Where to stay in Maine/Vermont area?

[bostonsmama]

My DH is coming home from a long deployment at the end of the month and we'd like to escape somewhere to the North to reconnect and rekindle the romance. He'd like to take some vacation days before they expire in October, so we were thinking of a place like Vermont or Maine. I hear both are BEAUTIFUL in the fall! He asked me to do some research on bed and breakfasts we could stay at in a forrested area with some nice relaxing attractions, and perhaps some wooded hiking trails. My dad took me up to Montpelier, VT when I was in high school and it was so awesome: Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory, tours of the capital with quaint little shops and museums. I imagine Maine would be just as beautiful (I know Barbarhow is in Maine, right?)

I'm going to start my search online for B&B's, but if anyone has a great spot they love and any activites they enjoyed, let us know. We'll have 1-2 weeks to burn, so nothing too expensive (i.e., under $120/night). Also, he dislikes driving long distances (and I hate flying), and I know Montpelier is 12 hours away, so nothing at the far edges of the earth unless it will take my breath away.

Can anyone help? Is September in season or off season? What's the weather like then?

Larissa
who is still trying to give birth so she can have more to say

[slknight]

Yep, Barbara is in Maine and so am I.

September, I think, is one of the most beautiful months up here. The weather is gorgeous and most of the tourists have left. :P But the leaves probably won't have turned too much. The beginning to mid-October is generally peak season. Honestly, it is crowded up here during leaf peeping season and I suspect a lot of stuff is booked up already. It's also pretty pricey.

Where are you driving from? Portland is about a 10 hour drive from DC as a point of reference. One of the things I really like about Maine is that you can see the gorgeous leaves right next to the ocean. I would highly recommend Kennebunkport but I think that most things here are going to be more than $120 a night.

If you want to go inland, Woodstock/Quechee Vermont is really nice.

[brittone2]

No great suggestion but dh and I honemooned at the Stone Hill Inn B&B in Stowe and it was fantabulous. Seriously...one of the best vacations of my entire life. I think it was pretty pricey per night though although I could be wrong. I'm sure there are less expensive places in Stowe though. We much enjoyed eating lots of bread from a local bakery and drinking lots of wine in front of the cozy fire :) There is horseback riding, hiking, cute shops, local art galleries, coffee shops....cozy cozy. Ben and Jerry's is close by, and there are lots of gourmet food shops if you are a foodie...and Cabot cheese everywhere :)

[kfcboston]

Hi there - I'm in Maine as well. (Hi, Susan! :) ) I totally second these suggestions, and I've heard great things about Camden/Rockport too, although it might be too far for you? I love Woodstock, and we stayed at a very reasonable B&B there - let me know if you want the name of it and its site.

[brigmaman]

I am dying to get up to this place:
http://www.equinox.rockresorts.com/index.asp
I don't think it qualifies as "not too expensive," though. ;)

[npace19147]

We stayed at the Blueberry Hill Inn in VT and loved it - those chocolate chip cookies, yum! :)

[jasabo]

Maine is gorgeous in the fall, but the leaves won't start turning until October. Sept is really nice too and it should still be relatively warm (for Maine ;) ). I love Kenebunkport. It's a really quaint town right on the water and the beaches are really pretty. You can take a whale watching boat out - we actually saw a whale when we went, which was really neat.

Wells also has very pretty beaches. Both places are close enough that you could go to Portland for a day, which is fun. They've got cute shops and great restaurants in the waterfront area.

Lisa - mom to 2 yr old twin boys

[bostonsmama]

Hi, Katie!

Your Woodstock recommendation would be lovely. You can post it here or PM me. I've found a bunch of places in our price range, but none of them are catching my eye like the one we visited out on the California coast. It's hard when you've been to a truly beautiful place....you constantly compare it to everywhere else.


Larissa
who is still trying to give birth so she can have more to say

[kfcboston]

We were looking for someplace reasonably priced and for a one-night Saturday stay during peak fall season (SUPER rare) and they fit the bill.

http://www.carriagehousewoodstock.com/

[Mama to EllieCat]

I live very near Burlington, VT on Lake Champlain.

Church Street in Burlington is lovely for shopping and good restaurants. The waterfront and sunsets can be gorgeous. There are half day excursion boats on Lake Champlain. I can always locate coupons for out of town guests.

Great hiking is nearby. Easy and harder hikes. Many bike paths along the lake. Rent a bike for a day. Do it in Stowe- they have a lovely bike path with views of Mt Mansfield. Take the gondola to the top if you don't want to hike it.

Stowe has many great spa resorts, too.

Montreal is 90 minutes away. Stowe is about 1 hr away. The Champlain Islands- about 30-45 minutes away- have great B&Bs and there are a few wineries.

Split up your trip- spend a few nights in Montreal. Then try another B&B in another area.

There are always fall festivals in some town or another.

http://www.vermont.org

Hope that helps.

I'm getting jealous of all the fun you could have! Darn job, darn new house!

[khalloc]

I also live very close to Burlington, Vermont.

Do you live in Boston? (like your name suggests?)

If so, Montepelior is not 12 hours away. Its about 3.5 hours by car. B&J is not in Montpelior, but it is in Waterbury which is pretty close. When are you planning your trip? Because you might want to hold on on deciding where to go until you figure out when because depending on the week the foliage season might be past. I would say that peak foliage up here in the Burlington area (which is about 40 minutes north of Montpelior) is late September/early October.

September is definitely in-season and you are going to pay alot more for a hotel room because its leaf-peeping season, and thats the time of year that all the tourists come up looking for the pretty orange/yellow/red leaves.

I would suggest the Stowe area because that is sort of like quintessential VT and out of towners love it. :) Burlington would be a nice day trip. And there are great restaurants and shopping in Burlington.

Kristen

[khalloc]

Hi Kristen! I am Kristen also and live close to Burlington. What a coincidence?!

[jesseandgrace]

I have a FABULOUS suggestion, but it is not exactly where you asked about, but close. DH and I went to a place in the Berkshires called Gedney Farm and Inn on the Green. It was one of the most romantic places we have ever been. We stayed in the farm house, but there is also an old inn part just up the road. The inn serves dinner nightly with some of the best food I've ever had. The only lighting in the dining room is candle light, and the setting is beautiful. Our room at the farm house had a jacuzzi and was very tasteful, but very private as well. The walking trails are right outside the door. I absolutely love Maine and Vermont, but as far as a romantic getaway, this one sticks out for me as relaxing and romantic, mostly because of this inn. The town has great shops too. The only problem I can think of is that I think it is popular for weddings on the weekend because they have so much land, so in season I think it would be better to go mid week, or at least ask about it.

[bostonsmama]

It looks gorgeous. Thanks for the tip.

Would you believe that I'm now looking at a place even farther for twice the price and loving it? Isn't that awful? Sigh.

I think I need to scope out the library for Inns/Bed&Breakfast books. Then I'll do my finish work online. But golly, isn't Willough Lake gorgeous?

Larissa
who is still trying to give birth so she can have more to say

[jk3]

The Equinox is fabulous. Try doing a search on www.hotels.com or priceline to see if you can find some decent rates.

Jenn
DS 6/3/03

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030603/2/5/1/-5/.png