The drive from Rangeley Maine to North Conway NH down Rt 16
by Bob Hughes
(Uxbridge UK)
Colorful Fall Foliage Scenic Drive
I only wish I knew all the names of all the places, but if you follow the route it's quite spectacular. For the last 5 years now I have taken time out to visit New England and do the same route each time.
This year I flew into Boston Logan airport (due I live in the UK) and on 4th Oct drove up to Kennebunkport and stayed at Mainestay Inn there -- absolutely delightful cottages.
New day moved onto Camden, Maine for a 2 night stop stayed in the Whitehall inn. This small town is where much of Peyton place was filmed and there s memorabilia all around the Whitehall Inn. The new owners - last 2 years - are very welcoming even though we only met briefly 2006.
A drive up Mount Battie is a must as you can see many of the offshore islands all the way to Bar Harbor and of course the view down to Camden itself is stunning especially if you catch the colors bang on.
We then took the 3-4 hour drive to Rangeley which is well documented in other parts of New England websites. But the paste de resistance in the drive from Rangeley to north Conway. This was about the 9th Oct last year and for the most part the colors were all on peak.
As you leave Rangeley a look back at Mooselookmeguntic lake is a must -- the whole mountainside looked on fire with the reds of fall. The route then takes you southwards all alongside a river for possibly 40-50 miles or so. The name of the river escapes me as does the names of some of the towns.
Crawford notch soon appears once you've arrived in the white mountain region this itself is spectacular passing by the auto road for Mt Washington and then some ski resorts. Soon you'll arrive at Jackson possibly one of the most picturesque villages in the whole of New England. Believe me it compares with some of the beautiful villages in the Cotswolds UK. Then just a few more miles onto North Conway.
I always stay in Stonehurst Manor just north of the very famous shopping strip and the views from the hotel are fabulous themselves. We stopped only one night and plodded on down Rt 16 and onto Rt 25 past Meredith and Laconia back to I-93 and back to Logan for our flight home.
I firmly believe I will be doing this every year till I'm unable to - being 62 now. I'm always open to a variation of the route or even something quite different but New Hampshire is a must as part of it.
Author Bob Hughes
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