we climb up and down the wooden stairs and squeeze in and out of the eleven dark, compact caves — claustrophobia be damned. We peer out over the glistening cliffs and waterfalls in between cave exploring. We then drive to the White Mountains Visitor Center (visitwhitemountains.com) for maps featuring our future hikes and other ideas for activities. Our rumbling stomachs lead us to Black Mtn. Burger Co. (blackmtnburger.com), where my fiance, Bruno, gets the Bison Burger and I order a Smitty Burger, a burger made with grilled cheese sandwiches subbing in for the bun.
The Loon Mountain Gondola Skyride. Courtesy of White Mountains Attractions Association, New Hampshire.
Friday afternoon: We arrive at Loon Mountain Resort for a Gondola Skyride (loonmtn.com), where we witness breathtaking views of endless mountains. At the peak, we walk to the patio of Summit Cafe overlooking Loon Pond, climb the observation tower, check out the amphitheater and shimmy through more glacial caves before our gondola ride back.
Breakfast at the Woodstock Inn Brewery. Photo by Edelinda Baptista
Friday evening: We check into Woodstock Inn Brewery (woodstockinnbrewery.com) and stay in the Lupine Suite, equipped with the inn’s own toiletries, including beer soap and hops-infused hand and body lotion. After dinner at the renowned brewery (margherita flatbread for me, fish and chips for him), we walk down Main Street before heading back to the suite.
Edelinda and Bruno at the Hancock Overlook. Photo by Edelinda Baptista
Saturday morning: We check out of the inn before taking advantage of the extensive menu once again for breakfast. We order the Pacific omelet with snow crab meat and the Wicked Witch waffle topped with ice cream, because what screams early morning meal like ice cream before noon? Soon we are driving on the Kancamagus Highway, a National Scenic Byway that runs for thirty-four-plus miles within the White Mountain National Forest. On the “Kanc,” we stop by overlooks, waterfalls and trails including places like the Hancock Overlook, Sugar Hill Overlook, Sabbaday Falls (our absolute favorite), Rocky Gorge Scenic Area and historic locations such as the Russell-Colbath House and the Albany Covered Bridge.
The Albany Covered Bridge. Courtesy of White Mountains Attractions Association, New Hampshire.
Saturday afternoon: We make it to North Conway, where I crave an acai bowl and locate the Freshies Acai Food Truck (freshiesacai.com) before stepping into a passenger car of the Conway Scenic Railroad (conwayscenic.com). Our back-and-forth journey includes sights of open fields, streams and waving passengers from inside their passing vehicles. Once we return, we walk by the vibrant shops on the White Mountains Highway such as the North Conway 5 and 10 Cent Store and Zeb’s General Store (zebs.com).
Sabbaday Falls. Photo by Edelinda Baptista.
Saturday evening: After checking into the Christmas Farm Inn and Spa (christmasfarminn.com) in Jackson, we cruise into the driveway of the Livery Stable, our home for the night. We stop at the Red Parka Steakhouse and Pub (redparkapub.com) in Glen for dinner, where we indulge in a grilled chicken sandwich and half rack of ribs. A brownie sundae is a great end to the meal before stopping by the Honeymoon Bridge and Jackson Falls, then back to the inn.
Views from Mount Willard. Photo by Edelinda Baptista.
Sunday morning: Our quiet and peaceful continental breakfast inside the inn’s casual dining room restores our energy for the day’s hike: Mount Willard. Down the Crawford Notch, we drive by more trail opportunities on the way to the 2,865-foot mountain, where we hike for three miles. Our mission of avoiding rocks and rolled ankles leads us to a jaw-dropping sight of Crawford Notch from the mountaintop. We settle on a rock overlooking the notch and nibble our snacks purchased from the trailhead’s gift shop.
Sunday afternoon: Next up is a quick trip to the Omni Mount Washington Hotel (omnihotels.com) in Bretton Woods, where we admire more views of the state’s mountains from inside the hotel and outdoors. We take note that this would be an amazing lace for a future lunch following a hike.
Littleton is tranquil and charming. We walk down Main Street and up and down the Riverwalk Covered Bridge to admire the Ammonoosuc River. Near the bridge is Schilling Beer Co. (schillingbeer.com), where we dig into the pastoral wood-fired pizza with house spinach pesto, goat cheese, Roma tomatoes and arugula. After splitting a sweet creme brulee, it’s time to return home.
Ammonoosuc River in Littleton. Photo by Edelinda Baptista.
NUTS & BOLTS
Travel time: Two hours and forty-five minutes from Providence.
Miles: 181 miles.
How to Get There: I-95 North, then I-93 North before getting onto NH-112.
Best Season to Go: Spring and summer are pleasant for hikes, while fall is ideal for both hikes and leaf-peeping; hit the slopes for skiing, tubing and snowboarding during the winter.
Bucket List for Next Time: Visit every stop on the “Kanc” and rest at the campgrounds come nightfall to make it an overnight adventure.
Worth a Detour: Go on a self-guided, two-mile walk through the Flume Gorge to explore the caves, glacial pools and waterfalls.
View from Flume Gorge parking lot.
Coming up: Portland, Maine
