USA
Lighthouses & Red Leaves Tour
New England September/October 2006

Flight Cologne - New York
Thursday, 21st September, 19 °C, sunny; distance: 12 miles

We left Düsseldorf at 7 a.m. and arrived at Köln-Bonn airport 30 minutes later. We parked the car, found a trolley and after queuing at the Continental check-in we were done by 8:15 a.m. We had to pass through the security scan twice and at 11 a.m. our flight took off 30 minutes behind schedule. The plane wasn't quite full and the seat next to us remained empty. Food and service were fine, but entertainment was rather poor as the movies were several years old and more suited for family entertainment.

We arrived in New York (Newark) at 13:20 local time. By 2 p.m. we had passed immigration and customs and we took the AirTrain to the car rental agency (National). We had booked Intermediate and were given a Pontiac Grand-Prix sports car. Shortly after 3 p.m. we arrived at our pre-booked motel, the Holland Motor Lodge, located at the Holland Tunnel entrance. It was good value for New York. We didn't have to pay any parking fees and it was just a 10 mins. walk to the PATH train station (Pavonia Newport). There were a fridge and a microwave in the room and in the mornings they served a rather generous continental breakfast (pastries, fruit, cereals, coffee, orange juice).

Around 4 p.m. we walked to the Newport Marina where you have a great view across the Hudson River to Manhattan. Then we took the PATH train to 33rd Street which took 20 mins. ($1.50 each one-way). We had a look into the art-deco lobby of the Empire State Building, walked to Flatiron Building and back along Broadway. Shortly after 7 p.m. we were back at the motel.

New York
Friday, 22nd September, 19 °C, partly cloudy

Shortly after 8 a.m. we took the PATH Train to WTC/Ground Zero which took 15 mins. We had a look at the Ground Zero construction site, then walked towards the winter garden in the World Financial Center (WFC). Along the promenade to Battery Park we were able to see the Statue of Liberty from the distance. We took the Staten Island Ferry (free of charge) at 10 a.m. which passes by Liberty Island with a good view of the statue. We boarded the return ferry and were back at 11 a.m. Then we walked up to Wall Street and took the subway ($2) to Times Square, arriving at 12 p.m. We had a quick lunch, then we walked down 42nd Street to the New York Public Library and Grand Central Station. From the station entrance we had a good view of the Chrysler Building. Then up Lexington Avenue to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on 50th Street and passing by St. Patrick’s Cathedral we reached the Rockefeller Center around 3 p.m. We went up to Top of the Rock ($17.50) and had a fantastic view over Manhattan with the Empire State Building to the south and Central Park to the north. Afterwards we walked up 5th Avenue to Central Park, had a look at the John Lennon Memorial „Strawberry Fields“ and walked around The Lake. At 5:30 p.m. we took the subway to 14th Street and had dinner at a Mexican Grill, before we took the PATH train back to Jersey City. Here we walked to the marina again to enjoy the view of Manhattan at night. At 7 p.m. we were back at the motel.

Essex, Mystic and Newport
Saturday, 23rd September, 18 °C, rain; distance: 287 miles

When we got up this morning it was raining. We left at 7:30 a.m. and drove across the George Washington Bridge ($6 toll) to Merritt Parkway. It was an agreeable drive because no trucks are allowed on this route. When we reached New Haven we continued on the I-95 and took the exit to Essex to see the Steam Train. We arrived at 10 a.m. and luckily the rain had let up, so we took a good look around. The train was supposed to leave at 11 a.m. but we didn't stay until then. We stopped again at Mystic and walked around Olde Mistick Village, a shopping centre built in the style of a New England village. We continued on Highway 1 to Stonington, a quaint fishing village, however, by then it was raining heavily again and there was no point in walking around.

We continued to Newport, Rhode Island, and drove across the Claiborne Pell Bridge ($2). At least the rain had stopped again so we walked along part of the 5 km long Cliff Walk that passes by the Newport Mansions, i.e. the villas of Vanderbuilt and Co. such as The Breakers and Marble House which can also be visited. 45 mins. later we were back at the car. We continued along Ocean Drive back to Newport. It was another hour's drive to our pre-booked Motel 6 at Braintree south of Boston where we arrived at 5 p.m. The room was basic but good value for Boston with the train station right across the road. We had dinner at the close-by Hilltop Steakhouse.

Boston
Sunday, 24th September, 22 °C, partly cloudy

The weather was improving and it felt almost hot in Boston. We took the T Train from Braintree to Boston's Park Street Station right at the Boston Common (day ticket $7.50). The train departed at 8:20 a.m. and it took 30 minutes. We breakfasted at Finagle a Bagle before we started following the red line of the 2.5 miles long Freedom Trail which passes by most of Boston's historic sights. Right at the beginning we did a little detour around Beacon Hill. At 11 a.m. we reached Quincy Market, it was a bit early for lunch, so we just bought a couple of muffins for later. Then we went up to Bunker Hill with its obelisk and at 1 p.m. we stood in front of the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. They offered free tours but we didn't want to queue. So we had a look at the more modern USS Cassin Young which was less busy. This was the end of the Freedom Trail. We went back across the bridge over the Charles River and took the T Train to Charles/MGH. We had a look at Boston's skyline from the Longfellow Bridge, then boarded the train again to Cambridge where we walked around the Old Yard of Harvard University.

Then we took the train back downtown and got off at Copley Square. The observatory of the Hancock Tower is closed since 9-11. We went up to the Skywalk Observatory of the Prudential Tower instead ($10.50). By now it was 3:45 p.m. The tickets included an audio guide and we spent 1.5 hours walking around looking down upon Boston. Afterwards we had an early dinner at Panda Express. Via Back Bay and Commonwealth Avenue, we returned to the Boston Common and boarded the next train to Braintree. At 6:15 p.m. we were back at the motel.

Boston – Salem – Gloucester – York – Cape Neddick Lighthouse – Ogunquit
Monday, 25th September, 21 °C, partly cloudy, distance 134 miles

We had breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts and were on the road by 8:30 a.m. It took us an hour to get to Boston during rush hour. Then we continued towards Salem where we arrived around 10:15 a.m. Salem is known for witch trials that took place here in the 17th century. This is well marketed today and there are a number of witch museums. We had a look at the old burial ground, the sailing vessel Friendship of Salem and the House of the Seven Gables which was the inspiration for Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel. Around 11:30 a.m. we had finished our visited and set off towards Gloucester which became famous through the film and book "The Perfect Storm" about the fate of the Andrea Gail and its crew. At the town entrance along the promenade there's a memorial dedicated to fishermen from the area that lost their lives at sea.

After lunch and a walk around the centre it was 2:30 p.m. and we gave up our plans of visiting Rockport and Cape Ann because we still had a way to go. We made another short stop at Newburyport before we left Massachusetts, crossed the coastal part of New Hampshire and entered Maine. On the I-95 we passed by Kittery with its outlet stores and took the exit to York around 4 p.m. York Beach looked nice enough with many motels right by the sea. We visited the Nubble Light at Cape Neddick and reached our pre-booked motel at Ogunquit around 5 p.m. The Sea View Motel was one of the cheapest stays of our trip, but one of the best. The room was very nice and a basic continental breakfast was included. After checking in we drove down to the beach and had dinner at Beach Street ("Splash", not to be recommended).

Ogunquit - Kennebunkport - Cape Elizabeth - Pemaquit Point - Camden
Tuesday, 26th September, 19 °C, sunny, distance 195 miles

It was a beautiful morning and by 8:30 a.m. we walked along the Marginal Trail between Perkins Cove and Ogunquit, then we drove to Kennebunkport where we arrived at 10:45 a.m. We drove up to Walkers Point where the Bush family has their summer house. At 11:20 a.m. we reached Cape Elizabeth. We passed by Two Lights State Park and had a look at the Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse from the parking area at the bottom of the road. From here back on the main road it were just a few miles further on to the beautiful Portland Head Light at Fort Williams Park. We stopped at a supermarket in Portland for a quick lunch before we continued on our route passing by Freeport which is famous for L.L. Bean and other outlet stores. But the weather was too good to shop.

In Newcastle/Damariscotta we turned off to Fort William/Pemaquit Point. After 14 miles we reached the lighthouse ($2 fee to enter the grounds). Here we enjoyed an ice-cream and by 3:15 p.m. we were on our way again. Via Rockland we finally arrived in Camden around 4:45 p.m. Here we had booked a room at the Birchwood Motel. It was a bit smallish for the price but a basic continental breakfast was included. We strolled through the pretty village and had dinner at Zaddik’s (Italian & Mexican) which was less expensive than most of the other restaurants in town, but still good.

Camden Hills State Park - Dyce Head Lighthouse - Acadia NP
Wednesday, 27th September, 17 °C, sunny, distance 128 miles

At 8:30 a.m. we were on the road again. It was just 1 mile to Camden Hills State Park ($3 each). Here we hiked the Megunticook Trail. From Ocean Lookout at 1300 m we had a great view of Camden from above with Mount Battie (780 m) in the foreground, the coast with many small islands to the east and possibly even Mount Desert Island with Acadia National Park in the far distance. On the trail we were delighted to spot some trees whose leaves had already turned red. At the end of 2 hours we were back at the car. Then we drove up the auto road to Mount Battie before we left the park. We stopped for sandwiches in Belfast and at 12:30 p.m. we turned off towards Castine on route 175/166 and at the end of the road we reached the little Dyce Head Lighthouse. It was surrounded by a small lawn and scrubs which were abundant with Monarch butterflies.

We reached Ellsworth at 2:30 p.m., did some shopping and an hour later we arrived at the Highbrook Motel in Bar Harbor which we had booked via telephone for 3 nights. The room was very nice with 2 Queen Beds, W-LAN, complimentary coffee and a small continental breakfast included. With the blue sky we had all day we decided to drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain which wasn't far from our motel. However, by the time we got there dark clouds had come up. The view was still ok, but there were lots of shadows and it was quite windy. At 466m elevation Cadillac Mountain is the highest peak at the coast north of Brazil. For dinner we went to the Thirsty Whale Tavern which offered fresh broiled haddock for a good price. Bar Harbor is very touristy with lots of shops, but it's quite a nice place.

Acadia NP
Thursday, 28th September, 17 °C, a.m. cloudy, p.m. sunny, distance 220 miles

We woke up early and decided to drive up Cadillac Mountain for the sunrise at 6:27 a.m. But unfortunately the summit was still covered in clouds. We went back to the motel, had a bit of breakfast and around 8 a.m. we headed for Acadia National Park. We had intended to go hiking right away, but we wanted to wait for the weather to improve as the forecast for that day had promised better conditions. We didn't have to pay the entrance fee of $20 as our national parks pass, which we had purchased in May during our tour in the south-west, was still valid. We drove to Sand Beach and for a start we hiked along Ocean Path to Thunder Hole (approx. 1 km). It's a shame that the path follows the road most of the way, nevertheless it offers some nice ocean views.

The weather still wasn't showing any signs of improvement, so we decided to start on the Beehive Trail nonetheless. The trail is not recommended for anyone with fear of heights. It was quite a climb, up a steep, narrow trail with ladders and iron rungs for support. The view from the top should have been gorgeous in good weather. Shortly after the summit we reached a little lake, The Bowl, then we took the path via the Bowl Trail back to the loop road. In better conditions we would have hiked up the Beehive to The Bowl and then further on to Gorham Mountain and via Thunder Hole and the Ocean Path back to the car park. This should have made a nice loop.

We continued on the 43 km long one-way Park Loop Road with a further stop at Otter Point. At 12:30 p.m. we reached Northeast Harbor and it was time for lunch. We had sandwiches at the Garage Deli. By the time we had finished, the sun had finally dispersed the clouds and we decided to tackle the south-western part of Mount Desert Island as well, which is not actually a part of Acadia NP. Via Somesville we headed towards Bass Harbor with its famous lighthouse. While photographing the lighthouse we met Miri and Ulf from a German USA travel forum who we had arranged to meet for dinner in Bar Harbor that evening. They were travelling a similar route to ours at the same time.

We drove on towards Bernard and Seal Cove. Beyond Pretty Marsh we headed up to Beech Mountain where we found a number of hiking trails. We opted for the 1 mile loop to the fire tower. The views from the top were stunning, looking down upon lakes and forests in fall colours. With the sun shining we went up to Cadillac Mountain once again. By now it was 4:45 p.m. Then back to the motel which was now showing full house. We had a shower and went to meet Miri and Ulf at the Route 66 restaurant where we had burgers for dinner. We went for a drink at the Thirsty Whale afterwards.

Acadia NP - White Mountains
Friday, 29th September, 17 °C, rain, distance 274 miles

The weather forecast for this day wasn't very promising and indeed when we woke up and looked out of the window it was pouring down and you could hardly see a thing. So we had to rethink our plans for the day. It wouldn't have made any sense to spend another day at the coast in this weather and we decided that the day would be better spent tackling the 300 miles drive to the White Mountains in New Hampshire instead, which we had planned for the following day. The motel had a 72 hours cancellation policy, but they offered to charge us back the room if they were able to re-rent it. Well, considering the weather our chances weren't good, but it was a Friday night, the forecast for Saturday was much better and the hotel had a full house the night before. And anyway, if we didn't leave, we knew we would be sorry afterwards. So we decided to risk it and in the end we even got the money back!

I would have liked to go whale watching that day, or we could have visited the Schoodic Peninsula which is also part of Acadia NP, but quite a way further up the coast. We used our W-LAN connection to book another night at the Econo Lodge which we had reserved in Littleton, NH. Now they wanted $80 instead of the $63 rate we got a couple of months before. After checking out we took the time to enjoy Maine Blueberry Pancakes for breakfast at Jordan's. We left Bar Harbor at 10:30 a.m. and an hour later we reached Bangor. I wanted to see Stephen King's house, so we headed downtown and we also had a look at the giant Paul Bunyan Statue near Bass Park in the rain. The statue came to life in King's novel "It".

Then we took to the I-95 south. Beyond Lewiston/Auburn we left the Maine Turnpike toll road after almost a 2 hours drive. It was 2 p.m. and we stopped for lunch at Tim Hortons in North Windham before we continued on US 302 to North Conway. The trees were getting more and more spectacular. We were nearing peak foliage in this area and after we had crossed the border to New Hampshire, the rain finally stopped! North Conway is famous for its outlet centre, as there is no sales tax in New Hampshire, so we had a look and I found a GAP Jeans for just $15. After an hour's break we continued on our route. It was 4:30 p.m. and passing by the Bartlett Covered Bridge, the Flume Cascades and Silver Cascades in Crawford Notch it was 6 p.m. when we finally arrived in Littleton. With Fryeburg Fair close-by and peak foliage during the first week in October, this is the busiest week of the year in North Conway, meaning that hotel prices are exploding. This was the main reason why we chose to stay in Littleton. We also thought that the Econo Lodge would be a good enough middle class hotel with a fair price due to its being a bit off the main routes. However, we were to be disappointed. After some initial confusion as we had 2 reservations for 4+1 night, they checked us in for the $63 rate for all nights which was great, and amenities sounded good: 2 Queen beds, fridge, coffee maker, free W-LAN, an indoor pool and free continental breakfast. But when we saw the room we immediately returned to the reception desk. The room was right behind the stairway which even blocked the view from the window so that the room was dark and noisy. And we had checked in for 5 nights! No way would we be satisfied with this! Unfortunately only smoking rooms were still available and we didn't want that, knowing from prior experience that the smell would be bad. So we asked that they move us the next morning if possible. Back in the room we saw how dirty it was in all the corners and the carpet needed some cleaning, too. Thus we decided that we would stay the night and the following as well as it would be highly unlikely that they would be able to move us on a Saturday but go and look for another place to stay from Sunday to Tuesday. The only highlight was that there was an Applebee’s next doors. I had heard that this restaurant chain was supposed to be very good, and it was! And it was good value, too. We paid $28 including tip (and just $1.80 meal tax) for their Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl and a Fried Chicken Salad with drinks.

White Mountains (The Flume, Kancamagus Highway)
Saturday, 30th September, 14 °C, sunny, distance 165 miles

It was foggy in the morning, but it promised to be a beautiful day. We left shortly after 9 a.m. Via US 302 we headed towards Bath where 3 covered bridges can be found: one in town, next to America's Oldest General Store, one in nearby Woodsville Village (Bath-Haverhill Bridge, which wasn't really worth the detour) and one along route 112 in Swiftwater. Afterwards we drove up to Franconia, passing by the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway, then onto the I-93 south. We stopped at The Basin with several small waterfalls and at 12 p.m. we reached the Visitor Center of The Flume. Here we met Miri and Ulf once again who had just finished their tour! There's a $10 fee to visit the ravine. But it was worth it. You can follow a trail which takes about an hour. It leads you through 2 covered bridges and across a boardwalk through the flume with 2 waterfalls along the way. We also got some spectacular views of the surrounding hills with trees in peak foliage showing off their leaves in yellow, orange and flaming red!

Afterwards we had a short lunch break at the Cascade Coffee House in North Woodstock. The village of Lincoln is just around the corner and here we had come across a small motel, Riverbank Motel & Cottages, which we had almost booked from Germany if they hadn't asked for a bank transfer because they don't accept credit cards. So now we went and had a look. The owner was a nice lady. She didn't have anything available for the Saturday night as we had expected, but the day after would be fine. Thus we left a deposit in cash and continued on our tour. With the forecast announcing rain again for Sunday we intended to drive the Kancamagus Highway still today. We stopped at the Visitor Center for a parking permit ($5 for 7 days) which allows you to leave the car at the trailheads in the White Mountain National Forest. In spring or summer the drive may not be such a big deal when the trees are all green, but now in autumn it was spectacular. We went to see the Sabbaday Falls which are just a few minutes walk from the parking area. Shortly before Conway we turned off left onto Passaconaway Road with the Albany Covered Bridge. In Conway we stopped at 2 more covered bridges, then we headed back onto Kancamagus Highway towards Lincoln which took about 45 minutes without further stops. The final bit was via I-93 north and shortly before 6:30 p.m. we were back in Littleton. Right in time for dinner and it had to be Applebee’s again. Then we went to the Econo Lodge's reception desk and asked for an early check-out the next morning which didn't cause any problem.

Northern Vermont (Stowe, Montpelier)
Sunday, 1st October, 10 °C, rain, distance 81 miles

White Mountains (Mt Hedgehog Trail, Bear Notch Road)
Monday, 2nd October, 11 °C, cloudy, distance 101 miles

When we got up, it was still rainy and we weren't sure if we would be able to go hiking that day as we had planned. But we decided to drive to the trailhead anyway. There are quite a number of interesting hikes in the area, such as Lonesome Lake, Greeley Ponds, Welch/Dickey Mountain, etc. But first we took the time to enjoy a good but inexpensive breakfast at Notchview Country Kitchen. We reached the trailhead opposite the Passaconaway Campground (UNH Trail) after 30 minutes along Kancamagus Highway. Finally the rain had stopped and the forecast looked more promising for the second half of the day. Shortly after 11 a.m. we were on our way. The trail was a 5 miles loop up to Mount Hedgehog. We went into clockwise direction which I preferred as the other way round we would have had a very steep climb at the beginning. We had a picnic lunch when we got to the top and were rewarded with some beautiful views across the hills in peak foliage. The wet ground made climbing across some granite blocks and lots of roots on the path a bit tricky. At 2:30 p.m. we were back at the car.

Then we headed towards Bear Notch Road which also has some nice views. Shortly before Bartlett Covered Bridge we turned south towards North Conway via a side road. Here we came across a signpost to Cathedral Ledge. We followed that road which takes you up to a lookout point above a sheer rock wall. Down below is Echo Lake. Via Passconaway Road we returned onto the Kanc. Here we stopped at the Lower Falls and Rocky Gorge. By 5:30 p.m. we were back in Lincoln. For dinner we went to the Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery which has reasonable prices. Most restaurants in this area we found to be rather highly priced.

White Mountains (Mount Washington)
Tuesday, 3rd October, 16 °C, partly cloudy, distance 158 miles

When we were back down again, we drove to Glen Ellis Falls in Pinkham Notch which were quite impressive, then we continued north to Gorham with a short stop at McDonalds and to Berlin, NH. Via Bretton Woods we reached the historic Mount Washington Hotel which opened in 1902. By now it was 4:30 p.m. and the sun had just disappeared behind a cloud for good. So we decided to return to Lincoln via the shortest route, got there by 5 p.m. For dinner we went to the Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery again.

Hanover – Woodstock – Manchester – Bennington
Wednesday, 4th October, 22 °C, partly cloudy, distance 179 miles

The historic Equinox Hotel in the Village of Manchester has already seen Abraham Lincoln's family spending their holidays here. We drove up the 5 miles long Mt. Equinox Skyline Drive ($10 for two) to the summit at 1170m. Unfortunately the view was greatly obstructed by trees. We did a little hike along a wet and slippery path to Lookout Rock which offered a good view of Manchester Village from above. Back at the bottom we set out to find the covered bridge in East Arlington and shortly before 5 p.m. we reached the Harwood Hill Motel in Bennington which we had booked in advance via telephone. We had a little cottage with a Queen Bed, fridge and coffee maker. The owner recommended two restaurants in the area. We chose Kevin’s at Mike’s Place in North Bennington which is frequented by the locals a lot and it was indeed very good ($31 incl. tip for pork chops and broiled flounder with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables).

Bennington – Williamstown – Mohawk Trail – Deerfield – Hartford
Thursday, 5th October, 17 °C, sunny, distance 194 miles

After a self-made breakfast in our room, we were on the road again by 9:30 a.m. It was another beautiful day. First we visited the 3 covered bridges of North Bennington, then we drove to the Bennington Battle Monument. There was a lift to the top of the obelisk ($2 each). The viewing platform offers a great view of Bennington from above and its surroundings. Afterwards we had a look at Old First Church. By now it was 11 a.m. and we left Bennington via US 7 to the south. Shortly after crossing the border to Massachusetts we reached Williamstown on US 2. Most buildings along Main Street are a part of Williams College. The highlight was a magnificent white church in typical New England style. In historic Spring Street we bought sandwiches at Subway which we ate for lunch on one of our first stops along the Mohawk Trail, a 63 miles long former Indian route through the northern Berkshires. It is also known as one of the best foliage routes. Eventually we reached Shelburne Falls with its Bridge of Flowers. Some glacial potholes can be seen here along Salmon Falls in the centre of town.

Around 2 p.m. we reached Historic Deerfield with well-preserved buildings in colonial style. Further south on I-91 we got to Hartford, capital of Connecticut. It was 4 p.m. and rush hour traffic. We had a look at the villas where Mark Twain, author of "Tom Sawyer", and Harriet Beecher-Stowe, author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin", lived. After another stop at the impressive capitol with its golden dome we headed back on the motorway. Around 5:30 p.m. we reached our accommodation for the night, Motel 6 in Southington. We got a good internet rate and found the motel was really good value. It was just off the Interstate with lots of eateries all around.

New Haven - Yale - Newark
Friday, 6th October, 13 °C, cloudy, distance 144 miles

The forecast had promised another sunny day, however, it was going to stay grey. We left the motel at 8:40 a.m. and drove down to New Haven where we had a look at Lighthouse Point Park ($10 during summer and on weekends). Then we stopped at Yale University, very close to New Haven's downtown. By 10:30 a.m. we had to be on our way again. We made another stop at Westfield Shopping Town near Bridgeport along Merritt Parkway where we bought a pair of jeans each ($50 total for a Lee and a Levis jeans) and we had lunch at Panda Express. At 12 p.m. we were on the road again. The trees along the parkway were still pretty greenish. Still too early for fall foliage down here. On Interstate 95 we crossed George Washington Bridge (no toll from this direction). We had to return the car by 3 p.m., but we were more than an hour early, good timing. We took the AirTrain to the terminal and had to queue at the Continental check-in which took about an hour, then through the security scan. The departure was scheduled for 6:45 p.m. but it was delayed for about 30 minutes. The return flight was 6.5 hours only. About 10 seats remained empty, but not in our row unfortunately. The movie programme wasn't great. In spite of the delay we arrived at Köln-Bonn airport 20 minutes early: 7:50 a.m. on Saturday, 7th October. It was 2 a.m. at the US east coast, so we were not that tired yet. Germany greeted us with 12 °C and a light drizzle, however, it was still going to be a beautiful day. For the New England states it was Columbus Day weekend and the forecast had promised glorious weather - ideal for leaf watchers! And the hotels should be full...

Conclusion

New England is well worth a visit, but the most spectacular time of year is the autumn with its glorious colours. Otherwise the landscape is not so much different from Europe. Many churches look like churches in England and the wooden houses often remind of Scandinavia. New England's white churches with their long spires and the covered bridges are typical though, and there are lots of lighthouses along the coast. And with Halloween approaching many houses are decorated with pumpkins and ghosts.

As regards booking accommodation in advance we didn't find it would have been necessary as we constantly came across motels with vacancy signs. However, prices were not posted and the weekends are definitely busy at this time of year, so in any case it would be good to look for a place to stay early!

Unfortunately we didn't have the chance to go on a whale-watching trip or on a moose safari. But at least we didn't hit any moose on the road by accident!

The two weeks we had were time enough to get a good impression of this area, but there's still so much more to see, thus three weeks or even four would have been easy to fill!

Copyright © Katja Maue