New England Fall Leaf Peeping Trip

Happy Friday, Lovelies!

One of Alex and my favorite fall traditions is our annual fall getaway. We take a long weekend (alone…thanks mom and dad), pick a fall trip location (that usually involves hiking and good food), and take off on an adventure full of fall foliage and time for just the two of us.

Last year we headed south to Asheville, NC. We hiked in the mornings, toured the Biltmore, watched the sunsets from mountain tops and when it was dark, ate our way around town.

This year, I knew I wanted to head north. We always head south to Bald Head Island, NC for our annual summer trip and have never had the opportunity to visit northern coastal towns like Newport, RI or Portland, ME.

We thought fall would be the perfect season to check out the coastline and mountains of New England.

After much planning and discussing we picked four locations in New England that we wanted to explore:

• Woodstock, Vermont
• Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
• Portland, Maine (and a few small coastal towns in between)
• Newport, Rhode Island

Woodstock, Vermont

Our first stop on our tour of New England was the mountain town of Woodstock, VT. Its small-town charm reminded me so much of where we live. I loved the cute shops, the beautifully decorated homes that were perfectly festive for fall, and the feeling that no matter which road you turned down, you were sure to be amazed by the foliage that surrounded you.

Where to Stay: The Woodstock Inn located in the center of town and directly across from Middle Cover Bridge. There are bikes that you can use to ride around town, and the inn is decked out for fall.

Where to Eat: The Worthy Kitchen, Barnard Inn & Tavern, The Farmers Market (we grabbed a great sandwich and beer here before heading to the Quechee Gorge).

What to Do:

• Middle Covered Bridge
• F.H. Gillingham & Sons-Vermont Country Store
• Farmhouse Pottery
• Simon Pearce
• Hike Marsh Billings Rockefeller
• Quechee Gorge
• Sugarbush Farm (just the drive to this farm is gorgeous)
• Billings Farm

Fall Foliage Drive: Route 4 from Woodstock to Quechee

The day we were in Woodstock, we grabbed lunch at The Farmers Market and sat out by the Connecticut River to eat. We explored the town and stopped in FH Gillingham & Sons, explored Middle Covered Bridge and stopped at Sugarbush Farm. On our way out of town, we hiked along the Quechee Gorge.

Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

Where to Stay: Omni Mount Washington Resort

The Omni Mount Washington completely blew us away. There is so much history (and ghost stories) within the hotel’s walls. You walk out onto the terrace to the most gorgeous panoramic view of fall foliage. I could have just sat outside on their upper terrace all day. They have amazing restaurants and bars, hiking trails, golf, a spa, and so many activities offered.

One of my favorite hikes of our trip was right off of the golf course and took us directly into one of the National Parks.

Where to Eat: The Omni Mount Washington has some great dining options that range from formal dining to small bites. We ate at Stickney’s Steak & Chop Pub. My husband LOVED his steak there. He is a self-proclaimed steack enthusiast. When he loves a steak, it means it’s incredible. We also went to The Cave after dinner to have a few cocktails in the hotel’s Speakeasy.

What to Do:

• Mount Washington Auto Road
• Mount Washington Cog Railroad
• Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway take a gondola ride up to the top of Cannon Mountain for gorgeous views of fall foliage
• Hiking

We fell in love with the White Mountains and New Hampshire. It was so hard for us to leave. If you ever get the chance to take a fall trip, this needs to be on the top of your list.

Just driving through the White Mountains was special. We saw wild turkeys and deer and stopped at some of the most beautiful country stores and markets.

Portland, Maine

Where to Stay: Hilton Garden Downtown -the location of this hotel was perfect. Aside from visiting lighthouses, we were able to walk everywhere we wanted to go…and by go…I mean everywhere we wanted to eat…Portland is a huge foodie town and has some of the best breweries and restaurants which leads me to…

Where to Eat:

• Luke’s Lobster– the best Lobster rolls we had our entire trip. Also unlike other lobster shacks who do not serve alcohol, this one served everything from cocktails to local beers! I also have to say we had the sweetest waitress here. She shared so many fun tips about Portland with us.
• Scales– from our calamari to the oysters to the whole steamed lobster, we were in heaven! This was a great dinner out!
• Holy Donut– Portland’s famous potato donut was a must for breakfast! The donuts certainly didn’t disappoint. Alex had the maple and I had the apple cinnamon one. They were SO GOOD.

Where to Drink:

• Allagash Brewing Company– Try their white beer it’s amazing and was our favorite of all the beers we tried in Portland.
• Blythe & Burrows– sit at the front bar for a fancy martini or go through the secret bookcase to the basement bar for a fun speakeasy vibe.

What to Do:

• Visit a local brewery
• Eat your way around the city
• Visit one of the five local lighthouses

Pitstop in Kennebunkport, Maine

After leaving Portland for our final destination we stopped in the cutest coastal town of Kennebunkport and grabbed some great “clean” chowder and lobster rolls at the Cape Pier Chowder House.

We actually ran into a couple who are originally from a town fifteen minutes away from our hometown. Crazy, right!? It was the best chowder I had my whole trip and I loved the casual outdoor seating.

Newport, Rhode Island

I thought the homes (mansions) in Palm Beach, Florida were unreal until I had the opportunity to drive on Ocean Avenue and see the lavish mansions that most owners deem as their “summer cottages” in Newport, Rhode Island.

Newport has been on our travel bucket list for a while. We fell in love with the culture, the harbor view, and the rich (in more ways than one) history of the area.

Where to Stay: Hotel Viking, The Vanderbilt, Cliffside Inn

We stayed at Hotel Viking and loved that we could bike around town. We were also welcomed with complimentary margaritas upon checking-in. They have a great rooftop bar with small bites and a closed-in patio with an outdoor fireplace.

Where to Eat:

• The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar (we had the best raw oysters and Pumpkin Spice Mules here)
• Bouchard Inn & Restaurant
• Rooftop Bar at Hotel Viking

What to Do:

• The Cliffwalk
• Drive along Ocean Avenue for views of the mansions along the coastline
• International Tennis Hall of Fame
• Shop along Bowen’s Warf or Thames Street
• Visit one of the lighthouses
• Gooseberry & Easton’s Beach

Outfit Details: Top / Blazer / Skirt (similar) / Headband / Sunglasses / Boots

One Final Detour in Mystic, Connecticut

After saying goodbye to beloved Newport, we made one final stop in Mystic, Connecticut. I thought long and hard about staying here one night of our trip, so I had to at least drive through the town to see what it was like.

We stopped at B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill on our way home and boy do I wish we had more time to spend here. This is a great family spot and the oldest steam-powered cider mill in the states. You can see how cider is made. They have cider tastings and “hard cider/wine” tastings. We only had enough time to walk around for a bit and grab some cider to take home with us, but next time I definitely want to spend more time here.

What I Wore:

I don’t think this post would be complete without sharing all my fall outfits from the trip below.

Alex and I both looked at each other on Monday morning and said, “Trip redo?”. We definitely will be missing lobster rolls, New Hampshire/Vermont mountains, and coastal views. Until next year…

Happy Friday! I hope you have a great weekend.

xoxo,

Kalyn