where have you been

[ten ocho recon scout]

On 9/20/2016 at 2:26 PM, notherhalo said:

I found an app called "Skiplagged" that seems to search a few more regional carriers than does Expedia, Itasoftware, etc. Might be worth a shot if you are digging for local hops, no website I think just some phone app.

I'll have to give it a look. I'm currently trying to put together my annual end of the year, go crazy trip that's way too ambitious to make sense but I'm stupid so let's go trip.

Currently, the 2 must see things I'm looking at (that I've been planning for like a year but planning means looking at Google images when I'm drunk) both happen around the same time of year, but aren't anywhere close to each other....topping it is my travel partner for this onevent is pressed for time (more than me), so my usual of random connecting flights that are way out of the way but save a ton is probably out....so starting to stress if I'm gonna be able to pull it off as planned or if I have to downgrade and pick one and save the other for some other time

[ten ocho recon scout]

My original plan was to cash in my miles finally and buy an around the world flight over the span of a month or so, but not sure if it's doable...so might keep the miles and try again next year

[ten ocho recon scout]

Yeah, a guy I know has done it a few times....after he told me about it the impulse shopper in me said I have to do it at least once.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Anyone here been to new England in the fall? It's popped on to my to do list, thinking of taking a girl I'm dating, but don't know anything about new england other than fenway

[nate]

Depends on what you want to do.  Maine in the fall is amazing, you can find a bed and breakfast out there in the country if that is your kinda thing.

The cities are just the cities year round, only difference is the temperature.

[gotbeer]

52 minutes ago, nate said:

Depends on what you want to do.  Maine in the fall is amazing, you can find a bed and breakfast out there in the country if that is your kinda thing.

The cities are just the cities year round, only difference is the temperature.

@ten ocho recon scout Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire all have their charm.  Personally, I think Mass and Penn are too commercial.  Even if you get out of the city, it doesn't have the rural feel.  Too much fast food and chains.

[NJHalo]

6 hours ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Anyone here been to new England in the fall? It's popped on to my to do list, thinking of taking a girl I'm dating, but don't know anything about new england other than fenway

I love Vermont! Used to spend almost every weekend there during the ski season.

The fall is peak foliage season, so the roads are filled with leaf poppers. Lots of tour buses. It is Beautiful though, and worth the visit. Check out Stowe VT for a good mix of scenery, activities, lodging, restaurants and bars. http://www.gostowe.com/  You can fly into Burlington VT and be there in 45 minutes, or Montreal is about 2 hours.

Von Trapp lodge is as good as it gets. The family from the Sound of Music left Switzerland during WWII and emigrated here because it reminded them of home. http://www.trappfamily.com/#n8jG5X  There are lots of other great choices in the area.

New Hampshire is another option. haven't been there in a while, but the area around Mt Washington is great, as is Lake Winnipesaukee area. Check out the Mt Washington Hotel https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/bretton-woods-mount-Washington

[ten ocho recon scout]

Good stuff guys, appreciate it! 

I really have no preference..."new england fall leaves" is really the only thing in my head (and lobster), so whatever state is fine. Would love to rent a car and do a road trip in the whole area for a week or so but don't really have the time.

Vermont and new Hampshire sound really appealing (for whatever reason, haven't been to either and don't know a lot...but my imagination makes them sound cool), but maine for now seems like the best option just because of the sea....am I really stupid for saying that (be gentle), can I see cool lighthouses and drive inland for the trees in vermont/new Hampshire too?

[ten ocho recon scout]

And isn't AJ from out there? Too easy, I'll pick his state and bumps a ride from the airport off him

[ten ocho recon scout]

Anyone familiar with freeport, Maine? Found a pretty decent weekend getaway deal, but not sure if getting out to it just for the deal (from the airport) would be worth it

[gotbeer]

12 minutes ago, NJHalo said:

I love Vermont! Used to spend almost every weekend there during the ski season.

The fall is peak foliage season, so the roads are filled with leaf poppers. Lots of tour buses. It is Beautiful though, and worth the visit. Check out Stowe VT for a good mix of scenery, activities, lodging, restaurants and bars. http://www.gostowe.com/  You can fly into Burlington VT and be there in 45 minutes, or Montreal is about 2 hours.

Von Trapp lodge is as good as it gets. The family from the Sound of Music left Switzerland during WWII and emigrated here because it reminded them of home. http://www.trappfamily.com/#n8jG5X  There are lots of other great choices in the area.

New Hampshire is another option. haven't been there in a while, but the area around Mt Washington is great, as is Lake Winnipesaukee area. Check out the Mt Washington Hotel https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/bretton-woods-mount-Washington

 

I learned how to snowboard (or as I call it, fall down a mountain) at Stowe.  My buddy that I went to college with grew up in VT, so for a few winters, went out and visited him since he worked at Stowe one winter and Killington another.  Also visited the ER at Killington, it's very convenient.  Was able to walk to it from the 2nd pole from the bottom on a beautiful day after a surprise snowstorm that the Snow Cats didn't pat down.  /sigh

Also, Killington was nice, since I can now say that I flew into and out of Lebanon. 

And @ten ocho recon scout Maine, Vermont and NH are probably better in the fall when the leaves turn.  As @NJHalo's picture shows.  The colors are just spectacular.

 

[NJHalo]

Route 100 might be the best driving road in New England. It runs along the spine of the Green Mtns of Vermont, the whole length of the state. It is our version of the PHC. You will see classic New England by starting on one end, and finishing in the other. No lighthouses though, unless you count ones on Lake Champlain.

IF you want to do the coastal NE type of thing, I could suggest staying in Marblehead Mass. It is a good location, just north of Boston. You could spend time in Boston, go to Salem and see the witch museum and stuff. If you go in the fall, there are great candlelight ghost tours through the town. Pre -Halloween is a great time to go. You are also within a day trip to Portsmouth NH and Kennebuck Maine. We stayed at a great place in Marblehead Neck called the  SeaGull Inn. It is a small B&B that I think was an old converted lighthouse. We stayed in the two story suite that was the lighthouse. Awesome place! http://www.seagullinn.com/

[NJHalo]

9 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Anyone familiar with freeport, Maine? Found a pretty decent weekend getaway deal, but not sure if getting out to it just for the deal (from the airport) would be worth it

The only thing I remember about Freeport is that there are lots of shopping outlets. It is a good place to stop to piss and get something to eat. Right off the highway on your way to Sugarloaf

[NJHalo]

11 minutes ago, gotbeer said:

I learned how to snowboard (or as I call it, fall down a mountain) at Stowe.  My buddy that I went to college with grew up in VT, so for a few winters, went out and visited him since he worked at Stowe one winter and Killington another.  Also visited the ER at Killington, it's very convenient.  Was able to walk to it from the 2nd pole from the bottom on a beautiful day after a surprise snowstorm that the Snow Cats didn't pat down.  /sigh

Also, Killington was nice, since I can now say that I flew into and out of Lebanon. 

And @ten ocho recon scout Maine, Vermont and NH are probably better in the fall when the leaves turn.  As @NJHalo's picture shows.  The colors are just spectacular.

 

Spent some time at the ER as well. None of it skiing related. It had more to do with the fact that the drinking age in Vermont was 18 at the time, so...... yadda, yadda, yadda,....shit happens

[nate]

@ten ocho recon scout check out Acadia National Forest in Maine, in the fall it is seriously amazing.  I second what NJ has said, Vermont/NH are incredible.  My dad is from upstate NY on the Vermont border and that entire part of the country is beautiful.

Just to throw something out there but northern WI is the same way in the fall.  Can't beat it.

[red321]

15 hours ago, calscuf said:

My Aussie friends always tell me about "round the world" tickets that let you stop a bunch of times, all you gotta do is keep moving in the same direction.

Yep, they are awesome. I had an around the trip ticket about a decade ago. Had to go to India for work and my boss suggested I look at around the world ticket when the round trip ticket was 7k. We picked up an around the world business class ticket for 4k. New Zealand, India, Germany->Amsterdam, New Orleans, Home. Amazing month of travel...worked for 3 days in India, traveled for 27....might be why the corporate policy was changed regarding around the world tickets shortly after I returned

 

[red321]

9 hours ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Anyone here been to new England in the fall? It's popped on to my to do list, thinking of taking a girl I'm dating, but don't know anything about new england other than fenway

Yes...it is absolutely fantastic...especially if you time it right. Peak season changes, the further north you go, the earlier colors come out....and it can change overnight...once cold wind or early snowstorm and brilliant yellows and oranges turn in to bare trees.

We did Vermont and New Hampshire a few years ago. Started in New Hampshire in the White Mountain area, worked our way over to the Waterbury/Stowe area. Side note...Waterbury area of Vermont has some of the greatest breweries in the world. Check out The Alchemist (Heady Topper), Hillfarmstead, and Lawson's Finest. We stayed in Waterbury just to be near The Alchemist...we picked up two cases of Heady Topper at the brewery and it was my travel companion. Word is they no longer allow you to buy directly from the brewery. Ok, back to travel. Stowe is a cool place in fall, but a little touristy, i preferred Waterbury (Also, Hen of the Wood restaurant in Waterbury is always rated one of the best in the US...and it is).

From Waterbury we traveled down Highway 100 to the Woodstock Vermont area. Take your time, enjoy the drive. Stop off in small towns. Don't take interstate 89. Drive dirt roads. We took Cloudland Road near Pomfret Vermont and it was friggen fantastic. Could have spent days driving that road. 

After a few days in Woodstock we headed down to Rhode Island...the original plan was to hit Massachusettes and the Keane area...but a cold wind had come in a few days earlier and really knocked a lot of the color out so we figured we would add another state to our visited list.

Columbus Day is usually the target for peak color in that area... maybe a week or two earlier. Reservations are usually required as that is high travel season, especially Columbus Day Weekend.

Here are some photos from the area. If you do go...check out photography websites, fall color websites that forecast peak season, and really do your research. And give yourself time...and drive backroads. Some of those dirt roads in New Hampshire and Vermont...you turn the corner and bam...something we never see out here.

 

https://seanscanlon.culturalspot.org/exhibit/fall-in-vermont/XQKi6Q4MqhjwIQ

[Angel Dog and Beer]

Quality shots, seriously. Amazing stuff in there. 

[nate]

Wow, great pictures, Red.

By the way you can check color reports to find out when the trees are changing.  http://www.vermont.com/foliage.cfm

Red is right, the color only stays for a week or two max and then a stiff wind comes and all the trees are bare.  They started changing here over the last week or so, probably a couple more weeks before they reach peak color.  It happens earlier here than in the NE so I would think they are about 3-4 weeks from peak color.

[Mark68]

Currently in Berlin.

The one in Germany.

[mtangelsfan]

That Sleepy Hollow picture is my favorite out of those Red.  (and there are a lot of really good pics in there)

[Tank]

lived in MA for a school year and loved the feel of the crisp fall air. the fall colors were spectacular - we have nothing like it here in socal. i was told several times that the best time to go see the leaves was always around sept. 20, so you better hurry out there, TORS.

[Homebrewer]

Right here in California

 

[Homebrewer]

[mrwicked]

14 hours ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Anyone here been to new England in the fall? It's popped on to my to do list, thinking of taking a girl I'm dating, but don't know anything about new england other than fenway

We're members of Essex Yacht Club in Connecticut. If you go there let me know and I can probably get you in for a day of sailing (or just do cocktails and lunch at the club).