Where to stay in October

We%26#39;re visiting NY and the New England area in October. We%26#39;ll be renting a car in Boston and driving through Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and down to Greenfield MA. From there we had planned to return to Boston and fly down to Washington for 3 days before heading back home to Australia. HOWEVER, we think we%26#39;ll be missing out by not visiting the Cape so have decided to cancel Washington and spend a couple of days somewhere in Cape Cod. Any suggestions? Falmouth and Chatham sound good, but I love the look of Nantucket also (the Veranda House looked fabulous).

I%26#39;m also wondering if we should be visiting places such as Mystic and/or Newport RI. It all looks so wonderful but we just don%26#39;t have a lot of time.

We%26#39;d value your thoughts and suggestions. Incidentally, my husband and I are in our early 60%26#39;s, we%26#39;ll have a car and probably won%26#39;t want to cycle and I imagine that in October, swimming will be out of the question.

Thanks for your help.

Where to stay in October

Wow. You are covering serious territory!

Where in Maine are you visiting?

I ask because there are some spectacular coastal areas that rival the Cape. That said, I am a fan of Nantucket and Chatham in October. Newport is a totally different animal. What do you like to do for fun? Do you have three days to spend on the Cape? Where are you departing from - DC or Boston?

Where to stay in October

You might also consider Wellfleet. They have a big Oyster Festival in mid-Oct so almost everything stays open through this point (Oysters are at their peak this time of year if you’re a fan). It’s a town that attracts a lot of artists (potters mostly) and it famous for its natural beauty. If money is at all an issue you’ll find Wellfleet is not nearly as expensive as Nantucket and it’s just a quick ride in the car to Chatham and P-Town. There is also a really cute vineyard in Truro that might be of interest to you.

http://www.wellfleetoysterfest.org/

I would for sure skip Mystic. Newport I can’t really comment on but I know others love it so I’d keep it in the running as you consider your options.

Thanks CapeMermaid

We%26#39;re driving from Boston to Portland then heading west to the White Mountains area of NH. We%26#39;re only in Portland for 1 day unfortunately. We%26#39;ll be spending about a week in amongst the mountains, lakes etc. and I thought it might be good to get another view of NE.

Trouble with coming from Australia is that we%26#39;ll be travelling 20 hours + and although we%26#39;re cramming a lot into a short space of time, we want to get a real feel for NE. Makes it a bit of a rushed trip but Aussies tend to do a lot of driving when travelling because we know it will be a long time (if ever) till we return.

Anyway, back to your questions, we can spend 3 days in the Cape and we%26#39;ll be driving out of and returning to Boston (help!!!) where we%26#39;ll catch the train back to New York before returning home.

We%26#39;re not worrying about a night life nor are we into rugged outdoorsy entertainment. What we enjoy is just driving around and getting a feel for a place, meeting people and enjoying the local food etc. We love to take in the scenery and the history of a place and particularly love architecture. We love just capturing the enjoyment of being in another part of the world which is entirely different from our own.

I appreciate your help (and Brooklyn32 - thanks)

I really like your travel style! You%26#39;re taking a road trip here!

I just noticed the ';Road Trip'; forum on Trip Advisor on the %26#39;forums page%26#39;. You might post there as well to get some ideas about your plan:

tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g1-i12567-Road_Tri…

I%26#39;ll put in my vote for the two of you to visit Newport. You could hit Newport after leaving Greenfield. Drive time is under 3 hours. I recommend spending a night in Newport, but if you want to get to the Cape, you could still make it a nice day trip. Newport seems to have what you%26#39;re looking for: History, architecture, charm, scenic beauty, excellent restaurants. The Cliff Walk is free and offers beautiful ocean views on one side and the backyards of the mansions on the other. The mansions are also stunning and can be toured if you so choose to buy tickets. Like I said, fantastic places to eat in Newport, so you%26#39;ll surely have a great lunch or dinner.

From Newport to Chatham on the Cape is right about 2 hours. I also recommend spending your time in either Chatham, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro or Provicetown. It%26#39;s beautiful and tranquil in that area during October.

Getting back to Boston is not difficult. You will take Route 6 West over the Sagamore Bridge which will put you on Route 3 North. Follow Route 3 North all the way to Route 93 North (Boston). Follow Route 93 into the city. Drive time from Chatham to Boston is 2 hours. Add more time if you plan to reach the Boston area during the morning or afternoon rushes.

This is a very popular time to visit the Northeast because of the changing colors of the foliage. You%26#39;ll need to firm up some plans soon so you can make hotel reservations for the most popular %26#39;leaf peeper%26#39; places.