With Labor Day being the unofficial end to summer, we’re gearing up for a colorful fall foliage season in DINEcountry. According to Yankee Magazine, wizards of New England fall foliage predictions, we can look forward to peak foliage coming a bit earlier this year. Jim Salge,New England fall foliage prognasticator and photographer and Yankee foliage blogger tells us, “With the generally dry conditions, the season still looks to emerge a bit earlier than average peak times, as long as we get some requisite cool nights. The best news is that dry weather also tends to concentrate the sugars the leaves, and with ample sunshine this autumn, the production of red pigments in the leaves could be primed.” What does this mean? This will be the ideal time for a fall foliage getaway to any of the Distinctive Inns of New England. Here are a few tips for making the best out of your New England fall foliage getaway.
Book now or forever hold your peep
Travelers come to New England from all over the world to view the fall colors. It’s a busy time for New England inns, so the earlier you book your fall foliage getaway, the better the room selection. Picture your favorite room, perhaps the one with the view of the water or mountains with the whirlpool tub and private fireplace. What could be more ideal than a fall day at the beach in Southern New England or a day of leaf-peeping in the mountains than to return to your favorite room? You’ll want to book that room soon to insure that it’s available during the dates you hope to get away. There’s still room at the inns, but the closer you get to peak foliage season, the less availability there’ll be.
Be sure to check the online availability calendars for each of the 12 Distinctive Inns of New England to get the best idea for which rooms are available. From there, we suggest you book quickly.
Peak fall foliage varies from state to state
While fall foliage tends to peak from the end of September through Columbus Day in Northern New England (although it may be a little earlier this year, as we know from Yankee Magazine) the dog days of summer are still in full force in the southern part of New England. For the ideal fall foliage tour, plan a September soiree in Vermont at the Grafton Inn or Rabbit Hill Inn, in New Hampshire at the Chesterfield Inn or Manor on Golden Pond or the Berkshires of Massachusetts at the Deerfield Inn or Gateways Inn & Restaurant in September. Then count on an early to mid October escape North of Boston in Marblehead at the Harbor Light Inn or in Maine at Captain Jefferds Inn or Camden Maine Stay Inn.If Southern New England is your destination, you can plan on great beach days right through September and into early October at the Inn at Harbor Hill Marina in Niantic, CT, the Cliffside Inn in Newport or the Captain’s House Inn on Cape Cod, where fall foliage season will sometimes extend right into November here. The avid leaf peeper will follow the color from North to South, enjoying romantic getaways in each of the 12 Distinctive Inns of New England.
Get ready to relax after at the end of your fall foliage getaway
Whatever you do during the day, plan to return to one of the Distinctive Inns of New England for a relaxing end of the day. Many offer afternoon tea or wine and cheese and others offer the opportunity to return a fabulous dinner at the inn. Soak in the hot tub, cuddle up on the coach and look at the photos or take the nip off with a hot toddy at the bar. While each of the Distinctive Inns of New England vary in their amenities, you can be sure that each one offers the ideal base to start and end your New England fall foliage getaway.
Visit each of the Distinctive Inns of New England by clicking below on links that will take you directly to each of their websites:
In Maine: Captain Jefferds Inn in Kennebunkport & Camden Maine Stay Inn in Camden
In New Hampshire: Manor on Golden Pond in Holderness & Chesterfield Inn in West Chesterfield
In Massachusetts: Harbor Light Inn in Marblehead, Gateways Inn & Restaurant in Lenox, Deerfield Inn in Historic Deerfield and Captain’s House Inn in Chatham on Cape Cod.
In Vermont: Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford & Grafton Inn in Grafton
In Rhode Island: Cliffside Inn in Newport
In Connecticut: Inn at Harbor Hill Marina in Niantic.